2016 Salsa Marrakesh flatbar frameset, BBSHD, Alfine 8 IGH

[ncmired]

Initial Specs: 68mm motor, 68mm bottom bracket

My first build was a 2016 Priority Eight with a BBSHD motor. The aluminum frame and/or frame geometry was not great heavily loaded, so I found a never-built 2016 flat bar Salsa Marrakesh steel frameset to swap over to. I'll need to find/fabricate some sort of downtube shifter boss cable guides. It has a 68mm BB and supposedly can clear a 700c 50mm tire:

There are/were two versions of the Marrakesh - flat bar and drop bar. The flat bar version has a significantly longer wheelbase, reach and top tube than the drop bar version.

I do like the 135mm swing dropouts - as with the Paragon plates, thru axle and Rohloff replacement plates are available:

The drivetrain should be boringly straight-forward - a 68mm BBSHD and Luna two-piece Eclipse 42 chainring should line right up with the Alfine 8 offset 1/8" 20T sprocket. I may need to consider some low-end bump cushioning and a seat bag for a spare tire/tubes/CO2.

To be continued.

[CPG]

Nice frame, huge triangle and great dropouts.

[ncmired]

Okay, I threw some more parts at this build, and now it rolls. I added the Salsa-specific rear rack, which bolts up to the upper swing dropout bolts. Again, not much mystery or surprise here, and still a work in progress:

I ran out of black wire ties, and don't know of a source for baby blue ones. This frame is annoyingly free of cable mount braze-ons, so I've had to wing it. Also, the Lekkie crank arms are mostly for looks - the left offset is not needed on this frame:

Here's the cockpit layout, with both a eggrider and a DCP14 - temporarily, while I get used to the eggrider - which will go on the Scapegoat build, eventually. The bars and stem will go silver, soon:

The front rotor is currently 180mm, till I figure out whether the fork can sustain a 203mm without failure (Salsa says no):

I had to add about 1.5mm worth of (steel) spacers, to keep the gear housing off the chain stay. The gearing is 42/20 to start, 1/8 chain. The chainline up front is approx 48mm (nominal for Shimano Alfine 8 IGH is 45):

The swing dropout plates were swapped to the Rohloff, fender eyelet versions:

Love the rack - no clearance issues with the dropouts and rear brake caliper:

[CC Rider]

These should work https://www.securecableties.com/8-in...e-tie-100-pack

They were a shade darker on the Electra build I did, but your bike looks at least a shade darker (https://electricbike.com/forum/forum...sd-w-luna-wolf)

[ncmired]

Thanks for the wire tie source! I did end up finding / buying some, but haven't gotten around yet to updating the bike. When its annual physical comes around ...

[nowholeself]

Love the color. Apparently we have similar tastes.

[ncmired]

Chain line calculation:

Front Chain Line (measured)

Front Chain Line (calculated)

BB Width

BB Spacer Width

Motor

Motor Published Width

Chainring

Chainring Published Offset

Chainring Spacer Width

IGH Hub

Hub Published Nominal Chain Line

Sprocket Offset

Hub Corrected Chain Line

Calculated "cocked" chain line

48.15

47.05

68

+4

BBSHD

33.85

Luna Eclipse (BBSHD)

-24.8

0

Shimano Alfine 8-speed

45

+3

48

-0

[Cezar]

Hello,
I have a similar system: BBSHD 1kW engine, the bike is used hybrid: www.Velo-de-ville.com - A700 rigid front, Alfine 8 with chain tensioner at the back, I changed the sprocket from 18t to 22t, factory front 46t, perfect chain line, does not require any washers. I'm interested in how you programmed your driver. My battery has 48V / 18Ah, but it has poor 13s6p cells - I can permanently charge it according to the manufacturer's instructions only with 15A current - peak and short-term up to 35A, so I programmed for max 21A and cut off battery 41V. I also programmed a low start of the campaign with approx. 10% power. I am interested in your settings. This weekend I will be making my first tests, so far flat - Warsaw - Poland.

[ncmired]

Hi Cezar, thanks for your inquiry.

I've not spent much time altering the, in this case, BBSHD's setting, other than at times limiting the max current down from the default 30amps, to if I remember correctly 20amps. Why? Because where I live the summers are hot and humid, and I use this bike primarily as a hauler - a total rolling weight approaching 200kg. After melting a nylon gear, I'm always concerned about shedding heat. I've also concerns about battery discharge heat.

Anyway, here are the screenshots of the current configuration - pretty typical other than the throttle max speed limiting:

There are configuration setting wizards on the forum - I'm not one of them. Regarding batteries, for the most part I use 52 volt 14S5P 17AH tray-mount jumbo shark batteries, and am considering getting a 52 volt 14S6P 21AH mega-shark tray mount battery, if funds ever permit.

[Cezar]

Thanks for the quick reply !

Listening to the suggestions of colleagues with more experience, I programmed my bike as below (without off road, without major elevations in Warsaw, but with a planned vacation in the south of Poland in the mountains where there are long and high climbs, but with a lazy cadence of max 70, ratio Alfine 8 22/46t ),
When will the nylon wheel on my BBSHD be in danger?

my settings


V min 41V
I max 21A (due to the battery and manufacturer's recommendations)

Curent limit	Speed limit
1	1
12	20
16	25
22	35
30	50
40	70
52	95
66	100
82	100
100	100

PST	DubleSignal-24
DAL	By Display Command
SL	By Display Command
SC	1
SSM	1
SD	4
WM	Uneterminated
SD	8
CD	8
SD	0
KC	100
	Throtle Handlle
SV	11
EV	42
M	Speed
DAL	9
SL	By Display Command
SC	10

[ncmired]

When will the nylon wheel on my BBSHD be in danger?

Great question, but hard to answer - how about, when you can't cup the motor in your hand for more than a few second because it's too hot. You earn extra points if you can check it underway from the saddle!

Just joking - if you're concerned about it with your terrain circumstances, Luna's metal replacement gear might help.

Sounds like a pretty place to vacation, BTW.

[Cezar]

Previous settings have not stood the test of time .. New are much better, more practical - the battery lasts longer. The voltage drop is about 1V / 10 km - for 4, 5, 6 degrees, for 3 even up to 1V / 15 km. The first two gears are practically for driving around the so-called chimney - that is, in the yard - drive to the garage, to a nearby store - trips to 100m .. The other is a good fast asphalt journey - without using the handle - sometimes moving off from under the lights, or passing on the lane to the other side of the road. A light uphill ride, approx. 300m long and 30m difference - calmly at 4 and 5 - at a speed of 25-30 km / h - without getting tired. Higher grades await real climbs in the mountains.

Speed limit	Curent limit
1	1
30	24
60	30
100	37
100	45
100	54
100	64
100	75
100	87
100	100

[RS-C137]

Hi, it seems like you might be the person I should talk to. I am wondering if I can/should swap the stock cassette and derailleur for an IGH on my 2015 Trek X-Caliber 6 29er hardtail. I just ordered the BBSHD kit from Luna. I understand an IGH wheel won’t be cheap, but I love the upsides. Do you have a preferred wheel maker or guide for the swap? I have built wheels, but I think I’d prefer to pay for that service.

[ncmired]

Hi, thanks for the question. I searched a bit for in-depth technical specifications for your bike's frame but panned out. I'm hoping it has a standard English 68-73mm bottom bracket, and 135mm QR/bolt compatible rear dropouts with some room in the dropout to engage the critical IGH anti-rotation washers.

You'll also need clearance for the hub's axle nut wrench and fit a chain tensioner.

With the Shimano / Nexus 8-speed hubs, you need to hit an approx. 48mm chain line, which means using the Luna Eclipse 2-piece chain ring or the Lekkie 40 tooth ring set. If you go with the Shimano Nexus 3-speed (which ends up 6mm farther out), you have a little more chain ring / line flexibility.

On the wheels, I usually build my own because, well, hardly any established online wheel builder source IGH hubs (especially the older Shimano 8-speed SG-S501 hubs I prefer), and I think they all now require you to buy the components from them. I did buy the Nexus 3-speed 26" wheelset for a step-thru build from Universal Cycles - they have a very nice online wheel selector tool, and the wheels have remained tight and straight. Plan on adding a shift sensor.

UPDATE: Velocity Wheels (Michigan U.S.) will build wheels using your hubs, providing you purchase the rims and spokes from them.

[RS-C137]

This is so helpful! It’s exactly the kind of direction I need to continue. It will be a few weeks before I have something to show, but I’ll post my progress. Love your detailed work. Thanks again.

[ncmired]

Spring maintenance & upgrade time - the Marrakesh gets 650B wheels (Schwalbe Bin Ben Plus tires, Alfine 8 IGH hub, Sapim spokes, and Cliffhanger rims), on which people have stuffed 2.4 inch wide tires - although I found that the Schwalbe Super Moto (not X) 2.4 inch tires I wanted to use don't comfortably clear the chain stays. It also gets a Lekkie 40 tooth chainring, driven by a Luna Ludicrous V2 controller - this and the 68mm BB hit the relatively tight 48mm chainline needed by the Alfine 8. The chain is an 1/8 wide Connex 108.

The battery is an 52 volts 21AH, capable of 50 amps continuous, and I've tuned down the V2 controller to not trip the BMS. The front bag mounts via a quick release decaleur, with a snap buckle safety strap. The battery weighs a lot, so I added a series of 5mm rivet nuts to help out the two existing bottle mounts - all 4 battery tray bolt holes are used.

The MKS Esprit EZY Superior quick-release pedals are tool-less and safety clip-less, and operate not unlike an air hose release, but with an additional 1/4 turn safety lock: