Phone Hours Mon-Fri 9AM - 5 PM Central Time Local: 325-227-6903 Toll Free: 866-807-4337	Email: sales@electricrider.com Service Dept: 325-227-6903   Go green with a company who will back you up! Buy with confidence, we'll be here when you need us!	ElectricRider 1301 Pulliam Street San Angelo, TX 76903 In our 10th year of service to the electric bike and LEV community
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Phoenix II

The details about the new Phoenix II may be more information than you want, but it's easy to put the pieces together to choose the system best suited to your needs. You choose a motor, controller, throttle, and battery pack. We automatically include things that are appropriate for the system you choose. We know you are anxious to ride and we want your installation to be quick and easy with no trips to the hardware store. Once you have reviewed this page to get a general idea of your options, feel free to call us for more information and to order. We want your Phoenix II Electric Vehicle to be a great experience for many years!

Step 1: Choose a motor

Phoenix II motors are available in front and rear models. Front motors fit 100mm dropouts and rear motors fit 135mm dropouts, the standard for mountain bikes, cruisers, recumbents, adult trikes, tadpoles, and just about everything else except road/racing bikes. All Phoenix II motors are disc brake compatible. Just move your existing disc rotor from your old hub to your motor. If you have rim brakes, no sweat. We use rims compatible with standard hand brakes.

Front versus Rear Drive
Each has advantages and disadvantages. To start, Phoenix II front motors are 10lbs and rear motors are 16.25lbs. You probably guessed that rear Phoenix II motors also have more torque than front motors.....so it's give and take, a very familiar idea to those in the LEV industry. You may have also guessed that you'll have less range with rear motors if you ride like us...full throttle all the time! Face it, if you are using more power, it's going to run out faster given the same size "fuel tank".  However, that doesn't mean you "have" to use more power all the time either, so you can have the same range with a rear motor as a front if you keep to that power level. Non-performance related differences may include that usually the rider is more aware of what the front wheel is doing. If it starts to spin, the rider has an additional plane of control. That is, you can turn the front wheel to maintain balance and correct for the spinout. The front wheel has less weight on it though, so it will spin more easily. Steep hills on non-paved surfaces can be a problem for this reason. Rear wheel drive has the advantage of better traction, but if you apply too much throttle on a turn and the wheel starts to spin, you will probably hit the ground as the bike goes out from under you (you can't turn the rear wheel as you can a front to correct for the slip). If sticking to the standard one-size-fits all battery mounting arrangement, rear drive puts the entire weight of the system on the rear of the bike rather than battery weight in back, motor weight in front. On the other hand, some of the best conversions we've ridden had rear wheel drive and the customer mounted the batteries in the triangular part of the frame toward the front. Weight distribution can be important, especially for 72V systems due to battery weight. When using our lithium manganese batteries, weight distribution is a non-issue. Rear dropouts on bikes are heavier than front, and can take more torque. If you use a rear drive, you can still have front suspension. If you use front wheel drive, make sure you are not using carbon fiber, aluminum, or anything weaker than steel. Believe it or not, carbon fiber is NOT good for a Phoenix II motor because carbon fiber is made with strands that are strategically placed based on the direction of stresses that will be presented to it. Since bike frames are stressed in about every direction, it makes carbon fiber a fairly poor material to use for bike frames, especially the area of your dropouts....hence being horrible for a hub motor. They tend to hold up under regular biking circumstances, and when handled with care, but a Phoenix II is sure to destroy it.

Cruiser versus Brute
Cruiser and Brute look physically identical. The difference is in the windings inside the motor. Cruiser is wound for higher speed, which means less torque than Brute. If you have a wheel size smaller than 26 inches, you will probably want to choose the Cruiser. If your wheel is 26 inches or 700c, it depends on your terrain and the type of traffic you will ride in. If you have a lot of stop-and-go and/or your speed limits are 25 MPH or below, Brute would be a better choice. Since Brute is wound to favor torque over speed (compared to Cruiser), it uses less energy to produce acceleration, and since you won't be exceeding its top speed anyway, the top speed of a Cruiser would be wasted. On the other hand, if you're traveling mostly county roads or paths where you can pour on some speed, Cruiser is a better choice. 

Step 2: Choose a controller

Match the colored cells above to the same colored pricing column below for a brief description of each:

Step 3: Choose a throttle

Throttle Options	Throttle	Description	Photo	Notes
	T100	Thumb throttle		A thumb throttle must be used if you have a twist shifter. This is the most versatile throttle.
	T200	Half-length twist throttle		Easy to hold a throttle setting by laying your hand across moving and stationary parts of the grip.
	T300	Full-length twist throttle		Most like a motorcycle throttle.

All our throttles are compatible with all our controllers. While lighted throttles are still available, the APM-Display eliminates the need of LED indicators on the throttle. All Phoenix II kits include a non-lighted throttle. The lighted throttles that show approximate range remaining need to be the same voltage as your system to be accurate, but while the light-gauge  needs to match the system voltage, the throttle part is voltage-independent, meaning you can use any throttle on any system regardless of voltage. NOTE: Half-twist and full-twist throttles have the same range of twisting motion, so don't be confused! "Half-twist" simply describes the length of the throttle, not its range of twisting motion.

Thumb Throttle - Uses a thumb lever to apply throttle, and takes up the least amount of space on your handlebars. If you have a twist-grip shifter, you must choose a thumb throttle due to the limited space on your handlebars.

Half-length Twist Throttle - Uses a twist action, much like a motorcycle throttle. The half-twist throttle is only "half" the width of a full twist throttle, meaning it takes up about 2.5 inches on the handlebars instead of 4 inches. The purpose of the half-twist throttle is to leave room for a stationary grip to rest your hand on when going over bumps. This helps prevent accidental throttle motion when you hit bumps or potholes.

Full-length Twist Throttle - Like a motorcycle throttle. 

Step 4: Choose a battery pack

The old reliable battleaxe of the battery world has always been Sealed Lead Acid. They are large, heavy, reliable, and relatively inexpensive. Expect to use as much as 1 Amp Hour per mile in traffic with no pedaling. We supply 12V 12AH SLA batteries by default with complete kits. For example, we will supply four 12V 12AH batteries wired in series for a 48V system. 

Lithium-based batteries are all the rage, but be careful! We have tested a number of them over the last 3 years, and until recently, none were able to power our Phoenix systems without premature battery failure. We have completed all testing, including field testing for our lithium manganese battery packs. These lithium battery packs are being created specifically to run Phoenix systems, since no others out there seem to be able to do so reliably. Our lithium manganese battery packs are not only capable of powering our Phoenix systems reliably, but they do it without breaking a sweat! They are capable of supplying far more than the 40A continuous our Phoenix systems require. 

Below are considered worst case scenarios for range using our standard 15AH lithium manganese battery packs. We also offer custom battery packs of any voltage, and any capacity. Contact us with your requirements if custom pack needed.

36V 15AH pack (at least 10-14 miles on Phoenix II, no pedaling) is $999.

48V 15AH pack (at least 12-16 miles on Phoenix II, no pedaling) is $1299.

72V 15AH pack (at least 18-22 miles on Phoenix, no pedaling, and consists of two 36V 15AH packs and two 36V chargers) is $1899.  

Helpful Tips, Basic Facts and Misc. Information:
This section is meant to provide bits and pieces of information that should help you to gain a more clear understanding of your options, and which options to choose. While much of this information can be found in various places on our website, we've grouped them all into one section for easy reading and navigation. 

Regular Bicycle Information:

• We are not bicycle experts, not even close. We have learned much over the years, but the bicycle industry is constantly changing. Instead of being mediocre in two totally different fields, we chose to be experts in one... electric hub motor systems. We have found one site in particular to be very informative when we've needed to research anything in the bicycle industry:  http://www.sheldonbrown.com. We can't verify all the information is correct, but have found no reason to question its accuracy. It's obvious its creators are very well educated in the bicycle industry...so we recommend using it as a reference for any bike questions you may have! You local bike shop is another great source for this information.

 SLA (Sealed Lead Acid) Batteries:

• Relatively speaking, increased voltage will increase your speed while increased current (Amps) will increase your torque.

• Do not confuse "Amps" and "Amp Hours", they are completely different unit of measurement. Amps are a measurement relating to power, also known as current. The higher your amp rating, the higher your torque and overall power. Amps can somewhat relate to the gas industry as in how many cylinders your car engine has, which has much to do with the amount of power it has. Amp Hours are a measurement relating to battery capacity, or range. The higher your amp hour rating, the further you can travel per charge. Amp Hours can relate to the gas industry as in how large your gas tank is....which has much to do with how far you can travel before refueling.
  

• Sealed Lead Acid batteries are generally available in 6V and 12V, although 12V are more standard in the LEV industry. 

• A 36V system will have 3 12V batteries, a 48V system will have 4 12V batteries, and a 72V system will have 6 12V batteries.
  

• Sealed Lead Acid (SLA) batteries typically offer 250-350 recharge cycles for electric vehicles. For the average rider, this is about 2 years. For commuters who recharge twice a day, this could be 6 months.

• SLA batteries DO have a shelf life, meaning they drain very slowly when not in use. If left uncharged for a period of months, SLA batteries will be permanently damaged. We recommend charging your batteries once every 2 weeks when not in use.

• Never exceed more than half the amp hour rating of your battery pack with the amount of amps you are charging with. For example, you would never want to use more than a 6A charger for a 12AH battery pack.
  

• For other SLA battery options and information, see http://www.electricrider.com/batteries/index.htm.

Chargers:

• All chargers we supply are "smart" chargers, meaning they can be left plugged into the battery pack indefinitely without causing damage. A good rule of thumb is "If the bike is not on the road, it's on the charger".
  

• Chargers do get HOT! Never charge near anything flammable. We recommend placing your charger on concrete, at least 6ft away from anything flammable.
  

• SLA ONLY: To determine charge time in hours, divide the amp hour (AH) rating of your battery pack by the amp (A) rating of your charger. Example, it takes about 4 hours to charge a 12AH battery using a 3A charger (12AH/3A = 4hrs).
  

• SLA ONLY: To an extent, charge speed effects charge quality. The slower you charge your batteries, the better quality of charge your batteries will receive. While you "can" charge a 12AH pack in 2hrs with a 6A charger, you will notice less range than if you were to charge with a 2A charger. 
  

• For other charger options, upgrades, and information, see http://www.electricrider.com/chargers/index.htm.

Motors:

• Phoenix II motors include only the Cruiser and Brute.  The Racer has been discontinued.
  

• The smaller your wheel diameter, the more torque you will have, but lower top speed. The larger your wheel diameter, the less torque you will have, but higher  top speed. Wheel diameter is a huge factor in determining which system is right for you. If you have a 20 inch wheel, in most cases we will recommend a Cruiser. There aren't many vehicles or applications that would require the torque of a Brute on a 20 inch wheel. 
  

• A 1-8 speed freewheel can be used with rear Phoenix II motors. Some 8-speed freewheels may require installing a flat washer between the fork and motor to space the freewheel from the frame.
  

• Front motors require a torque arm, rear motors do not, although you can use one on the rear if you desire.
  

• Phoenix II motors are "based" on Crystalyte's HT and HS motors, but supply more power than the base models. We call our motors Phoenix II, which can be identified as having glossy-black paint, and a lot more power! All standard HT and HS motors are silver.
  

• Phoenix II motors can be laced to 20in, 24in, 26in, and 700C (27in) rims. We can now lace 29er rims as well, but please call or email to let us know that's what you need.
  

• Phoenix II motors are laced with 12g spokes which are twice as thick as 13g (standard) mountain bike spokes. 

• Phoenix II motors are laced with washers behind the spoke heads and flange of the motor. This little trick adds a ton of strength and durability to your wheel. Broken spokes are a thing of the past!
  

• Keeping spokes tight is critical. Loose spokes WILL break eventually. The washers dramatically slow the spokes from getting loose, but they will eventually need to be tightened.
  

• For a "How-to" video on wheel lacing and truing, see http://www.electricrider.com/crystalyte/hubfaq.htm and click "How-to Videos".
  

• Phoenix II systems use sensorless technology, meaning there are no electronics inside the motor, thus eliminating any possible failure points inside the motor. The controller now does ALL the work.
  

• Sensorless motors and controllers work differently than motors with sensors. When throttle is first applied, you may notice a slight hesitation or "jerk", as the controller determines which winding to apply power to. This only occurs when starting from a dead stop, and happens so quickly that it is not an inconvenience. Please note that this split second hesitation is normal for sensorless systems, although it can be avoided by rolling forward slightly before applying throttle. This will allow the controller to sense the motor's position before power is applied.

Still not sure which system you need?

No doubt about it, choosing the right system is crucial to years of enjoyment. We want to help you choose the right system the first time. Give us a call or send an email to sales@electricrider.com. Some of the things we'll be asking you:

1. What type of vehicle will you be converting?

2. What is the tire size of the wheel you plan to install our motor? NOTE: Actual rim diameter is different than the tire size. A 26 inch rim is really 22 inches in diameter. Be sure to report the actual size stamped on the sidewall of the tire!

3. What top speed would you like?

4. What type of terrain will you be riding on? Is it mostly hills, flats, or a combination of both? About how steep is your steepest grade?

5. How far do you need to travel per recharge?

6. How much weight will the Phoenix II need to carry or pull? Include the weight of a trailer if applicable.

7. Do you plan to pedal with the system?

8. Do you need to lift the vehicle on a regular basis? IE, will it need to go on a bike rack or in a pickup.

Questions about delivery time? Click here for Delivery Zone Chart.

	Phone Hours Mon-Fri 9AM - 5 PM Central Time Local: 325-227-6903 Toll Free: 866-807-4337	Email: sales@electricrider.com Service Dept: 325-227-6903   Go green with a company who will back you up! Buy with confidence, we'll be here when you need us!	ElectricRider 1301 Pulliam Street San Angelo, TX 76903 In our 10th year of service to the electric bike and LEV community
HOME | Phoenix II Bike Kits | Complete Bikes & Trikes | Lithium Batteries | GoPed | HubFAQ | FAQ | Parts | Crystalyte Parts | Chargers | SLA Batteries | BatteryBrackets | Accessories| YardSale | International Shipping | Customer Youtube Videos | Phoenix Paratrooper