The engine is fantastic, it far exceeds what I hoped for. Sophisticated reaction, great torque, speed. Cycling with it is a real experience.🙂🌲🚴🌳Hill climb also great!💪
This was a super video, and especially the part where you detailed the instant torque available from pressure on the pedal. That is something I love about our Giant EMTBs with the Yamaha motor, as opposed to the Specialized/Brose, Trek/Bosch, Bafang obviously, and probably all others. Of course with the BBSHD, a little twist of the throttle takes care of it, but the torque sensing effect of just making everything effortless is just so nice.
@@HighVoltageKits I think Giant refers to it as their Syncdrive motor. It's a really nice motor setup for a high end, pre-built EMTB, but probably not of much interest to a hard core e-bike hotrodder like yourself!
Thank you John and congrats to CYC for creating a product that will likely appeal to mainstream of ebike performance riders who want a cut above from production ebikes
I have just installed the Photon unto my Diamondback hardtail. Waiting for my 48v 24.5 ah battery to finish the install. I am 73 yrs old and looking for cardio exercise with hill and range extending capabilities. Not "shredding#. Especially body parts..... Would love a video on your interaction with the CYC Ride Control software. Thanks for your input Wrt the Photon.
Cracking video. Now I really want to try unrestricted mode! I have 11-50T cassette, so hopefully means with my 50T chain ring option it will do 40mph on the flat, and still climb any hill no problem. Could be a good summer in the UK!
Thanks for sharing. I live in the Rocky Mtns and my Photon is supposed to arrive tomorrow, 4/14/2023. I can't wait. Seeing what you are able to do with this motor is very helpful! Great view on the ride too!!!
@@monkeyhaters9258 It took about 3 weeks. I ordered it from Golden Motor. I guess I got lucky with the timing. I installed it over the last weekend and it took me about 8 hours to get everything the way I wanted it. But it is great now that I have it installed.
@@HighVoltageKits I love that area, spent alot of time outside of Vancouver, all through British Columbia..Unfortunately, I've been rejected at the border a few times now..Bastages..I gave money to the truckers, is all I can figure...
Thanks much for the video - hopefully it will help guide yay/nay purchasing decisions. I like my Photon motor, but not the DS103 display, and I can't easily glance-read the SW102.
I really appreciate the detailed info in your videos. I have an old Santa Cruz Heckler with 52V and BBSHD and my wife has a Specialized Stumpjumper with the same setup. We are pretty low geared as there are some really steep hills in our Santa Cruz mountains. I would really like to try the Photon but cannot see it happening since we are already kitted with the BBSHDs. Maybe If I hit the lotto I will snag a Photon.
You are welcome! The bbshd is rock solid. We are also evaluating motors from TOSEVEN which are similar to the bbshd but with torque sensing. Your biked sound excellent. I finally managed to get my wide on the Photon and she loves it
I’m a little late to this video and it was well done, cudos! I am in western U.S., not much in way of regulations on E-bikes, and I just installed the photon on my REI Safari bike with the DS-103 display. It gives two modes, street and race, street limits it to 250, race limits it to 750 but I keep reading that it can be “unlocked” to give 2000 watts. Can you run through the steps needed to do the unlock? Thanks, Kendall
Thanks for the vid. I'm leaning toward the photon over the bbshd with your videos. Torque sensing seems like a lot of fun and even at 93c you didn't get throttling. I can always get a bbshd later and use the same battery if this motor isn't all that. Wish I could fit a 50t chainring on my mtb but the chainline would be terrible and even with the 38 you're hitting over 60km/h so that seems pretty good. Just hoping climbing won't be too restrictive as I have a lot of hills in my area (and makes the 50t not smart anyway unless a 1:1 is good enough for up to 20% gradient). That's the last thing making me consider bbshd. That and the bbshd can be run harder with a new controller and doesn't heat up as much. Thanks again and keep up the good work. Looking forward to more vids.
The BBSHD is outclassed by this in terms of the torque sensor. Unless you are going to be pulling a really heavy load like a trailer or want to go the stealth dirt bike route the Photon is a very good option. 1:1 should handle the steep stuff but I don't think you will be disappointed with the 38t
@@soandsononame8750 since it might be the next "hot" diy middrive with all these features in a "conversion kit" form like the BBS* motors, there might get more and more parts available in the future the BBSHD has been around since at least 2015, that's pretty much 8 years ya know
Awesome video. Question: can you set the throttle output to various levels? For example, I have my BBS02 programmed with no PAS throttle only and 5 levels of throttle output. This allows me to finely control the throttle and only use the power I need for the situation. Is this possible with the photon?
Yes. You can choose the precise level of power for the three levels you have available. So you could have one at say 200watts, one at 400 watts and one at 800 watts with similar with the throttle. Basically you have three levels and you can set them to anything within the overall limits allowed.
Thx for taking the time for reviewing this motor. CYC should provide you with free gear to test! What were your PAS settings and what gear were you in mostly to maintain 60kph. Also what is the total weight of your bike with battery?
You are welcome. Total weight is about 70-80lbs. PAS settings are basically stock. If you are on our Discord and pm me I can send you screen shots. Gearing is 38t to an 11t I think. Might be an 8. It's the smallest one. Requires a high cadence to reach though.
What speed drivetrain and cassette range are you using for this video? I've seen in the comments below you are running a 38T chainring. What is the biggest sprocket size? 34T / 42T / 48T that is getting you up those steep sections? Is the fastest/smallest sprocket 11T to get the 60kmh? This will help me decide which drivetrain to get for PAS/exercise build for flatter faster (60kmh is plenty) riding around home and steeper Peak District stuff on weekend trips. Loving the channel. Thanks
Sorry I missed this Kevin. 38t up front for me. 50t is the largest. I think a 42t exists now. If you want 60 comfortably get the 50t. You can always get a 11t to 42t gravel set. I think I might switch to that when I can afford to. Cheers
@@HighVoltageKits Thanks for the info on the front chainring. What is the cassette range that gives you the performance you show in the video - ?11-42T or a different cassette range? Thanks
Very insightful footage. How do you think your gearing setup would do going up the steeper ridge trail to the communication arrays? I'm starting to plan an e-bike build, but want to be able to climb the steeper bike trails too.
I had one gear left so I think it would be fine. It's a good balance. Going to a wider cassette would help but would need swapping the derailleur. If you have an 11-50 all bases are covered. Expensive tho.
Glad to hear you talk about the workout. Even though I ride electric I would still like a decent workout and I don’t really get that with the bbshd. I’ve ordered the x1 pro. I’m wondering if I will be able to get a workout with that.
@@courtneybass9153 strange you don't get exercise while using the bbshd maybe your configuration settings are to generous with the current and speed settings for each pas. I sweet and feel like my legs are going too fall off after I ride but that's only when I need to exercise otherwise I be on cruise mode with pas northwards
Great vid, loving these insights into the new Photon model!!! :) Did you also own and ride the X1 Stealth, and if so how do you find it compares to it? In terms of power, heat build-up, and over more time i wonder how it will compare in terms of weather resistance (one of the main issues i would have as an off-road pedal-assist mountain biker riding in occasional rain (with mud splatter and build up on the gold chain) and occasional snow (with moisture splatter in slushy salty winter riding) ...With those points i am much more attracted to this closed system in the hopes it will have better weather proofing qualities :)
I have not ridden the stealth but it has a similar motor structure in parts. There is a bit more power available up to 2500 watts. If you think you will need extra grunt on the throttle then it might be worth it. Based on what you say the closed system might be a better choice.
Hello, really appreciate your coverage of this motor. What are your torque settings for this level of assist that you are using for this video? Thank you!
Waiting on more videos on the photon unrestricted. Patiently and anxiously waiting on my photon to get here. Been looking at this same video almost daily hahahh. Could you also put pas to 2000w or is 1500w the max for pas? Did you put it to 1500w for safety or overheating purposes? I also purchased an 11-34 cassette to go along with the 50t chainring. What speeds and performance should I expect? This motor is perfect for someone who enjoys pedaling and want to go farther and faster on their commute or leisure rides. I think I’ll love it. Thanks for sharing your experience. Really helped me decide on the photon. Last thing, I was wondering if you can explain or do a video on proper shifting for this mid drive since it has torque sensing. Like can you just give it the beans and shift rapidly or completely stop pedaling to cut power and then shift? Incase I want to race my buddies with their ebike, is it safe to start at the 11 tooth in the back or do I need to gradually get there? All pedaling only, I’d rarely use the throttle.
You can put PAS at 2000w yeah. I just stuck it there to try it out. You will go pretty fast on that cassette. with the 50t. If you do long climbs you might build a bit of heat in the 34t but you should be ok.
@@HighVoltageKits thanks for the reply. There’s not much climbing here. If there is or if I find myself wanting to do more climbs, I could get the smaller crank from cyc right?
I’m having a hard time deciding now between cyc photon and a hv upgraded bbshd. I think I’ll like the torque sensing more but the upgraded bbshd can go faster and have a great track record.
Thats the real conundrum. There should be a bunch more TS motors out this year though to compete with the CYC one. The HV upgrade is considerably more power so yes you can go faster especially up any kind of slope. The feel is not as good though in terms of PAS
@@HighVoltageKits I think my best bet would be to wait for the cyc proton to come out. Around 2500w-3000w is the power I’m looking for with torque sensor. Either that or to7 dm01 with the possibility of upgrading to bac855. Only time will till. In the meantime, I’ll cancel my photon order and save the money. If I can wait anymore I’ll go with hv bbshd
Is the stock controller on the photon 72 volt compatible? After riding my bbshd with your 72 volt kit I can't even think of switching back to 52 volts.
That would be a question for CYC. You would have thought that if it was possible they would have tried it. I know its more commonly used in hub motors. Its not something I have ever used personally so I honestly just don't know. Getting it in there would be hard because its glued together on the outside. Then keeping it in there when assembling it again might be tricky.
Its good to see some actual footage of CYC instead of their terrible marketing and social media posts. I am excited for what they are working on but their marketing sucks.
I see your website sells the asi bac855 upgrade kitt, for the bbshd, but i have a question, the asi bac 855 says rated for 800 watts, and the m6 motor is 1000 watts, so how does the asi bac upgrade? Isnt it suppose to somehow get to 4000 watts?(the bafang m6) what exactly does the upgrade to the asi bac controller do for the bbshd? Thanks in advance
This is a video I did with the BAC844 running the TOSEVEN DM01 motor. Its pulling 3250 watts peak. th-cam.com/video/AB_b5yl5mQY/w-d-xo.html You can go up to 5000 watts with a BAC855. The rated thing means not very much. The BBSHD says 1000watts 48 volts on it. There are a ton of videos on the channel about the kit and the BBSHD. If you go to the channel and then click on videos it will list them all.
Thanks for the video. Are you running this with a separate controller? I can't seem to find very much info on running the photon with a separate controller.
Its stock. I think it would be a bit pointless. Unlimited with the VESC based x6p it's already pushing it to its absolute limits. The nature of the motor means rpms can't really be pushed any further and the design itself does not lend itself to modifications. It's essentially a Bosch for the diy market with added flexibility.
@@HighVoltageKits Right okay. The temps on mine just seem to climb a lot faster when I run it in higher modes. Like as soon as I pedal hard in 1500W limited mode the temps climb like 1 degree per second 70-85 then I usually back off for a bit.
for testing I ran the 50T up front but a 50T on the rear to get my low end back...so far I can climb anything...as w 50/50 I get a 1:1 so good low end...
@@HighVoltageKits I was able to use a 'Goat link 11 (2)', on my shimano rear DER< to extend its range...then used wide jump 50-10T, the 10 / 50 gives me a 114" gear and cruze of 62.5km/hr @ 90 RPM. the wide jump is good so I am not double shifting as much. thx again for your work! I am a bike mechainc of 35years and a electroinc designer, if I can help, let me know...;)
Wow, this looked amazing, fantastic video as always! The photon sounds pretty quiet even unrestricted, can you confirm if that's he case? Also how hard was it to unrestrict it?
Depends a bit on the dealer. There are a few different options depending on where you are. So USA or EU etc. Mine came with Street mode set to 800 watts peak. The max you can set stock it 1200 watts.
Est video ive seen per 3 years about ebike !!! Basically i have now 1000w rear hub motor . Max speed reached 70 km/h from normal hill and my assistance, on flat 52 -55 depends on wind ( which is NOT ENOUGH for me ) there is one guy in town who have faster a bit like 65 something... My main reason to change motor is to beat that guy and maintain my throne . I cant go full in on pure max speed performance because im working on my bike - delivering ,so i must have long range like now about 60-70 km on one change 52v 20Ah battery 🔋 By seeing this video i think this motor will be best for it . Few questions... How to get unrestrict it? What range you con do? And where to get that beautiful screen 😍? Thanks in advance!! And hello from Nottingham
It's pretty easy to derestrict it. Just change the country settings. Sounds like you get some real speed. I think you might be a fitter cyclist than me! Appreciate the kind words.
Thats 60kph so yeah I think so. Much depends on the gearing, terrain and fitness of the rider. Uphill unless you are really super fit that might be tough to maintain. On the flat pretty easy. If this is what you want I recommend getting a 50T upfront and a wider range of cassette at the back than I have. That way you can get the speed with a lower cadence than the one I am using.
@@HighVoltageKits I’m trying to decide between the photon and the x1 pro gen 3 since they’re the only ones that can fit my crooked path folding fat tire ebike. I don’t mind the 750w power right now but would like to go close to traffic speed as to not slow cars down or speed pass traffic to stay away from them. X1 pro has a rating of 3500-5000w and photon is 2000w. I do mostly trail and road riding (adventure seeking). Sometimes trails along side creeks and canals. I love the torque sensing idea because I rarely use throttle. Which do you think is best suited for me? The stealth would have been perfect but it won’t accommodate for a 100mm bb. I also like to add, I ride for fitness and adventure.
@@johnnylong2049 when you leave a reply to a comment it doesn’t notify the channel in same way ans its easy for it to get lost. Just post a whole new comment with your specific question . Run on comments get lost
Usually when electronics are built properly, mosfets and heat sinks, anything under 100 C is fine...Although, many are not built properly, this system seems good...
Hi, whats the video comparing, if there are still the cyc x1 pro gen 3 and the stealth, are these better than the bbshd? What does the bbhsd have that the two that i mentioned doesnt? I want to buy a middrive kit but dont know if i should get cyc or bafang. I have an old marin mountain bike in good condition.
This is a video comparing the BBSHD and CYC. The main difference is the CYC has a torque sensor. The BBSHD has more torque off the line and is more reliable. Its an older motor and has less bells and whistles stock. Out of the two my preference is the BBSHD. But then I also do not have the latest Gen 3 of the CYC either. I would check some of the videos we do and also some videos with the CYC ones and see what you want to do. How do you see yourself riding. Some people hate the noise the CYC makes etc. In terms of cost it's probably similar to get a CYC kit and upgrade a BBSHD. You are also welcome on our discord whichever path you choose to take. Links to that are on most of the videos I do. th-cam.com/video/8rEtoc9uib4/w-d-xo.html
@@HighVoltageKits thank you, and one more question. For the bbhsd, can I use a different controller? I sourced a golden motor new EZKkontroller for my qs 205 5T motor,(an old project that never came to be) and I was wondering if I can use the EZkontroller With the bbhsd, its a controller that golden motor in China matched with my qs motor out of the list of their new controllers. They told me they used to sell vec and hpc controllers, and that they are the same as the North American golden motor. I sourced them on ALIBABA. They say the new EZKontrollers are better than the vec and hpc controller. Again this is rated for 10kw and can be limited for the bbhsd, would it be an option I can use for the bbhsd instead of the asi back? Just wondering if I can save a few bucks with two e bike builds by just interchanging parts with them , so if I don't feel like using the qs 205 built bike with the EZKkontroller, I can just swap the EZkontroller to my middrive bike and go on my way. Yea?
You can. There are a few options. Configuring them is the trick. It will need to be wired up and then the right settings be put in. If its set wrong you can damage both the motor and the controller. Something with settings for a hub will not run the BBSHD.
I recently just purchased the cyc photon based on this video. I ordered it with a 50t and 175mm crank arm. I’m not sure what kind of speed or performance I will get with a 52v 20ah 60a continuous would be. I have a Shimano 7 speed 14-28/T cassette with a tourney tz derailleur. Is this safe to have I mean the ratio? I know how you talk about not being on a low teeth cog, should I change it?
I think you fast on the flat and downhill for sure. Up steep stuff you might struggle a bit with the 28t. Depends entirely on your riding. Are you hitting 15% grades?
@@HighVoltageKits there isn’t much hills where I live. It’s all flat. I had 2 torn acl in my younger sports years but I have strong pretty muscular legs 🦵. I also do mostly upper body training on a functional trainer. And I do boxing at home on a lite boxer machine. I think my fitness is adequate. I just want to be able to ride at 40-50mph when i need it for passing or keeping up with traffic. Can it go that fast? I seen in your video you hitting close to 70kph which is like 43mph. Can I set the pas to 2000w? That would be cool
I find myself watching this video every day lol. Anxiously waiting for my photon to come in. Sadly I recently had a bike injury where my front tire got caught by this large lip on the road. Threw me off the bike and fractured my left elbow and my right wrist. I’m fine but I need time to recover before I can go out again. Your video keeps me motivated and I like to be able to see what the motor can do before I get it. Thanks.
Good question. I will put this one in the review. The advantages are that you get a very compact motor that is easy to install and low maintenance without the second chain that comes with the others. Its very easy to set it up so that it is road legal to use in North America as well as Europe. Its much quieter than the other motors and more compact in how it sits on the bike. I will go into more details later but it fills a nice niche in the market that previously only had the Tong Shen really.
Yeah you can do that. Whether they will be happy with you being able to switch to something else is another question. That might be down to how strict they are. In theory though this should work.
So, my question is, WHY would I buy a BBSHD Bafang for $700is USD, then pay another $700 for your upgraded controller for the BBSHD when I can buy the Photon for $850 and be done? Thanks for your super informative videos!...
Because the Photon has 1/10 of the power and performance and I have less then 1000kms out of it and its still broken. Wheras the BBSHD has over ten thousand trouble free km and counting. Cheers :)
@@HighVoltageKits I opted for the 38t as well. I will be installing the CYC onto a Jetson bolt pro. Hope I can obtain the speeds you have on this bigger bike. Thanks for your help.
Gday in your opinion what is stopping the motor from moving downwards in the bottom bracket? This system looks like it doesn’t really have anything to stop the rotational force under heavy loads. The Bafang bbshd has an issue with it do you think this motor will too?
Its just the torque. I recommend using a torque wrench to set it according to specifications. The BBSHD is rock solid if you get the locking flush with 90ft lbs. The Photon used 45-50 I think it was. Its not moved so far.
What kind of batteries are you using for this build. I have a bafang bbshd with a double shunted controller so it can kick out 60amps but i have a small battery so i am getting mabe 40 amps max right now and battery is heating up. I was thinking samsung 21700 40t 14s 8p if possibble any information would be cool. My battery now is 14s4p samsung 35e 18650.
You watch when charging that bat. Never leave alone. And watch temperature while charging.. if getting hot unplug move safe spot. Dont use again. Drawing max amps is hard on batterys. Use to fly drones everyday 30 bats would go through. 15 for shure. I know baterys. And they do catch on fire. Mostly while charging.. if starts taking longer to charge..or drains faster.. time to replace. Or very least take easy on.. almost ready to fail. God bless and enjoy hobby! Trickle charge is better on batterys too👊👊💪💪
@@sleepingbearffg5008 If you purchase high quality cells, use the proper wiring and Bms, proper controller, your not going to have a problem..Most batteries that catch fire are premade cheap batteries made with cheap cells, or a DIY'er who doesn't know what they are doing yet..Of course only charging when you are home and awake is the way to go..In America 40--50 thousand people lose their lives on the road every year..While Ebike fires can be tragic, they don't compare to those stats, even though they do catch media attention..
@@realeyesrealizereallies6828 drone batterys are ment for high discharge. Can get so hot flying hard.. can cash on fire. You can burn out a 100 dollar 6s or 8s in one flight/race went through 15 packs a year for years. Cycled 3 times a day every day. You can use on high power ebikes. Might try? I commute on my bike. So not concerned with speed so much.. 40mph good enough. But if built a high powered one. Would use 100c 8s race drone bats. Lighter can handle 100amps easy. The story's about fires are true. But if always kee6an eye on. Charge time and drain time. If ever drops.. then fire if keep using. One flight could burn up a battery..120mph could fly.. good charger important too..best thing for any bat is trickle charge. New to the bike baterys.. so many cells in bat! Lining up 8s batterys would be cheaper to replace one 8s than a whole batery. Why I would do.. just what I learned brother.. god bless
That is a good question and I will probably add it to my review. Essentially though my HV bike is like a mini dirt bike that can rip it anywhere while being more portable and much cheaper to maintain. The Photon is a top end ebike with a really nice feel when it comes to pedal assist. One can be legal. The other definitely not although I have never been bothered as I ride with respect for people. They are very different bikes and its really a case of what are you looking for in a bike. You don't get the same raw acceleration of with the Photon or the ability to do 50kph up hills. But I can also get fit with it and I was not doing that with the BBSHD bike. I am glad to have both!
@High Voltage thanks for confirming. Company is exchanging my motor, but I'm not sure if it is the motor or chainring. Tends to be louder when going faster. Do you have link to discord?
Anyone else using the photon with street legal setting? 25kph and 250w limits. I have found a couple of issues: first the photon controller reduces assistance too early. So by 23kph, you have no assistance, second the Sw102 controller won't change from default of 29" wheel, so speed reported by sw102 is wrong, and I am actually going slower. Combined assistance is stopping at a 'real gps' speed of just ~21kph. Otherwise amazing (love the tip of using more magnets for speed sensing). Using on a cargo bike with alfine 11 hub. All good great heavy loads. Apart from these bugs, which might be me(or could be fixed) it is brilliant.
I thought it was 32kph? What kind of draconian place do you live in. Round here people walk faster than that. On a serious note I have not tried anything like that. You might be able to tweak the three settings covering torque or maybe increase the limit to 27?
@@HighVoltageKits Thanks for the reply - I have tried and it helps a bit! btw amazing videos that convinced me to get the photon (and followed during install :-)). In the UK the limit is 15.5mph, would be much safer to be faster. I guess you are legal or not... I have a Bullitt cargo bike, so either cycling human powered faster than 32kph, or going slow with 30kg kids or +60kg shopping. The Photon is generally amazing for this (smooth handling, great starting response and just as fun as when pedal powered). I hope they fix this, as suspect this is the ideal kit for many cargo bikes.
Ya i was going to ask about heating issues.. if you would ride like this when its 90+f out side. which cyc motor would you suggest for street only commutes at 35mph for 30-40 minute rides ?
It's shouldn't affect the motor too much. Like he mentioned, he believes that even on a 35 degree day ( 95 f) the motor temp would probably stay similar for this ride. He also asked cyc about it and they didn't seem concerned. Either way, time will tell when he undoubtedly does a test on the hottest day of the year 😅
The only one that has a shot at what you want is the X1 Pro. If there are alot of climbs it might struggle but if its a mix you should be able to do that with an X1
I’ve ordered the Photon, but can’t settle on a battery. I thought I read somewhere that you want 21700 cell batteries with this motor? Is that necessary, or can you use 18650?
Nah. You can use pretty much anything with this. I would go for a minimum of 40 amps continuous for the battery. But most things can handle that. If you want huge range get there are some 18650 cells that have 3500mamph. You want 40 amps so you are not thrashing the battery at its limits. Most batteries should be good for this motor as its relatively low power.
@@HighVoltageKits I commented on your battery choice in another video. CYC offers 70amps or 30amps for their middle of the road 52V batteries. Do you think the 30amp one isn’t sufficient enough, or do the 21700 cells help? Thanks for the insight.
The 30 will do it with those cells being more capable. Most riding pulls about 15 amps. More is better but you will still be ok. Sorry if I missed the other comments.
I ran a rear geared MAC 8T hub motor at 52 volts and 40 amps and was able to climb pretty steep hills at 40-50 Km/hr, Around 2 Kw then I modded the controller for 50 Amps and it was pulling around 3.3 Kw and more on the peaks. Animal. Greatest mistake selling that motor and em3ev no longer sell MAC motors. For those not bothered about pedalling a direct drive at 5 Kw is real fun but you absolutely must use torque arms on both sides.
@@HighVoltageKits Yeah it's a real shame because he's the only one I really trust to get a hub motor from again, I'm really gutted. Seems they stopped selling hubs to concentrate more on batteries. He sells the Bafang motors though. I don't want mid drive because of the drag on the pedals without motor power and my 10 year old Bosch powered bike is getting worse to pedal without motor power. I hear the Bosch motors have improved but I'm never getting a Euro restricted bike again and having to spend 3,000 + on a bike with 80 Nm torque and for that power you usually have to get a Mountain bike and I want more of a road/trekking bike like I have now. But I'd never pay such money for such a highly restricted bike. It cost me 2500 for what I got now 10 years ago and it's only a 50 Nm motor and I want more power. The price of the commercial Ebikes is just insane.
@@wrosslandwr8032 Grin did a dreadful thing and had all the clutches welded and that would, in my opinion, completely ruin the experience, one of the best things about the clutch is that when there's no power to the motor it feels almost identical to a normal bike to pedal even much better than a Chain drive setup. The Mac motors I used had a weak clutch but em3ev sold them later on with a much heavier duty clutch + their grey gears were bullet proof. Never had the XFC19, can you give me a link please ? Apart from the clutch, I put that little MAC 8t through some abuse 3.3 Kw and apart from the clutch it was in perfect condition. I rewired the phase wires using alpha ecowire, it could handle massive power and didn't even get luke warm, the insulation was super thin which was perfect to squeeze through the axle. The MAC 8T gave a far better experience than any chain drive. Just so smooth and so much torque. I could get 60 Km/hr from 16S LiPo, 66.6 volts hot off the charger. I modded the 40 amp controller for , I think 50 amps if I remember correctly. I really miss that, I went chain drive after and instantly regretted it but I had sold the Mac kit and now em3ev no longer sells hub motor kits as everyone want the crank drive motors but they don't know what they're missing. I ran a old conhismotor 1 Kw direct drive motor at 5.5 Kw and that was absolutely amazing altogether, some mental acceleration and I never killed it, but too difficult to pedal without power. If I were to build an ebike again just for fun I'd probably go with a more powerful hub motor. But I have got my motorcycle learner permit now and on the lookout for a cheap motorbike or 400 cc scooter because in reality it's cheaper than ebikes and batteries, the insurance won't cost me much and I'll be fully legal and can ride with traffic, have indicators, proper tyres etc. I can't believe there are people paying 3-7,000 Euro's on ebikes that are limited to 25 Km/hr it is just pure madness.
Its not fixed lol. It's just a different style here. I am pretty sure the X1 came right out of the RC motor scene. Hence the very high rpm needing a 36:1 reduction. Most of the cyc noise is the two chains and tensioning. Which is why it's on both the X1 and Stealth. Cheers
Hopefully the law catches up to good sense and 40mph ebikes are freely allowed in towns. Bit dodgy on 60mph roads for me. But still, the best way to get about, no doubt.
Only time will tell if this motor is reliable. I'm pretty sure that the controller will be the weakest link. It is extremely tiny in comparison to big X6 controller in STEALTH gen3. Also I do not think that human power is correctly calculated. Seems to be too high. App also looks buggy. Ride time is not increasing. Wh/km is waaaaay too low.
I did notice that with the wh etc. That is notoriously difficult to get right. I have a really long range ride test planned so I will record all of that data and compare it directly with the BMS. There are a few bugs on the app it seems but overall I have been happy. The X6 controller looks really well made so I hope this is of the same quality. But you are right. Time will tell.
In E-mails with the CEO of the company, they are "fully n the process" of getting their UL 2849 approval for the Photon and their "B" batteries. Woo Hoo Can't wait until it happens. That will put the end to over rated, over priced E-bikes.
Please TEST ToSven dm01 TORQUE 1000w - 40:1 ratio - 30A controller - they TOLD ME DISPLAY 70v max - 80v capacitor in controller- so easy 17s with a JK bms active ballance. 600$ aliexpress pspower. 2000w power. beats BBSHD. This is sh ..t - 2-3x less efficient (3000w one). 1500w at 60km h 3000w-5000w version instead of 800w lowest. TOLD YOU IN THE past - are fooling people. Maybe this photon is a 5/10 or more juts because of the APP. but expensive ... not efficient. boring.
@@lajosczovek8159 Yes. And you not to get offended . +1000$ lost for that trash- not my fault. the app is nice. search for toSoven mid drive 1000w - we need to test this... THE NEW KING maybe!!!
@@HighVoltageKits OMG! YES!! They said can ship in 9 days to Europe. I hope you test it FAST!! Told you from their engineer- 70v DISPLAY LIMIT + 80v capacitor - 17s. CAN YOU DO A 17S battery? I don't need to evaporate 1000$ for nothing. I don't have photon- i know how good it is by looking at you. Gen 3 pro gen 2 WASTE energy at constant 60-70km/h- Photon is the least worse - no chain outside, noise, etc NO PASSION - parts from where? But ToSeven might be the new king!
@@HighVoltageKits BACONBUTTTIES - talked with him.... i think he will order it. WILL YOU?? i can't wait!! can you make - TOLD HIM ALSO- a 17s battery 4.1v so you don't go pass that 70v - 69.7v - display limit. Capacitor 80v - told you HIGHEST VOLTAGE - the better- their ENGINEER told me about the limit so trust me.
The engine is fantastic, it far exceeds what I hoped for. Sophisticated reaction, great torque, speed. Cycling with it is a real experience.🙂🌲🚴🌳Hill climb also great!💪
For sure! I'm having a blast!
This was a super video, and especially the part where you detailed the instant torque available from pressure on the pedal. That is something I love about our Giant EMTBs with the Yamaha motor, as opposed to the Specialized/Brose, Trek/Bosch, Bafang obviously, and probably all others. Of course with the BBSHD, a little twist of the throttle takes care of it, but the torque sensing effect of just making everything effortless is just so nice.
Thanks for the kind words. I did not know Yamaha made a motor. I will have to check it out. Cheers!
@@HighVoltageKits I think Giant refers to it as their Syncdrive motor. It's a really nice motor setup for a high end, pre-built EMTB, but probably not of much interest to a hard core e-bike hotrodder like yourself!
Thank you John and congrats to CYC for creating a product that will likely appeal to mainstream of ebike performance riders who want a cut above from production ebikes
You are welcome. It will destroy Bosch stuff
@xPaPaDx 7 p0unds vs 12 lbs on the Bbshd
@@xPaPaDx The CYC Photon can't be compared to the BBSHD it's more comparable to the BBS02.
I have just installed the Photon unto my Diamondback hardtail.
Waiting for my 48v 24.5 ah battery to finish the install.
I am 73 yrs old and looking for cardio exercise with hill and range extending capabilities. Not "shredding#. Especially body parts.....
Would love a video on your interaction with the CYC Ride Control software.
Thanks for your input Wrt the Photon.
You are welcome. Taking it on an adventure tomorrow. I'll go over the app briefly in the review. I can so something more detailed if people want.
Will check out your "adventure"...
Cracking video. Now I really want to try unrestricted mode! I have 11-50T cassette, so hopefully means with my 50T chain ring option it will do 40mph on the flat, and still climb any hill no problem. Could be a good summer in the UK!
I think you will find that pretty easy! Wishing you lots of sun. I remember it being a bit hit and miss in the UK for summer.
@@HighVoltageKitsit certainly is this year
great video, the dog on trail was a good touch
Luck of the draw! Cheers
Cheers
Thanks for sharing. I live in the Rocky Mtns and my Photon is supposed to arrive tomorrow, 4/14/2023. I can't wait. Seeing what you are able to do with this motor is very helpful! Great view on the ride too!!!
You are welcome Troy. Hope you have a good time with your build.
How long ago did you order this,,, because I've been waiting 3 months😳
@@monkeyhaters9258 3 months?? i got mine in 5 weeks from golden motor.
@@monkeyhaters9258 It took about 3 weeks. I ordered it from Golden Motor. I guess I got lucky with the timing. I installed it over the last weekend and it took me about 8 hours to get everything the way I wanted it. But it is great now that I have it installed.
I think the dealers get them in batches. So timing varies. Pretty sure everything cyc make sells.
Thank you so much for this video great job. Exactly what I was planning to get but wanted to know the unrestricted.
You are welcome. Cheers
Nice ride, thanks for the video! I'm looking forward my first ride with CYC Photon next weekend.😊
Excellent. Have fun.
Thank you for sharing the nice ride! This motor looks like it would go nicely with my old 2006 Trek. Love the small form factor.
I reckon it would go great! Cheers Ed
I may have missed it but are you running with a 38t at the crank?
Yes. 38t!
That’s a good hillclimb. Wonderful view as well.
Thanks! Its not a bad place for lunch!
Nice view at the top!
Cheers!
@@HighVoltageKits What city is that, if it's not too personal of a question, somewhere in Canada, if memory serves..
Kamloops
@@HighVoltageKits I love that area, spent alot of time outside of Vancouver, all through British Columbia..Unfortunately, I've been rejected at the border a few times now..Bastages..I gave money to the truckers, is all I can figure...
Thanks much for the video - hopefully it will help guide yay/nay purchasing decisions. I like my Photon motor, but not the DS103 display, and I can't easily glance-read the SW102.
Yeah. I don't use the little thing. The phone is much better for reading data. I use that. The other one is basically a switch.
I really appreciate the detailed info in your videos. I have an old Santa Cruz Heckler with 52V and BBSHD and my wife has a Specialized Stumpjumper with the same setup. We are pretty low geared as there are some really steep hills in our Santa Cruz mountains. I would really like to try the Photon but cannot see it happening since we are already kitted with the BBSHDs. Maybe If I hit the lotto I will snag a Photon.
You are welcome! The bbshd is rock solid. We are also evaluating motors from TOSEVEN which are similar to the bbshd but with torque sensing. Your biked sound excellent. I finally managed to get my wide on the Photon and she loves it
From bbshd To the photon is a downgrade. Specially because it makes more sense upgrade the bbshd than buy a CYC Photon
I’m a little late to this video and it was well done, cudos!
I am in western U.S., not much in way of regulations on E-bikes, and I just installed the photon on my REI Safari bike with the DS-103 display. It gives two modes, street and race, street limits it to 250, race limits it to 750 but I keep reading that it can be “unlocked” to give 2000 watts. Can you run through the steps needed to do the unlock?
Thanks,
Kendall
Yeah. There is a page that lets you select the region you are in. Choose that and then click on unrestricted :)
Can you comment on battery life and range compared to the bbshd?
Greta vids, cheers
I'll do my best. I'd say it's slightly more efficient.
Thanks for the vid. I'm leaning toward the photon over the bbshd with your videos. Torque sensing seems like a lot of fun and even at 93c you didn't get throttling. I can always get a bbshd later and use the same battery if this motor isn't all that. Wish I could fit a 50t chainring on my mtb but the chainline would be terrible and even with the 38 you're hitting over 60km/h so that seems pretty good. Just hoping climbing won't be too restrictive as I have a lot of hills in my area (and makes the 50t not smart anyway unless a 1:1 is good enough for up to 20% gradient). That's the last thing making me consider bbshd. That and the bbshd can be run harder with a new controller and doesn't heat up as much. Thanks again and keep up the good work. Looking forward to more vids.
The BBSHD is outclassed by this in terms of the torque sensor. Unless you are going to be pulling a really heavy load like a trailer or want to go the stealth dirt bike route the Photon is a very good option. 1:1 should handle the steep stuff but I don't think you will be disappointed with the 38t
@@HighVoltageKits i feel that if the BBSHD had torque sensing it would be the best bit of kit on the market
Bbshd is user serviceable; CYC is not
@@soandsononame8750 since it might be the next "hot" diy middrive with all these features in a "conversion kit" form like the BBS* motors, there might get more and more parts available in the future
the BBSHD has been around since at least 2015, that's pretty much 8 years ya know
Awesome video. Question: can you set the throttle output to various levels? For example, I have my BBS02 programmed with no PAS throttle only and 5 levels of throttle output. This allows me to finely control the throttle and only use the power I need for the situation. Is this possible with the photon?
Yes. You can choose the precise level of power for the three levels you have available. So you could have one at say 200watts, one at 400 watts and one at 800 watts with similar with the throttle. Basically you have three levels and you can set them to anything within the overall limits allowed.
Thx for taking the time for reviewing this motor. CYC should provide you with free gear to test! What were your PAS settings and what gear were you in mostly to maintain 60kph. Also what is the total weight of your bike with battery?
You are welcome. Total weight is about 70-80lbs. PAS settings are basically stock. If you are on our Discord and pm me I can send you screen shots. Gearing is 38t to an 11t I think. Might be an 8. It's the smallest one. Requires a high cadence to reach though.
What speed drivetrain and cassette range are you using for this video? I've seen in the comments below you are running a 38T chainring. What is the biggest sprocket size? 34T / 42T / 48T that is getting you up those steep sections? Is the fastest/smallest sprocket 11T to get the 60kmh? This will help me decide which drivetrain to get for PAS/exercise build for flatter faster (60kmh is plenty) riding around home and steeper Peak District stuff on weekend trips. Loving the channel. Thanks
Sorry I missed this Kevin. 38t up front for me. 50t is the largest. I think a 42t exists now. If you want 60 comfortably get the 50t. You can always get a 11t to 42t gravel set. I think I might switch to that when I can afford to. Cheers
@@HighVoltageKits Thanks for the info on the front chainring. What is the cassette range that gives you the performance you show in the video - ?11-42T or a different cassette range? Thanks
Very insightful footage. How do you think your gearing setup would do going up the steeper ridge trail to the communication arrays? I'm starting to plan an e-bike build, but want to be able to climb the steeper bike trails too.
I had one gear left so I think it would be fine. It's a good balance. Going to a wider cassette would help but would need swapping the derailleur. If you have an 11-50 all bases are covered. Expensive tho.
Glad to hear you talk about the workout. Even though I ride electric I would still like a decent workout and I don’t really get that with the bbshd. I’ve ordered the x1 pro. I’m wondering if I will be able to get a workout with that.
The new torque sensor is the same on the X1 as this so it should be possible to get a similar feel.
I get plenty of exercise with both my bbshd and bbs02, just use less pass and stop using throttle too often
@@robw5735I hardly use throttle only pas. And there’s no burn on my legs ever.
@@courtneybass9153 strange you don't get exercise while using the bbshd maybe your configuration settings are to generous with the current and speed settings for each pas.
I sweet and feel like my legs are going too fall off after I ride but that's only when I need to exercise otherwise I be on cruise mode with pas northwards
Great vid, loving these insights into the new Photon model!!! :) Did you also own and ride the X1 Stealth, and if so how do you find it compares to it? In terms of power, heat build-up, and over more time i wonder how it will compare in terms of weather resistance (one of the main issues i would have as an off-road pedal-assist mountain biker riding in occasional rain (with mud splatter and build up on the gold chain) and occasional snow (with moisture splatter in slushy salty winter riding) ...With those points i am much more attracted to this closed system in the hopes it will have better weather proofing qualities :)
I have not ridden the stealth but it has a similar motor structure in parts. There is a bit more power available up to 2500 watts. If you think you will need extra grunt on the throttle then it might be worth it. Based on what you say the closed system might be a better choice.
Hello, really appreciate your coverage of this motor. What are your torque settings for this level of assist that you are using for this video? Thank you!
Thanks Susan, Torque Sensitivity is 6.0, Power ramp is 7.0, Assist Factor is 5.0 and Cadence Start is set to On.
Waiting on more videos on the photon unrestricted. Patiently and anxiously waiting on my photon to get here. Been looking at this same video almost daily hahahh. Could you also put pas to 2000w or is 1500w the max for pas? Did you put it to 1500w for safety or overheating purposes? I also purchased an 11-34 cassette to go along with the 50t chainring. What speeds and performance should I expect? This motor is perfect for someone who enjoys pedaling and want to go farther and faster on their commute or leisure rides. I think I’ll love it. Thanks for sharing your experience. Really helped me decide on the photon. Last thing, I was wondering if you can explain or do a video on proper shifting for this mid drive since it has torque sensing. Like can you just give it the beans and shift rapidly or completely stop pedaling to cut power and then shift? Incase I want to race my buddies with their ebike, is it safe to start at the 11 tooth in the back or do I need to gradually get there? All pedaling only, I’d rarely use the throttle.
You can put PAS at 2000w yeah. I just stuck it there to try it out. You will go pretty fast on that cassette. with the 50t. If you do long climbs you might build a bit of heat in the 34t but you should be ok.
@@HighVoltageKits thanks for the reply. There’s not much climbing here. If there is or if I find myself wanting to do more climbs, I could get the smaller crank from cyc right?
I’m having a hard time deciding now between cyc photon and a hv upgraded bbshd. I think I’ll like the torque sensing more but the upgraded bbshd can go faster and have a great track record.
Thats the real conundrum. There should be a bunch more TS motors out this year though to compete with the CYC one. The HV upgrade is considerably more power so yes you can go faster especially up any kind of slope. The feel is not as good though in terms of PAS
@@HighVoltageKits I think my best bet would be to wait for the cyc proton to come out. Around 2500w-3000w is the power I’m looking for with torque sensor. Either that or to7 dm01 with the possibility of upgrading to bac855. Only time will till. In the meantime, I’ll cancel my photon order and save the money. If I can wait anymore I’ll go with hv bbshd
Is the stock controller on the photon 72 volt compatible? After riding my bbshd with your 72 volt kit I can't even think of switching back to 52 volts.
No its not rated for 72 volts. It's not a fair comparison to the upgraded bbshd. It's a great motor but it can't deliver that kind of power and speed.
Would ~12ml of ferrofluid improve thermal conductivity into the housing?
That would be a question for CYC. You would have thought that if it was possible they would have tried it. I know its more commonly used in hub motors. Its not something I have ever used personally so I honestly just don't know. Getting it in there would be hard because its glued together on the outside. Then keeping it in there when assembling it again might be tricky.
Its good to see some actual footage of CYC instead of their terrible marketing and social media posts. I am excited for what they are working on but their marketing sucks.
I have not been subjected to much of that fortunately 😅
I see your website sells the asi bac855 upgrade kitt, for the bbshd, but i have a question, the asi bac 855 says rated for 800 watts, and the m6 motor is 1000 watts, so how does the asi bac upgrade? Isnt it suppose to somehow get to 4000 watts?(the bafang m6) what exactly does the upgrade to the asi bac controller do for the bbshd? Thanks in advance
This is a video I did with the BAC844 running the TOSEVEN DM01 motor. Its pulling 3250 watts peak. th-cam.com/video/AB_b5yl5mQY/w-d-xo.html You can go up to 5000 watts with a BAC855. The rated thing means not very much. The BBSHD says 1000watts 48 volts on it. There are a ton of videos on the channel about the kit and the BBSHD. If you go to the channel and then click on videos it will list them all.
@@HighVoltageKits TYVM
Thanks for the video. Are you running this with a separate controller? I can't seem to find very much info on running the photon with a separate controller.
Its stock. I think it would be a bit pointless. Unlimited with the VESC based x6p it's already pushing it to its absolute limits. The nature of the motor means rpms can't really be pushed any further and the design itself does not lend itself to modifications. It's essentially a Bosch for the diy market with added flexibility.
@@HighVoltageKits Right okay. The temps on mine just seem to climb a lot faster when I run it in higher modes. Like as soon as I pedal hard in 1500W limited mode the temps climb like 1 degree per second 70-85 then I usually back off for a bit.
for testing I ran the 50T up front but a 50T on the rear to get my low end back...so far I can climb anything...as w 50/50 I get a 1:1 so good low end...
Cool! I would need to replace the rear mech to do that. I might look to in the future if I start to do anything steeper!
@@HighVoltageKits I was able to use a 'Goat link 11 (2)', on my shimano rear DER< to extend its range...then used wide jump 50-10T, the 10 / 50 gives me a 114" gear and cruze of 62.5km/hr @ 90 RPM. the wide jump is good so I am not double shifting as much. thx again for your work! I am a bike mechainc of 35years and a electroinc designer, if I can help, let me know...;)
great video.
how did you unrestrict the motor to 2000W? the listed wattage is only 750W.
Tap on the geographic area and select it from there.
The heat fins on the photon are amazing compared to the bbshd! Probably why it handlrs the heat so well?
I will go into the heat management stuff a bit more on my full review. The surface area is good for sure as well as the look of them.
Where do you live? It’s beautiful!
Kamloops BC. I feel pretty lucky
@@HighVoltageKits spectacular.
Were you doing these tests with a 48V or 52v battery system ?
52 volts
Wow, this looked amazing, fantastic video as always! The photon sounds pretty quiet even unrestricted, can you confirm if that's he case? Also how hard was it to unrestrict it?
Yeah its still as quiet. It was not hard to de restrict which also does not void the warranty.
@@HighVoltageKits what is the stock settings? If you bought one and were yet to derestrict?
Depends a bit on the dealer. There are a few different options depending on where you are. So USA or EU etc. Mine came with Street mode set to 800 watts peak. The max you can set stock it 1200 watts.
You have not unrestricted to 2000w just 1,200w?
I’m in the U S.
Est video ive seen per 3 years about ebike !!!
Basically i have now 1000w rear hub motor . Max speed reached 70 km/h from normal hill and my assistance, on flat 52 -55 depends on wind ( which is NOT ENOUGH for me ) there is one guy in town who have faster a bit like 65 something...
My main reason to change motor is to beat that guy and maintain my throne .
I cant go full in on pure max speed performance because im working on my bike - delivering ,so i must have long range like now about 60-70 km on one change 52v 20Ah battery 🔋
By seeing this video i think this motor will be best for it .
Few questions... How to get unrestrict it? What range you con do? And where to get that beautiful screen 😍?
Thanks in advance!! And hello from Nottingham
It's pretty easy to derestrict it. Just change the country settings. Sounds like you get some real speed. I think you might be a fitter cyclist than me! Appreciate the kind words.
Do you think you can do a constant 40mph+ without much problems?
Thats 60kph so yeah I think so. Much depends on the gearing, terrain and fitness of the rider. Uphill unless you are really super fit that might be tough to maintain. On the flat pretty easy. If this is what you want I recommend getting a 50T upfront and a wider range of cassette at the back than I have. That way you can get the speed with a lower cadence than the one I am using.
@@HighVoltageKits I’m trying to decide between the photon and the x1 pro gen 3 since they’re the only ones that can fit my crooked path folding fat tire ebike. I don’t mind the 750w power right now but would like to go close to traffic speed as to not slow cars down or speed pass traffic to stay away from them. X1 pro has a rating of 3500-5000w and photon is 2000w. I do mostly trail and road riding (adventure seeking). Sometimes trails along side creeks and canals. I love the torque sensing idea because I rarely use throttle. Which do you think is best suited for me? The stealth would have been perfect but it won’t accommodate for a 100mm bb. I also like to add, I ride for fitness and adventure.
@@HighVoltageKits may I have your input on the above question?
@@johnnylong2049 when you leave a reply to a comment it doesn’t notify the channel in same way ans its easy for it to get lost. Just post a whole new comment with your specific question . Run on comments get lost
So it is more powerful than Bafang 1000wat BBSHD,!??
❤👍
That depends. Overall no. Not for sustained use. Over short distances its not that far off though.
Awesome video. So what was the top speed on a flat road again?
Cheers. I'm not sure I really had much of a flat. It's either hills up or down here. I'd say 60kph. It will be quicker at 72 volts.
Usually when electronics are built properly, mosfets and heat sinks, anything under 100 C is fine...Although, many are not built properly, this system seems good...
There is a 2 year warranty so I have to believe that this would have been considered.
It runs good at 2000w and seems to shed the heat well
Yeah. Not tried that up steep hills yet. Around town though it's impressive.
Hi, whats the video comparing, if there are still the cyc x1 pro gen 3 and the stealth, are these better than the bbshd? What does the bbhsd have that the two that i mentioned doesnt? I want to buy a middrive kit but dont know if i should get cyc or bafang. I have an old marin mountain bike in good condition.
This is a video comparing the BBSHD and CYC. The main difference is the CYC has a torque sensor. The BBSHD has more torque off the line and is more reliable. Its an older motor and has less bells and whistles stock. Out of the two my preference is the BBSHD. But then I also do not have the latest Gen 3 of the CYC either. I would check some of the videos we do and also some videos with the CYC ones and see what you want to do. How do you see yourself riding. Some people hate the noise the CYC makes etc. In terms of cost it's probably similar to get a CYC kit and upgrade a BBSHD. You are also welcome on our discord whichever path you choose to take. Links to that are on most of the videos I do. th-cam.com/video/8rEtoc9uib4/w-d-xo.html
@@HighVoltageKits thank you, and one more question. For the bbhsd, can I use a different controller? I sourced a golden motor new EZKkontroller for my qs 205 5T motor,(an old project that never came to be) and I was wondering if I can use the EZkontroller With the bbhsd, its a controller that golden motor in China matched with my qs motor out of the list of their new controllers. They told me they used to sell vec and hpc controllers, and that they are the same as the North American golden motor. I sourced them on ALIBABA. They say the new EZKontrollers are better than the vec and hpc controller. Again this is rated for 10kw and can be limited for the bbhsd, would it be an option I can use for the bbhsd instead of the asi back? Just wondering if I can save a few bucks with two e bike builds by just interchanging parts with them , so if I don't feel like using the qs 205 built bike with the EZKkontroller, I can just swap the EZkontroller to my middrive bike and go on my way. Yea?
You can. There are a few options. Configuring them is the trick. It will need to be wired up and then the right settings be put in. If its set wrong you can damage both the motor and the controller. Something with settings for a hub will not run the BBSHD.
I recently just purchased the cyc photon based on this video. I ordered it with a 50t and 175mm crank arm. I’m not sure what kind of speed or performance I will get with a 52v 20ah 60a continuous would be. I have a Shimano 7 speed 14-28/T cassette with a tourney tz derailleur. Is this safe to have I mean the ratio? I know how you talk about not being on a low teeth cog, should I change it?
I think you fast on the flat and downhill for sure. Up steep stuff you might struggle a bit with the 28t. Depends entirely on your riding. Are you hitting 15% grades?
@@HighVoltageKits there isn’t much hills where I live. It’s all flat. I had 2 torn acl in my younger sports years but I have strong pretty muscular legs 🦵. I also do mostly upper body training on a functional trainer. And I do boxing at home on a lite boxer machine. I think my fitness is adequate. I just want to be able to ride at 40-50mph when i need it for passing or keeping up with traffic. Can it go that fast? I seen in your video you hitting close to 70kph which is like 43mph. Can I set the pas to 2000w? That would be cool
I find myself watching this video every day lol. Anxiously waiting for my photon to come in. Sadly I recently had a bike injury where my front tire got caught by this large lip on the road. Threw me off the bike and fractured my left elbow and my right wrist. I’m fine but I need time to recover before I can go out again. Your video keeps me motivated and I like to be able to see what the motor can do before I get it. Thanks.
That sucks. Hopefully not long. I think the Photon would be great for people recovering from injury. Take care!
I still don't understand what are the advantages of the Photon compared to the X1 Pro and Stealth which are more powerful
Good question. I will put this one in the review. The advantages are that you get a very compact motor that is easy to install and low maintenance without the second chain that comes with the others. Its very easy to set it up so that it is road legal to use in North America as well as Europe. Its much quieter than the other motors and more compact in how it sits on the bike. I will go into more details later but it fills a nice niche in the market that previously only had the Tong Shen really.
can i use the eggrider to make 2 profiles, offroad and onroad to make sure that if police will pull me over it will just go the speedlimit?
btw i already have it for the Bafang BSSHD and that's works fine, but i cannot find any information about the photon :)
Yeah you can do that. Whether they will be happy with you being able to switch to something else is another question. That might be down to how strict they are. In theory though this should work.
Do you have a shift changer power cut off for this kit?
I have not no. I don't really see the need for one with a torque sensor as you can use the settings to make changes smooth.
So, my question is, WHY would I buy a BBSHD Bafang for $700is USD, then pay another $700 for your upgraded controller for the BBSHD when I can buy the Photon for $850 and be done?
Thanks for your super informative videos!...
Because the Photon has 1/10 of the power and performance and I have less then 1000kms out of it and its still broken. Wheras the BBSHD has over ten thousand trouble free km and counting. Cheers :)
What are you doing to tame the temperatures? I am get too fast on max temperature with 1200w(eua mode)
I am just going to be using it well within its limits. 750watts max and then drop it down if it gets hot and ride without the throttle.
I wish some mod to help to run on greater voltages
I wonder of cyc will make a big brother version to this photon like bbshd is to bbs02, I definitely will buy one once reliability has been proven
They are. Its called the Proton and is due later this year.
@High Voltage looking forward to that. Better start saving some pingers now ready to buy when it comes out
@@HighVoltageKits Any place I could read about that? Not seeing anything on Google.
I think there is a photo on the cyc website somewhere. I will try and dig it out. Unless I was dreaming it 😆
What software do you run on your phone to record a video screen capture?
Its part of Android. On the pull down menu from the top. You can also use the mic and record touches if you wanted.
What size chainring did you opt for? How many teeth is your top gear?
The 38t. 11t I think is top. They have a 42t now as well.
@@HighVoltageKits I opted for the 38t as well. I will be installing the CYC onto a Jetson bolt pro. Hope I can obtain the speeds you have on this bigger bike. Thanks for your help.
Gday in your opinion what is stopping the motor from moving downwards in the bottom bracket? This system looks like it doesn’t really have anything to stop the rotational force under heavy loads. The Bafang bbshd has an issue with it do you think this motor will too?
Its just the torque. I recommend using a torque wrench to set it according to specifications. The BBSHD is rock solid if you get the locking flush with 90ft lbs. The Photon used 45-50 I think it was. Its not moved so far.
What's the battery your using on the bike
Its a 25 amp hour 52 volt pack.
What kind of batteries are you using for this build. I have a bafang bbshd with a double shunted controller so it can kick out 60amps but i have a small battery so i am getting mabe 40 amps max right now and battery is heating up. I was thinking samsung 21700 40t 14s 8p if possibble any information would be cool. My battery now is 14s4p samsung 35e 18650.
Its a 52 volt with 30q cells from Samsung. BMS is 50amps max continuous. The most this pulls is 25amps. 40t 8p will be a monster with this.
You watch when charging that bat. Never leave alone. And watch temperature while charging.. if getting hot unplug move safe spot. Dont use again. Drawing max amps is hard on batterys. Use to fly drones everyday 30 bats would go through. 15 for shure. I know baterys. And they do catch on fire. Mostly while charging.. if starts taking longer to charge..or drains faster.. time to replace. Or very least take easy on.. almost ready to fail. God bless and enjoy hobby! Trickle charge is better on batterys too👊👊💪💪
@@sleepingbearffg5008 If you purchase high quality cells, use the proper wiring and Bms, proper controller, your not going to have a problem..Most batteries that catch fire are premade cheap batteries made with cheap cells, or a DIY'er who doesn't know what they are doing yet..Of course only charging when you are home and awake is the way to go..In America 40--50 thousand people lose their lives on the road every year..While Ebike fires can be tragic, they don't compare to those stats, even though they do catch media attention..
@@realeyesrealizereallies6828 drone batterys are ment for high discharge. Can get so hot flying hard.. can cash on fire. You can burn out a 100 dollar 6s or 8s in one flight/race went through 15 packs a year for years. Cycled 3 times a day every day. You can use on high power ebikes. Might try? I commute on my bike. So not concerned with speed so much.. 40mph good enough. But if built a high powered one. Would use 100c 8s race drone bats. Lighter can handle 100amps easy. The story's about fires are true. But if always kee6an eye on. Charge time and drain time. If ever drops.. then fire if keep using. One flight could burn up a battery..120mph could fly.. good charger important too..best thing for any bat is trickle charge. New to the bike baterys.. so many cells in bat! Lining up 8s batterys would be cheaper to replace one 8s than a whole batery. Why I would do.. just what I learned brother.. god bless
@@realeyesrealizereallies6828 agree on media concern 👊👊💪💪
How do you like the photon vs the hv upgraded bbshd? Pros cons etc…
That is a good question and I will probably add it to my review. Essentially though my HV bike is like a mini dirt bike that can rip it anywhere while being more portable and much cheaper to maintain. The Photon is a top end ebike with a really nice feel when it comes to pedal assist. One can be legal. The other definitely not although I have never been bothered as I ride with respect for people. They are very different bikes and its really a case of what are you looking for in a bike. You don't get the same raw acceleration of with the Photon or the ability to do 50kph up hills. But I can also get fit with it and I was not doing that with the BBSHD bike. I am glad to have both!
Great vids mate!
What battery are you running is it 52v batt?
Cheers
Thanks. Yeah it's a 52 volt. Samsung 30q cells
@@HighVoltageKits cool thanks keep up the great work mate
I have photon installed on my bike. I have a metal clinging noise when pedaling. Do you have this issue?
No not at all. You are welcome to post video on discord etc. I would get in touch with your dealer as mine is silent apart from the usual motor sound.
@High Voltage thanks for confirming. Company is exchanging my motor, but I'm not sure if it is the motor or chainring. Tends to be louder when going faster. Do you have link to discord?
There is a join link on here as well as some instructions. highvoltagekits.com/discord
Anyone else using the photon with street legal setting? 25kph and 250w limits. I have found a couple of issues: first the photon controller reduces assistance too early. So by 23kph, you have no assistance, second the Sw102 controller won't change from default of 29" wheel, so speed reported by sw102 is wrong, and I am actually going slower. Combined assistance is stopping at a 'real gps' speed of just ~21kph.
Otherwise amazing (love the tip of using more magnets for speed sensing). Using on a cargo bike with alfine 11 hub. All good great heavy loads. Apart from these bugs, which might be me(or could be fixed) it is brilliant.
I thought it was 32kph? What kind of draconian place do you live in. Round here people walk faster than that. On a serious note I have not tried anything like that. You might be able to tweak the three settings covering torque or maybe increase the limit to 27?
@@HighVoltageKits Thanks for the reply - I have tried and it helps a bit! btw amazing videos that convinced me to get the photon (and followed during install :-)). In the UK the limit is 15.5mph, would be much safer to be faster. I guess you are legal or not... I have a Bullitt cargo bike, so either cycling human powered faster than 32kph, or going slow with 30kg kids or +60kg shopping. The Photon is generally amazing for this (smooth handling, great starting response and just as fun as when pedal powered). I hope they fix this, as suspect this is the ideal kit for many cargo bikes.
Btw just to say cyc support was great and have sent over a new sw102 controller and the wheelsize issue is fixed!!
Ya i was going to ask about heating issues.. if you would ride like this when its 90+f out side. which cyc motor would you suggest for street only commutes at 35mph for 30-40 minute rides ?
It's shouldn't affect the motor too much. Like he mentioned, he believes that even on a 35 degree day ( 95 f) the motor temp would probably stay similar for this ride. He also asked cyc about it and they didn't seem concerned. Either way, time will tell when he undoubtedly does a test on the hottest day of the year 😅
I don't think higher external temps will make much difference.
The only one that has a shot at what you want is the X1 Pro. If there are alot of climbs it might struggle but if its a mix you should be able to do that with an X1
@@HighVoltageKits All flat ground here except an overpass :)
I’ve ordered the Photon, but can’t settle on a battery. I thought I read somewhere that you want 21700 cell batteries with this motor? Is that necessary, or can you use 18650?
Nah. You can use pretty much anything with this. I would go for a minimum of 40 amps continuous for the battery. But most things can handle that. If you want huge range get there are some 18650 cells that have 3500mamph. You want 40 amps so you are not thrashing the battery at its limits. Most batteries should be good for this motor as its relatively low power.
@@HighVoltageKits I commented on your battery choice in another video. CYC offers 70amps or 30amps for their middle of the road 52V batteries. Do you think the 30amp one isn’t sufficient enough, or do the 21700 cells help? Thanks for the insight.
The 30 will do it with those cells being more capable. Most riding pulls about 15 amps. More is better but you will still be ok. Sorry if I missed the other comments.
@@HighVoltageKits All good. I just wrote the other comment today, also. 🤓 Thanks for the replies!!
Can this motor be used with 1 gear like the Hd and the 02?
Not really. I think it needs gears to be effective.
I ran a rear geared MAC 8T hub motor at 52 volts and 40 amps and was able to climb pretty steep hills at 40-50 Km/hr, Around 2 Kw then I modded the controller for 50 Amps and it was pulling around 3.3 Kw and more on the peaks. Animal.
Greatest mistake selling that motor and em3ev no longer sell MAC motors.
For those not bothered about pedalling a direct drive at 5 Kw is real fun but you absolutely must use torque arms on both sides.
Yeah dangerous without the arms. EM3EV stopped selling lots of things sadly.
@@HighVoltageKits Yeah it's a real shame because he's the only one I really trust to get a hub motor from again, I'm really gutted. Seems they stopped selling hubs to concentrate more on batteries. He sells the Bafang motors though.
I don't want mid drive because of the drag on the pedals without motor power and my 10 year old Bosch powered bike is getting worse to pedal without motor power.
I hear the Bosch motors have improved but I'm never getting a Euro restricted bike again and having to spend 3,000 + on a bike with 80 Nm torque and for that power you usually have to get a Mountain bike and I want more of a road/trekking bike like I have now. But I'd never pay such money for such a highly restricted bike. It cost me 2500 for what I got now 10 years ago and it's only a 50 Nm motor and I want more power.
The price of the commercial Ebikes is just insane.
Grin ebikes and ebikesolutions have Mac motors,but mxus gdr19 or xfc19 is stronger and can take more power
@@wrosslandwr8032 Grin did a dreadful thing and had all the clutches welded and that would, in my opinion, completely ruin the experience, one of the best things about the clutch is that when there's no power to the motor it feels almost identical to a normal bike to pedal even much better than a Chain drive setup.
The Mac motors I used had a weak clutch but em3ev sold them later on with a much heavier duty clutch + their grey gears were bullet proof.
Never had the XFC19, can you give me a link please ?
Apart from the clutch, I put that little MAC 8t through some abuse 3.3 Kw and apart from the clutch it was in perfect condition.
I rewired the phase wires using alpha ecowire, it could handle massive power and didn't even get luke warm, the insulation was super thin which was perfect to squeeze through the axle.
The MAC 8T gave a far better experience than any chain drive. Just so smooth and so much torque. I could get 60 Km/hr from 16S LiPo, 66.6 volts hot off the charger. I modded the 40 amp controller for , I think 50 amps if I remember correctly.
I really miss that, I went chain drive after and instantly regretted it but I had sold the Mac kit and now em3ev no longer sells hub motor kits as everyone want the crank drive motors but they don't know what they're missing.
I ran a old conhismotor 1 Kw direct drive motor at 5.5 Kw and that was absolutely amazing altogether, some mental acceleration and I never killed it, but too difficult to pedal without power.
If I were to build an ebike again just for fun I'd probably go with a more powerful hub motor. But I have got my motorcycle learner permit now and on the lookout for a cheap motorbike or 400 cc scooter because in reality it's cheaper than ebikes and batteries, the insurance won't cost me much and I'll be fully legal and can ride with traffic, have indicators, proper tyres etc.
I can't believe there are people paying 3-7,000 Euro's on ebikes that are limited to 25 Km/hr it is just pure madness.
The mxus xf 19 has more coppar and higher internal gear ratio 1:5.8 vs mac 1:5
Have you had any problems with the motor moving like HD's and O2's do occationally?
Not so far. You mean like them running on their own?
@@HighVoltageKits I worked that wrong. I meant coming loose and rotating down.
😆 not so far. I used a torque wrench to the upper end of the given spec
How do you unrestricted the motor? If it's not hard to do.
Click on the country in settings and select unrestricted.
Thanks
How did you de-restrict the motor?
Pick it from the country settings.
@@HighVoltageKits Which country do you select for 2000W?
Unrestricted
I might get this now that they've fixed the ridiculous remote control car noise of the other models.
Its not fixed lol. It's just a different style here. I am pretty sure the X1 came right out of the RC motor scene. Hence the very high rpm needing a 36:1 reduction. Most of the cyc noise is the two chains and tensioning. Which is why it's on both the X1 and Stealth. Cheers
so this, cyc photon or bbshd ?
This is the CYC Photon.
@@HighVoltageKits my bad, i meant which do you prefer for you ride?
Hopefully the law catches up to good sense and 40mph ebikes are freely allowed in towns. Bit dodgy on 60mph roads for me. But still, the best way to get about, no doubt.
Yeah, I mean I would be happy with being able to do the speed limit up hills. Or at least have more power available to me going up hills.
Only time will tell if this motor is reliable. I'm pretty sure that the controller will be the weakest link. It is extremely tiny in comparison to big X6 controller in STEALTH gen3.
Also I do not think that human power is correctly calculated. Seems to be too high. App also looks buggy. Ride time is not increasing. Wh/km is waaaaay too low.
I did notice that with the wh etc. That is notoriously difficult to get right. I have a really long range ride test planned so I will record all of that data and compare it directly with the BMS. There are a few bugs on the app it seems but overall I have been happy. The X6 controller looks really well made so I hope this is of the same quality. But you are right. Time will tell.
In E-mails with the CEO of the company, they are "fully n the process" of getting their UL 2849 approval for the Photon and their "B" batteries. Woo Hoo Can't wait until it happens. That will put the end to over rated, over priced E-bikes.
That's cool. That would make things really interesting.
Please TEST ToSven dm01 TORQUE 1000w - 40:1 ratio - 30A controller - they TOLD ME DISPLAY 70v max - 80v capacitor in controller- so easy 17s with a JK bms active ballance. 600$ aliexpress pspower. 2000w power. beats BBSHD.
This is sh ..t - 2-3x less efficient (3000w one). 1500w at 60km h 3000w-5000w version instead of 800w lowest. TOLD YOU IN THE past - are fooling people.
Maybe this photon is a 5/10 or more juts because of the APP. but expensive ... not efficient. boring.
@@lajosczovek8159 Yes. And you not to get offended . +1000$ lost for that trash- not my fault. the app is nice.
search for toSoven mid drive 1000w - we need to test this... THE NEW KING maybe!!!
I am working with the TO7 representative and hope to have samples. What happened to your Photon?
@@HighVoltageKits OMG! YES!! They said can ship in 9 days to Europe. I hope you test it FAST!! Told you from their engineer- 70v DISPLAY LIMIT + 80v capacitor - 17s. CAN YOU DO A 17S battery?
I don't need to evaporate 1000$ for nothing. I don't have photon- i know how good it is by looking at you. Gen 3 pro gen 2 WASTE energy at constant 60-70km/h-
Photon is the least worse - no chain outside, noise, etc NO PASSION - parts from where?
But ToSeven might be the new king!
@@HighVoltageKits BACONBUTTTIES - talked with him.... i think he will order it.
WILL YOU?? i can't wait!!
can you make - TOLD HIM ALSO- a 17s battery 4.1v so you don't go pass that 70v - 69.7v - display limit. Capacitor 80v - told you
HIGHEST VOLTAGE - the better- their ENGINEER told me about the limit so trust me.