Ebike brake lever

Electrically assisted bikes, trikes, etc. that are legal in the UK
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DiggyGun
Posts: 17
Joined: 21 Mar 2021, 9:00am

Ebike brake lever

Post by DiggyGun »

One of our ebikes has Wuxing power cut off brake levers. Unfortunately the distance from the lever to handle is a bit too far for my wife to use safely/ comfortably. It has no lever adjustment.

Can you get ebike power cut off levers that can be adjusted for brake pull or are there ones with a smaller lever pull distance?
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stodd
Posts: 705
Joined: 6 Jun 2018, 10:24am

Re: Ebike brake lever

Post by stodd »

Gosh, that is wide. I wonder if they were designed to fit on the curve of a bar? If there is enough travel (it looks as if there is lots) you could add adjustment by inserting something that stops the handle going fully open.

There are plenty of other levers out there. Also, you can fairly easily adapt any brake levers for electric cutout using a simple kit. Often sold as hydraulic brake lever sensors (eg https://wooshbikes.co.uk/cart/#/product ... or-bbs0102), but also useful for other brake levers. We fitted a pair as our tandem had integrate brake/gear levers so the supplied sensored brake levers would not fit.

The supplied ones were probably https://wooshbikes.co.uk/cart/#/product ... ake-levers, but from the picture those look as if they might have the same problem as your Wuxing ones.
Jdsk
Posts: 24478
Joined: 5 Mar 2019, 5:42pm

Re: Ebike brake lever

Post by Jdsk »

Hmmm... I'm also following this on Pedelecs:
https://www.pedelecs.co.uk/forum/threads/ebike-brake-lever-with-power-cut-off.40673/

• Shims, as above.

And one approach that hasn't come up yet:

• Cutting and shutting the existing levers. This isn't a joke: for the right welder using the right welder that wouldn't be too hard.

Jonathan
Last edited by Jdsk on 28 Mar 2021, 9:24am, edited 1 time in total.
fivebikes
Posts: 233
Joined: 9 Mar 2008, 12:46pm
Location: West Yorks

Re: Ebike brake lever

Post by fivebikes »

We have had similar issues with small hands and brake levers!
It looks like the area where a reach adjuster would fit is being used for the cut out cable.
Google Wuxing brake levers and you’ll see they make different styles which might serve you better.
For example: https://torquetech.co.uk/products/wuxin ... 4903109679
Mike_Ayling
Posts: 385
Joined: 25 Sep 2017, 3:02am
Location: Melbourne Australia

Re: Ebike brake lever

Post by Mike_Ayling »

I thought that if you stopped pedalling an ebike there was no power drawn from the battery so why a need for a power cutoff?

Mike
Jdsk
Posts: 24478
Joined: 5 Mar 2019, 5:42pm

Re: Ebike brake lever

Post by Jdsk »

Mike_Ayling wrote:I thought that if you stopped pedalling an ebike there was no power drawn from the battery so why a need for a power cutoff?

Discussed here:
https://www.pedelecs.co.uk/forum/threads/ebike-brake-lever-with-power-cut-off.40673/#post-608853

Jonathan
stodd
Posts: 705
Joined: 6 Jun 2018, 10:24am

Re: Ebike brake lever

Post by stodd »

Jdsk wrote:
Mike_Ayling wrote:I thought that if you stopped pedalling an ebike there was no power drawn from the battery so why a need for a power cutoff?

Discussed here:
https://www.pedelecs.co.uk/forum/threads/ebike-brake-lever-with-power-cut-off.40673/#post-608853
Jonathan

Repeating my post from that forum:

Two reasons. There is always a lag between stopping pedalling and motor cutting out; a cadence sensor needs time to make sure you really have stopped. If you are in an emergency situation you don't want the motor pulling you forward when you slam on the brakes.

Conversely, if you are in a very slow maneuver (eg through safety railings) you don't want the motor suddenly to kick in half way through because you did just enough pedal turn for the sensors to register.

p.s. They are not needed with torque sensor ebikes, the above arguments do not apply to those.
Mike_Ayling
Posts: 385
Joined: 25 Sep 2017, 3:02am
Location: Melbourne Australia

Re: Ebike brake lever

Post by Mike_Ayling »

Thank you for the explanation.

Mike
TonyN
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Joined: 18 May 2020, 11:15am

Re: Ebike brake lever

Post by TonyN »

Hi, I have three bikes converted by kits which have covered thousands of miles(see Tony N above) and have never used the cut-off brake levers supplied. Another replier to your post cited motor run-on etc as a problem but I have never noticed this. There can be a slight issue with power kick-in when manouvering through path gates but normal brakes cope with this as well as cut-offs At such obstacles one is normally grateful for the power boost coming from turning the pedals, it would be very easy to not get this by holding the brakes levers slightly in by mistake.
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willcee
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Location: castleroe,co.derryUlster

Re: Ebike brake lever

Post by willcee »

Like the last contri I agree having built around 30 now , what I find when as mentioned manouvering around tight spaces, turnstiles where one goes through diametrically opposed barriers, dead turns on a narrow path or lane I don't use the pedals and because many of my friends and those who chose to go down the electric route all tried one of mine to which I had added a throttle this I have found using one since '18 is a more manageable way of gently putting power in than the inaccurate pedal rotation method one day it moves an inch and has power next time maybe a half turn before takes off and the throttle does in very smoothly and same each time.. its great for junctions and stop starts....
Also many of mine are conversions on drop bars and they don't allow an easy way of hooking up the cutout wires.. personally I don't use them. never saw the need, I don't ride in a heavily trafficed environ, nor do most of those who have the machines, all country dwellers, perhaps for someone who hasn't ridden or been on any bicycle for many years is unfit and unsure, again I don't recommend E bikes for cyclists who haven't ridden for years.. thats where all the accidents happened in Scandanavian areas when they researched the figures... will
hemo
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Joined: 16 Nov 2017, 5:40pm
Location: West Sussex

Re: Ebike brake lever

Post by hemo »

I have had the need to use brake cut off on half dozen occasions in the past until I have found the fault that caused issue, both times the issue was a fitted throttle though I wouldn't be without one.
First time was shorting of a so called waterproof Julet connector, damp had got in and a clear green track could be found between tow pins, the second on another bike was a broken wire in the throttle loom. Depending which way the bars were orientated a bad contact occurred causing the bike to rear up when being manoeuvred when walking.
The cut out is only needed with a working throttle other wise the controller stands a chance of a mosfet being damaged rendering it dead as there is nothing to cut the power, the throttle in most part isn't gradual and is nearly always full on which means max current flows.
DiggyGun
Posts: 17
Joined: 21 Mar 2021, 9:00am

Re: Ebike brake lever

Post by DiggyGun »

Thank you for all your comments. We altered the position of the brake lever by putting a small screw in the lever to bring the lever forward and added some packing to the cut off button on the switch, which worked.

However, since then we have sold the bike and got a replacement, namely a Wisper 705, which has hydraulic disc brakes, which have some adjustment. Additionally, the frame is slightly smaller overall, which is better fitting and consequently, more comfortable for the wife.
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