Installing the Regenerative Controller

The only documentation that came with the regenerative controller was a sheet of paper written in Chinese, so we requested some info in English to the seller. This is what we received: http://dl.getdropbox.com/u/367893/Regenerative%20Braking%20Controllers.doc

There are several differences between the connectors of the Standard Controller and this one:

• no input for the Pedelec Sensor (not a problem as we don't use it).
• no input for the On-Off switch (button in the throttle). Instead, there are two orange wires (connector 2 in the document) for the same function.
• there are 2 additional connectors (number 10) to supply an external alarm device (we haven't tried it yet).
• there are 2 blue wires (number 3) needed when installing the controller for the first time.
• there are 2 white wires (number 5) to activate the Cruise Control function.

First, we have connected all the wires excepting for number 5 (Cruise Control). The motor should turn in one direction (forward or backwards) and each time the throttle is pushed, the wheel should turn in the opposite direction. In our case, this was not happening. It was always running forward, but with some noise, low torque and the controller and wires were very hot. After connecting and disconnecting everything several times, we saw the expected behaviour. Then, we disconnected the blue wires (just after the motor was going forward), to keep the configuration.

Regeneration starts only when the brake levers are pressed. The braking caused by the motor is quite powerful, but not excessive. Actually, the original brakes of the bike were not powerful enough due to the increase in weight and speed, and the regenerative braking is a great help. In fact, most of the time, we don't even use the brake pads. We just push a brake lever slightly, so that the regeneration kicks in and stops the bike quite quickly.

The Cruise Control function is great. If the throttle is fixed for 8 seconds, then it can be released and the power is maintained until the brakes are used. The only problem is to keep the thumb throttle completely still for 8 seconds. Any vibration or slight movement is detected.

To sum up, the Regenerative Controller is highly recommended: it helps braking, and recharges the battery noticeably (we are now taking some measurements).