# Can a Kelly Hub motor be used for something other than a boatanchor?



## rmay635703 (Oct 23, 2008)

I am just curious, after watching the highly entertaining thread from Ripper evolve over the years, I see that you can make a Kelly hub motor be used for something after you add halfshafts, better wiring and cooling.

I am curious though, Do kelly hub motors (like the 8kw version) have any uses out of the box?

AKA, 

1. how much weight can the bearings tolerate?
a) How much weight can they tolerate in a FWD application if any?
2. How many amps/watts can they tolerate continously? 8kw/4 = 2kw??

I still wonder if kelly sells them just to rip off people or if you could actually use them for something without rebuilding them from the ground up?

In my case I have 2 cars that could be made into PHEVs, a 900lb subaru 360 (which would need them up front, which is not allowed)

or an 1800lb insight which I would like to make "low speed" capable of engine free regen and operation. The insight I already have a lithium battery and inverter (which I only used once and is now in my EV)

Speed and acceleration mean nothing to me so long as I can reach 25mph eventually. terreign is flat.

Not sure if these things are even capable of working out of the box, it would be very interesting if they could even be used on the rear wheels at low power for sub 10 mile boughts (likely not continous). Or if they could handle a 900lb car 40/60 distribution car up on the front wheels. My guess is that they would work for a while then 

Sadly I don't think they are usuable for anything, heck Escooter folks have had them flame up. 

Cheers
Ryan


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## sunworksco (Sep 8, 2008)

Maybe a Cushman scooter.


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## rmay635703 (Oct 23, 2008)

sunworksco said:


> Maybe a Cushman scooter.


Its unfortunate kelly can't be sued on this, 
why offer a product that has no practical use, 
kind of like Harbor Freight selling fuel line magnets, 
except a lot more expensive.


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## RIPPERTON (Jan 26, 2010)

Kelly don't make this motor, they jut resell it.
Its QS Motor that manufacture it and they can sell direct to you.
http://www.hs-escooter.com/

I fully agree that the current product is essentially useless in its 23 turn configuration, It actually needs almost 4 times that.

A friend of mine here near Sydney (Jon) also built a prototype trike using a single 8kW hub like I used in my Mira but in standard wind. 
The trike would not accelerate across flat ground.
Jon persisted in asking the sales engineer (Robert Chen) to make hi torque units.
Jon rang me and asked how many turns would the 8kW unit need to be a usable product. Its looking like at least 60 and as high as 80 turns over the 3 teeth group.
Robert Chen has shown signs of coming around so we could see a hi torque version of this product in the future.
At the moment the 8kW unit could only be used through a chain reduction of 4:1.


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## Duncan (Dec 8, 2008)

What is this motor "normally" used for?

It must have a use or else they wouldn't manufacture it????


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## rmay635703 (Oct 23, 2008)

Duncan said:


> What is this motor "normally" used for?
> 
> It must have a use or else they wouldn't manufacture it????


About the only thing I have seen these used for is aftermarket scooter EV conversions.

For that purpose they work because you can "push off" to get them going


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## RIPPERTON (Jan 26, 2010)

I fired a random Email off to Robert and asked him if it was possible to make a 60 turn stator.
He said they would be limited to 50 turns but it would be too unreliable and break to easily.
He said they could make a 8kW unit that would do 11oorpm on 120v.
That's kind of what I ended up with after my rewind.
Its not that they wont make a custom stator its that they cant.
They are limited by physical constraints.


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