Electric drives on Catrikes are great for transportation and for enabling anyone to get out and ride. Batteries are big, dense and valuable, and you don't want to just stick them anywhere. A rear rack sometimes works, but then the wires have to be extended, the weight is up high, and you can't use the rack for anything else. Introducing T-Cycle's new and improved Battery Mount! An even better way to attach your valuable, heavy battery: centered, low down, and out of the way. You'll hardly know it's there! CNC machined mounting clamps precision made for your Catrike. This battery mount is the super sturdy, elegant battery solution that the Catrikers have been waiting for! On the folding Catrikes, the battery mount has to be on the right in order to work with the fold. Right side configurations include the optional extender to clear the chain. On the Villager, the extender is required for both sides.
FAQ
1. What does this do?
This mount allows you to mount a battery under the seat and close to the centerline of your Catrike. This is the very best place to mount a battery, because it's low and centered for better stability. Mounting heavy things like batteries up high over the rear wheel often leads to handling issues. This mount was designed to solve that.
2. Where does it go?
It depends on the model, but on the main tube, generally just behind and under the seat. Whether it goes on the left or right side depends on whether it folds and whether the chainstays would be in the way of the battery. The folders need the battery on the right side so it winds up on the outside after the fold. An optional extender moves things out past the chain on the right or out past other obstacles on the left. All the parts can be flipped and reversed and reconfigured to get a wide range of mounting positions on either side.
3. What kind of batteries can I put on it?
All sorts of them. The battery shelf is large and sturdy. We drill and tap it for some of the common batteries, like the BionX and NeoDrives that use standard bottle boss spacing. For other batteries, in shrink wrap or nylon housings, you can usually just strap them on or use zip ties. We make special, additional plates to mount unusual batteries like the BionX rear rack battery and the Falco flat batteries.
4. What size do I need?
When you tell us your Catrike model, we know what you need.
INSTALLATION INSTRUCTIONS
The mount consists of a heavy duty clamp that attach to the frame, an angle adjustable vertical plate that attaches to the frame clamp, and a battery shelf that attaches to the vertical plate. The frame clamps are sized specifically to your trike. The vertical plate and battery shelf can be rotated to different angles depending on what is needed for your trike. The parts can be combined in different configurations, flipped over, reversed, and used on opposite sides. The combination of adjustments allows the battery shelf to be positioned at different angles and heights according to your needs.
- First, hold the battery in the area where you would like it to go to get an idea of where the shelf, adapter plate, and frame clamp need to be.
- Remove the clamp arch, hold the clamp against the frame, and reinstall the arch.
- Be sure to route any cables over the clamp, so they don't get pinched.
- Tighten the frame clamp, then adjust the angle of the vertical plate as needed.
- When the vertical plate is positioned, install the shelf at the angle that works best.
- Attach your battery to the shelf with bolts, zip ties, or straps, as needed. That's it!
ADDITIONAL INFO
- Frame clamp for all Catrikes is 2.0 inches.
- The frame clamp requires a 5/8 inch (16mm) area ofástraight, round, obstacle free section of main tube. The instructions will tell you where they work best on your trike.
- Mounts are machined from 6061-T6 aluminum and black anodized. Frame clamps are 5/8 inch (16mm) wide. The frame clamping bolts are M6 stainless steel, so they are able to support batteries up to about 15 lbs (6.8Kg). Battery mounting holes are M5x0.8, threaded through 0.25 inches (6.3mm) mounting plate.
- The battery Shelf is 5 x 2.5in (13x7cm) and has 14 M5x0.8 threaded holes for attaching batteries or battery adapter plates. The holes are in 2 rows, one with bottle boss spacing and the other with the spacings used by common batteries.
- If you let us know, we can provide bolts and spacers specific to the popular BionX down tube battery. If your battery uses standard bottle boss spacing, it will probably bolt right on. For other batteries, because there are so many different kinds out there, you may need to arrange the fixing of the battery to the shelf. There are extra holes on the battery shelf that are usually sufficient, and you are free to add to them as needed.
- We have an adapter plate for the BionX Type R (Rear Rack) and Falco flat batteries, since both these batteries are very different and don't use bottle boss spacing.
- Recommended maximum battery weight is 15 lbs (6.8Kg). These mounts are very stout and can probably handle more, but due to the wide range of conditions out there, we rate them for 15lbs, which is actually a lot of battery.
- We make Battery Mounts for all sorts of trikes. The configurations here are for all the different Catrikes. We have different items for ordering mounts for other trikes.