Upgrade Kit Rad Radpower

UPC:
717969070912
$229.00
(207 reviews)
Current Stock:

By far the most popular upgrade available, The Upgrade kit includes a new motor controller and new color display.  The combination allows you to finally unleash the full potential of the stock motor and battery.  This is THE upgrade kit your friends have been talking about.

35a controller and New Color LCD8H.

PLEASE READ FULL DISCRIPTION BEFORE ORDERING. CUSTOMER IS RESPONSIBLE FOR RETURN SHIPPING AND A 10% RESTOCKING FEE.

Plug and play for 2016-2018 Rover bikes. Please note that the controller has a tail light plug that will not be used. We do not recommend upgraded lights as it can burn up the headlight circuit.

Plug and play for 2019-2021 Rover models. (Up to Rover 5) (Not compatible with Rover 6)  Will only work with stock 200 lumen headlight, will not work with the 500 Lumen headlights. THE 500 will burn up your controller.

Mini - Although also typically plug and play for 2018 and prior, this controller is substantially larger than stock and will not fit inside the frame or stock mounting locations.  May have a different battery plug.  Please check your bike and photos before ordering.

Older City or Wagon Models - Untested, but customers have reported it works well. Setting adjustments may be required. Controller may not fit correctly. Additional mounting hardware may be required.  NOT compatible with new Radwagon 5.

Rover 6 + STEPOVER & STEP THROUGH- Does not work

Runner - Tested and working on prior models.

Rad 5Expand - works

Mission - Works, we recomend turning max power down.

Runner Two - Untested by Area 13, but customers have reported it is compatible.

Runner Plus - Tested and Working. NOT COMPATIBLE WITH 500 LUMEN STOCK HEADLIGHT.

Works with all European/Canadian models except Rover 6

Compatible with both 48v and 52 batteries.  (NOT recommended for 60v)

Dimensions: 7.5" x 3.25" x 1.75" 

How to Program:

The LCD screen has a handlebar mounted switch with three buttons, UP, DOWN, and a center Power button. 1. Start with battery and handlebar switch on. The LCD will be off.

2. Turn on LCD by pressing and holding POWER​ button. Holding the UP button will turn on the backlight if needed.

3. Within 5 seconds of turning LCD on, press and hold BOTH UP​, and DOWN​ buttons for a few seconds to enter the settings mode.

Brief explanations are as follows.

P1 Motor Characteristic Parameter Setting Mode (100, 46 for direct drive motors on the Radcity or some Radwagon models)

P2 Wheel Speed Pulse Signal Setting Mode (5, 6 for upgraded 750w motors)

P3 Power Assist Control Mode (1)

P4 Handlebar Startup Mode (0)

P5 Power Monitoring Mode (15)

C1 Power Assist Sensor and Parameter Selection Mode (3)

C2 Motor Phase Classification Coding Mode (0)

C3 Power Assist Ratio Gear Initialization Mode (1)

C4 Handlebar Function Setting Mode (0)

C5 Controller Maximum Current Adjustment Mode (6)

C6 Backlight Brightness Adjustment Mode (3)

C7 Cruise Function Setting Mode (0 or 1. Setting to 1 enables cruise. While riding, hold the DOWN button to enable cruise control. Using the throttle or brakes will disable the cruise.

C8 Motor Operating Temperature Display Mode (0)

C9 Power-on Password Setting Mode (0)

C10 Automatic Restore Default Setting Mode (n)

C11 Attribute Selection Mode (0)

C12 Controller Minimum Voltage Adjustment Mode (4)

C13 ABS brakes of the controller and parameters of anti-charge control (0)

C14 Power-assist tuning parameters (1)

Press and hold POWER at any time ​to exit the setup mode.

Troubleshooting

* This is a universal kit. New controller may not fit in stock location and physical size may be different.

I cannot get my headlight to turn on:

Long press the UP arrow to turn the lights on and off.

Pedal assist is not working properly:

  1. If after adjusting the settings your pedal assist still does not work, check the following cables to ensure they are fully plugged in, check the pedal assist sensor connection. Make there is no bent or pins, and it is fully seated together:
    • Pedal assist connector (yellow 3 pin coming from sensor)
    • Motor Cable
    • Main wiring harness (the one typically ran through the frame). Make sure there is NO bent pins
  2. If all the connections are good and no damage done to the pins or connectors, try changing the C1 setting to 2. 
  3. If it still does not function, please check to make sure the motor works with throttle to eliminate a different type of problem.  If throttle works but the pedal assist does not, the next step would be a different pedal assist sensor, or the stock motor controller and display.  This should narrow down where the problem is occurring.

“Motor position sensor fault” or “Motor or controller short circuit fault!”:

In nearly all cases of receiving this error, the motor cable is not fully seated.  Please note that the arrows can sometimes be up to 1/8th turn off.  The cable should be firmly seated with the lines around the circumference of each half of the plug nearly flush.  Wiggle back and forth on both cables and push firmly together. 

I have a 48v battery, but it says 53v (or similar):

This is perfectly normal. A 48v battery when fully charged will be about 54 volts. 

My battery voltage is over 48v, but the gauge reads empty:

Take the bike for a ride! Depending on settings it may be waiting for calibration.  A few seconds of riding should fix this. If the problem persists, check the main harness connection coming from the controller through the frame and up to the handlebars. Check for any bent pins. A single bent pin will cause issues.

My speed does not read correctly, it jumps up to 49mph when coasting (and/or reads 0):

Please verify your P2 setting.  An incorrect setting here will cause the wrong speed to be displayed when coasting. Also make sure you have the correct wheel dimension (DIM). The dimension is the overall tire diameter, not just the rim size. P2 = 5 for stock motor. P2 = 6 for upgraded Bafang 750W motor.

RadCity and RadWagon (direct drive motor):

Note that some settings may need to be changed for proper operation. P1 is determined by the number of magnets or poles in the motor as well as the gear reduction.  As the RadCity and older RadWagon have a direct drive motor, use the setting 46 for P1. P2 may also require a change for a correct speed reading.

Motor or system shuts down while riding:

Adjust your C5 setting to a lower current output. Settings 0-2 are different take off speeds followed by max power. 3 is the lowest current output and 10 is the highest. Take the bike for a spin and adjust the current output till you find a happy medium the controller and motor are happy with. For stock motors, we recommend 5 - 7 for C5.

CHECK OUT THIS YOUTUBE VIDEO FOR STEP BY STEP SET UP. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B0F6x8V0NZQ

*The Upgrade Kit is created for specific models of Rad bikes, and that name is used for part compatibility or identification only. We are not affiliated with that company and this item is an aftermarket part.

PDF Manual available here.

Power Settings

 

Reviews

  • 5
    Awesome!!! 35a controller and new color LCD8H

    Posted by Ben on Feb 25th 2023

    Installed at 2019 Rad Rover with a new Bafang 750W Motor This kit will covert the sluggish a OEM bike into a THRILLING ride. Standard 48volt battery Reach speeds close to 26MPH/42kmph Hills are no longer a challenge Plug & Play It's worth the upgrade and the excitement of the faster speeds.

  • 5
    2020 Radrunner 1

    Posted by Mr. Nobody on Feb 25th 2023

    Installed the upgrade kit on my Radrunner 1 - INSANE! I weigh @325, the increase in torque is incredible, climbing hills is way more effortless. Another bonus, the settings now have a PAS5, where the standard controller only went to PAS4 which probably explains the speed increase. Speed on flat ground has increased 4mph to 23mph and downhill speeds hit 25-26.

  • 5
    such a more pleasant display and controller

    Posted by Peter on Feb 25th 2023

    330 miles on radrover bike since upgrade. Such a more pleasant experience than the stock controller. Only reason I held off this long is it makes me feel stupid I didn't just buy a whole bike from bolton instead of doing the upgrade, but I didn't know about them at that time. By "more pleasant experience" I mean that the display can remember your PAS and trip odometer settings between power-ons, it's a color display with big-assed numbers, and that with some experimentation you can fine tune C5 and C14 to change lower PAS settings for maximizing range within desired performance envelope (I find PAS1=220w and PAS2=300w gives me everything I need to get 40 miles per charge while getting up to a cruise speed of 20mph in reasonable time, urban riding). You can also tweak C1 for quicker motor response to pedal movement.

  • 5
    Bolton Rad Upgrade (Not on a Rad Bike)

    Posted by Aaron Blaker on Feb 25th 2023

    I got this upgrade because I already have the upgraded motor that came stock with my Gb750 Mag from Greenbike USA. My bike came with a severely limited controller and I hated the screen. My connectors were similar to the Rad Bikes so I though this would be plug and play for mine as well. Unfortunately, It wasn't. This was obviously no fault of Bolton, and they answered my questions when I emailed. Anyway, after a bit (alot) of tinkering and soldering, I got this working by changing the battery plug, display plug, and throttle (different wiring from Greenbike). The power is substantially better than my stock bike. The controller puts out MUCH MORE POWER than my stock controller, it looks better, and now I can go through sand easier. From stop, acceleration is about 2x as fast, top speed went from 20 to about 25mph,and uphill is ridiculously easy. Keep in mind, I have 20in wheels similar to the Rad Mini, so top speed is slower than the Rover. Even though it took a while, this upgrade is definitely worth it and would have taken 20min to put in a Rad Bike. Thanks Bolton!

  • 4
    Power as promised for the Radrunner

    Posted by Mark Daeschel on Feb 25th 2023

    Like others I experienced a moderate gain in top throttle speed (~ 2-3 mph). More importantly was the torque increase. A game changer for the Radrunner in regard to hill climbing. Installation was a moderate challenge as the controller is twice the size as the stock. All the wires came out on one end as compared to the stock which had wires at both ends. Made for some creative routing. A couple of XXL outdoor zip-ties got it secured. Also, like others, I had problems with the P2 setting on the display. Neither 5 nor 1 was satisfactory. I found the the Zero setting was best, though not perfect. It will display mph only when the throttle is engaged or when pedalling. Goes to Zero when coasting. To compensate , I installed a cheap Velo Cateye computer on the front wheel to display and store data. Works fine. You just need to make sure your fork mounted sensor is no farther than 3/8 " from the spoke magnet. Had to make a spacer for the front fork to do this. Regardless, the RAD upgrade has changed my biking life for the best.

  • 5
    Great upgrade. Well worth the money

    Posted by Robert on Feb 25th 2023

    I ride my 2020 Rad Rover 5 off road and on trails that can get pretty hilly. This upgrade helps me get up hills that before I couldnt even pedal up with the throttle maxed out. The hit to the battery is also minimal. Highly recommend!

  • 5
    Awesome upgrade for RadRunner

    Posted by Alex A on Feb 25th 2023

    This is a must have for the radrunner. More torque, more power, I'm loving it. This is how the bike should be out the box. Install is simple, it just figuring out how to mount it to the bike. Overall it was worth every penny.

  • 5
    RadRunner 1

    Posted by Steve D on Feb 25th 2023

    Installed this on my RadRunner 1 and it is sick! Display clocked me at 32 mph going downhill. Huuuuge improvement going up hills. I have a very steep hill on my road and I was able to throttle from stopped position and get it going 22 mph uphill! It’s 100% worth it

  • 5
    Way more power!

    Posted by Alex on Feb 25th 2023

    This kit is so worth it. The power is at the perfect level now. My Radrunner Plus now goes up hills much easier. The speed is about the same, but now there is no engine cutoff at 20mph and the throttle is much more responsive and moves faster from a standstill which makes intersections a lot safer. It’s a pain to get on and took some tweaking to get it to screw in the holes already on the bike, but definitely worth the effort. Also, the screen is much better than stock. If you want more power, buy this kit.