
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:
- 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
- If all the connections are good and no damage done to the pins or connectors, try changing the C1 setting to 2.
- 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.
Reviews
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RadRunner Approved
My stock RadRunner had trouble getting up my long and steep driveway and I'd have to pedal my ass off. Now with just this upgrade I can tow my kids in a trailer up the driveway no problem. I had a problem with my first controller, possibly water damage, but support was helpful in helping my troubleshoot and then sent out a new one right away. Great product and great customer service.
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Nice kit; installation instructions could be improved.
Just installed the kit and had a short test ride; feels like a definite improvement in acceleration and the display is awesome! So all good on that front. Delivery to BC, Canada was about as expected after the warning about pandemic related slow-downs and limited stock of the kit. My only negative comment is regarding the installation instructions. They do state that you have to be careful with the connectors and that they could separate in the frame requiring them to be fished out, but a little more detail would have been nice (Note that I'm only talking about a 2019 Rad Rover; don't know what the setups are for other models). There is one wire from the display with the connector within the frame's downtube. I tried (after removing the rubber grommet) to pull the wire out enough to access the connector, but it came undone within the tube. It took quite a while before I realized the easiest way to get that connector out of the tube was to remove the grommet and wire that is on the opposite side of the downtube (the inside) and then you can push the connector out from the back, once you've pushed it down far enough (pushing down from the top, where it enters the downtube). Unfortunately I bent a couple of the small pins on the connector when trying to pull it out using some bent forceps, which required some careful adjustments to get them to line up properly. Of course this is the most complicated/finnicky of all the connectors, lol. Hope this helps others...
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RadRover
I purchased this kit due to all of the good reviews and ratings not only on this site, but others as well. I just installed it and it’s a beautiful, clear, color lcd display. It doesn’t look like the one pictured above, but I could not be happier. I will give another review after a couple of weeks or so. But thank you Bolton Ebikes for wonderful service!
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Radmini 4 Awesome!
Don’t expect the controller tree be an easy install. It doesn’t exactly fit so you have to get creative. The new version of the display look is also pretty neat. Must be an update because the videos I saw had a different variation. The power is drastically more responsive although a mild delay from the pedal assist. Thumbs up!!
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Works Great -- 2020 RadRover
I carefully followed the installation instructions and it works well. This controller ***REALLY*** wakes up the motor . With a fully charged battery, I am seeing 1,553 watts peak (verses about 740 with factory controller). My RadRover "torques" it way to 28+ MPH on flat ground which is fast enough for me. It pulls strongly and now I can climb hills on throttle only where I previously had to peddle hard *with* full throttle. Fun...! I am very pleased with the color display and the controller. Thanks Bolton from Tom in the Smoky Mountains, TN. :-)
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Nice upgrade to the RadRover5 2020
I have a RadRover5 2020 purchased in November of '20. I live in a hilly area so power and torque was important in my bike decision. The RadRover5 with a stock 750w Bafang motor and a 22 amp controller was a deciding factor. I did the trifecta upgrade of the controller/display, motor and caliper brakes. I started with the controller/display upgrade first. I noticed increased power with flat surface starts. The color display is nice that is easy to read. The trip and odometer numbers in the bottom right corner could be bigger.
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RadCity - Step-Thru 3
After weeks of thinking should I order this 35 amp controller or not... I just got the RadCity 3 in January so as soon as the weather was warm enough to ride I got out and can’t believe how poorly the RadCity handled hills! (I also have a Costco Urban Cruzer which is awesome on hills) My wife said “just order the Bolton controller”. It arrived today, very simple installation if you watch what you’re doing, don’t force cables, and use “Tom G’s” installation instructions (review below with PDF link). Took just over an hour to install. I wasn’t looking for more speed I just wanted torque... I live in a town with nothing but hills, if I have to forcibly peddle I might as well stick with the 3-1/2 year old UrbanCruzer. Well, let me tell you, this controller upgrade is truly a day and night difference! All I can say is wow! I noticed they are back ordered on the website, but if you need to wait, it’s worth it, crazy...
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Great modification
Installed on a radrover that I had purchased in 2021 so was nervous it may not be compatible. However it seems they have not changed anything since 2020 or atleast in March when I bought my rad. I took my time and installed everything according to instructions. Took about 90 minutes. My wife also has a radrover and is 80 pounds lighter so would accelerate faster then me and climb hills much quicker with throttle only. Now I accelerate and climb hills faster then her! I also like all the different options of the new screen. Just recently installed so can't comment on liability but so far I'm impressed and happy with my purchase
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I love this upgrade
I love this upgrade. It was pretty easy to install. I did actually use nutserts to mount my controller. I installed this on a 2029 Radrover ST. Here are some little tidbits for you. 1. This will not increase your range. If you use throttle only you will see a decrease in range due to all the power going to the motor. 2. Top speed on stock motor is about 22 mph and there is a big riding difference when you install the bigger motor. 3. Make sure you get the power plug in butt hole tight. It can be up to 1/8 off but that's it. If you get a motor sensor error this is why. 4. Take your time. 5. If you install the motor upgrade also make sure p2=6. 6. You will use lower levels of peddle assist with this upgrade. Here is a link to my channel which shows this upgrade being installed. https://youtube.com/user/dirtyc06