Hi everyone, Lev Leon here. At 28, my fascination with electric transportation, especially Cool E Bikes, led me to a career pivot. I traded lines of code for gears and motors, leaving my programming job to dive headfirst into the world of e-bikes at a leading local shop.
Inside an e-bike shop showcasing various electric bikes and components
Portrait of Lev Leon, an e-bike enthusiast and custom e-bike builder
After immersing myself in the e-bike scene for a few months, the DIY spirit took over. I decided to embark on an ambitious project: building a custom e-bike around a premium Porsche frame sourced from Germany. This was a significant leap from my previous ride, a generic 20-inch foldable e-bike that, frankly, was nothing short of a disaster.
A generic foldable 20-inch e-bike, described as a 'disaster' before upgrades
Riding in Style with a Custom Cool E Bike
Lev Leon's custom-built e-bike with a Porsche frame, highlighting its stylish design
The Cool E Bike Water Cooling Revelation
The most groundbreaking upgrade to my cool e bike build has to be the passive/active water cooling system I engineered for the controller. Now, you might wonder, “Why go to such lengths?” After all, simply mounting the controller externally would have addressed heat dissipation. But for me, that wasn’t an option.
My vision was to create a high-performance cool e bike that was also aesthetically refined. This meant keeping all components neatly tucked away within the frame. Initially, I underestimated the heat generated by the controller. Living and riding in the Middle East heat for months, the controller held its own, but I knew thermal limits would eventually be reached.
E-bike controller with MOSFET cooling modifications for enhanced thermal management
The breaking point came during a rushed commute to work. Opting for the highway to make up time, I pushed the bike at 100 km/h for about 13 minutes in 33°C weather. The controller couldn’t cope; it abruptly shut down, accompanied by ominous noises. Upon opening the component box, the heat radiating out was intense – comparable to an internal combustion engine. You could have cooked a steak on that controller!
Drawing on my PC gaming background, the solution became clear: water cooling, just like for a CPU. Initially, I worried about compromising the sleek aesthetics by adding an external radiator. However, let’s be honest – a well-integrated radiator actually adds a cool tech vibe to the e-bike.
Porsche e-bike frame before water cooling modifications, showing the initial build
Porsche e-bike frame upgraded with a PC water cooling system for the controller, demonstrating the DIY cooling setup
I predict water cooling will become a sought-after feature as more e-bike enthusiasts prioritize both performance and visual appeal in their builds. While mounting the radiator at the bottom of the frame isn’t ideal due to road debris and splashes, concealing the controller in a protected location was paramount for me. Despite waterproof ratings, exposing a $300 controller to the elements felt risky.
Cool Custom Ebike Specs with Advanced Water Cooling
The water cooling system I implemented is surprisingly straightforward to assemble and incredibly effective, reducing heat by an estimated 70%. My cool e bike boasts impressive specs: a 72V 45Ah Panasonic battery, an 80A controller, Cycle Analyst, and a 3kW motor enhanced with ferrofluid and a hub heatsink, pushing its nominal power to around 5kW. For practicality and safety, it’s also equipped with turn signals, a powerful horn, front and rear lights, and dual alarm systems (basic and GPS-based), mostly wired with relays.
Panasonic 72V 45A e-bike battery pack, part of the high-performance custom e-bike build
As this e-bike is my daily commuter, functionality took precedence over absolute perfection. The initial step in integrating water cooling was creating a flat surface on the controller, directly above the MOSFET heatsink screws, to mount the water block.
Preparing the e-bike controller for water cooling by creating a flat surface for the water block
For optimal heat transfer and secure adhesion, I used epoxy glue mixed with aluminum shreds. While thermal paste offers marginally better thermal conductivity, the enhanced structural integrity of the epoxy mix was more critical for this application, ensuring the water block stays firmly in place without additional mounting hardware.
Applying epoxy glue mixed with aluminum shreds to the e-bike controller for improved heat transfer to the water block
Radiator mounting for the e-bike water cooling system, positioned horizontally for efficient cooling and a motorcycle-inspired look
Mounting the radiator horizontally was a deliberate design choice, mimicking the look of motorcycle radiators and adding to the cool factor. Despite some concerns about increasing the bike’s width, I’m very pleased with the aesthetic outcome. The system uses a 12V, 3.5L/min pump, controlled by an amp knob, allowing me to adjust cooling intensity based on riding conditions.
Completed e-bike water-cooled controller setup, showcasing the pump and tubing integrated into the custom build
While a smaller, more energy-efficient pump was suggested to minimize power draw, I’ve observed negligible impact on battery life with the current pump connected to the main battery. Even if energy consumption becomes a concern, adding a dedicated 12V battery pack using salvaged cells is a simple solution – weight isn’t a limiting factor for this build.
Cool E Bike Performance: Amazing Cooling Results
The results of this water cooling modification are truly impressive. Pushing the cool e bike to its limits, the controller inside the enclosed compartment remains barely warm. Although I regret not installing a thermistor, I estimate the temperature at around 45°C even under extreme use. As mentioned, the energy consumption is minimal, and there’s a wide range of pumps available for those prioritizing power efficiency. This might not be a cooling revolution, but personally, for any heat-sensitive component in my builds, I’ll be water-cooling the heck out of it. Perhaps it’s a bit of an obsession, but the performance and cool factor are undeniable.
This article was written by Lev Leon, and originally published by EvNerds.
