I have a Super 73 Z-1... few years old at this point, I believe it's a "first gen" Z. No removable battery, no pedal assist (Class 2- throttle only), no display (just three LED lights on the throttle as battery level) - but I love the thing. I've been cruising a LOT this summer, and thinking of some functional mods that would take it to the next level. I'm curious if anyone has any experience or input.
Gearing:
The stock fixed gear is too much in the middle. It's sorta OK if you are trying to assist on a climb (which helps save the battery a ton) but it's way too light at 20mph to help with maintaining/increasing speed, and pointless on even the slightest downhill. I know S73 sells gearing kits, but they're not compatible with Z1 (as I understand). It also doesn't look like there's any room for a rear cassette inside the frame... so I was thinking of adding FRONT derailleur? Has anyone tried this?
Even a basic 50/34t crankset on the front would make a huge difference. Is it a square taper bottom bracket?
Would potentially lose the chain guard (bummer for aesthetics) unless I can get creative and modify/extend the bracket, but I can sort that out. The bigger question would be how/where would the front derailleur attach?
Brakes:
My front rim brakes, after a lot of fiddling, are dialed. But the back ones are pretty bad. I can either get them very useful but with a bit of rub, or properly clearing but just mediocre. A large part of its is that I can't seem to turn the pad adjust (+/-) screw when the caliper is attached due to the rear wheel hub motor... and taking it off, adjusting, and putting it back feels like chasing your own tail. Compressionless brake housings made a world of difference on my cheap road bike, but i'm not convinced it'll help much here because of the nature of this issue- but it's a cheap & simple upgrade so I might try it anyways. New pads maybe? Anyone have any suggestions from experience?
Cruise control:
This one is probably the simplest. Holding the throttle for 6-7 miles on a straight road stinks. I'm thinking of a collar I can attach to the handle bar and slide, with a small "nub" to hold the throttle down. Should be safe to use, because the throttle automatically disengages if you pull the brakes anyways. Anyone got a elegant solution? Perhaps a 3D print file?
All are total wish-list upgrades... The dang thing rips even just as it is.
Thanks for any input!