Hello Larry….I've read your postings over the last 4 years after I purchased my first TF ebike (M750X-Sept '10) on the TF forums. It was bought from the original owner ($2,100 + $500 "B" battery), that stored it on the back of his RV. Easyrider in TX, that sold it new (KS), who had it in storage/warranty work for him for a couple of years. I offered him $350 and Easyrider gave me a quote of $250 to ship, which was $600. I didn't want to wait for ER to ship it (2wk est), so I rented a car and drove from S.CA to TX to pickup up the bike with one beige, and one gray "B" battery charger including service records. It was already setup including the rear heavy NiMH battery on a topeak rack. Turns out, something was "fishy", as the serial numbers from the warranty work receipts from LEVT didn't match the ones on the front/rear hubs when I picked it up from ER. ER too had just recently sold a few working "X" hubs that I suspect one was off Tom's TF bike I had just purchased.
I contacted Shellie @ LEVT for an estimate to inspect this bike (Sept '10), and it was suggested that I send her the front wheel, rear hub, dash & all the wiring. My fear was that I was going to get a bill for around $2k, so I decided I'd just find a parts bike for cheap and complete a working TF bike. This is how I purchased my second TF bike. A local craigslist seller had a like new blk TF IO 750 cruiser listed for $1,600. I purchased the bike for $500 without a charger, which only had 10 miles on it. Even after around 5/6 years in storage the front NiMH battery took a charge and gave me a range around 8 miles. This didn't last long, as the battery got weaker and weaker. So I decided to try the "jumper" fix (hat tip Green machine) and then use a third party battery. So I purchased two 18.5v/8ah Zippy batteries (42v/8ah) from HobbyKing to test. It worked. Though I needed more range, so I purchased another two Zippys for a 16ah pack. This was enough for a 12 mile (6 uphill + 6 downhill) ride, which turned out to be my regular cardio course I ride today. And as you well know, the silence of operation with the regen braking make these bikes incredible to ride. It's just that 20mph (turbo) was not fast enough for me. So I purchased my 3rd TF bike, when a seller had listed a red TF S750X, with only 11 miles on it for $1000 firm. It took me around a month of negotiating, but I bought it for $500 cash, though another TF bike without it's original charger, but I had a beige charger from my first purchase. This was around the time I figured I'd try combining a 18.5v/8ah & a 22.2v/8ah Turnigy Nano tech battery together for a 46.2v/8ah battery pack. It worked! Which increased the top speed, on this S750X, from 28'ish mph to 31.5mph (195lbs)! And after "puffing" a lithium battery or two, I then used 2 packs in parallel for a 46.2v/16ah pack, which worked for my 12 mile ride. This bike currently has 1,750 miles on it. Though Shellie is correct, as these amp hog TF bikes really require a minimum of a 20ah lithium battery pack. BTW, you are correct, as my non X IO 750 and IO 750 step cruisers don't like a battery over 46v, but the S750X and IO 750X are ok with a bit over.
My forth was a blk TF IO 750X cruiser (police edition) for $500 + shipping, fifth was a silver IO 750 step cruiser out of TX for $200 + shipping, sixth was a M750X for $220 stripped of parts, but included everything, and my 7th was another silver IO 750 step cruiser for $165. I then bought an 8th blk TF IO 750X cruiser (police edition) frame only from a local pawn shop for $95. My thinking was that the step cruisers were purchased as the "parts" bike I was looking for, but appears to be the perfect "girls" bike that my nieces and sister-n-law enjoy riding. It rides hard to 20mph with the 46v battery pack, even with my over weight (270lb) brother!
I too recently purchased, for a song, an Electric Motion System M750 E+ with only 160 miles on it. I was told by the owner/seller that this E+ had a second dash/controller that was installed and this too needed to be replaced. I've yet figured out it's problem though it shows a full battery for about 2 seconds and then shuts off.
Currently only the red S750X (using #2 IO 750X cruiser hub), black IO 750 cruiser and silver step IO 750 cruiser (3) are running as designed sharing the same Turnigy 46.2v/16ah battery pack. The first & #1 M750X has been patiently waiting, the #2 M750X just started to have major bearing noises (?), the original S750X hub started to "shimmy" after 400 miles as I suspect salt air from the Pacific ocean mist where it was stored is causing havoc with the rear hub. I've since swapped in the X hub from the #2 blk IO 750X for my rides as I prefer this frame setup for my cardio rides. And the IO 750 step cruiser from TX has an unknown "issue" though I've installed it's rear hub on the pawn shop blk IO 750X cruiser frame. All the bikes I've too increased the stock front chain rings from 48 to 53t for top end pedaling, and swapped in a shimano dynamo 26" disc wheel with added Avid BB7 calipers, to power a Planet bike LED front light, and then losing the heavy NiMH front battery hubs!
The current goal, besides having LEVT upgrade two hubs to X, is to attempt to get the other four TF ebikes up and running by purchasing used X hubs from LEVT, have my hubs repaired (unknown costs) by LEVT, or even try a Falco 1500 watt hub setup ($1,200 range?), to compare it to my running S750X, by putting it on a TF M750X frame.
I do desire a level 35-40mph Tidalforce X hub, and it would be nice to find someone with the skills to update the stock internal controller, or remove it and hook up an outside sine wave 72v range unit with a battery to match?!? You know, a Pikes peak performance tidalforce bike to get everyone attention that 'ol school ebike tech is alive and well, besides it being USA manufactured!
I also want to setup the original NiMH "B" battery case, with it's topeak locking rack, with Samsung 18650 cells for around a 46v/20ah battery, or even use these cells for a front hub conversion if again I could find someone with the skills to do such a project?!?
Your thoughts, with your email, and I'll forward you some photos?
Kit
