iZip Mountain Trailz

[DerekG]

I would recommend Continental Travel Contact Tires... that's what I have and I love them.

I've put 400 miles on them so far and nothing wrong at all.

They aren't great in the snow -P), however, wet and dry on roads they are great. I don't find grass a problem although loose gravel is not fun.

 

[bdann]

First range test, no pedaling (very little anyway):

185# rider, no mods to the bike (yet), about 65 degrees, tires at about 50psi.

Total distance: 7 miles

After about 4 miles, the top speed dropped to between 12 and 13mph. Flat roads for the most part. Around mile 5, top speed dropped to between 10 and 11mph. Miles 6 and 7 the bike would only accelerate to about 7mph on its own. I could pedal up to about 11mph and it would hold just under that, by the end of mile 7, it would only hold about 8mph steady and would not accelerate from a stop on a hill without pedaling, would barely accelerate from a level stop without pedaling. Right at mile 7 the battery LED would hold at red for several seconds after letting off the throttle, which means you're out of gas.

So, not very impressive range with no pedaling. Next test will be pedaling full time. I'm hoping the range will at least double.

Oh, one more thing, pardon my ignorance here, but with an e-bike, does it really matter what gear you're in?

 

[torker]

Whatever gear allows you to contribute some power without spinning uncomfortably fast. On my 9c with 7.5 ah sla I can get 10 mi. with pedaling. No sweat just spinning easy in hi gear to help out.

 

[dumbass]

First range test, no pedaling (very little anyway):


Oh, one more thing, pardon my ignorance here, but with an e-bike, does it really matter what gear you're in?

In the case of an IZip or EZip no it doesn't because the motor is direct drive to the other side of the wheel. So the gear system is only for your comfort notthe motor. You may notice a change in the pitch of the motor when you are out running. By that I mean when you are peddling you can eventually go faster then the motor can assist you. Therefore, the motor is in a "freewheel" state and doing nothing for you. This will happen at any speed and you can tell when the normal motor noise sounds more like a tinging sound then a whinning sound as it normally does.

 

[davespicer]

You may notice a change in the pitch of the motor when you are out running. By that I mean when you are peddling you can eventually go faster then the motor can assist you. Therefore, the motor is in a "freewheel" state and doing nothing for you. This will happen at any speed and you can tell when the normal motor noise sounds more like a tinging sound then a whining sound as it normally does.

This happens at a specific speed for me - the whine from the motor becomes intermittent, then stops completely when I pedal a little faster. It takes only a slight downhill for this to occur. Maybe I need one of those $25 wattmeters to see if I should release the throttle at such times - I had been presuming the controller was turning motor power off, but maybe it isn't?

 

[dumbass]

You may notice a change in the pitch of the motor when you are out running. By that I mean when you are peddling you can eventually go faster then the motor can assist you. Therefore, the motor is in a "freewheel" state and doing nothing for you. This will happen at any speed and you can tell when the normal motor noise sounds more like a tinging sound then a whining sound as it normally does.

This happens at a specific speed for me - the whine from the motor becomes intermittent, then stops completely when I pedal a little faster. It takes only a slight downhill for this to occur. Maybe I need one of those $25 wattmeters to see if I should release the throttle at such times - I had been presuming the controller was turning motor power off, but maybe it isn't?

I meter is always a good thing to have on an ebike. However, remember that anytime the motor is in a non-loaded condition the wattage draw drops significantly. Of course it's not going to a "zero" power draw but as I said it is a significant drop off. I have a CA (Brain Drain) meter on my Cyclone build and currently no meter on my Ezip. But I will be adding a CA meter to the Ezip this winter along with a lot of other mods.

 

[bdann]

A few more comments:

Now that I've ridden the bike more, I'm starting to change my mind on how noisy it is. It seemed quiet at first, but on those first few rides it was kinda chilly outside and I had a wool cap on under my helmet that covers my ears. It has been really warm the past several days and now I realize it is quite noisy. I still also have an issue with the battery rattling a lot. All of the fasteners on the rack are secure, so I'll see if I can find some straps to better secure it in place. I have been riding on some very bumpy roads, so maybe I'm being too critical.

The range: not so good. I guess that is to be expected with the low amp batteries. I may upgrade the battery sooner than originally planned.

The non-electrical parts of the bike are all great. I would say far better than the average wally world mtn bike. The brakes are solid, shifting is smooth, no complaints.

I'd say if you can still find one of these for $299 and are looking for a cheap way to get into e-bikes...go for it!

 

[Russell]

Yes the SLA batteries appear to be the weakest link on those bikes. You should talk to 'The Journey Guy' about his Ping 20Ah LiFePO4 upgrade.

http://endless-sphere.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=13985&start=0

Of course that battery will set you back more $$$ than you paid for the whole bike :|

-R

 

[dumbass]

A few more comments:

Now that I've ridden the bike more, I'm starting to change my mind on how noisy it is. It seemed quiet at first, but on those first few rides it was kinda chilly outside and I had a wool cap on under my helmet that covers my ears. It has been really warm the past several days and now I realize it is quite noisy. I still also have an issue with the battery rattling a lot. All of the fasteners on the rack are secure, so I'll see if I can find some straps to better secure it in place. I have been riding on some very bumpy roads, so maybe I'm being too critical.

The range: not so good. I guess that is to be expected with the low amp batteries. I may upgrade the battery sooner than originally planned.

The non-electrical parts of the bike are all great. I would say far better than the average wally world mtn bike. The brakes are solid, shifting is smooth, no complaints.

I'd say if you can still find one of these for $299 and are looking for a cheap way to get into e-bikes...go for it!

You will find that all non-hub motors make noise. The main reason is the additional chains and added gearbox. I ride both Ezips and Wallie World bikes with Cyclone motor kits. the Cyclone mootors make a lot less noise. However, I have noticed if I keep the chains lubed on the Ezip bikes they aren't as noisy. I also found a video on YouTube where a guy shows his 09 EZip and he can grease the motor's gearbox though a cap on the gearbox. Maybe this is something new but i have seen in other videos the same cap on the gearbox.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qHYfWLOrUCc

As a part of my modifications this winter I am going to look into adding this ability back to my 2 Ezip bikes. I am also going to look into using the same gear oil I use on my motor scooter in it's gearbox. The only reason it wouldn't work is the seal on the motor shaft. If it in not a good seal the fluid will enter the motor.

Bottom line clean and lube your chain and it will reduce the noise............Ear plugs help too...LOL

 

[dogman dan]

Well at least they won't fail to hear you coming on the bike path. When I started riding e bikes, right away I had to get a horn and honk it all the time at stupid people walking 3 abreast on the bike trail.

 

[mikefish]

if you give the battery rack a slight bend (the part the battery slides into) it will hold that battery tight with no wiggles. mine came delivered that way, and i have to pull a bit to get my battery out, but its snug, and does not rattle.

I use the Walmart comfort tires by Bell brand on my Ezip, but they took a mighty strong and sharp thorn right dead center. Can't stop everything I guess. but then i went out and got liners to put inside the tires, and no issues after that. The Walmart tires can be inflated to 65 psi, and they increased my top speed a bit. I was very pleased to shed the knobby tires!

i like my Ezip, but it sure is cheap. I have not ridden in a long time since the rear axle broke. Im still waiting on that slow boat from China to bring me the new part. Currie customer help is great, but i have heard others, like me, having issues with getting parts from time to time.

i like my Ezip, and cant wait for my new rear wheel from Currie (free but i have to pay shipping) but after reading what other have to say on here, im not going to put any more money into the Ezip. I plan to keep riding every day as long as i can ( hopefully i can stand the cold as well!) So Im looking for a more dependable, faster, and easier to upgrade bike. i will keep my Ezip as a back up bike though! I still think its a great beginners bike, and has great potential to bring more people into light EV transportation!

 

[bluegoatwoods]

A fine thread. Thanks.

I bought my Ezip in August, 2010. Rode it a great deal through about Thanksgiving, then put it away for the winter. I have brought it back out as of now (late Feb, 2011) and taken a few short test rides yesterday and today. Perhaps 2 miles each, small elevation change. Just large enough to slow down a moderately strong rider on a pedal bike.

Last summer I took several rides that must have totalled 20 miles with fairly large elevation differences. The battery had enough power to get me through most of the way with strength, but limping toward the end. I'm 180 lbs and a pretty strong pedaler, but this seemed impressive all the same.

Then I noticed my charger starting to act a bit funky. Inspecting it I found that the battery connector was starting to come apart. The little screws that hold it together had loosened. Looking inside I found that one of the conductors had broken loose. I re-soldered it and put everything back together. It seems to work like it did when new, but now my battery doesn't seem to have as much life as before. The ride today started with about a mile uphill. I don't know the exact elevation difference, but it's enough that all but a the true bicyclists complain. My bike was not particularly heavy. But I have added cargo racks front and rear and was pulling a trailer. These were loaded only lightly, though. The battery was acting fully exhausted by the end of this short ride. After resting for about a half hour at the top, the battery had near-full-charge strength for the ride home. But this was downhill, after all.

It's certainly possible that I got a battery that had sat in Wal-Mart's stock room for a year or so without being properly maintained. It might be that this battery was compromised from the start. But has anyone else had issues like this or have I said something that might point to the charger as culprit? I'd appreciate your thoughts.

One other thing; the battery rattled (apparently not uncommon) on the left side. It wasn't so bad that it concerned me, I just took it as normal. Just before I put the bike away for the winter one of the spring-loaded battery contacts got hot enough to melt the plastic that it was housed in. The spring then pushed this contact off to the side so much that this battery port is no longer usable. Obviously, I had some sort of heat issue. I'm guessing that the rattling of the battery caused intermittent breaks in electrical contact resulting in heating at the contact point. Does this sound reasonable? Has anyone else had the same experience.

I've switched to the right side battery mount now, but I've not ridden enough yet to know if I'll have the same issue there. There's no rattling that I can hear and I've spread dielectric grease on the contacts.

But it's sad to have this diminished range. I'll fix it one way or another. But if anyone has had experience with these problems, I'd be happy to hear what you have to say about it.

Thanks.

 

[dumbass]

.

One other thing; the battery rattled (apparently not uncommon) on the left side. It wasn't so bad that it concerned me, I just took it as normal. Just before I put the bike away for the winter one of the spring-loaded battery contacts got hot enough to melt the plastic that it was housed in. The spring then pushed this contact off to the side so much that this battery port is no longer usable. Obviously, I had some sort of heat issue. I'm guessing that the rattling of the battery caused intermittent breaks in electrical contact resulting in heating at the contact point. Does this sound reasonable? Has anyone else had the same experience.

I've switched to the right side battery mount now, but I've not ridden enough yet to know if I'll have the same issue there. There's no rattling that I can hear and I've spread dielectric grease on the contacts.

But it's sad to have this diminished range. I'll fix it one way or another. But if anyone has had experience with these problems, I'd be happy to hear what you have to say about it.

Thanks.

First off are you using the battery lock to hold the battery down? If you are locking it down the rattle must be side to side and you can bend the side bars in a bit (as someone else indicted above). I usually just wack one of the bars lightly with a short 2x4 to bend it is a bit. However, this may or may not have been the problem with your melted connector. You are likely correct the melting was cause by arcing between the battery and the spring pin connector. There is a common problem with the wires connected to the spring pin inside the box whereas, the wires bind the spring pin. This causes it to not hold good contact with the battery causing the arcing and heat. Depending on how old the bike now is you should be able to have Currie waranty these parts. Actually Currie set me free parts for both my wife's and my bike even after they were long out of waranty.

Bob

 

[bluegoatwoods]

Thanks for your thoughts on my issues, Bob.

The internal wiring interferes with the spring loaded contacts, huh? I'll have to watch out for that.

I suppose I ought to talk to the folks at Currie. They seem to have a good reputation for making stuff of this sort right.

What I'm most interested in is finding out if these problems are common to this bike or if my experience is anomalous. So far I've not seen anyone saying, "I had the same problem!"

Even with these drawbacks, it's still a very nice little bike for the price. I'll get it smoothed out somehow and look forward to a lot of riding. I'm pretty good with a plain old pedal bike, too. But the motor assist is such luxury when it's 95 degrees and muggy.

By the way; I do use the battery lock-down. And if the stock setup turns out to be not quite good enough, then I'll build my own.

 

[blueb0ttle2]

I've had problems with the battery connectors too. In my case they brake apart. It's a quick fix, crimping new connectors in etc., but it is a nuisance. The trick seems to be making sure that the cables are free to move up and down with the spring connectors, since when the bike is jumping up and down, the batteries are jumping on those pegs. My commute is pretty bumpy, since I have to use a sidewalk with plenty of potholes (The alternative is swimming with the SUV sharks).
I might get rid of the "handy" spring connectors and have the battery case hard-wired to the controller, so the connections won't be so loose. That, coupled with a new lithium pack and perhaps a way to change gear ratios, will make the perfect machine

 

[ecowheelz]

Just wanted to mention that we deal with these minor issues at our shop all the time. Most are relatively easy to fix, and other posters have made good suggestions about bending the racks, replacing springs and connectors. Unfortunately, there's not really a great solution since we're talking about $300 bikes (unless you hardwire the batteries)...

 

[bluegoatwoods]

Okay, so these are merely one weak spot in what, after all, is a pretty cheap bike. I can live with that.

And if I have to hard-wire my batteries, then I can also live with that. I'll forgive minor weaknesses in a very affordable beginner's e-bike. I'll engineer what fixes I can and I'll look into better power supplies when I learn enough about the alternatives.

I'll be glad to hear of any other issues that I might want to watch out for. Thanks.

 

[dumbass]

Okay, so these are merely one weak spot in what, after all, is a pretty cheap bike. I can live with that.

And if I have to hard-wire my batteries, then I can also live with that. I'll forgive minor weaknesses in a very affordable beginner's e-bike. I'll engineer what fixes I can and I'll look into better power supplies when I learn enough about the alternatives.

I'll be glad to hear of any other issues that I might want to watch out for. Thanks.

I am actually rewiring my bike with larger (10g) wiring because of my twin motor setup. What I just found is if you remove the black battery spring connector box and cut away the side of the box where the wires enter it will vastly improve the free movement of the spring loaded connectors and wires. Of course this will slightly increase the possibility of rain entering the box. But I think it's a very small risk and well worth the advantages. Beside, I don't normally ride in the rain.

If you are finding the pack bouncing you really need to bend in your slide rails a little. As I said just give them a slight bump with a 2"x4" peace of wood or hit a peace of wood with a hammer. But lightly until you see your results. You should limit the bounce because it is hard on both the box and the pack.

Bob

 

[bluegoatwoods]

Okay, I'll look into the "bounce" factor. It was noticeable on the left side. That likely had much to do with my left side failure. I didn't know any better, but probably should have been more suspicious.

I've noticed no bounce on my right side. But I'll pay closer attention. The problem I'm having right now is that my range is so diminished that I'm not able to ride very far and test these things.

I'm suspicious of my charger. That battery does not seem to be taking a very deep charge at all. It could be the battery itself, of course. But it hasn't gone through more than 25-30 charge cycles since it was new last fall.

But I haven't had much time to really put it through it's paces since my troubles started. I put the bike away for the winter and have only ridden it a few miles since I brought it out last week. Maybe with more riding I can get a better feel for what's going on.

 

[dumbass]

Okay, I'll look into the "bounce" factor. It was noticeable on the left side. That likely had much to do with my left side failure. I didn't know any better, but probably should have been more suspicious.

I've noticed no bounce on my right side. But I'll pay closer attention. The problem I'm having right now is that my range is so diminished that I'm not able to ride very far and test these things.

I'm suspicious of my charger. That battery does not seem to be taking a very deep charge at all. It could be the battery itself, of course. But it hasn't gone through more than 25-30 charge cycles since it was new last fall.

But I haven't had much time to really put it through it's paces since my troubles started. I put the bike away for the winter and have only ridden it a few miles since I brought it out last week. Maybe with more riding I can get a better feel for what's going on.

Lets start with the age of the bike. Have you had it less then 90 days? Or maybe under 6 months? If I remember correctly the pack is warantied for only 90 days but they are flexable. Same with the 6 month waranty on the rest of the bike. Do you have an electrical meter? If not you might want to buy one. You can get a cheap one at Harbor Freight for a few bucks. When you take the pack off charge is the green lite on on the charger? You know you could/should leave it on charge for a while after the green lite comes on. It actually adds a little extra. You caould also open the case and charge the batteries (2) wit ha 12v car charger. It you do this and it improves the ride then you know the problem is the charger. You can also check the output of the charger with a meter.

Keep in mind that 20 to 30 cycles may not sound like a lot to you. But you have no idea how long this bike sat in storage. So those batteries could have been near dead whe nyou got them. And this is very damaging to them. When you ride how far do you run the pack down? Do you charge soon after riding? This all effects an SLA battery.

Personally I would contact Currie and tell them the batteries are only giving 3 miles of range and your not sure if it's a battery problem or a charger problem. Depending on the age of the bike they will likely send you something but charge you for shipping. BTW, if they tell you it's no longer under waranty don't buy any parts from them. You can get better 3rd party and for less money.

Bob

EDIT::id you charge the pack during the winter?

 

[bluegoatwoods]

You are absolutely right, spinningmagnets. That battery might well have sat in Wal-Mart's stock room for as much as a year not getting the maintenance that Currie recommends. I've also been suspicious of that.

I did charge it myself during the winter. I think that I went a little bit past the 30 day interval that Currie recommends, but it wasn't more than 40. And I made sure that it was fully charged when it went into the basement and it was kept at room temp. throughout. When I gave these routine maintenance charges the red light did not stay on very long. I didn't watch all that closely, but I'm sure it was not even as much as a half hour.

I definitely like the idea of charging the two "cells" separately at 12 volts. That will confirm or deny my suspicions about the charger itself.

Just a half hour ago or so I tested the battery voltage with a multimeter. It showed 26 volts. That must be okay. But is there any way that I can test the "depth" of the charge with a hand-held multimeter? I know of none.

 

[DrkAngel]

Check out the 20mph $20 upgrade!

Bicycle Safety - The Math of Speed

 

[dumbass]

You are absolutely right, spinningmagnets. That battery might well have sat in Wal-Mart's stock room for as much as a year not getting the maintenance that Currie recommends. I've also been suspicious of that.

I did charge it myself during the winter. I think that I went a little bit past the 30 day interval that Currie recommends, but it wasn't more than 40. And I made sure that it was fully charged when it went into the basement and it was kept at room temp. throughout. When I gave these routine maintenance charges the red light did not stay on very long. I didn't watch all that closely, but I'm sure it was not even as much as a half hour.

I definitely like the idea of charging the two "cells" separately at 12 volts. That will confirm or deny my suspicions about the charger itself.

Just a half hour ago or so I tested the battery voltage with a multimeter. It showed 26 volts. That must be okay. But is there any way that I can test the "depth" of the charge with a hand-held multimeter? I know of none.

You did fine with the storage charges. I only charge maybe once or twice during the winter. I use to travel for a living and my cars would sit in the airport for months at a time in the cold and snow. When I got back I brushed off the snow and it fired right up. Did this for many many years. SLA batteries do not loose that much power sitting but they do need a little charge every few months.

26v is a good charge. The only thing you can do at home is try putting a load on the pack and testing the voltage. I use an iron or toster but don't use something with a motor in it (hair dryer of room heater). You can connect it to the batteries together or as a single battery. It the iron is say 1200w @ 110v it will put a 262w load on the 24v pack. Yes, you will actually feel the iron get a little warm. This should be a safe load but it may show if you have a battery problem. With the load connected check the voltage. A little sag is normal but it shouldn't sag to much with this load.

IF you decide to replace them I highly recommend Thunder Sky lifepo4 20ah cells. If you decide to go this way I can give you a recommendation where to buy them.

Bob
Bob

 

[frankie]

Need suggestions, 24v 900w (high performance) currie motor with no controller), momentary toggle switch.
I ran my 24v 450w using two 24v wired side by side. 24 volt and 18ah. I was hitting the momentary toggle from
dead stop and getting excellent response. However, I think I should have been pedaling first as I ended up messing
something up. Motor will power bike with real wheel off the ground, but with pressure on wheel, the motor just spins.
If I can't figure this one out, I am going to sell battery rack, both batteries, one charger and controller fairly cheap.
Batteries after charging show almost 26 volts on my meter. I think I was hitting about 22mph.
Right now I have the bike stripped down to just the bike with seven speed shifter. Any ideas out there? Have
a friend that will put a gasoline assist kit on for $225.00. It's a 2 cycle and I am not sure about the noise.
frank

 

[JoramsWeapon]

Need suggestions, 24v 900w (high performance) currie motor with no controller), momentary toggle switch.
I ran my 24v 450w using two 24v wired side by side. 24 volt and 18ah. I was hitting the momentary toggle from
dead stop and getting excellent response. However, I think I should have been pedaling first as I ended up messing
something up. Motor will power bike with real wheel off the ground, but with pressure on wheel, the motor just spins.
If I can't figure this one out, I am going to sell battery rack, both batteries, one charger and controller fairly cheap.
Batteries after charging show almost 26 volts on my meter. I think I was hitting about 22mph.
Right now I have the bike stripped down to just the bike with seven speed shifter. Any ideas out there? Have
a friend that will put a gasoline assist kit on for $225.00. It's a 2 cycle and I am not sure about the noise.
frank

I had something similar happen to me when I upgraded my 24V 450W currie to 36V 1000W, the freewheel "pawls" or I think that's what they are called no longer caught inside their notches and it would spin the wheel no load but the moment a load was applied it would just spin. However, I used a controller and pedalled up to about 10km/h before using the throttle and it still broke TWO freewheels. Your toggle switch from a dead stop was likely applying to much torque to the freewheel at once and it snapped?

This may be a bit opportunistic of me but if you're going to sell the batteries....I'd like to buy the cases please !