Jason27
10 kW
I am trying to get to their website but it appears down. Are they still in business? or is their site simply down? Anyone know?
http://www.ampedbikes.com
http://www.ampedbikes.com
Amped bikes out of business??
- Thread starter Jason27
- Start date
ohzee
100 kW
Someone said recently they are going to change their customer base but I forget the details.
Something about selling complete packages.
http://www.ampedbikes.com/forum/
their forums are still up you could ask Darth there. I thnk he has an account here , but I have not seen his posts.
But yea their web page is intentially blank unlike last time where someone let something expire or did not pay a hosting bill.
Actually found a post over there explaining it.
http://ampedbikes.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=5419&start=10
I chatted with Bud via Email.
He says they are continuously swamped with phone calls from customers that need a lot of hand holding.
...Issues such as changing their tires!
Ampedbikes is planning to move away from kit sales and focus on selling turn-key e-bikes. This move is prompted by the high volume of support calls that is inherent to installing kits versus turn key e-bikes.
If you have seen the complete e-bikes they have built, they are very nice. I suspect that this will be a much better target market for AmpedBikes. Sadly, I don't know what their plans are for continuing with any future DIY owners like us.
I have always considered Danny and Bud to be good guys as well. Perhaps they have simply been too nice to a large number of customers that have purchased the kits that simply do not have the mechanical skills to maintain their kits or even their bikes. I've seen a few pictures of the kits that have been completely annihilated by un-knowledgeable customers that sent them back requesting a refund.
So, from the sounds of it, AmpedBikes isn't going away at all; they are taking a different look at their target market by focusing on complete e-bikes instead of DIY retrofit kits.
-DS
Something about selling complete packages.
http://www.ampedbikes.com/forum/
their forums are still up you could ask Darth there. I thnk he has an account here , but I have not seen his posts.
But yea their web page is intentially blank unlike last time where someone let something expire or did not pay a hosting bill.
Actually found a post over there explaining it.
http://ampedbikes.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=5419&start=10
I chatted with Bud via Email.
He says they are continuously swamped with phone calls from customers that need a lot of hand holding.
...Issues such as changing their tires!
Ampedbikes is planning to move away from kit sales and focus on selling turn-key e-bikes. This move is prompted by the high volume of support calls that is inherent to installing kits versus turn key e-bikes.
If you have seen the complete e-bikes they have built, they are very nice. I suspect that this will be a much better target market for AmpedBikes. Sadly, I don't know what their plans are for continuing with any future DIY owners like us.
I have always considered Danny and Bud to be good guys as well. Perhaps they have simply been too nice to a large number of customers that have purchased the kits that simply do not have the mechanical skills to maintain their kits or even their bikes. I've seen a few pictures of the kits that have been completely annihilated by un-knowledgeable customers that sent them back requesting a refund.
So, from the sounds of it, AmpedBikes isn't going away at all; they are taking a different look at their target market by focusing on complete e-bikes instead of DIY retrofit kits.
-DS
frammis3001@yahoo.com
10 µW
- Joined
- Sep 4, 2013
- Messages
- 5
Right. I've called a few times with a question (a SIMPLE question) about a tube battery and received no reply. Zip. Nada. Zilch. Sorry Darth, most companies consider "hand holding" "customer service."
Too bad. The front-wheel units were good. But if you can't get them on the phone, or if they refuse to answer emails--they're just weird, creepy, or out of business.
Russell
1 MW
By the looks of their website, which was unchanged for over a year with the same "summer sale", it already looked like they had abandoned the business. It's too bad because they seemed very promising at first; they were first to offer a universal torque arm, the first with a bottle battery and one of the first to offer a small geared motor kit in the USA. But they failed to listen to customer feedback and use that to improve their kits. They never improved their crummy looking website. They cut-off all of their resellers! In the meantime the guy at AmpedBikes' main competitor in the USA was doing all of the above and seemingly flourishing. It's actually a good lesson about marketing and customer service!
-R
-R
The fingers
10 TW
I belive they have turned customer service over to their dealer network. 
ohzee
100 kW
Yea I used those guys when I got my 1st kit before I found this wonderful board. I should have gotten the hint when they kept pushing
back when I could expect my tube battery.. and months later when I finally go it they had no explanation for why it was 2 amp hours less
then what they advertised.
That all left a bad taste in my mouth. They had a good product initially it seemed but they just never followed up with all their 'grand'
plans they advertised. it's weird they try to blame it on needy customers because that means they must have puchased something from
them.
I have a idea now that they are going to work with Maxwell selling complete bike kits based on the bike he is bringing to market and that's
when we will see their web site update from blank to something different.
Just guessing based on comments on the board , but if it does happen hopefully it works out.
back when I could expect my tube battery.. and months later when I finally go it they had no explanation for why it was 2 amp hours less
then what they advertised.
That all left a bad taste in my mouth. They had a good product initially it seemed but they just never followed up with all their 'grand'
plans they advertised. it's weird they try to blame it on needy customers because that means they must have puchased something from
them.
I have a idea now that they are going to work with Maxwell selling complete bike kits based on the bike he is bringing to market and that's
when we will see their web site update from blank to something different.
Just guessing based on comments on the board , but if it does happen hopefully it works out.
It's pretty easy to deal with stuff like tires and whatnot that aren't really to do with the product being sold: Either just post a boilerplate response that they need to go to their local bike shop to deal with taht stuff, or something similar, or don't reply at all to those particular questions.
But when potential customers ask questions about a product they would like to buy, and get no answer, they ahve to assume the company either isn't there anymore or that they dont' care enough to sell something.
Worse yet when an existing customer has an actual problem with something that was sold, and no reply is forthcoming about it at all, even when it is a warranty issue or a not-as-described issue.
It's bad enough when places start to answer a set of questions from a potential buyer about a product, but at some point decide they're too "needy" and refuse to answer or deal with them anymore (this happened to me with E-bikekit.com a few years ago), but when they won't even answer the first time as appears to be the case here, there's no chance of the customer being able to get what they want/need unless they just get lucky when they decide to order something anyway.
But when potential customers ask questions about a product they would like to buy, and get no answer, they ahve to assume the company either isn't there anymore or that they dont' care enough to sell something.
Worse yet when an existing customer has an actual problem with something that was sold, and no reply is forthcoming about it at all, even when it is a warranty issue or a not-as-described issue.
It's bad enough when places start to answer a set of questions from a potential buyer about a product, but at some point decide they're too "needy" and refuse to answer or deal with them anymore (this happened to me with E-bikekit.com a few years ago), but when they won't even answer the first time as appears to be the case here, there's no chance of the customer being able to get what they want/need unless they just get lucky when they decide to order something anyway.
Jason27
10 kW
Anyone know the status of ebike kit? Are they a reliable left kit supplier?
Henry111
1 kW
If you have done something really bad in your current or past life for which you have a deep subconscious need to punish yourself, then go into the electric bike kit business. I wouldn't touch that business with Shark Tank money. By delivering a ready-to-ride e-bike Amped will know that it is done right.
The fingers
10 TW
http://www.fusion-cycles.com/accy.html
Found this new ink to Amped Bikes website on the Amped Bikes Forum.
Found this new ink to Amped Bikes website on the Amped Bikes Forum.
Jason27
10 kW
They don't answer their phone or respond to emails, so I dunno..
The fingers
10 TW
They are supposed to be using a dealer network to handle sales and service. Maybe you can locate one near you. I am fairly close to Richard's Bicycles in Garden Grove. Next time I'm in there I'll ask him what's going on.
No more Amped bikes?
No great loss. G'bye Danny boi.
No great loss. G'bye Danny boi.
DarthSensate
1 W
- Joined
- Sep 5, 2008
- Messages
- 53
Hey people!
Sorry I haven't been frequenting ES lately.
I am still monitoring the Ampedbikes.com forums for any prior customers that may come along asking for help. But, obviously, it has been pretty quiet there for many months.
Danny and anyone else at AmpedBikes have been pretty silent lately. Last that I had heard they were still re-targeting the market to aim at complete bikes.
As Henry111 stated, anyone wishing to abuse themselves should consider selling retro-fit ebike motor kits to the general public and trying to provide telephone assistance! Ampedbikes did also provide printed instructions and photos and various disclaimers on the site as well in an attempt to make sure that any potential customers were at least a little bit "handy" with bike tools.
I think I fielded a far more tech savvy segment of the customers via the forums than what the AmpedBikes office received over the phone. Some of the calls and return claims that I learned of via the grapevine would have put me over the edge.
I am hopeful that the complete bikes will hit the market and be received well. I also suspect that the dealers that AmpedBikes was using probably will prefer to have a complete bike rather than the amount of time required to retrofit a walk-in customer's personal bike of choice. The kit installs are very labor intensive and I cannot imagine that they would be a cost/time effective product for and LBS to be selling.
Anyway, I'll be here more often now I imagine, as well as maintaining the forums at AmpedBikes. I also have complete backups of the forums db. If the ES admins are interested, I could work with someone to import the AmpedBikes forums into a sub-section of the ES forums. I would double check if that is cool with Danny first. There have been a lot of very intelligent discussions and some very nice builds documented in the forums of the last several years. I would very much like to insure that they are not lost to the Intertubes forever.
Enjoy the ride!
-DS
P.S. For what its worth all three of my AmpedBikes kits are still running solid, despite my best efforts to beat the hell out of them, dodge on coming garbage trucks, drop them off the back of my bike rack, and leave one soaking and rusting in the garage all winter after a late November rain storm commute. (That time I had to open and clean the rust out of the stator and replace the bearings though!)
Sorry I haven't been frequenting ES lately.
I am still monitoring the Ampedbikes.com forums for any prior customers that may come along asking for help. But, obviously, it has been pretty quiet there for many months.
Danny and anyone else at AmpedBikes have been pretty silent lately. Last that I had heard they were still re-targeting the market to aim at complete bikes.
As Henry111 stated, anyone wishing to abuse themselves should consider selling retro-fit ebike motor kits to the general public and trying to provide telephone assistance! Ampedbikes did also provide printed instructions and photos and various disclaimers on the site as well in an attempt to make sure that any potential customers were at least a little bit "handy" with bike tools.
I think I fielded a far more tech savvy segment of the customers via the forums than what the AmpedBikes office received over the phone. Some of the calls and return claims that I learned of via the grapevine would have put me over the edge.
I am hopeful that the complete bikes will hit the market and be received well. I also suspect that the dealers that AmpedBikes was using probably will prefer to have a complete bike rather than the amount of time required to retrofit a walk-in customer's personal bike of choice. The kit installs are very labor intensive and I cannot imagine that they would be a cost/time effective product for and LBS to be selling.
Anyway, I'll be here more often now I imagine, as well as maintaining the forums at AmpedBikes. I also have complete backups of the forums db. If the ES admins are interested, I could work with someone to import the AmpedBikes forums into a sub-section of the ES forums. I would double check if that is cool with Danny first. There have been a lot of very intelligent discussions and some very nice builds documented in the forums of the last several years. I would very much like to insure that they are not lost to the Intertubes forever.
Enjoy the ride!
-DS
P.S. For what its worth all three of my AmpedBikes kits are still running solid, despite my best efforts to beat the hell out of them, dodge on coming garbage trucks, drop them off the back of my bike rack, and leave one soaking and rusting in the garage all winter after a late November rain storm commute. (That time I had to open and clean the rust out of the stator and replace the bearings though!)
I put the idea forth in the mod forum for you, linking to your post above.DarthSensate said:
ohzee
100 kW
nice to see you here Darth. You always did and even still do an excellent job managing that forum.
So well that I at times wondered what sparked such dedication.
Anyway hope you are doing well.
So well that I at times wondered what sparked such dedication.
Anyway hope you are doing well.
The fingers
10 TW
+1 
DarthSensate
1 W
- Joined
- Sep 5, 2008
- Messages
- 53
Hey, Thanks all!
Good to be spending some time here again. I know I also directed a number of new members this way when they needed further guidance on tweaking and modding their motor kits. I've done a couple small things myself but, in general, I tried to keep the kits stock so I could serve as reference for the kits for AmpedBikes owners. So, I knew this was THE place to seek advanced craziness with ebikes. I believe Ohzee has embraced ebike-crazy most completely! :>
As for why I advocated AmpedBikes, The kits are what they are and have served me very well. The prices fit my budget and the quality was completely satisfactory to my needs. Danny never steered my wrong. Email communication was a little iffy, but I new that going into my first purchase. Danny has a primary business that predates the AmpedBikes business. Ampedbikes was started with the intention of sharing a very cool technology at an affordable price to fellow gearheads. Hopefully the new direction will be a better fit to the market and "types" of owners that are not so wrench-adept.
Since things are so quiet with Ampedbikes lately, I've turned my attention to embracing LiPo 18650 batteries and controllers... entirely from salvage. I have a large box of sorted and "conditioned" 18650's at home. Every single one salvaged from various Dell, Lenovo, HP, Sony, etc. laptop battery packs. Also all the BMS boards from the packs. I'm busy finding the data sheets for the various TI chips and re-learning how to desolder DIP IC's.
More toys for me.
-DS
Good to be spending some time here again. I know I also directed a number of new members this way when they needed further guidance on tweaking and modding their motor kits. I've done a couple small things myself but, in general, I tried to keep the kits stock so I could serve as reference for the kits for AmpedBikes owners. So, I knew this was THE place to seek advanced craziness with ebikes. I believe Ohzee has embraced ebike-crazy most completely! :>
As for why I advocated AmpedBikes, The kits are what they are and have served me very well. The prices fit my budget and the quality was completely satisfactory to my needs. Danny never steered my wrong. Email communication was a little iffy, but I new that going into my first purchase. Danny has a primary business that predates the AmpedBikes business. Ampedbikes was started with the intention of sharing a very cool technology at an affordable price to fellow gearheads. Hopefully the new direction will be a better fit to the market and "types" of owners that are not so wrench-adept.
Since things are so quiet with Ampedbikes lately, I've turned my attention to embracing LiPo 18650 batteries and controllers... entirely from salvage. I have a large box of sorted and "conditioned" 18650's at home. Every single one salvaged from various Dell, Lenovo, HP, Sony, etc. laptop battery packs. Also all the BMS boards from the packs. I'm busy finding the data sheets for the various TI chips and re-learning how to desolder DIP IC's.
More toys for me.
-DS
ohzee
100 kW
That sounds awesome bud. I have a bunch of those cells myself tho I mostly use them for my led flashlights.
Some of the guys here have made some cool builds with laptop cells. Seems like as long as your not pulling
high amps it should work well.
If I rememer right your in northern Ohio or at least north of me in Columbus.
You know my exp with ampded is mixed. It was good enough to get me to where I am , but at the time I paid an obscene
amount for a bottle battery (seemed like it to me) about the time they ran into issues getting them. So i felt it was excuse
city for a while. Then the battery I received finally had even less capacity then advertised which fell on deaf ears.
I know a lot of it was out of their hands. Still when your the customer really wanting something it's hard to look past it.
I did resell that battery to someone on this forum once I got into lipo. Never heard anything back so hoping it's still going well.
Still I agree they did the community well and I hope to see them resurface.
I am so close to having my phasor build completed so Ill make sure to share some pics when she is done. Shooting for the
spring riding season which is right around the corner.
Some of the guys here have made some cool builds with laptop cells. Seems like as long as your not pulling
high amps it should work well.
If I rememer right your in northern Ohio or at least north of me in Columbus.
You know my exp with ampded is mixed. It was good enough to get me to where I am , but at the time I paid an obscene
amount for a bottle battery (seemed like it to me) about the time they ran into issues getting them. So i felt it was excuse
city for a while. Then the battery I received finally had even less capacity then advertised which fell on deaf ears.
I know a lot of it was out of their hands. Still when your the customer really wanting something it's hard to look past it.
I did resell that battery to someone on this forum once I got into lipo. Never heard anything back so hoping it's still going well.
Still I agree they did the community well and I hope to see them resurface.
I am so close to having my phasor build completed so Ill make sure to share some pics when she is done. Shooting for the
spring riding season which is right around the corner.
motomech
10 MW
What brotherd me about Ampbikes was their promotion that their kits were a product of their development.
After I found ES and started to research elsewhere, it became very clear that their geared motor kit was nothing more than an off the shelf MXUS kit.
After I, and others pointed this out, Danny, indignantly refuted that fact.
I don't have a problem with somebody importing and reselling, but claiming that they were working to provide better products for the benefit of the Ebiking public, does a dis-service to folks who really do that.
Like Grin, who actually do R & D.
amberwolf said:
Apparently the idea wasn't terribly interesting, so I guess the best I can tell you is post whatever you like out of that forum into this thread?
Or make threads wherever, that contain the info you want to preserve.
I have an AmpedBikes kit 700c for a front wheel conversion with a Lithium Ion battery. I had it on a cyclocross bike and it was great. I finally got to where I wanted the bike back to normal though and I no longer have a reason to ride an eBike (I retired). I'd like to sell the kit - does anyone have the original instructions? I think I always thought I'd be able to find them online.
Thanks - Jay
Thanks - Jay
Will the guide from their webpages do or did they have a PDF? The Internet Wayback Machine (archive.org) has copies of their Ampedbikes' webpages taken at various times. Here, for instance: http://web.archive.org/web/20120223031841/http://ampedbikes.com/installation.htm
DAND214
10 MW
Retired? That is the time to have an ebike.
Where are you located? That might help to sell your kit. Also it, one of the requirement along with the price to list an item in the Sale section.
Dan
