EZip Trailz LS - 2013

DrkAngel said:

Resurrecting the idea of a mini windscreen-fairing ... ?

Click to expand...

Hunkered down with pedals at mid height ... behind modest curved surface.
A more aerodynamic position can offer better speed than moderate effort at a proper pedaling position.
Same 750w motor output pushes a:
Mountain bike at 27.5mph
Racing tuck at 32mph
and
Recumbent at 37mph



Even a half sphere cuts wind resistance ~70%



Even a very modest curved fairing should greatly increase speed and/or range.
Preliminary test will be a simple curved "shield", mounted between forks and bars.

eZip 450w motor "volted up"!

24V = 450w output
25.9V = 485w output
33.3V = 625w output (restricted current recommended to avoid overheat) pushes oem w/xyd-16 motor to 20mph; MY1018z to 22mph
36V = 675w output (restricted current recommended to avoid overheat)
44.4V = 832.5w output (restricted current required to prevent shearing sprocket key and to avoid overheat)
48V = 900w output (restricted current required to prevent shearing sprocket key and to avoid overheat)

With current regulation (low Amperage controller) the eZip motors are poor at low speed torque but excellent at maintaining mid to high rpm output.
Great for reasonably level commuting or as a crank drive unit.

Perked up my 2013 eZip LS. (2200 miles - so far)
Decent "full " fenders. (Support arms required slight bend to clear motor)
Schwinn Comfort Kevlar belted tires with real tread! - Same design as Kenda K841 "Komfort"


Big-thick padded-sprung seat.

25.9V 25.94Ah Lipo battery pack is "balanced" by a soft shell lunch bag of similar size and color.
Required stiff cardboard insert to be held securely in rack. (Priority mail boxes provide the ideal cardboard)
Holds:
Tools - Adjustable wrench, Metric Allen wrench set, phillip screwdriver etc.
Occasionally - tire removal tool and patch kit, bungee cords, cool liquid refreshment and/or med kit ... varies with mission.


Lubed, adjusted rear hub and adjusted spokes - (newish wheel build)
Lubed gear reduction (motor)
Tuned brakes and cleaned wheels.

My 2015 Comfort Cruiser
Top speed 20mph+ @ 80ºF (w/11T motor sprocket mod @ 25.9V - Motor only)
Controller capable for 33.3V! ~25mph+
485w motor output @ 25.9V
625w motor output @ 33.3V
Can carry 2 batteries and switch to "Turbo" on the fly.
Pedal assist - 44T >> Sunrace 13-34T for casual assist @ 20mph (Seat lowered for mock pedal assist - full upright posture)
Range - ~25 miles @ 20mph; ~40 miles @ 15mph

Same tires I've been using for about a year now. No problems so far, although they do make more noise than the OEM 'slicks'.

I've been playing with 25.9V and 33.3V battery packs.
Cheap controller upgrade allows 24 - 36V battery usage.
Rack holds 2 packs, so I can run at 25.9V and reaching back, can switch to 33.3V for a nice torque and speed increase.

Got me thinking about other options ...

1. Why not build a light 3s pack in eZip battery case. (RC LiPo or Dell LiPo or laptop Li-ion)
I have a few 3s WinForce 5700mAh and 4 in parallel would give me 22.8Ah.
I could rig in series with 25.9V for a 10s 37V Turbo pack.
Switch position I (1) would ran as 25.9V (485w motor output) for a legal 20mph ...
Switch to position II (2) would engage 37V (675w motor output) for nearly 30mph!
(675w output can push a "Racing Bike Tuck" to 30mph but more liable to add pedal assist)
Hook 3s pack neg to 7s pack positive then hook 7s pos to switch position I and 3s pos to switch position II. (Yes, eZip switch has a positive center position disconnect)
or
2. Move switch and wires near seat.
This allows enough extra room in rack for a 5.7Ah 3s RC Lipo = a few miles of Stealth Turbo!

eZip motor@37V w/11T or 16T mods gives some assist to ~33mph. (Diminishes quickly after ~27mph)

I also like the idea of the 3s pack for 12V devices and 110V AC inverter use! Use charging port for 12V output.

I can set fully upright and reach my handlebars.
My sister had to lean forward ... uncomfortably.
I recommended to others that the handlebar stem could be reversed to move bars about 5" closer, rather drastic but at least one loved it.
Seat itself had no more "slide" but, fully loosened clamp and turned clamp backwards for a full 2" forward shift.
Much better for anyone with shorter arms!

Yes, reversing the stem worked quite well for me. I don't have short arms, just need to ride upright to be comfortable. I also reversed the stem on my old mountain bike, adding an adjustable aluminum stem in place of the OEM steel one. I ride Tall & Straight on that bike, now!

I'm trying to get around to putting the NOS Trailz together as my new main bike. The motor from it is the one that had the bearing start to fail after 25 miles after I installed it on the old bike, but I got a new motor/plate from an IZIP kit from Ebay, and hope, probably irrationally, that this one will be another thousand mile motor...

My 2013 eZip LS developed a "knock" after about 2000 miles.
After carefully watching front wheel tube stem, I decided knock was at wheel speed.
Which means that it must be the hub or freewheel = not the motor or chain.
Careful inspection during lube and adjustment eliminated hub as cause.

So ... the new style (removable) freewheel appeared to be the culprit!
I seems the freewheel might develop a bit of "slop" and shifts at every rotation when under power, louder with more power.
I found that if I idled motor while coasting, gently engaging, I could sometimes eliminate the knock.
Theoretically, the multiple pawls might not all be engaged evenly?
Engaging hard might overwhelm lubricant? creating slight off-center operation?

Will try an older oem 20T freewheel on upgraded wheel to confirm diagnosis. ( old freewheels not easily removable but my new wheel upgrades should prove durable)
16T ACS Southpaw freewheel upgrades never exhibited any similar problem even after 8000miles with XYD-16 motor (helical geared)
Ditto on the old oem 20T on 2008 Snow Beast after 4000+ miles - no "knock" or "tap".

Moved seat 2" forward by flipping stem bracket.



It's amazing how much difference it makes.

Arms have flex
Seat now clears rack
more rack room
can lower seat further

I originally thought it was the freewheels as well, when I got it on both of my bikes. But then I removed the motors to re-grease them, and - surprise - the knock was still there, in the motors, sitting with just power connected and no chain or wheel attached. The gears also had too much play in them, as measured by gently turning the sprocket with the motors off the bikes. It is, as we decided a while back, the terrible, crappy, loose bearing that sits outboard of the reduction drive gear. To further confirm it, when I put the NOS motor in the old bike with the knock, the knock went completely away - for about two long rides. One last confirmation: I replaced the whole rear wheel assembly on one bike, leaving the old motor with the knock (at the time I thought it was the freewheel) on it. The knock was still there on the brand new wheel. So while there may be *something* going on with the freewheels, it isn't just them.

This, is a different "knock".
It is at wheel speed and only manifests when under load.
Perfectly smooth until load applied, increasing in volume directly relevant to torque at wheel.

I have replaced the outer bearing on 2 other motors, but only the MY1018z version.
My old Comfort Cruiser(2009) is scheduled for motor disassembly and diagnosis due to power loss (probable brush wear problem) and will confirm outer bearing condition and part #. - 8000+ miles

I've noticed that every EZIP rear wheel I've seen is out of round - some more than others, but they all will make the bike move around and, IIRC, make a sort of knocking noise with the wheel off the ground, under motor power. Sounds like it may be related?

"Wheel" not usually "out of round".
I "tune" wheels for trueness on brake pads and have never found any notable problem.

Most often:

1. wheels are unbalanced. - by weight
Usually improved by removing reflector or using 2 reflectors to accurately balance wheel-tire. *

2. Tire has sometimes been improperly seated resulting in an out of round "tire" ... *

3. Minutely off center freewheel would exhibit your same described noise, most noticeable at high-full speed - no load.. - by rotational speed
Freewheel off center by 100th inch would be similar to wheel off by 1/8". **

* test by lifting rear, spinning at high speed and moving piece of chalk, or crayon etc., close to outside of tire till touches-marks every turn.
a. Inspect tire for proper seating at that point and opposite or
b. add weight at opposite side, as necessary. Test balance (temporary) by adding chewing gum + washer-coin-stone etc.? to wheel rim - re- spin-mark ... ?
(Balance weight at reflector circumference would be about 1/2 balance weight at rim)

** - replace freewheel?

My "Knock" in rear wheel was fixed by freewheel replacement.
New oem version removable 20T freewheel held up less than 2000 miles before developing an annoying (damaging) tapping.
(Poor pawl engagement symptomized by a wheel speed tapping)

Original 9T motor sprocket was replaced with 11T (2014) which provided a comfortable ~20mph from 24V and 21+ mph from my 25.9V (7s) Li-ion builds.
I intended to replace the removable 20 T with an older non-removable freewheel
(Found some copper - graphite anti-seize lubricant to help make "removable")
Well, after assembly, I noticed sprocket alignment to be a bit off - A few 100 miles ago, hub lost a bearing cup and I rebuilt the wheel with an aftermarket alloy hub (lucky find several years ago!)
Turns out, with the replacement hub, the ACS 16T Southpaw has perfect alignment.
So I built a shorter chain and re-sprocketed as 9T motor >> 16T wheel freewheel (which is a nearly identical ratio to the 11T >> 20T)
11T/20T = .55
9T/16T = .5625

Knock went away and chain noise diminished noticeably!

While I had it disassembled, I figured I'd upgrade the 13-34 7spd Sunrace freewheel to an 11-28 Epoch freewheel (to augment added 33.3V capability)
Hit 28mph (pedal assisted!) with my low seating position but lost the smooth shifting on the smaller sprockets.
Since this eBike is not designed for pedal assist, I intend to swap the 13-34 back on.
I will save the 11-28T for a pedal assist model and upgrade the derailleur if recommended

Nearing time to store away my Comfort Cruiser.
Just hit 6000 miles, still in beautiful shape and don't want to slop it through any snow (salted snow specifically).



Rejuvenating my 2009 Comfort Cruiser for fair road conditions ...


At 9000+ miles (XYD-16) motor replacement seems desirable, jerky starts, especially in cold weather, seems to indicate sticky or poor pressure from worn brushes, haven't ordered replacements yet. Will retire motor until Winter allows plenty of spare time for disassembly , diagnosis and repair - have MY1018z needing similar service (8000+ miles). "Sadly", my restraint and reasonable voltage seems to have prolonged motor life to a respectable age.
Transferring geared down (22T freewheel) 12ga spoked wheel to Snow Beast and spare 20T freewheeled wheel to Cruiser.
Need to find full fenders that cover the big Schwinn Cruiser tires.
2009 Trailz LS used an oddball lock on the battery packs will finally replace with the standard keyed that all the rest use!


and my 2008 Snow Beast (~5000 miles) for the Ice and Snow.
Needs Lube and tune.
Will inspect and likely replace all cables.
Full-extended fenders - to keep the slush off my toes!
Will mount 22T geared 12ga wheel build
Build 33.3V 31.2Ah battery in eZip pack from NOS (tested and rated) Sony and Sanyo cells.
Build 33.3V 19.28Ah Hybrid Lipo + RC Lipo in eZip pack
(Now have 4 - 33.3-37V compatible eZips 3 are 24-37V capable)
Volted up and geared down for better torque ...
9-22T @ 33.3V looks to provide a substantial torque improvement while maintaining a "legal" 20mph limitation.



Initial torque looks to be ~175% improvement over my 25.9V 16T builds and acceleration torque, beyond load, nears 200% @ ~18mph!
Should greatly improve slogging through slush and snow ... hills too!
Might become my new "standard" if 33.3V batteries in oem packs work out ...

Hit 6500 miles!

Schwinn "Comfort tire w\Kevlar" wore out on the rear drive wheel.

This tire has excellent (sticky) grip on all surfaces, and so, sacrifices durability, front tire has plenty of tread left.
Tested Kevlar belt with very pointy knife and rate puncture resistance at 400% verses non Kevlar belted, not puncture proof, but somewhat puncture resistant.
Replaced rear tire with the Schwinn Kevlar belted Cruiser model.

Tire is noticeably taller than other 2.125" tires!
"Whiskers" were dragging on fender ... so I finally trimmed them off with scissors.
65psi capability gives low rolling resistance with very good weight carrying capability!
Tread compound is noticeably harder with a wider tread contact (= more durable?)
(Both tires often on sale ~$15 each)

Got tired of the eZip tire changing difficulty so finally added a quick disconnect 2.25" from motor.
All previous mods used Deans T Plugs, but for weather resistance and durability I decided to try XT60 plugs.
Will convert 3-4 Deans adapted eBikes to XT60 after some trial period?
Quick disconnect turns an eBike horror tire change to being nearly as simple as on a non-eBike.
Can also swap motor - wheel combinations in a few minutes.

Oh! No broken spoke problems in many thousands of miles ... seems like years!
See - Broken Spokes - EZip - Solutions!

7000 Mile Report

Passed 7000 miles about 100 miles ago.
Except for a brief sojourn with my 33.3V battery, 7000miles were accomplished alternating with my 2 - 25.9V 25.92Ah recycled Laptop LiPo.
I did test with the 13T motor sprocket with a 23mph cruising speed but decided was too stressful on my Laptop LiPo builds
Rough tally estimates 4500 and 4000 miles on the 2 packs.
Average of possibly 20mph+ - includes 33.3V and 13T sprocket tests, Typical cruising is 19mph+
Just did a metered recharge at .2C to 4.15V per cell with a 19.78Ah capacity on the 4500 mile pack - 1 bank dipped below 3.50V and needs repair.
(Am building 2 new packs with SONY laptop LiPo and will re-recycle present packs into electric lawnmower batteries)

Replaced OEM rear hub-wheel at 2000 miles and have had no problems with broken spokes since.
Built wheel with alloy L\R threaded hub, SS spokes and good rim.
Replaced 9T motor sprocket once, 16T ACS Southpaw freewheel once and motor chain twice.
XYD-16 motor has held up nicely but will disassemble, lube and inspect bearings and brushes.
If in reasonable condition, might retire to occasional use or sell bike to occasional use customer?

7200 Mile Update
Replaced worn motor chain #3 and noise quieted considerably!
#2 (2010 cells) 25.9V 25.92Ah (4000 mile) got a metered .2C recharge from ~3.7V to 4.15V per cell for a nearly exact 21Ah.
These cells have held up admirably!!!

Passed 8100 miles!
XYD-16 motor seems to have worn in nicely and seems quieter!
2015 EcoRide2 with same model motor seems much louder!

Hit a pothole hard and warped wheel, 2 spokes loose.
Re-trued wheel with extensive spoke adjustment - will need to check periodically as rim ... reforms(?).

Replaced rear rim on 2008 Trailz.
Wore too thin and split sidewall.
8 years - 7500+ miles and plenty of rapid stops from ~25mph.
Will keep better eye on rims in future!
Wrapped spoke intersections with continuous 22ga insulated copper wire, removed nipples, removed from rim, placed in new rim, replaced nipples, trued wheel.
Cordless VSR drill with slot bit made this a simple-fast job!

Just passed 9000 miles on my 2013 eZip Trailz LS!

Repaired fabric of comfortable seat with some "brushable superglue"
Ordered some quality rims as replacements, wear and dings over the years have taken a toll ...
(Motor driven wheel replaced due to failed bearing cup 7000 miles ago)

On track for 10,000 miles before Winter!


Purchased a Staton-inc.com quality Left\Right hub-wheel as replacement for neighbors eZip with broken bearing seat-cup-race. (I suffered 2 similar failures)
Hub, with 4 sealed ball bearing seems excellent but wheel build was a horrible debacle.
Bad lacing, tight nipple hole producing stressful bends etc See - Staton-inc 12ga Left\Right drive wheel - $200
Left \ Right hubs recommended ~($100 shipped) but do not purchase the wheel-build option (+$100) !!!

Anyhow, I accidentally was (previously) shipped some Right\Right threaded hubs, with removable bearing cups. (proper replacements sent with no return request)
Will grind-cut broken cups from eZip failed hubs and attempt to replace ... giving me 3 spare eZip drive wheels!
I have enough 13g SS spokes for 4 "proper" eZip wheel rebuilds (with washers at spoke elbows, of course)

Got another eZip rear hub ... top quality though ...
Alloy construction with wide (proper) width spoke flanges. - $160

Came with a complete 2014 eZip Eco-Ride II (the last and probably best eZip before production ended)
Aluminum frame, high rise handlebars ... quality components!



Minimal wear but was left out in the weather and shows rust spots on many bolts, cables and the brake noodles.
Repaired throttle but needs new brake pads and will likely replace all cables (rusted ends) and noodles.

Also needs new battery, home made lithium of course.
And will upgrade with the new thin ACS Southpaw 16T freewheel for 20mph ... of course!

Front fork capable of disc brake mounts ...

2014 eZip eco-ride II upgraded

3 upgrades in 1 setting!
#1 Quick disconnect (XT60) - Simplifies all rear wheel work!!!
#2 New model ACS 16T Southpaw freewheel - upgrades 16mph to 20mph!
#3 Shimano 13-28T 7spd (replaces 14-34T) - 28T is a good start gear and 13T allows more comfortable assist to 20mph.

DrkAngel said:

2014 eZip eco-ride II upgraded

3 upgrades in 1 setting!
#1 Quick disconnect (XT60) - Simplifies all rear wheel work!!!
#2 New model ACS 16T Southpaw freewheel - upgrades 16mph to 20mph!
#3 Shimano 13-28T 7spd (replaces 14-34T) - 28T is a good start gear and 13T allows more comfortable assist to 20mph.

Click to expand...

#1 "Quick disconnect" is a basic, fairly simple, "fix" that saves time, effort and frustration! EG Tube replacement time reduced from a half hour to about 5 minutes. EZip uses a brush motor, so 2wire connector allows simple installation.

#2 "New model ACS 16T Southpaw freewheel" Cheapest speed upgrade. 16T wheel freewheel replacing 20T results in ~133% speed with a modest torque loss at low speed, ideal as a pedal assist for commuting. The previous model ACS Southpaws had extended removal pawls requiring additional spacer, resulting in poor alignment or, grinding to provide clearance.

#3 "Shimano 13-28T 7spd " 34T is lower than I require and produces a rough shift from 34T to 24T. 28T provides a much better motor assist "start" and is low enough for the steepest hills I run into. 13T top end might not sound like much of an improvement over 14T, but @ 20mph, with my 44T chainring, 13T provides casual assist, 15T for slopes etc. and 17T for acceleration or steeper grades.

The eco-ride 2 has the Shimano Altus derailleur so it is adjustable (screw on rear). If I ever decide to go to a DNP Epoch 11T, adjustment for proper shifting on smaller cogs is available.

DrkAngel said:

Passed 30,000 eBike miles.
but,
Most impressively, just hit 10,000 on a single $316 2013 eZip Trailz LS.

2013 eZip Trailz LS

Click to expand...

Upgrades:
Replaced 24V 10Ah SLA with Homemade 25.9V 26Ah Laptop LiPo.
Regeared from 20T motored freewheel to 16T for 15 >> 20mph speed.
Added XT60 disconnect for rear wheel-motor
Fenders
Comfort seat
High-low-strobe front light
Comfortable hand grips

Maintenance:
Replaced rear wheel spokes
Replaced failed rear hub
Replaced worn out motor sprockets and freewheel
Replaced and wore out Schwinn Kevlar belted "Comfort" tires
Fixed flats and replaced multiple tubes
Multiple brake pad replacements
New shiftier cable
New 24V controller (replacement is 24 - 36+ compatible - ran with homemade 33.3V Li-ion)

Will retire for major service-rebuild over the Winter
(Expecting 1st snow, so must drag Snow Beast out of storage!)

Has anyone here added a front disk brake to a Trailz? A local crash, in which a bicyclist was killed because he couldn't stop fast on a downhill, reminded me how terrible the front brake is on these bikes, and I'd like to put just a front disk brake on. I see them super-cheap on Ebay, but of there is a good bolt-on universal BB-7 type unit for no more than $100 or so, I'd buy it.