"Ain't She a Beauty!" NEW IZIP invention, pg 2

Reid Welch

Reid Welch

1 MW
Joined
Nov 18, 2006
Messages
2,031
Location
Miami, Florida
I am such a fan.
:twisted:
I oscillate between applause and cat-calls for Currie Technologies.


They're really progressive with new products even while
they flat-out lie at times about things.
And they do stand behind their products.
Sometimes way behind, ha ha.
But, we can't expect perfection from a firm selling affordable goods
for relatively small profit to themselves. They must get by on volume.

What do you think of this new IZIP?

(next form)
 
Sales Spiel (i am in no way associated)

FREE SHIPPING & HANDLING
Clean electric hybid with human pedal assistance. Retro appearance and cruiser feel.
Rack mounted SLA battery for easy swapping. Rack good for groceries or other goods including a spare battery or pannier set.
7-speed geaded system with Shimano Acera rear deraileur.
MOTOR
450W of power from a DC Earth magnet Motor
BATTERY
EV Rated SLA Type Rear Mounted
24V / 10AH Pack
(2) 12V / 10AH Valve regulated, rechargeable
CHARGE STSTEMS
UL Listed Currie Smart Charger with LED
status display
CONTROLLER
Exlusive Currie Electro Drive 24 Volt fully
potted with Power gauge function
TOP SPEED
Up to 18 mph / 29 kph (rider weight contingeny)
RANGE
Up to 15 - 20 Miles / 24 - 32 km with normal
pedaling (rider weight contingent). Range
can be doubled with optional 2nd battery pack
DRIVE
Patented Currie Electro-Drive System,
Shimano Acera 7-Speed Deraileur,
Freewheeling and Twist Shifter
BRAKES
Tekro front & Rear Alloy linear pull,
Tekro Alloy Brage Leversw/Brake inhibit
Wheels
Veronique 26" X 2.0" A-Type double wall
6061 Alloy rims with Stainless Steel Spokes
Tires
Currie E-Streeet Cruiser 26" X 2.0"
HANDLEBARS
Adjustable Cruiser Bars with Kraton Grips
FORKS
RST Capa T6 Suspention
USER CONTROL
Twist Throttle with battery gauge, Power
On/Off Switch and Easy Acess charge port
SADDLE
Urban Cruiser with springs and micro-adjust
post
Frame
Exclusive Currie Cruiser Design wiyh Cr-mo
Frame
CRANK AND PEDALS
Alloy 42T crankset w/PAS function; dual
chainguard, alloy non-skid pedals
NET WEIGHT
65 lbs / 29 kg
 
What I like:
-The cromoly steel frame, bombproof.

-The familiar Unite MY1018 motor; low tech, costs only $45 to replace when it dies.
However, that "450W of power from a..." is a flat-out lie:
the motor is rated by its maker, Unite Motor of China, for 250W continuous output.
450W continuous output will fry the motor inside of ten miles on flat land, or sooner on a hill,
unless the motor is force-cooled by through-air (easy to do!).

-The battery rack; clever and flexible. IF that rack is steel, and if the boxes are steel, or at least of alumium, GOOD. If the rack is aluminum and/or if the boxes are plastic: bad. It's gonna break under the inertial load of SLA batteries. And the batteries are up high; not so good, that.

BUT what if you ditch the lead and fit lithium there? That's pretty cool.
And you get a luggage rack, and a very nice working, rugged bike with
variable pedal gearing.


--On the other hand, the old "problem" of having only fixed gearing for the e-drive remains.

This bike will be great for e-drive on flat land.
It will be poor as an e-drive on steep hills.

It can go 24mph or so by simply adding 12V to the stock 24V supply.
However, in this case you must force-cool the Unite motor with a blower system to cool the commutator and the windings.
And you will lose the function of the battery LED meter inbuilt to the twist throttle. I prefer the Drain Brain, so no loss there to me.


And the controller, by my experience, will handle the extra 12 V,
BUT, if it ever blows, we know that a brush motor controller turns full-on current to the motor. And away she goes.

BUT (i say that a lot!) I would get this bike in a heartbeat, if I didn't have practically the same bike already in my blue Mongoose/Izip cruiser.

This one is the 'nads. Good for Currie.

I just hope the battery rack is steel. By the picture, how it attaches, I'd just guess that it is most likely of steel. The body of the boxes, probably not. Good enough.
 
:arrow: I think I like the original design better. More stealth. Seems like it would cost a lot to manufacture such a strange looking battery box. Thats got to be all aluminum. It would weigh a lot if steel. Wait, maybe the box's might actually be plastic enclosed in a aluminum frame. Seems too big for just 2 little 10 ah sla's. Probably be a magnet for thieves. Anyhow, thats what I think.
 
Looks like a step backwards. The '06 models had (2) 12 ah sla's instead of this one's 10ah lead. Last years models with the same specs can be had new for less than half the advertised price of this bike.
 
:D

some pipples are sooo hard to pleeze

I will presume to speak for the company brass (j/k)

Here's their reaction to critics:







And here's their reaction for company boosters:





.


And here is the firm's iconic inspiration
to be "in touch" with the end users:
 
xyster said:
Looks like a step backwards. The '06 models had (2) 12 ah sla's instead of this one's 10ah lead. Last years models with the same specs can be had new for less than half the advertised price of this bike.
Click to expand...
Half of $667? Where sold? Delivered?

I consider the lead to be a non-question: it's to be avoided as soon as possible by the buyer.

--I will aver that the aluminum "enlighteded" version with the punky NiMh in the downtube, is on sale for about that price. And it's a great bike, yes.

But it's locked into using that supply, alone, unless we add series battery to it;
an awkward solution at best. OR will cylindrical lithium cells fit up that tube?

----
The frame has room to put battery in the triangle
I think---all decent looking bikes are thief magnets.
I think---the boxes, if sturdy, could hold lipo and be relatively secure...
well, no bike is secure unless it's boobytrapped.


It's a solid, good looker--I'd de-decal it and paint the boxes black,
or flourescent yellow for safety.

ack?
 
Half of $667? Where sold? Delivered?
Click to expand...
http://tinyurl.com/yudyet


I consider the lead to be a non-question: it's to be avoided as soon as possible by the buyer.
Click to expand...

Normally I'd agree completely. This time I'm in the market for an ebike I don't have to freak out about replacing if stolen or wrecked while out and about on higher-risk treks.
<img src="http://www.technology.niagarac.on.ca/staff/mboldin/images/billthecat.gif" align="right">
ack?
Click to expand...

Hairball?
 
"<i>Frame
Exclusive Currie Cruiser Design wiyh Cr-mo
Frame</i>"

Exclusive? Curious who the OEM frame maker might be, if anyone knows.



<A HREF="http://www.matra-ms.com/index.php?id=105"><IMG SRC="http://tidalforce.googlegroups.com/web/IoCruiser.jpg" ALT="TidalForce IoCruiser"></A>
 
8) Yes, and there we go again!
They lieeeeee so badly
But still, the bikes are basically good and the price is in line.


Xyster, my 'ack' was in self response to the idea of painting the bat boxes flourescent yellow. ack.

I joke too much too often
but that's me. Old adage:

"live it or live with it"

(?)

or just kill the irritant :lol:

--Get your new bike, guy.

-----

There's another interesting value-bike to present--differernt brand.
I'm really curious about its rear hub motor.
The ad copy is ambiguous.
(next form)
 
For what its worth:
I love my Izip Cruiser Enlightened. I understand that it will be difficult to upgrade.
And, no, I don't know what kind of batteries fit into the frame....
 
Reid from another thread said:
To go on the level at 25+ (can do this already with 36V), to increase overall electrical efficiency (would need a BL motor, but a small one for Currie-position mounting on the right side.
Click to expand...

Reid or other: are the 600 watt brushless BMC's like from superkids and powerpack motors bolt-on replacements for all the 24 volt currie models?
http://www.thesuperkids.com/elbipa.html

http://www.powerpackmotors.com/POWERPACKMOTORinfoandphotopage.html

Are these the same motors, except that the controller on the powerpack model has been removed?

I'm confused as to 24v currie motor bolt-on replacement options.
 
No, sorry. The new crop of out-of-the-box Curries with side motor drive are incompatible with the old Currie kit system.

The BMC motors and the like would require, at the least, the full planetary transmission, and custom mounting scheme.

The bike I ride has a low tech brushed motor of compact size and high torque.

It's got a lot of guts, and keeps them intact so long as I force cool.

But it's not gonna be so super long lasting as a good hub motor.
The BMC type motors are better but mucho more moolah.

I like a 45 dollar motor which I can swap out in fifteen minutes if and when I break or burn it.

-----pardon digression. I am windy

Wendy
 
OK, thanks, uhm, Wendy. Can you point me towards any better-than-stock motors that are bolt on replacements for your Currie, windy Wendy?

I'm serious about purchasing an 06 24v Currie, but before I do I'd like to understand all my options for simple, cheap upgrades that'll get her up to at least 1000 watts sustained for 10 minutes (36v X 35 amps for 10 minutes would be fine, 48v x 35 amps would be optimal). How far towards these goals would just forced-air cooling and extra SLA(s) go?
 
Dunno about 48V.

However, for 36V, you only need a brick and a blower fan to ventilate the motor housing,

the housing which you must modify in the way of the Swiss cheese method

See the old "Extreme MY1018" thread for pictures of the mods;

make more holes than I did and fit a much bigger air inlet.

_____________


"I Miss My Swiss" (1925)


I miss my Swiss.
My Swiss Miss misses me.

I miss
the bliss

that Swiss kiss brought to me.

She was a working girl
down on her knees

working hard
in the yard

pun-ching holes in cheese.
Her dear Pa-pa

makes watches that are Swiss.
That's why he watches me like this:

(tick tock tick tock)

There must be other climbers who can tell where she may be.
I miss my Swiss. My Swiss Miss misses meeeeee.

_____________
 
So I take it from this, Swiss Miss, you know of no better-than-stock bolt-on replacements for the 24V Currie, '06?

Now say this 6 times fast:
<blockquote>The sixth sick sheik's sixth sheep's sick.</blockquote>
 
No, there is no bolt-on replacement for the Unite, period.
Anything else, even in the Unite range (other than the 36V-wound version of the MY1018) will require custom fabrication.

I look at it this way: for cheap, for fun, for ease, go with the stock motor; milk it for what it's worth. It can't be so efficient as purpose-built, because we're over-amping it far beyond the design center of 250W power output.

The heat is all that it can't take at 36V full throttle.
Blow off the heat and it will live.
How long? I don't know. I think to hope for a couple of thousand miles at least.
The appeal is in its nice quality of design, for what it is, and for what we can force it to do. For $45.

==============================================

EDIT:


There's a new sub-site of Currie Technologies and it is here:

http://www.izipusa.com/



Writing tongue in cheek, did you know....

This year we are proud to introduce
a revolutionary hybrid power scheme
using our proprietary PTS (pedal torque sensor).
Click to expand...

:roll:


Friends and neighbors, the pedalec has just been invented.
It is a Currie innovation again.


----
Here's the PDF catalog of the current lineup
http://www.izipusa.com/pdf/07_IZ_catalog.pdf
 
Why on earth are their BIKES 24v / 250 watt??? Nu Vinci SmuVinci.

NGK
 
nightowlgk said:
Why on earth are their BIKES 24v / 250 watt???
NGK
Click to expand...
Most but not all of them are 24V. Probably because it's cheaper, lighter, and sufficient to gain 15 to 18mph on the level.
It's pretty clear that the firm does not want to push the speed limit.
Perhaps they're conservative on the speed question in order to sell
more bikes to more families. Mom might not like the thought of her child
going 20 per on a self propelled bike. Whereas, 15mph seems "safe".


Nu Vinci SmuVinci.
Click to expand...
Maybe so! But they sure have put their marketing into this new thing.

http://www.gizmag.com/go/6132/
The new Currie IZIP hybrid electric bike has an Electro-Drive electric hub motor drive system that powers the front wheel, with pedals and a rear-wheel drivetrain just like a conventional bike. The NuVinci CVP will serve as a rear-wheel drivetrain, replacing a traditional derailleur or internal geared hub and improving the rider’s overall cycling experience.
Click to expand...


http://www.bernsonev.com/electric-scooters-c-22.html

noting that the NuVinci (a breakthrough application for a scooter!)
adds about $350 to the cost of a Fusion 1000.

Now we know about what to expect to pay for a Nuvinci.

It's out there now. We'll see user reports before too long.

I hope it'll pan out. The weight of the thing pales in importance if it -works- under e-power. Which, I think it will.

First generation stuff--interesting, to watch it play out.
 
Currie trend: They're pushing bikes with the Tongxin geared hub motor, front drive.

I wonder if the Unite-driven cheap bikes will phase out before too long.
I don't see them as being all that less expensive to make...

Hmmmm...they are hitting all the price points. Currie is aggressive about capturing a market which they themselves are determined to expand.

Watch them go.
 
nightowlgk said:
Why on earth are their BIKES 24v / 250 watt??? Nu Vinci SmuVinci.

NGK
Click to expand...

My guess is that it's a case of 'lowest common denominator' with the bikes configured primarily for the european market.
They know which side their bread is buttered, with NAmerican sales probably the smaller slice of the pie.
Did someone say lunch? :)




So guess what came in the mail today?
THE NEW CANADIAN TIRE CATALOG IS HERE!
THE NEW CANADIAN TIRE CATALOG IS HERE!!!!
(sez the Canadian Steve Martin... who would be the Rt. Hon. Paul Martin.) :lol:



They're selling two models of Schwinn I-Zip, a 26 inch <A HREF="http://www.canadiantire.ca/browse/product_detail.jsp?PRODUCT%3C%3Eprd_id=845524443296291&FOLDER%3C%3Efolder_id=1408474396672214&bmUID=1174318452878">men's</A> & women's frame as well as a 16 inch <A HREF="http://www.canadiantire.ca/browse/product_detail.jsp?PRODUCT%3C%3Eprd_id=845524443296292&FOLDER%3C%3Efolder_id=1408474396672214&bmUID=1174330827129">folding model</A>.
No Vinci tho. :cry:
If Schwinn mated a Nu-Vinci with their shafty/itanium/front hub model, they'd have my money right now!

The folding version is a hundred dollars more than the full-size even tho the motor has 250W less power. :? Go figure. :roll:
With their typical summer sale practice I'd anticipate 50 to 100 bucks off the catalog price.

Schwinn I-Zip Bicycle

From $599.99

Product #71-1519-2

26" wheel electric comfort bike
Men's or women's aluminum comfort frame with suspension fork
450 watts of electric power
24-volt lead acid battery pack
Up to 30 km per charge with normal pedalling
Top assisted speed of 28 km/h
Charger features a lighted LED status display
Twist throttle and brake safety lever
Power on/off switch
7-speeds with Shimano rear derailleur
 

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