need help to catch wife

[galanc]

hi folks--greetings from scotland--just found your site--there seems a wealth of info here but i cannot find a simple answer to my problem--which is---
a few weeks ago i bought me & my wife electric mopeds from ebay unfortunately they were slightly different models when they arrived ( and seller rerfuses to change them)--my wife's one has a 36v 300w hub motor on an 18" wheel and is a great wee bike--mine however has an 36v 250w motor on a 16" wheel and is useless compaired to her's so going out togetrher is very frustrating for us both--there is no spec shown on my controller other than 36v --there is plenty room in the battery box for another 12v/12ah battery (there is 3 already)---so the main question is--does any one have experience of passing 48v (or even 42v)through a 36v controller to raise my motor power to 300w+ so i can catch my wife (i am not going to explain what i am going to do when i catch her)--thanking you in anticipation--cheers

 

[torker]

Welcome to the forum btw. Most guys here will probably tell you most controllers can take a little more voltage. Without pics it will be hard to tell what you are starting with though. If you could open up the controller and look at the large caps to see what voltage they handle would be a good start. Also use the search feature to see if anyone here has the same model= again pics help.. Good luck.

 

[galanc]

hi toker--good point i will try and open up controller-there is an external picture of it (but that is not a lot of help) the pic of the scooter might prompt replies--cheers

 

[Rassy]

Hi Galanc and welcome to the forum. Torker gave you good advice, but here is what I have seen advised a number of times: Since you are not happy with the performance as is, just put the extra battery on and see what happens. If it works good then you are done. If the controller blows, fine, get one that can take 48 volts.

Remember, you will need a 48 volt charger when you have four batteries in series.

Good luck with whatever you do. Let us know how it works out.

EDIT: If your lights and stuff are 36 volts and run directly off the battery you may need to do some extra work when you go to 48 volts. There may already be a dc/dc converter that puts out 12 volts for the lights, but there may be other led's etc. that are on the 36 volt circuit.

 

[galanc]

hi rassy--ta for reply--i have already been looking for a 48v charger and it seems to be no problem and i already have a fourth spare battery--i am however concerned about buying a new controller if it blows -- i am having probs identifying the 'model' i have and where to find/buy it in the uk--cheer
ps i could be in trouble with the ancillery equipment--i notice that the bulbs arer all rated at 40v

 

[Rassy]

i could be in trouble with the ancillery equipment--i notice that the bulbs arer all rated at 40v

Yep, with all that stuff integrated you will have a big project to upgrade to 48 volts. maybe there is a way to just upgrade the "motor" circuit with the booster battery, at least for testing, and charge the booster battery alone, etc.

Anyway, good luck again. The easiest solution would be to trade your scooter in on one that is the same as your wife's.

 

[galanc]

hi rassy--with respect to your last comment-been there, done that--the bikes were made in china through 'fun2ride' importer and he has none left-- otherwise i would have already bought an other one--cheers

 

[emmetbrown]

Hi Galanc.
on these controllers there are usually 2 single wires coming out which are connected together ( the controller picture
you posted shows them ).
In the eu connected wires are legal limit operation, f.e. here in germany you'll get around 25 km/h with them connected, disconnecting
gets you unlimited operation, usually somewhere around 30-40 km/h.
If yours are connected try disconnecting them first and then power on your bike.

Hope it helps,

Christian

 

[galanc]

hi emmet--the bad news is that my bike has a button on the handlebar which switches it from legal to illegal already so i am no further forward--unless i try disconnecting it all together--i can try this tomorrow-- --cheers

 

[Lessss]

Pics PICs PICs PICs

I think you need a visit from or to Knoxie or other UK members (that island ain't that big).

http://endless-sphere.com/forums/memberlist.php

Would be nice of course to be able to sort that list by location.

 

[JRitt]

Just let her get far enough ahead that she will not see you turn into the bar

 

[bigmoose]

I've been chuckling about this thread all day... I resisted for 12 hours ... but I can resist no longer. By the way, a warm welcome to the forum!

THE Solution seemed straightforward and simple to me: "Honey, I made a mistake. It says right here in the instruction manuals that the 250 watt scooter is the womens' scooter and the 300 watt one is the men's. The big motor goes with the big wheel for us guys. Guess we have to swap!"

Now you can get to the pub ahead of her and have a quick one before she catches up!

All the best!

... yep, I know... I shouldn't have posted.... I tried to stay away, I really did...

 

[Rassy]

Bigmoose wrote:

THE Solution seemed straightforward and simple to me: "Honey, I made a mistake. It says right here in the instruction manuals that the 250 watt scooter is the womens' scooter and the 300 watt one is the men's. The big motor goes with the big wheel for us guys. Guess we have to swap!"

Like that's gonna happen. Actually thanks bigmoose, I wanted to write something similar, but my earlier posts were actually serious so I held off for someone else to write it.

 

[galanc]

hi guys--glad to see you are getting in to the swing of the post--to help clear up the choice between the 2 bikes--when we opened up the boxes one bike was completely canary yellow and the other was a conservative silver--my wife promptly claimed the yellow one and it was only after we were using them that i discovered the silver one was inferior--try as i might she will not swap ( she just loves this bike--it does everything it says on the box)--any way i have disconnected the speed control switch on the handlebar of mine and there has been a slight improvement--it seems to hold its top speed better but it is still not as fast as the yellow peril-( but remember her's has 18" wheels & mine has 16")---
it would appear to be a fairly big job to disconnect the controller and have a look inside at the cap's--so i think i will risk a compromise and put a 6v/ 12ah battery in the circuit to give me 42v bringing the power at the hub to around 300w--i have then just got to work out a way to charge the 42v system--any thoughts on this idea will bne appreciated--cheers :

 

[AussieJester]

i have then just got to work out a way to charge the 42v system--any thoughts on this idea will bne appreciated--cheers :

TNC Scooters is prolly your best bet for a 48v charger, they are pretty cheap ....unless someone on here has one sitting around not in use they wish to part with cheap?


KiM

 

[michaelplogue]

You guys have left out the most economical method where he can keep up with her - no matter how fast she goes......

Strap one of these on the back of her ride, and you'll aways be able to keep pace......

 

[Alan B]

Put a winch on the front with a cable so you can reel her in...

 

[lesspedal]

When you ride with her, only go uphill, that way having the smaller wheels you may be able to keep up. :lol:

 

[Alan B]

Put a second hub motor in the other wheel.

 

[Jeremy Harris]

I know they have token pedals, but apparently it's been ruled that they don't comply with the UK EAPC law, so aren't legal to use on UK highways as ebikes. There was a test case (in Southampton, I think) where I believe that Trading Standards were involved in getting some form of resolution to a complaint where a customer who bought one of these scooters in good faith was subsequently stopped by the police and threatened with court if he rode it on the roads again.

I got peripherally involved with one of the customers of the last eBay importer, who got left with a useless scooter. I tried to help him get it though the Motorcycle Single Vehicle Approval, but it was non-compliant in so many areas that it would have cost more to get it through the test (so that it could be registered) than it was worth.

On the other hand, if the current eBay seller has managed to get these scooters through approval so that they can be registered (no tax because their EVs!) then you've not got a problem, apart from possibly affecting your insurance by doing some modifications.

Sorry to sound a bit negative, but having seen how much hassle our daft laws have caused the last time these scooters were being sold as "legal ebikes" in the UK I'm a bit sensitive to the rather unscrupulous vendors who skate over the legal issues when selling these things. The poor chap I tried to help a couple of years ago ended up scrapping a fairly expensive scooter because it was, to all intents and purposes, worthless. He never got a penny back from the vendor - they just disappeared.

Jeremy

 

[galanc]

hi -- i looked at TNC scooters--certainly a lot of stuff there but i still cannot identify a controller which has 18 wires coming from it--and it is a long way from home--i tried to get into knoxies site with no success--i will try again sometime-i have also attached a pic of my wife's 'yellow peril'--can you really see me going to the pub with it-- --cheers

ps-- i am glad that you all find this amusing--when was the last time a 'bird' passed you lot--we should all be on the same side here --cheers

 

[Jeremy Harris]

hi -- i looked at TNC scooters--certainly a lot of stuff there but i still cannot identify a controller which has 18 wires coming from it--and it is a long way from home--i tried to get into knoxies site with no success--i will try again sometime-i have also attached a pic of my wife's 'yellow peril'--can you really see me going to the pub with it-- --cheers

I'm afraid to say that that picture shows exactly the same model that was declared to be illegal in the UK last time it was being sold here. The unscrupulous vendors are clever, they imply that it meets UK legal requirements without saying for sure that it does (it definitely doesn't). The stupid thing is that it's legal to sell them, just illegal to ride them on the road.

Maybe you'll get away with it for a while, but the elderly chap I tried to help last time these were being sold here on eBay was told that he would face charges for riding an uninsured, unregistered, untaxed motor vehicle if he was to ride it on the road again. The penalties were pretty draconian, I believe, particularly the insurance one.

We can get away with riding pretty illegal electric bikes when they look as if they may be legal - this things really just take the mickey, as it's obvious they aren't bicycles, hence the reason for them attracting attention from bored police officers.................

Jeremy

 

[AussieJester]

I know they have token pedals, but apparently it's been ruled that they don't comply with the UK EAPC law, so aren't legal to use on UK highways as ebikes. There was a test case (in Southampton, I think) where I believe that Trading Standards were involved in getting some form of resolution to a complaint where a customer who bought one of these scooters in good faith was subsequently stopped by the police and threatened with court if he rode it on the roads again.

Same here in OZ Jeremey, also a court case when a wiminez IIRC was charged for riding one, the cops initially booked her for the scooter being over 200watt, not being able to prove this in court they changed take and argued the pedals weren't the primary means of propulsion, as the law states here the electric motor is an 'assist' only....cops won, result in alot of businesses selling these going belly up in N.S.W apparently...

KiM

 

[galanc]

and the good news is--??

 

[Tiberius]

and the good news is--??

Well, if your wife obeys the law, you'll only need a good pair of running shoes to catch her.

I don't suppose that's much comfort though. I can imagine you'll be pretty furious and looking for someone to complain to. I'd start with the local trading standards office, but you will also need to look carefully at what was said or written when you bought the machines.

If as Jeremy thinks, these sellers are very carefully standing just the right side of the law and exploiting that its illegal to use them but not illegal to sell them, then you should be talking to your MP.

There may be other remedies that we wouldn't discuss on a nice friendly forum like this.

Nick

PS. I'm assuming the law in Scotland is the same as we're used to. AFAIK, the EAPC regulations are slightly different in Northern Ireland, but I think they're the same in Scotland.

PPS. Can you post a link to the ebay advert?