Razor Betty v47 upgrade info help please

[MissChiVUs1]

Hi I bought a used Betty Razor very recently. I have read about mods but honestly it is definitely not my field. I would like to make sure I don't buy the wrong parts.

A little info about me:
I am 5'3" - 106 lbs. I will be 53 on Sat. My husband passed away almost 2 years ago, or I would just ask him. I do not want to get a mobility scooter (not to mention I can not afford one as my late husband's family is trying to take my home). I have pretty bad leg issues and definitely need something to help me be mobile at Renaissance festivals. My favorite Ren Fest has a very steep hill, but it is not until March. (I want to be able to go up a steep incline in dire if possible come March) The Festival that I am going to tomorrow to camp for my birthday weekend is not that hilly just dirt, mostly compacted.
What I want to be able to do is:
(1) have gears so I can go slow with my friends walking around. That is the #1 priority.
(2) increase my run time as much as possible.
(3) eventually increase my hill climbing capability

So, I have found this controller: AlveyTech W13113601015 Controller for The Razor Pocket Mod (Verions 45+) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B06WCZ35WN/ref=cm_sw_r_apan_glt_fabc_Q4VD3TRXHVHHG4VDPK0D?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1 (not sure if it is the one I need)

I am looking for a throttle but am not having the best luck with finding one that is compatible with the PocketMod v 47.

I also assume I will need batteries.. eventually probably a better motor, etc. I have been trying to read everything and learn what is the best upgrade I can do without replacing the motor yet. I am rather strapped financially and also need the parts to arrive tomorrow if I am going to be able to use it this weekend. (As far as I was told by the seller, the batteries are fine and have barely been used. Never know what the truth in that is. The Betty did sit around for a year before I bought it.)

I have not had the time and will not have time before I go camping to test the battery power. If needed, I could just make sure to not stray too far from camp. If anyone could help me with the info on the parts I need I would really appreciate it! I don't care so much about speed, although I am sure I would like it to be capable of faster speeds. I just really want to be able to get around and join my friends when they go walking around the campgrounds as opposed to flying ahead of them ...or hobbling behind if I don't have a scooter. Lol

THANKS SO MUCH!

 

[amberwolf]

I have pretty bad leg issues and definitely need something to help me be mobile at Renaissance festivals. My favorite Ren Fest has a very steep hill, but it is not until March. (I want to be able to go up a steep incline in dire if possible come March) The Festival that I am going to tomorrow to camp for my birthday weekend is not that hilly just dirt, mostly compacted.
What I want to be able to do is:
(1) have gears so I can go slow with my friends walking around. That is the #1 priority.
(2) increase my run time as much as possible.
(3) eventually increase my hill climbing capability

First, how well does the scooter work for you as it is right now, for instance on your driveway or sidewalk?

Knowing this will help us help you figure out what will have to be changed, and to what, to perform as needed, without going overboard on requirements.

(As far as I was told by the seller, the batteries are fine and have barely been used. Never know what the truth in that is. The Betty did sit around for a year before I bought it.)
It is very likely that it uses SLA (lead) batteries. This means that even if they are barely used, they can age badly just sitting there, especially if they were not kept regularly topped up.

If, when fully charged, the scooter seems to perform ok with the wheel off ground, but as soon as it is on ground (even without you on it) then the batteries are probably damaged.


If it seems to perform ok even with you on it, on level ground, then the batteries are probably fine (for SLA), though their range would have to be determined by testing, which is more safely done by riding around your house's block, and if you have an android phone or iphone, you can install free apps that keep track of speed and distance travelled. (some can even give slope of hills/etc, which is useful for determining motor capabilities, but are not necessary for this test).

 

[amberwolf]

So, I have found this controller: AlveyTech W13113601015 Controller for The Razor Pocket Mod (Verions 45+) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B06WCZ35WN/ref=cm_sw_r_apan_glt_fabc_Q4VD3TRXHVHHG4VDPK0D?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1 (not sure if it is the one I need)

I am looking for a throttle but am not having the best luck with finding one that is compatible with the PocketMod v 47.

Before replacing any parts on it, it is safer to determine how well it performs for you already, and figuring out what parts it already has and their limitations.

For instance, if you put a bigger controller on it, and the motor can't handle the load being placed on it at the power level the new controller can output, it may overheat and damage the motor.

It can also damage the batteries by pulling more current from them than they were meant to handle, but with SLA that's less of a problem than lithium (LI-ion, etc), though the speed will drop (possibly a lot) during heavier loading.


You also have to know which kind of motor it has before you can replace the controller. You probably have a brushed motor (two wires), which would match the type that linked controller is for.

But there is another type, brushless, which has at least "power" three wires and sometimes 5 more control wires. It uses a different type of controller.



Throttles--that depends on what the controller needs. Some of these small scooters don't actually have a throttle--they use a twist or trigger style on/off switch, to either apply power or not, because they have so little power that it doesn't really need control. :/

Others use actual variable throttles, but there are two types, hall and pot (resistive), and it is not exactly straightforward to use the one type on a controller meant for the other.

So it's best to know what your controller requires first.


Gearing changes... that could get complex, mechanically.

Most of these use a simple brushed motor driving a chain to the rear wheel. You can relatively easily cahnge the gearing to give you a lower or higher speed, but it's still only the one "gear". A bigger sprocket on the rear gives you lower speed but better startup and hill climbing. A bigger sprocket on the front gives you faster speed but worse startup and hill climbing.

To give you multiple speeds, you'd have to add a gearbox of some type, or change out the sprocket and chain system for something like that off a bicycle, with shifter/derailer/etc.

The easiest way would be to use a bicycle style IGH (internally geared hub) between the motor and the wheel. This isn't straightforward, but it is possible. It will require a fair bit of mechanical modification of the frame to secure the IGH to it, and probably flipping the motor over so it drives the IGH from the right side via bicycle-style sprocket and chain, and the IGH then outputs via a sprocket bolted to the spoke flange on it's left side to the wheel's sprocket.

If you prefer you can bolt a sprocket that's like those on the scooter (different chain size, usually, than bikes) to the input sprocket of the IGH, so you can use the same chain and sprocket the motor already uses.

I did something like this to add gearing to the pedal drivetrain of my SB Cruiser trike, but it's significantly different than doing it to a scooter like yours.

 

[MissChiVUs1]

Thanks for the responses. I honestly know very little about all of this. I was just hopeful that I could easily make the little pocket rod have more throttle control that the on/off that it comes with. I have not had any time to test it, well not enough to matter. I am going camping at a Renaissance festival this weekend. Hopefully I will drive it around some and see how long the charge lasts, etc. It does seem to move right along without any issues when I am on it, so hopefully it will do that this weekend and not force me to push it back to camp.. lol. I really appreciate the info and will get back once I know a bit more. My life is absolute chaos, has been since my husband passed away Dec 2019. Hopefully one day things will calm down. Thanks again for the responses!