Pigeonsonalimb
10 µW
- Joined
- Mar 23, 2013
- Messages
- 6
Hey everyone,
I am new to e-bikes and new to the board...a big thanks for all the great information I've been able to track down thus far.
Here's my situation: I recently purchased a 2011 Kona Electric Ute off of Craigslist (http://2011.konaworld.com/bike.cfm?content=electric_ute). I wasn't actually looking for the electric model, but the deal was about the same price as what I was finding on the non-electric model. I found/bought the bike in Portland and pulled the trigger on it after spending the day riding it and having a blast carting my daughter around on the longtail/stoker bar set-up. The bike performed without any issues and I quickly discovered why all of you are so enthusiastic about e-bikes. I absolutely get the love-affair with 'em.
However, after hauling it home to Seattle, I've started to have a serious technical issue--the electric assist sporadically cuts out and then starts with a pretty terrible grinding/vibration, before cutting off completely. At first it was happening only after steep hills, now it's happening just about 10-15 minutes into any ride. I made a video today and was able to capture the issue better than I can describe it:
http://youtu.be/K45mWQdp8h4
It's not the greatest video out there, but there's clearly an issue with the bike. I've been in contact with Kona directly and they initially thought it might be a battery issue--I don't know much about ebikes, but this really doesn't feel like a battery issue...it feels like a motor issue. I am waiting to hear back from their tech support on Monday (so far, they've been great in responding and trying to troubleshoot).
So, I guess I've got a few questions:
-Can anyone on the board help with a diagnosis and a fix?
-Is it worth fixing?
-Or, is it worth selling to someone who will love this bike and know how to deal with it?
Any comments, suggestions, or general guidance would be much, much appreciated. Also, if you are personally interested in the bike, let me know...I really love it...but loved it a whole lot more before this issue popped up. Someone with the know-how might be able to fix this and score a pretty awesome electric cargo bike.
I am new to e-bikes and new to the board...a big thanks for all the great information I've been able to track down thus far.
Here's my situation: I recently purchased a 2011 Kona Electric Ute off of Craigslist (http://2011.konaworld.com/bike.cfm?content=electric_ute). I wasn't actually looking for the electric model, but the deal was about the same price as what I was finding on the non-electric model. I found/bought the bike in Portland and pulled the trigger on it after spending the day riding it and having a blast carting my daughter around on the longtail/stoker bar set-up. The bike performed without any issues and I quickly discovered why all of you are so enthusiastic about e-bikes. I absolutely get the love-affair with 'em.
However, after hauling it home to Seattle, I've started to have a serious technical issue--the electric assist sporadically cuts out and then starts with a pretty terrible grinding/vibration, before cutting off completely. At first it was happening only after steep hills, now it's happening just about 10-15 minutes into any ride. I made a video today and was able to capture the issue better than I can describe it:
http://youtu.be/K45mWQdp8h4
It's not the greatest video out there, but there's clearly an issue with the bike. I've been in contact with Kona directly and they initially thought it might be a battery issue--I don't know much about ebikes, but this really doesn't feel like a battery issue...it feels like a motor issue. I am waiting to hear back from their tech support on Monday (so far, they've been great in responding and trying to troubleshoot).
So, I guess I've got a few questions:
-Can anyone on the board help with a diagnosis and a fix?
-Is it worth fixing?
-Or, is it worth selling to someone who will love this bike and know how to deal with it?
Any comments, suggestions, or general guidance would be much, much appreciated. Also, if you are personally interested in the bike, let me know...I really love it...but loved it a whole lot more before this issue popped up. Someone with the know-how might be able to fix this and score a pretty awesome electric cargo bike.