New Merida 550 bad battery selling thoughts

deardancer3

10 kW
Joined
Dec 9, 2007
Messages
959
Location
San Diego
Not sure wher to post this, but this is where it is.

I am going to make someone a good deal on an ebike.

Sitting out here in Colorado with way too many ebikes and too many interesting projects. (e-velomobile re-furb, e-tadpole, human only powered DF for wife, etc). Not to mention we have lives to live, and are not spring chickens.

I just got a Brand new Merida 550 ebike returned to me from a relative that has decided they need an e- trike. {My wife used the NIMH version of this ebike (but not this ebike) as her daily ride for two years- The lady that bought that is STILL using that 550 Merida ebike and original NIMH pack going on 6 years of service.}

I am considering selling the ebike for $200 to someone that will do it justice.. no boxing, no ebay. got to come to colorado springs and get it. I might take it to East Denver (Aurora) if need be. The $200 would go to the lady for her e-trike project

I gave my cousin this ebike several years ago, she tried to keep the SLA battery charged, but I am sure that the years took their normal toll. She couln't ride it. Ebike kept inside their house. Probably never ridden, but they are too polite to tell me. but that's what it appears to me. (I gave them the bike without researching what they really needed, shame on me)

Anyway it is a brand new 550 step thru -- Brushed motor, chain drive, 24v SLA 9ah, nexus 4 speed with rear roller brake, front and seatpost shocks, white, stock. It has only been test ridden. I am trying to charge the battery pack, and it operates funny going in and out of green/yellow on the charger, indicating the batteries are less than the best.

over the next week, I will probably do some of the normal things to test the ebike out, making sure the bike and controller work well, and I am sure that my other projects will be screaming bloody murder with jealousy and life threatening curses. (If your projects don't yell at you then good for them and you.)

Anyway, I could go to the trouble to prove to myself how bad the cells are, research: getting replacement SLA cells vs. upgrading to a different chemistry, vs. upgrading the bike to a different 36v controller, (I have a spare 4QD uni 36v controller) , then ordering them installing and testing and then try to sell it.. I have a good record selling on Ebay, but even that borders on being a project.

There are lots of resources on the net for doing stuff to this ebike. some people like to upgrade them to 36v.

But, I do not need another project. I might get some pictures, but maybe not. Most people that know me, know that I am good for my word on these things.

Like I said above, I am considering selling the ebike for $200 to someone that will do it justice.. no boxing, no ebay. got to come to colorado springs and get it. I might take it to East Denver (Aurora) if need be. The $200 would go to the lady for her e-trike project

would like to see it go to someone that could use it for daily transportation, but finding the stock batteries can be a pain for the uninitiated, and maybe getting Nicads from Justin in Vancouver would be a nice upgrade. Or new Lith might fit nicely in the case. I know that if you do anything that you might go the 36v route with a new brushed Power on Demand controller. Or maybe just go with 24v Nicads and a new charger and continue on with the moderate speed easy to use (15mph) pedalec. but I am not doing it.


Soo, what do you think, You Rocky Mountain types. (If someone from outside the Rockies wanted to make a vacation trip to come and get this ebike, they could send me the money and I could keep it in the Shop till up to July)

I am not looking for the kind of buyer that needs a bunch of hand holding, but, am willing to point people to places where they can get answers.

Any way, what do you think of my idea; for the limitations, Am I being a jerk, a nice guy, a patsy, too cheap, too high?

Post (or email me) and let me know cause I want to get this off of my "to do list".

dick in Colorado



Update-- guess it was a good idea, it was purchased exactly as stated.

Not my intention, but its one less project, and, prevented the herd from growing instead of shrinking.

dick
 
Back
Top