Review of E-BikeKit Conversion System and LiFo4 10Ah Battery.
I feel obliged to contribute to this forum since I have used so many of its posts to make my E-bike purchase decision. Based on information I gleaned from this site and other sources, I purchased a electric 500-watt front wheel conversion kit with LifFo4 10Ah battery from E-BikeKite.com. Here is my user review of my E-BikeKit I purchased in May of this year. My review is from the point of view of a user only. I am not electrically astute enough at this point to give a technical evaluation of the equipment.
I got interested in E-Bikes by chance. I originally started researching converting a gas car to electric. I’m a little frustrated that there are no viable electric cars available to the public. After a little research, I decided it would be wise to first acquire some electrical knowledge and experience with a smaller, less complicated and less expensive project. I am hoping my experience with E-Bikes and electronics in general will be transferable to car or motorcycle conversions at a later date.
I ordered the kit on a Sunday night and received it Wednesday the same week. Fast delivery is a great way to start a relationship. Ordering, tracking and delivery all went smoothly and in a professional manner. I could not have been more pleased. Although, just as I was ready to open the packages my wife intervened. Apparently, she was under the impression that the kit was a gift for my birthday. I don’t recall mentioning my birthday when I ordered the kit. The unopened packages would have to sit in plain view for a week until my birthday. I begged, but she wouldn’t relent. Just after she gave me the bad news I remembered my daughter’s graduation. My wife and I were leaving town on the day of my birthday to attend her college graduation. This would add another excruciating week delay. I considered skipping the graduation. Just kidding Leslie.
My 62nd birthday passed, my daughter received a master’s degree and I finally can open my E-Bikekit.
When I opened the packages I was pleasantly surprised. The motor, wheel, battery and components seemed to be of high quality. I inventoried all the parts and found every component was shipped as ordered. Another gold star for E-BikeKit. I put the battery on charge first thing. It only took a few minutes for the green light to indicate a full charge. They shipped the battery fully charged, another good omen!
I was laying, the parts out on the garage floor and positioning my old Mongoose in the dying cockroach position to commence the conversion when I realized I made an error. I ordered the 26 inch kit for my 700c bike. In the decision process, I vacillated between buying a new 26 inch bike to install the kit, or using the Mongoose. Apparently, I forgot my plan was to use the Mongoose.
While I pondered my error, I decided to test all the components since I had them right in front of me ready to go. I put the hub motor and wheel on the Mongoose and attached the controller, battery, thumb throttle and brakes per the instructions. The instructions are straight forward and easy to follow.
I pressed the throttle. Nothing, I checked all the electrical connections twice. Voltage from the battery checked out at 41V. I tried the throttle again. Still Nothing. I eventually was able to get the motor running if I pushed started the wheel. The motor ran in jerky fits, it would not run smoothly.
Early on in this project, I made customer support an important factor in my purchase decision, since I had no experience with electric bicycles. I selected E-BikeKit on a large part based on my impression that they would provide customer and warranty support if needed. Now I will have the unwelcome opportunity to test my assumptions.
I immediately called Jason the owner of E-BikeKit and told him my problem. Jason apologized and instructed me to send the motor and controller back to him for evaluation. My conversation with Jason was reassuring. I was disappointed that the kit would not work; however, I was pleased that E-BikeKit would stand behind their product. Looking on the brighter side, this delay would give me time to shop for new 26 inch bike to convert.
After visiting all the bicycle outlets in the area I purchased a Schwinn suburbia from Kmart for $250. The bike is all aluminum except for the front fork. The bike has front suspension, 21 gears and reasonably good components. On the day after I purchased the Schwinn, my new motor and controller arrived from E-Bikekit. How is that for timing? First test of the new equipment was a success. The new wheel spun around the axel with a confident electrified hum. I was ecstatic and ready to complete the installation.
I took the battery mounting plate to the bike shop and selected a bike rack that would accommodate the mounting plate and battery. While at the shop I also purchased a set of low resistant tires. The tires that came with the Schwinn were all terrain. You probably already know that the wheel rim has burs where the holes were drilled for the forks. I cleaned the burs off and transferred the rubber wheel gasket from the old wheel to the new rim. Then I fitted the Hub wheel onto the front forks. The Hub axle fit snuggly into the dropouts with a little bit of help from a file. The hub assembly comes with a torque arm on each side. I was unable to use them given the Schwinns fork configuration so I removed them.
The kit come with two tabbed washers one on each end of the axle. By bending the tabs down a small amount, I was able to fit the tabs into the end of the dropouts. I’m confident with these tabs in place and the axle nuts tight, that the chance of the dreaded axle spinout is minimal.
Later on after the installation I started having nightmares about axle spinout so I purchased a stainless steel torque arm from Amped Bikes. This torque arm is designed to fit all fork configurations and installed perfectly on the Schwinn. Now I sleep like a baby.
I installed the controller just below the set on the right side of the bike. The controller wires run into a 4X4 electrical junction box as do all the wires and connectors from the motor, brakes and thumb throttle. The junction box is attached to the back of the bike rack that holds the battery. The power cord runs out of the back of the junction box to the battery. I have to say that the installation looks rather neat and orderly; it looks like the bike was intended to be electric!
The finished product, bike, battery and accessories weigh in at 66lb. With yours truly on board the motor has to hump a total of 222lbs.
I didn’t know what to expect on my first ride. I have never even seen an E-bike much less ridden one. My first impression was amazement at the amount of torque of the little motor can generate. It can lay rubber on hard pavement and kick up rocks on dirt roads. The power is very noticeable when you first start, there is no need to pedal unless you are so inclined. As the bike races toward its top speed of 21 mph you can hear a distinct but quiet humming from the motor. Once she reaches cruising speed the humming goes away and all you can hear is the wind rushing by. The combination of motor, bike and battery exceeds my expectation.
My typical round trip is 18 to 20 miles usually to meet my wife for lunch or to run errands. I average about 16 mph, and use slightly less than one Ah per two miles. At full speed I am using about 10 amps. On a full charge I estimate my range to be 20 to 25 miles. Actually, in the approximately 400 miles I have ridden the bike so far I have never run out of battery even though some of my forays are 40 mile or more. I simply charge every chance I get. There are available outlets just about every were I go. I usually recharge at lunch and during ice tea breaks or while shopping I estimate that it takes 27 minutes of charging to add 1 Ah to the pack. The battery is remarkable, I am able to maintain full speed even at the end of a long trip.
Please keep in mind my wife and I live in the low country of South Carolina. Here in Beaufort, we have no hills to suck the life out of the battery, so my experience may not be applicable to you folks who live and ride in the mountain states. Also, I am retired and have time to stop for breaks and lunch unlike you poor working stiffs.
I don’t want to give up the exercise component of biking so I almost always pedal. Pedaling has two advantages. First, it adds a few mph to your top speed saves your battery and most importantly, it fools your neighbors into thinking you are in great physical condition. One of my neighbors commented that I ride my new bike like Lance Armstrong.
I needed a name for my E-Bike and my neighbor’s remarks gave me the idea. I will call my E-Bike “Electric Lanceâ€Â. Unless you tell them, most people won’t know your ride is electric. So don’t tell them, it is great for your reputation.
My father told me “don’t say anything unless you have something good to sayâ€Â. I try to stick by that rule but in the case of a review the whole story must be told. I do have some minor complaints about the battery pack construction. During the first week of use the mechanism that locks the battery to the mounting plate broke. I now use a bungee cord to keep the battery in place, which is okay by me.One of the screws that hold the handle on to the battery came loose and fell out. Normally, this would not be a huge problem, simply replace the screw and add a nylon locking nut. However, in my case it caused me to break the handle when I tried to remove the battery with one side not fastened. I glued the handle back together and now use it sparingly.
All my problems seem to be in the charging end of the battery. The positive wire from the battery pack to the charge RC plug is fused. For some unknown reason, that fuse blew on my pack and had to be replaced. On a separate occasion, the positive wire going to the charge RC plug broke loose and had to be re-soldered. I consider these issues insignificant in view of the amount of enjoyment I’m having with the bike.
I have added a few essential accessories to Electric Lance since the initial installation. No E-bike should be without a Cycle Analyst. The Cycle Analyst is like a dashboard on your car, it gives you all the information you need to operate your vehicle and monitor the battery. Just don’t get preoccupied with the gages while you are riding it could be fatal. The Cycle Analyst comes with installation instructions that are painless to follow. Jason called and left a message on my answering machine concerning the delivery of the Cycle Analyst. My wife heard the message and thought Jason said Psycho Analysis. Mary was pleased that I was finally getting some help.
The kickstand that came with the bike could not handle the additional weight of the E-BikeKit. I added a center stand that looks and operates like a motorcycle center stand. Electric Lance is now steady as a rock at rest.
To accommodate my assortment of tools, cell phone, glasses, charger etc. I added a soft pouch that fits on the handlebars. In the future, I plan to add baskets in the back to make room for purchases and gear for possible overnight trips.
I bought a combination cable lock to secure Lance when he is unattended. The cable is coiled type that fits neatly around my set post when not in use.
Because of Electric Lances speed and due to the number of miles I am riding each week, I thought it prudent that I invest in additional safety equipment. A new color coordinated helmet, reflective vest, bell, mirror, front and rear lights were the order of the day.
I highly recommend the E-BikeKit. The Kit is easy to install, fun to use and the components are quality made.
I would like to end my review with a word of caution. Riding an E-bike safely requires your complete undivided attention. You will need to put into practice your two wheel survival skills. I have driven motorcycles on public roads and the track without incident for the past 45 years and I consider riding an electric bike safely just as challenging if not more.
Ride safely and enjoy.
Barry
I feel obliged to contribute to this forum since I have used so many of its posts to make my E-bike purchase decision. Based on information I gleaned from this site and other sources, I purchased a electric 500-watt front wheel conversion kit with LifFo4 10Ah battery from E-BikeKite.com. Here is my user review of my E-BikeKit I purchased in May of this year. My review is from the point of view of a user only. I am not electrically astute enough at this point to give a technical evaluation of the equipment.
I got interested in E-Bikes by chance. I originally started researching converting a gas car to electric. I’m a little frustrated that there are no viable electric cars available to the public. After a little research, I decided it would be wise to first acquire some electrical knowledge and experience with a smaller, less complicated and less expensive project. I am hoping my experience with E-Bikes and electronics in general will be transferable to car or motorcycle conversions at a later date.
I ordered the kit on a Sunday night and received it Wednesday the same week. Fast delivery is a great way to start a relationship. Ordering, tracking and delivery all went smoothly and in a professional manner. I could not have been more pleased. Although, just as I was ready to open the packages my wife intervened. Apparently, she was under the impression that the kit was a gift for my birthday. I don’t recall mentioning my birthday when I ordered the kit. The unopened packages would have to sit in plain view for a week until my birthday. I begged, but she wouldn’t relent. Just after she gave me the bad news I remembered my daughter’s graduation. My wife and I were leaving town on the day of my birthday to attend her college graduation. This would add another excruciating week delay. I considered skipping the graduation. Just kidding Leslie.
My 62nd birthday passed, my daughter received a master’s degree and I finally can open my E-Bikekit.
When I opened the packages I was pleasantly surprised. The motor, wheel, battery and components seemed to be of high quality. I inventoried all the parts and found every component was shipped as ordered. Another gold star for E-BikeKit. I put the battery on charge first thing. It only took a few minutes for the green light to indicate a full charge. They shipped the battery fully charged, another good omen!
I was laying, the parts out on the garage floor and positioning my old Mongoose in the dying cockroach position to commence the conversion when I realized I made an error. I ordered the 26 inch kit for my 700c bike. In the decision process, I vacillated between buying a new 26 inch bike to install the kit, or using the Mongoose. Apparently, I forgot my plan was to use the Mongoose.
While I pondered my error, I decided to test all the components since I had them right in front of me ready to go. I put the hub motor and wheel on the Mongoose and attached the controller, battery, thumb throttle and brakes per the instructions. The instructions are straight forward and easy to follow.
I pressed the throttle. Nothing, I checked all the electrical connections twice. Voltage from the battery checked out at 41V. I tried the throttle again. Still Nothing. I eventually was able to get the motor running if I pushed started the wheel. The motor ran in jerky fits, it would not run smoothly.
Early on in this project, I made customer support an important factor in my purchase decision, since I had no experience with electric bicycles. I selected E-BikeKit on a large part based on my impression that they would provide customer and warranty support if needed. Now I will have the unwelcome opportunity to test my assumptions.
I immediately called Jason the owner of E-BikeKit and told him my problem. Jason apologized and instructed me to send the motor and controller back to him for evaluation. My conversation with Jason was reassuring. I was disappointed that the kit would not work; however, I was pleased that E-BikeKit would stand behind their product. Looking on the brighter side, this delay would give me time to shop for new 26 inch bike to convert.
After visiting all the bicycle outlets in the area I purchased a Schwinn suburbia from Kmart for $250. The bike is all aluminum except for the front fork. The bike has front suspension, 21 gears and reasonably good components. On the day after I purchased the Schwinn, my new motor and controller arrived from E-Bikekit. How is that for timing? First test of the new equipment was a success. The new wheel spun around the axel with a confident electrified hum. I was ecstatic and ready to complete the installation.
I took the battery mounting plate to the bike shop and selected a bike rack that would accommodate the mounting plate and battery. While at the shop I also purchased a set of low resistant tires. The tires that came with the Schwinn were all terrain. You probably already know that the wheel rim has burs where the holes were drilled for the forks. I cleaned the burs off and transferred the rubber wheel gasket from the old wheel to the new rim. Then I fitted the Hub wheel onto the front forks. The Hub axle fit snuggly into the dropouts with a little bit of help from a file. The hub assembly comes with a torque arm on each side. I was unable to use them given the Schwinns fork configuration so I removed them.
The kit come with two tabbed washers one on each end of the axle. By bending the tabs down a small amount, I was able to fit the tabs into the end of the dropouts. I’m confident with these tabs in place and the axle nuts tight, that the chance of the dreaded axle spinout is minimal.
Later on after the installation I started having nightmares about axle spinout so I purchased a stainless steel torque arm from Amped Bikes. This torque arm is designed to fit all fork configurations and installed perfectly on the Schwinn. Now I sleep like a baby.
I installed the controller just below the set on the right side of the bike. The controller wires run into a 4X4 electrical junction box as do all the wires and connectors from the motor, brakes and thumb throttle. The junction box is attached to the back of the bike rack that holds the battery. The power cord runs out of the back of the junction box to the battery. I have to say that the installation looks rather neat and orderly; it looks like the bike was intended to be electric!
The finished product, bike, battery and accessories weigh in at 66lb. With yours truly on board the motor has to hump a total of 222lbs.
I didn’t know what to expect on my first ride. I have never even seen an E-bike much less ridden one. My first impression was amazement at the amount of torque of the little motor can generate. It can lay rubber on hard pavement and kick up rocks on dirt roads. The power is very noticeable when you first start, there is no need to pedal unless you are so inclined. As the bike races toward its top speed of 21 mph you can hear a distinct but quiet humming from the motor. Once she reaches cruising speed the humming goes away and all you can hear is the wind rushing by. The combination of motor, bike and battery exceeds my expectation.
My typical round trip is 18 to 20 miles usually to meet my wife for lunch or to run errands. I average about 16 mph, and use slightly less than one Ah per two miles. At full speed I am using about 10 amps. On a full charge I estimate my range to be 20 to 25 miles. Actually, in the approximately 400 miles I have ridden the bike so far I have never run out of battery even though some of my forays are 40 mile or more. I simply charge every chance I get. There are available outlets just about every were I go. I usually recharge at lunch and during ice tea breaks or while shopping I estimate that it takes 27 minutes of charging to add 1 Ah to the pack. The battery is remarkable, I am able to maintain full speed even at the end of a long trip.
Please keep in mind my wife and I live in the low country of South Carolina. Here in Beaufort, we have no hills to suck the life out of the battery, so my experience may not be applicable to you folks who live and ride in the mountain states. Also, I am retired and have time to stop for breaks and lunch unlike you poor working stiffs.
I don’t want to give up the exercise component of biking so I almost always pedal. Pedaling has two advantages. First, it adds a few mph to your top speed saves your battery and most importantly, it fools your neighbors into thinking you are in great physical condition. One of my neighbors commented that I ride my new bike like Lance Armstrong.
I needed a name for my E-Bike and my neighbor’s remarks gave me the idea. I will call my E-Bike “Electric Lanceâ€Â. Unless you tell them, most people won’t know your ride is electric. So don’t tell them, it is great for your reputation.
My father told me “don’t say anything unless you have something good to sayâ€Â. I try to stick by that rule but in the case of a review the whole story must be told. I do have some minor complaints about the battery pack construction. During the first week of use the mechanism that locks the battery to the mounting plate broke. I now use a bungee cord to keep the battery in place, which is okay by me.One of the screws that hold the handle on to the battery came loose and fell out. Normally, this would not be a huge problem, simply replace the screw and add a nylon locking nut. However, in my case it caused me to break the handle when I tried to remove the battery with one side not fastened. I glued the handle back together and now use it sparingly.
All my problems seem to be in the charging end of the battery. The positive wire from the battery pack to the charge RC plug is fused. For some unknown reason, that fuse blew on my pack and had to be replaced. On a separate occasion, the positive wire going to the charge RC plug broke loose and had to be re-soldered. I consider these issues insignificant in view of the amount of enjoyment I’m having with the bike.
I have added a few essential accessories to Electric Lance since the initial installation. No E-bike should be without a Cycle Analyst. The Cycle Analyst is like a dashboard on your car, it gives you all the information you need to operate your vehicle and monitor the battery. Just don’t get preoccupied with the gages while you are riding it could be fatal. The Cycle Analyst comes with installation instructions that are painless to follow. Jason called and left a message on my answering machine concerning the delivery of the Cycle Analyst. My wife heard the message and thought Jason said Psycho Analysis. Mary was pleased that I was finally getting some help.
The kickstand that came with the bike could not handle the additional weight of the E-BikeKit. I added a center stand that looks and operates like a motorcycle center stand. Electric Lance is now steady as a rock at rest.
To accommodate my assortment of tools, cell phone, glasses, charger etc. I added a soft pouch that fits on the handlebars. In the future, I plan to add baskets in the back to make room for purchases and gear for possible overnight trips.
I bought a combination cable lock to secure Lance when he is unattended. The cable is coiled type that fits neatly around my set post when not in use.
Because of Electric Lances speed and due to the number of miles I am riding each week, I thought it prudent that I invest in additional safety equipment. A new color coordinated helmet, reflective vest, bell, mirror, front and rear lights were the order of the day.
I highly recommend the E-BikeKit. The Kit is easy to install, fun to use and the components are quality made.
I would like to end my review with a word of caution. Riding an E-bike safely requires your complete undivided attention. You will need to put into practice your two wheel survival skills. I have driven motorcycles on public roads and the track without incident for the past 45 years and I consider riding an electric bike safely just as challenging if not more.
Ride safely and enjoy.
Barry
