IZIP Mountain Trailz AL Help!

[joe.burntwood]

I have recently purchased an IZIP Mountain Trailz bike with 2 battery packs from Ebay.

I travel to work and return home at a distance of 14 miles each way.

The battery packs last about 5 miles each, so I am left using my own power to get this heavy bike/motor and battery packs home for the last few miles.

Inside they have 2* 10ah 12v SLA cyclic batteries.

I don't really want to buy new SLA batteries - if I won't get much more miles for my money.

What else can I do to increase the distance I get out of a battery packs?

Are there any better batteries than SLA?

Also can the gear system be changed to increase speed rather than assist the rider?

I would prefer to get a little more speed rather than assistance, to get home quicker.

Many thanks for any advise given............

 

[flecc]

You can't realistically do anything about the assist speed with the Currie side mounted motor apart from increasing the voltage to it, but since they can burn out easily, I wouldn't advise that. They normally do about a 10 mile range or a little over on the standard batteries, so you must be using yours very hard and not putting much pedalling in to halve that.

For a longer range you'd need to buy a fairly high capacity lithium battery and mount its larger size on a rear rack. A 24 volt 15 Ah battery would do the trick since the whole capacity could be used which isn't the case with the present SLAs. However, that sort of battery would cost you well over £200 at least, and a lot more from the better suppliers like Li Ping.

Sorry to be blunt, but you have to be careful not to spend too much money on upgrading what was a bottom of the market old technology e-bike since you'll never get it back. It's often less expensive to buy a better e-bike in the first place.

 

[joe.burntwood]

Thank you for the information. I am not sure the comment about putting much pedalling in is valid, I certainly feel like I put in as much as the bike did by the time I get home!

Regarding the bike itself, okay I agree I should not spend too much on the bike, but in an attempt to get the most out of it, what would be the best thing to do?

Buy new SLA batteries in case mine are not taking a full charge?

The 15ah battery is bigger in size so would not fit in the housing, I could make something to house it in I suppose.

 

[flecc]

If you are putting in plenty of effort and you aren't always climbing extremely steep hills, it's likely that the batteries on it were under par when you bought it, perhaps a long time in stock without charging.

In that case a new set of batteries should enable you to get 10 miles or a little more with new 12 Ah batteries. Make sure you get the right deep discharge type though, some of these SLA batteries are designed for low discharge with very long life for use in burglar alarms and the like.

 

[muckymits]

It does sound a bit down but you will struggle to get 28 miles from new ones and there is no chance of fitting 12AH. just not the space. My wife has an older steel framed Izip and gets 15 miles from her single 12AH pack, but thats starting to drop now with a bit of age. Better off doing as Flecc says despite him being a grumpy groat and not liking Izips

 

[flecc]

Better off doing as Flecc says despite him being a grumpy groat and not liking Izips

I liked them in their day, especially the first version which was lethally fast until it bunt out! But it was originally designed in the 1970s and things have moved on a very long way since then.

 

[muckymits]

The bike we are talking about is basically a nice bike very light etc, if anything electrical went I would change my back hub and the controller. And Ive just got a rear wheel puncture this morning. Just off to fit a slime tube

 

[flecc]

The bike we are talking about is basically a nice bike very light etc, if anything electrical went I would change my back hub and the controller.

Eh! The Izip Mountain Trailz AL is 29 kilos! That's 10 kilos over what most would call a light e-bike.

 

[muckymits]

Its all in the batteries, mines down to about 22/3kg not managed to weigh it yet, just on paper. Dont forget these things start off with 4 x 10ah SLAs.

Anyhow Ive been cursing it tonight, would not like to refit that wheel in the rain on a muddy track

 

[flecc]

I was referring to the weight of Joe's of course. Yes, the rear wheel removal isn't easy on these. If you ever change to a hub motor, put it in the front wheel for the maximum ease of wheels removal.

 

[NeilP]

What did you do in the end?

I just bought one of these with a single battery pack, SLA type.
Original owner bought it new but never used it, just let it sit. No rust on it, looks new, just dead SLA pack

Paid £100,was that too much?

 

[NeilP]

Not bumping, just adding e-mail update subscription, that I forgot when posting from the phone