Batribike problem - cut out.

[GeneralDogsbody]

My father had one of these. I was not very impressed with it. If you want to replace the battery with an original, Batribike told us they could not supply direct we would have to go through one of their dealers,

Yes, it's the one with the horizontal battery under the back basket.

Replacement batteries cost OW! OW! OW! There must be a better way...

 

[Algarrobo]

I attach some links to pictures of the battery. I suppose GeneralDogsbody's one is similar.

• Picture of the upper part
• Picture of the lower part
• Open battery

Curiously, the fuse is not wired to any cable.

 

[GeneralDogsbody]

I attach some links to pictures of the battery. I suppose GeneralDogsbody's one is similar.

The case is the same; the contents slightly different. It has a cartridge fuse, ans also another (green?) "car"-type one with two prongs, that plugs in to a holder )and it'w held in with white insulating tape too!). The battery does not take up so much of the inside of the box, and is sheathed in buff-coloured sheets all taped up with clear adhesive tape.

 

[Deleted member 4366]

What's inside doesn't matter, neither do the connectors. If you get one with the same style case from Aliexpress, you can keep your rack.

 

[GeneralDogsbody]

Oh well. He has used the thing twice in a month, and it stands outside in a part of the garden that's hard to get to the road from under a plastic rain-cover which will probably mean it rusts solid very quickly. Ubggre. Perhaps a go-anywhere mobility scooter would be the best. Sigh.

 

[flash]

Oh well. He has used the thing twice in a month, and it stands outside in a part of the garden that's hard to get to the road from under a plastic rain-cover which will probably mean it rusts solid very quickly. Ubggre. Perhaps a go-anywhere mobility scooter would be the best. Sigh.

My father also decided to go with a mobility scooter instead.

 

[Cyclezee]

I try to resist the temptation to criticise other manufactures bikes but I am making an exception.

I have to confess that I am not a fan of trikes but would possibly get one when I can no longer manage on 2 wheels, one thing is for certain it won't be a Batribike Trike 20 with pivoting frame.

I spent a while working on one earlier to day for a local gentleman who bought one to replace his mobility scooter.

He bought it brand new just before Christmas from a dealer who shall remain
nameless.

After riding it for only a couple of miles the chain tensioner broke along with the chain so he reported it to the dealer, they offered to send replacement parts if he could someone local to fix it and they would pay for the labour.

He lives only a couple of hundred yards from a good LBS, but they wouldn't touch it therefore I got a call.

I duly arrived with all the tools that I though would be necessary, but after a few minutes trying to work out the correct orientation of the chain tensioner I discovered the dealer had sent the wrong width chain so I went to get a replacement of the correct width and pitch.

Getting the length tension correct is twice as difficult as on a two wheel bike..... or any other trike I have worked on but I managed to get there after much adjustment. My conclusion was that the original chain must have had way too much play.

Then I took it for a test ride which I found very unpleasant, the pivoting mechanism can be locked to make it rigid but there is so much play when locked that it rocks from side to side and felt really unsafe when cornering or riding a across a slope.

I suggested that he return it to the supplier but apparently they don't want to know so he is now looking to sell it.

 

[General.Dogsbody]

Well, it's me again. It is time to do something about this thing. Accordingly, I have taken the battery case apart. I see this:







Is it possible to just replace these flat cells? They look as though they're just soldered in/taped up. Not sure where I wouold get them.

 

[General.Dogsbody]

Or should it perhaps be sold, with "needs new battery £220, but will do 2 miles to prove it works"? Not sure what a realistic price would be. Not much I guess.

 

[anotherkiwi]

Are those stacked 10 high? That would be a 15 Ah 36 V battery
Do they look puffed up? If yes be very careful with them and they need to be correctly disposed of.

 

[General.Dogsbody]

Are those stacked 10 high? That would be a 15 Ah 36 V battery
Do they look puffed up? If yes be very careful with them and they need to be correctly disposed of.

They are six high; a total of 20 cells in three stacks of 6 and one stack of 2.

The top ones in the pile look slightly but not very "puffed up". The ones on the inside of the stacks look ad though they're flat in shape. Not sure what the capacity is (should be 10Ah, two lots of (10 connected in series) connected in parallel?); it's a 36v jobbie.

The cells are around 120l 65w 8.25h (mm, excl. tabs). I am not sure what the real "as sold" size is or whether the wires are soldered to the tabs or something welded to the tabs.

 

[Jimo]

I’m about to buy a BB Trike20 just like the one pictured - having a horizontal rear mounted battery for my 84 year young wife, current owner claims the trike is aluminium - but from all I’ve found out ALL BB’s trikes had steel frames, I too have difficulties walking any distance at 81 and have recently bought myself a BB Quartz in like new condition, but weather so poor that I’ve not yet been out with it but really look forward to doing so.

Jim