2006 eZee Torq
Reviewer: Wayne T.
Purchased From: Electric Bikes | Folding Bicycles | Powered motor kits | Scooters
Purchase Price: $1815 US, delivered (9/7/2006)
Time Owned: Purchased 8/4/2006
Local Terrain: Flat / Moderate Hills
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Strengths:
* Goes fast, over 22 m.p.h. (see note 1)
* Great Looks, not many people recognize that I have an electric bike
* Has a very sturdy frame.
* Stop the wheels easy, but the bike does skid for a while.
* Has good hill climbing power. (see note 1)
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Weaknesses:
* Lithium battery and charger still need development. User guide
should explain ALL the caveats for battery care and use.
* Drive sprocket jumps chain at least twice a ride on a fairly
smooth path.
* Large frame doesn't allow for an upright position, which leads to
back-ache on extended rides. (I'm 5'9" and still have to lean over).
* Kickstand tends to "hum" every time I go over ANY bump. It isn't
held in place securely.
* Aluminum water bottle is sturdy, but assumes ambient temperature
quickly, leading to warm water.
* Headlamp is now driven by main battery, but isn't very bright.
* Tail lamp is now driven by main battery, but isn't very bright.
* Charge indicator (Green, Yellow, & Red) LED indicator is absolutely
worthless. Since lithium batteries have a very gradual slope, it is
impractical to display power remaining based on voltage (which
degrades over time anyway). An ammeter over time would have been more
practical. Since there is a microchip that drives the motor, it could
have easily been tasked to track power consumption. A digital readout
would have been far more useful. I never know when my system is going
to die. It just quits!
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Summary:
I bought the eZee Torq because I wanted a commuter bike. I live
next to a bike trail that used to be a railroad bed. I travel 10.3
miles one way. I have logged over 1300 miles now. My original battery
lasted one season, 600 miles. The next Spring I barely got 50% out of
it.
I complained to eZee about this and they told me that the battery
life and charge cycles are highly dependant on surge current,
temperature, discharge levels, charging rates, and average speed. I
paid $150 extra for the Lithium because I was told I could expect 450
to 550 charge cycles before reaching 60%. I didn't even get 50, before
I reached 50%.
They sent me a new battery. I used it a few times to see if it was
going to work. It completely failed. I sent it back and kept using the
original. Then the charger burned up. They returned the replacement
battery after a month or so and said they couldn't find anything wrong
with it. I went over a curb and it failed completely again. They sent
me a replacement charger. It burned up the internal fuse the first
time I used it. The 3rd charger also failed, but not completely. The
Green Light came on after 20 minutes. WOW, what a supper duper
charger. A 4 hour charge in 20 minutes. I was doubtful! Seems they
got something wrong. The unit does charge (I measure the input
current), but the indicator doesn't work right. This all took more
than a year to get resolved and the warranty finally expired.
So I have a crappy battery with 70% capacity that intermittently
quits and a charger that doesn't tell you when its done.
Twist: I bought the bike with a credit card that will double the
one year warranty. So, they sent me $600 to buy a new battery and
charger. Of course I'm still out the shipping costs, they won't pay
for that.
So here is what the Singapore engineer from eZee told me: Don't go full
speed all the time. Avoid quick starts, or hill climbing. Don't
deplete the battery. Turn the bike off after the first time the low
voltage protection circuit trips. Don't ride in hot weather. Keep it
charged over the winter.
So here are the gotchas:
* I want to go full speed, that's why I bought it for commuting!!!
* Hill climbing is this things claim to fame!!
* You can't actually tell when the battery is depleted until it quits!
* If you use the bike for 10 miles, then hit a small hill, the low
voltage circuit trips and you can't trust that after that, you aren't
damaging your battery.
I'd love to know If I am the only one having these Lithium battery
troubles. I want to run it hard and go fast. If that means using a
NmH battery, fine. I can trade distance for speed. I only have to go
10 miles before I can recharge.
I kept good records, of mileage, temperatures, and charge cycles.
I'm an engineer and thought this information would be useful. I'd
be willing to share with people who asked for it.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Overall Rating (out of 10) :7
note: 1) These systems only work when the battery works.
Reviewer: Wayne T.
Purchased From: Electric Bikes | Folding Bicycles | Powered motor kits | Scooters
Purchase Price: $1815 US, delivered (9/7/2006)
Time Owned: Purchased 8/4/2006
Local Terrain: Flat / Moderate Hills
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Strengths:
* Goes fast, over 22 m.p.h. (see note 1)
* Great Looks, not many people recognize that I have an electric bike
* Has a very sturdy frame.
* Stop the wheels easy, but the bike does skid for a while.
* Has good hill climbing power. (see note 1)
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Weaknesses:
* Lithium battery and charger still need development. User guide
should explain ALL the caveats for battery care and use.
* Drive sprocket jumps chain at least twice a ride on a fairly
smooth path.
* Large frame doesn't allow for an upright position, which leads to
back-ache on extended rides. (I'm 5'9" and still have to lean over).
* Kickstand tends to "hum" every time I go over ANY bump. It isn't
held in place securely.
* Aluminum water bottle is sturdy, but assumes ambient temperature
quickly, leading to warm water.
* Headlamp is now driven by main battery, but isn't very bright.
* Tail lamp is now driven by main battery, but isn't very bright.
* Charge indicator (Green, Yellow, & Red) LED indicator is absolutely
worthless. Since lithium batteries have a very gradual slope, it is
impractical to display power remaining based on voltage (which
degrades over time anyway). An ammeter over time would have been more
practical. Since there is a microchip that drives the motor, it could
have easily been tasked to track power consumption. A digital readout
would have been far more useful. I never know when my system is going
to die. It just quits!
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Summary:
I bought the eZee Torq because I wanted a commuter bike. I live
next to a bike trail that used to be a railroad bed. I travel 10.3
miles one way. I have logged over 1300 miles now. My original battery
lasted one season, 600 miles. The next Spring I barely got 50% out of
it.
I complained to eZee about this and they told me that the battery
life and charge cycles are highly dependant on surge current,
temperature, discharge levels, charging rates, and average speed. I
paid $150 extra for the Lithium because I was told I could expect 450
to 550 charge cycles before reaching 60%. I didn't even get 50, before
I reached 50%.
They sent me a new battery. I used it a few times to see if it was
going to work. It completely failed. I sent it back and kept using the
original. Then the charger burned up. They returned the replacement
battery after a month or so and said they couldn't find anything wrong
with it. I went over a curb and it failed completely again. They sent
me a replacement charger. It burned up the internal fuse the first
time I used it. The 3rd charger also failed, but not completely. The
Green Light came on after 20 minutes. WOW, what a supper duper
charger. A 4 hour charge in 20 minutes. I was doubtful! Seems they
got something wrong. The unit does charge (I measure the input
current), but the indicator doesn't work right. This all took more
than a year to get resolved and the warranty finally expired.
So I have a crappy battery with 70% capacity that intermittently
quits and a charger that doesn't tell you when its done.
Twist: I bought the bike with a credit card that will double the
one year warranty. So, they sent me $600 to buy a new battery and
charger. Of course I'm still out the shipping costs, they won't pay
for that.
So here is what the Singapore engineer from eZee told me: Don't go full
speed all the time. Avoid quick starts, or hill climbing. Don't
deplete the battery. Turn the bike off after the first time the low
voltage protection circuit trips. Don't ride in hot weather. Keep it
charged over the winter.
So here are the gotchas:
* I want to go full speed, that's why I bought it for commuting!!!
* Hill climbing is this things claim to fame!!
* You can't actually tell when the battery is depleted until it quits!
* If you use the bike for 10 miles, then hit a small hill, the low
voltage circuit trips and you can't trust that after that, you aren't
damaging your battery.
I'd love to know If I am the only one having these Lithium battery
troubles. I want to run it hard and go fast. If that means using a
NmH battery, fine. I can trade distance for speed. I only have to go
10 miles before I can recharge.
I kept good records, of mileage, temperatures, and charge cycles.
I'm an engineer and thought this information would be useful. I'd
be willing to share with people who asked for it.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Overall Rating (out of 10) :7
note: 1) These systems only work when the battery works.
