Giant Lafree Twist, Lite or LAfree, Panasonic motor drive sprocket

[shemozzle999]

Out of production parts for Giant owners?

eBay - The UK's Online Marketplace

 

[flecc]

Yes, A to B has been selling these for a long time. At the point when the Giant ones were £30 and often not in stock, the editor's relative Peter Henshaw used a new pattern sprocket and shaft that I supplied to have these CNC produced.

 

[shemozzle999]

Yes, A to B has been selling these for a long time. At the point when the Giant ones were £30 and often not in stock, the editor's relative Peter Henshaw used a new pattern sprocket and shaft that I supplied to have these CNC produced.

It appears that this will be the last production run for this item.

 

[neptune]

It would be a shame if there was no more production. There are still a lot of these bikes around, and several on Ebay at the moment.

 

[flecc]

It appears that this will be the last production run for this item.

I think you'll find they've got plenty! The response to their initiative was disappointing and they've been struggling to shift them via the magazine, ebay etc. The fact is that most of this Lafree series still on the road do very low mileages, more serious e-bikers having moved onto later machines like Kalkhoffs. This Lafree series was discontinued early in 2006 after all, six years ago and the earliest ones are 11 years old now.

In any event, Giant still have these sprockets, chainwheels and NiMh batteries as well. A to B have misled on the batteries in their latest issue, implying that they could be many years old. In fact Panasonic appointed anther company to continue making them from about three years ago onwards. The newer batteries are easily distinguished internally by a revised and neater LED meter mounting and the new manufacturer's name.
.

 

[shemozzle999]

Thanks for the update flecc.

I only picked up on it when I was checking the feedback on the recently auctioned Nano Brompton.
The seller of the bike had bought a Brompton book and that led me to the above.

So it sounds as if all is well for Giant owners.

 

[flecc]

So it sounds as if all is well for Giant owners.

Yes, not too bad apart from prices on the high side. In fact many repairs are effected by pirating from old failed bikes. Together with owners we've made a good bike from two a few times and in one case two good bikes from three failed ones. Since the remaining one went to a bike museum, all three were returned to usefulness!