Giant twist and suede model's on eb*y

[eddieo]

One twist with faulty battery just went for £125 I believ, and another on with a "buy it now" price of £450 on as well. Also a year old "suede" model on as well, this one is not to far from me....would get me going lol and then the wife can ride it when I get something else.....

are these pedelec only...no throttle?

are they any good, and what kind range could I expect. and are replacement battery's/parts readily available......

any comments on either bike would be appreciated as I no nofink lol

P.S. just did a goggle... and the twist well is regarded but withdrawn. and the Suede not really regarded that well. strange that Giant have pulled out of this market. I have a Giant bike and its not bad.....

 

[flecc]

The Suede had lots of battery and charger problems, and the Twist had charger problems also. Parts are expensive, Twist battery at about £275 now, Suede's 36 volt one could be dearer. The Twist charger is £125, but I can recommend one that costs under half that. If a Twist motor unit is dud, a new one costs about £450 plus fitting.

The Twist's motor chain drive sprocket wears and they cost about £30 when Giant UK have them, they often don't, or around £60 from Europe.

So be cautious, these models can cost you a lot of money to get going. I'd always advise getting a fully working second hand e-bike, avoiding anything with faults. If they were easy and cheap to fix, the owner would have done it to get the higher price.

The Twist is pedelec only, and I'm fairly sure the Suede is too from memory.
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[eddieo]

Mmmm......

Thanks Flecc for your swift reply.

Think I'll leave it! lol

what about this Eeze Torq also on eb*y: Item number: 170253125453

Handy as in London, finishes in the morning..... any one want to hazard a guess as to what I should bid?

I hate auctions much prefer "buy it now" lol

 

[flecc]

I prefer buy it now as well.

This bike looks quite good and the modifications are the best ones, both the original gearing and brakes being not too good. The original batteries from 2006 were useless so hopefully the ones with it will be decent.

However, later 2007 batteries were ok, earlier were useless, but because one is bought in November doesn't mean that's it's age, and I need the full serial numbers beginning with a J in each case (not the number beginning with X) to determine whether the batteries are ok.

A new battery is currently £410 including delivery, so have you time to contact the seller for those serial numbers? Otherwise there's an element of risk.

Torqs like this with the same mods have sold previously for as little as £500 when less than a year old, so don't go too high for this 2006 model.
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[eddieo]

Thanks flecc

it looks a bit of a better bet.....but still fraught with danger lol

have emailed regards batteries but don't hold out much hope. As earlier I asked if they thought bike would fit in a focus hatchback - no answer as yet. I can always pick it up in my camper.....

bidding is picking up will have a look tomorrow.

noticed some recently in classified section on here, they did not seem to go as quickly as the wispers... probably because of battery issues as you so kindly explained.

thanks a bunch! Eddie

 

[flecc]

The Focus fit might be marginal. I took the front wheel out of a Torq and with the front passenger seat rammed right forward, I just squeezed it into a Fabia, which is one of the larger of the next car type down. On that basis the Torq might just fit with wheels in, again with only the driver in the car. You need about 74" in length, but the width at certain points is important as well of course.
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[fishingpaul]

I got a torq in a rover 200 with the front seat pushed right forward, and tilted forward to the maximum tight squeeze though,and gear changes were a little restricted,i would not want to pay too much for the torq though,i picked up a less than a year old torq 2 for £400,much more than this and i would be looking at new bikes,the new powabyke coming on september the 15th could be a good bike, priced at £750 i believe for the 6 gear version,a new bike with full warranty from a reputable dealer would be a safer choice, unless you can get a real second hand bargain.

 

[fishingpaul]

If the second battery is only a couple of months old as stated,i would think it should be an ok bike,the torq 1 is not the best of hillclimbers though,a very fast bike but not suited to very steep hills.

 

[eddieo]

quote:
"The latest one is JHJCAB100118 which makes it manufactured
march of this year. I don't have the other to hand but from
memory the manufacture date was July 07 although I bought it
late November 2007. You will be aware that there was a
problem with the early Li-ion batteries (I had two). I was assured
that this has the better cells and BMS and it has certainly
performed very well compared to the first two I had (they both
would cut out and I haven't had a single cut out with the new
batteries). Parking is no problem. Not sure about the Focus - don't think it
will fit in the back."

I need to get some sleep now as I work nights....was going to put on alarm clock but don't think I'll bother. Thanks guys for the advice
like you say the new powabyke, or the one with stackable batteries(not keen on bottle battery) probably a lighter and better bet with a guarantee as well........

 

[flecc]

The July 07 one could be a dud, but the numbered one was made on 12th March 2008 and should be fine for a long time. Normal Li-ion life is about 2 to 3 years.
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[eddieo]

Just woke up and it went for £711!

not really worth that in my opinion, but people get carried away on eb*y! lol

Surely Eeze are going to have to do something about the price of their battery's if they want to be competitive - wisper for one have the edge here.....

 

[flecc]

Definitely on both Eddie, way over what it was worth, £500 would have been the absolute limit for me.

And yes, that battery price may be justified and ok compared with the BionX one, but when it comes to the crunch, people just won't pay that for a battery and that's why BionX aren't represented here with their £500 Li-ion battery. Wisper realise that and have subsidised theirs by foregoing the usual margin.
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[eddieo]

Thanks flecc

I like the look of the infinium with stackable batteries....whats your thoughts on that one. seen some criticism on here as batteries only 6 amp? was thinking of a pair of batteries.....(just under £1000 + extra battery )

or the X powabyke, but the bottle battery puts me of.....( 6 speed £750)

 

[Bikerbob]

Going back to the original post in case anyone finds this on a search. The Suede is pedelec only, earlier this year batteries cost £250 - if you have the patience to wait for one - and you would be lucky if it lasts longer than 18 months. I've had no trouble with the charger in nearly three years but the batteries seem do seem to have poor quality cells in them.

 

[flecc]

I like the look of the infinium with stackable batteries....whats your thoughts on that one. seen some criticism on here as batteries only 6 amp? was thinking of a pair of batteries.....(just under £1000 + extra battery )

or the X powabyke, but the bottle battery puts me of.....( 6 speed £750)

The only issue I see with the Infineum is the battery position. First I don't like battery weight high up on the carrier, and second, if you look at it you'll see a shorter rider who needs the seat down won't be able to stack batteries!

That's not what I call thinking through a design well, and a prospective buyer should check first to see if their saddle position allows stacking.

Also it's a new design that we know nothing about, is it fast, is it powerful, can it climb hills etc? Personally I'd either insist on trying it out in the sort of conditions I ride in or wait for a full review.

Powabyke I'd have some confidence in as it's a long established outfit, but again I have some questions. I'm given to believe it's a lower powered motor than the old one, probably made necessary by the small bottle battery, but that leaves open all the performance questions again, so once more I'd make the same provisos, try before buy or wait for a review.

My attitude is hardening on bottle batteries which I think are a style gimmick which may not stand the test of time. I see it as a backward step after years of effort to get longer ranges.
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[eddieo]

My attitude is hardening on bottle batteries which I think are a style gimmick which may not stand the test of time. I see it as a backward step after years of effort to get longer ranges.
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Yes, I want a bike with conventional styling, but the power of a wisper battery... seems to much to ask at the moment