Help! Giant Twist Lite - repair/ride without battery/scrap?

[Aston]

Morning All, I'm an infrequent forum visitor and occasional cyclist!

I posted this almost a year ago, things haven't moved on, life just got busy with death of father/looking after mum and daughter getting married... now revisiting stuff!

I have had a Giant Twist ebike since 2014, used during sunny days to go to work or a recreational cycle. I'm now retired, but still using the bike occasionally, though I'd like to use it more. Unfortunately I charged the battery and left it unused for 2 months and it's dead, a red flashing charger light.

So, do get it repaired, I was quoted around £330 for battery pack reconditioning, though the business quoting has since gone out of business (we're in Torquay) or look a new bike as I except lots has changed in 10 years, not least I expect bicycles are lighter now,

The bike is in very good condition and always fun to ride otherwise

Thanks in advance

Adrian - a portly 64 year old wannabe recreational cyclist!

 

[saneagle]

You can probably use any battery you want, but to be sure, you need to locate the controller, and check to see how many wires the battery connects with. If it two, you're good to go.

There seems to be a compartment at the bottom front of the downtube. If the controller's in there, that's very convenient. Most rack batteries have them in a compartment att the front of the battery.

Let us know what you find if you want more advice.

 

[Aston]

Thanks for the swift reply, I know the battery has 3 terminals which connect to the bike's electrics. I've taken the cover off and had a look at what's underneath, but I'm none the wiser!

 

[sjpt]

So, do get it repaired, I was quoted around £330 for battery pack reconditioning, though the business quoting has since gone out of business (we're in Torquay)

Is that https://www.torqu-e-cycles.co.uk/ that have gone out of business? That would be a shame, they've been recommended here in the (recent) past for battery recell and other repair. If it wasn't them you tried, try them now.

 

[saneagle]

Thanks for the swift reply, I know the battery has 3 terminals which connect to the bike's electrics. I've taken the cover off and had a look at what's underneath, but I'm none the wiser!

View attachment 63524

View attachment 63525

It's the wires we need to see!

 

[Aston]

Is that https://www.torqu-e-cycles.co.uk/ that have gone out of business? That would be a shame, they've been recommended here in the (recent) past for battery recell and other repair. If it wasn't them you tried, try them now.

Thank you, it wasn't them, but I have just called Scott there and he's currently repairing 7 of the same batteries! Thanks for the link

 

[saneagle]

Thank you, it wasn't them, but I have just called Scott there and he's currently repairing 7 of the same batteries! Thanks for the link

It would be cheaper and you would get a better result if you swapped to a standard battery, but if you struggle to pull a controller out to check the wires, the option you've chosen is probably the best.

 

[Aston]

I’ll have another look. I’ve built kit cars, rebuild cars, but the electrical stuff always frightens me!

looks to be 3 wires from here

 

[Aston]

and 3 pins on the connector to the front hub…

 

[saneagle]

and 3 pins on the connector to the front hub…

View attachment 63527

Are you sure that's not the motor connector. It has 3 big pins and 6 small ones. I've never seen that on any battery, but nearly all motors have 9 pins.

 

[Aston]

Are you sure that's not the motor connector. It has 3 big pins and 6 small ones. I've never seen that on any battery, but nearly all motors have 9 pins.

Yes, you're right that is to the motor from the battery, the motor is in the front hub

 

[Peter.Bridge]

Alternatives to re-celling the battery would be buying a cheap bike using standard Chinese generic parts

Pardon our interruption...

or buy a second hand bike off Facebook with disc brakes and use a conversion kit

E-Bike Conversion Kits with Battery

Professional manufacturer and seller of electric bike, electric bicycle batteries, ebike conversion kits. The same product with Amazon and lower price.

www.yosepower.co.uk

 

[thelarkbox]

connecting to the motor will be the 3x phase wires which are the output from the controller. it appears your controller is embedded with the battery cells??

with only 3x phase connections to the motor its not employing motor sensors unless there is an additional thinner wire connection too?

strip the battery/controller package down more if possible to reveal the controller/battery connection, You should find the battery bms circuitry between the physical cells and controller unit.

 

[saneagle]

it appears your controller is embedded with the battery cells??

with only 3x phase connections to the motor its not employing motor sensors unless there is an additional thinner wire connection too?

The controller is in an aluminium cast box. It looks like a typical Ananda controller, but he didn't pull it out far enough to see, nor did he pull it out enough to see the wires and connectors. It sits in the bottom of the downtube under a removable plate.

The hall sensor connections are round the periphery of the middle part of the connector that contains the three phase wire connections. You can just see them grinning at you.

 

[thelarkbox]

The hall sensor connections are round the periphery of the middle part of the connector that contains the three phase wire connections. You can just see them grinning at you.

So they are - consider my coat got and halfway on..

 

[saneagle]

So they are - consider my coat got and halfway on..

I was thinking about how to let you down gently, but every way I wrote it looked worse. Anyway, nothing wrong with learning new things. I must admit, I've not seen that connector before, and at first I thought it was for a sensorless motor.

 

[Peter.Bridge]

Don't know if this is the same model, but seemed to have a blue comms wire

 

[Aston]

Don't know if this is the same model, but seemed to have a blue comms wire

That loos much the same, thanks