just got the x6ls powabyke...question...

[shippy]

Hello everyone.

Ime new to the forum although i have been riding the powabyke 6 speed shopper for about 5 years now (got through two bikes and second one rebuilt mainly by the first one So to get modern i went for the x6ls as i am only 5 foot 2 and the 15 inch frame was just the right size for me and i do like the pure power on the powabyke. Anyway i only travel about 8 miles in total back and forward to work per day but one way is very up hill and as i cant walk far i do rely on the throttle quite a lot although i have been able to cycle the new bike (as it is so light ) in the flat bits as the shopper is just too hard to cycle as it is very heavy.

The only problem i am finding is that when i set off on pure power it takes more than 3 or four peddles for the power to kick in sometimes not at all and i have to cycle backwards to get it going . This is a problem if i am setting off on a junction up hill as the pulse doesn't happen immediately and if i stop on a small incline i don't have the power in my legs to get going. Is this normal for this bike or do i need it tweaking??? My shopper doesn't have this problem and sets off every time first time.

Any advice would be grateful. I did buy the bike mail order so had to put it together myself. Apart from this it is a fantastic bike and very quick and nippy and i love it. Just this little thing stopping it from being perfect

thanks

Dawn.

 

[flecc]

I understand there's a simple mod to enable the power to come in quickly. I don't know it myself, but if no-one else comes in to advise, contact Powabyke , register, and I'm sure they'll advise.
.

 

[shippy]

thanks flecc hopefully its just a tweak on the bike as i said fantastic bike appart from that..although keep dribbling over the wisper but a little too much money for me at the moment..

 

[aseb]

they sell a small board which plugs into the cable, I think they call it twist and go now and the price had dropped to a bit more reasonable £13 last time I looked. Make sure you get the right one as the pins from the pedal sensor changed on the x-byke. The wires are quite thin gauge and can break off rather too easily so don't handle too hard/much. The board comes in a heat sealed water proofed plastic tube but mine wasn't sealed too well, and there is a short adapter cable (not sealed) to convert wiring pins to the correct order. Waterproof all the joints- self amalgamating tape is ideal. You'll lose pedelec mode when it's fitted. You cab remove the pedal sensor once fitted if you want, if you don't then seal the open connector from it.

 

[shippy]

Thanks for the info. to tell you the truth that all went a bit over my head but my husband has just grunted in the background and ime sure he could do this for me as he re built my shopper many many times over the years As i live in hemel i dont have a local shop that deals in electric bikes. (that i must check out )

will look into it thanks.

 

[Blew it]

Shippy:

This comes up quite often with the X6 Powabyke. The first few examples of this machine needed two full turns of the pedals before assistance would start. But remember, one turn is two pedal strokes, so two turns is four pedal strokes. ( as you mentioned in your post ) The reason for this is to prolong the life of the relatively small battery fitted to these machines. If the motor was allowed to assist from a standing start, it would place a huge strain on the small battery, but, if the bike is already doing 2 mph (two full turns of the pedals) when the assistance starts it will greatly reduce the strain, and therefore prolong the life of the battery.

You also stated that turning the pedals backwards would start the assistance, this is normal for the X6.

There is one thing I would suggest that 'him-on-the-sofa' should check. The distance of the magnetic disc on the crank axle from the pedelec sensor unit should be 3mm, or 1/8" in the old dosh. Ask 'him' to make sure this is constant around the full turn of the crank axle, it can easily wobble.

Later versions of the X6 were fitted with a controller that needed only one full turn of the crank axle (two pedal strokes) before assistance started. You would need to contact Frank Curran about a possible upgrade if you think your machine is fitted with the original controller fcurran@powabyke.com

Unfortunately, it appears there are no Powabyke service centers near Hemel Hempstead.

Regarding your Powabyke 'shopper'.

This machine is fitted with a huge 36volt 10ah or 15ah lead acid battery pack, that's why it is so heavy, but that is also the reason why you can pull away on an uphill start so easily, lead acid batteries of this size can deliver huge amounts of power compared to the small lithium battery fitted to the X6.

Please don't take this the wrong way Shippy, but I'm a bit surprised you chose the Powabyke X6LS. The original concept behind the X6 was to produce a machine for medium distance commuters who needed a little help on the hills or against headwinds, or in other words, fairly fit riders (with good knees ) who needed a little help now and again, and that is why it is fitted with a small battery.

May I be so bold as to make a suggestion:

The best machine you have in your stable that most suits your needs is your Powabyke Shopper!. When you consider that a new lead acid battery pack every two years will cost around £130, together with it's ability to climb very steep hills with just a little help from yourself, and the instant response to your call for 'HELP' when starting off on an up-slope, means your 'shopper' is the one that you should be showering your affections, and a few shillings on.

Hope this is of help to you
Best regards
Bob

 

[shippy]

Thanks Bob.

You make some good points in your reply I chose this bike because i really want to start cycling again without relying on the power assist all the time something i have to do on the shopper because it is too heavy to peddle un assisted. I also wanted a bike that just looked and performed like a normal bike. I have managed this week for the first time in years to cycle half the journey without any assistance due to the lightness of the x6 so in effect I have used less battery. I only use the bike to get me back and forth work (twice a day) and the x6 has done this with ease as this only adds up to about 6 miles although its mostly up hill on the way there. I will keep my shopper for horrid rainy lazy days but so much goes wrong with it i just cant rely on it as a reliable bike to get me to work each day. It is quite old now and re-built quite a few times from my original one thats now in bits in the garage and although its patched up quite well i dont think i am going to get much more out of it without totaly re-building it


Thanks again i have learnt some things now and i am gonna go away and try and not rely so much on the assistance and try and get fit. Although i am still looking out for a bike that is crossed between the x6 and the shopper so maybe consider the new wisper in the future???