Looking very specific size lead acid batteries

aab1

Pedelecer
Jun 20, 2007
42
0
As I've been saying in my posts my bike's controller blew and it's battery has abou 25% it's original capacity, so it's barely an electric bike at all anymore (I replaced the controller with a simple relay circuit to at least have on/off capabilities).

Since I can't find a new controller with pedal assist feature, I got a cheap controller for a regular electric bike so I can at least have proper throttle again. I'm considering these options:

-Install new basic controller, replace batteries, and keep using it, hoping a compatible controller will once again appear on ebay to restore it's full capabilities
-Do the above, then sell it and get a new bike with pedal assist

If ever I do get a compatible controller that would restore all original features that would be my first choice and I'd replace the batteries with NIMH batteries. That seems extremely unlikely though, so rather than spend $500 on nimh batteries to put in a hunk of junk, I figured I'd just get cheap $90 lead acid batteries so I can at least use the bike for the rest of the year and consider a new one next year.

The problem is the battery on this junk seems EXTREMELY RARE, not a signle lead acid battery is the same size as this one, they are currently 3 lead acid batteries in a 302x110x85mm metal box. They are 12V 12Ah, and all batteries of this specification are much longer, mine are "squarer".

In any case, my current 12Ah batteries are now about 3Ah due to severe abuse, so even if I can only find 6Ah batteries that fit this unusual size it's still twice what I currently have. What would be the largest 12V batteries I could fit 3 of in this box? What's a good source for lead acid batteries? I know it's outdated technology but as I said this bike is just about good for the dumpyard, so there's no way I'm putting $600 of batteries in something that's ending up in the dump soon.

Thanks
 

flecc

Member
Oct 25, 2006
52,763
30,349
This has happened here in the UK too aab1. A couple of models marketed under the Urban Mobile brand name were being sold off by the company handling them, electricbikesales, while at the same time they are informing previous purchasers that the battery size used is no longer available.

At the time I did some searching and failed to find any replacements, the owner having the same experience. The only ones that appeared to fit inside the casing were too small a capacity to be useful. That size is probably a victim of the trend towards NiMh and Lithium battery types. In our older electric bike market lead acid has almost disappeared in favour of newer types.

Hence my agreement with your thoughts on moving to a new bike with NiMh.
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prState

Pedelecer
Jun 14, 2007
244
0
Las Vegas, Nevada
Probably of no help, as I live in the U.S, but some of the lead acid batteries I've seen for these are of unusual shape. I don't know if you have anything similar. (are toys small kids can actually ride in)
 

aab1

Pedelecer
Jun 20, 2007
42
0
Hence my agreement with your thoughts on moving to a new bike with NiMh.
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I think the bike I was looking at, the STRONG SG-T210 or whatever it's called, is also lead acid, I also can't even find if it has pedal assist, if it doesn't then I'll forget all about it, I need this feature, it's so much more convenient than manual control, to me it's like comparing a manual car (no pedal assist) and an automatic where everything is done automatically for you (like with pedal assist on a bike). I would never go back to a "manual" e bike. By the way, why can't I find any information AT ALL about that Strong SG-T210 or whatever? I'm lucky to have figured out it's an electric bike, that's about the only peive of information I can find about it, I can't find the battery type, voltage or capacity, I can't find if it has pedal assist or manual control only, I can't tell anything, it also looks like the manufacturer has goen bankrupt.