Powabyke x-6

FrodoBaggins

Pedelecer
Jun 2, 2017
70
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West Yorkshire
Hello everyone
So this is my second thread here.
My last thread was about trying to either build or acquire a cheap ebike, one that I could leave locked up and no one would really want to steal it.
And if they did then I wouldnt be too upset.
So I found a bike on ebay and although I knew it had issues with the battery and maybe throttle, my thoughts were I could always get a new smalish bottle battery or re-cell the existing one and disconnect that from the bike when left.
I was quite excited to use it as a project and learn how ebikes work and are wired.

Anyway I am now worried I have bought probably the worst bike going.

I think it is this one


I thought it looked quite modern but obviously its not as it is 2009
Massive lack of research on my behalf!
My main concern is that I have since read that it has something called a brushed motor and these are not very good and hard to replace batteries and controllers etc.
As the battery doesnt work I havent a clue what else does or does not work?
So what do I do from here?

Is it salvageable?
Are there any batteries I can just buy?
Would I be better off to get a whole new kit with battery? It seems like the actual bike is OK and setup OK to ride, so if it is worst case scenario then I can at least use the frame.
If I did get a kit which budget one would you recommend for a front drive?

I got a lot of great help from my last post so as always any advice is welcome
 
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FrodoBaggins

Pedelecer
Jun 2, 2017
70
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West Yorkshire
Oh just to add someone said on a thread somewhere that Powabykes have either 9inch or 5inch motors, mine seems like 6inch!
Does that mean there is a chance of not having a brushed motor???
 

Nealh

Esteemed Pedelecer
Aug 7, 2014
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Have a look at how many motor thick wires connect to the controller , 2 wires brushed motor & 3 wires brushless.
 
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vfr400

Esteemed Pedelecer
Jun 12, 2011
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It wasn't the best buy because Powabykes use non-standard electrical parts, so it's not so easy to figure out what's wrong. I'm not too sure about the X-6 specifically. I know there's something weird about the battery - like no BMS, but I can't remember the controller.

When you get it, open up that box behind the seat and show us what's in it, especially the connectors.
 
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wheeliepete

Esteemed Pedelecer
Feb 28, 2016
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X-6 was the first bike I worked on about 5 years ago, still gives me nightmares:eek:, but to be fair, I didn't know the first thing about ebikes and it taught me a lot. As vfr says, the battery is a strange 10S3P arrangment with no BMS, but can easily be replaced with any 36v bottle style pack. It sounds by it's size that you may have a brushless motor, in which case, to be fair, is prob. the best part of the bike.
 
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Andy-Mat

Esteemed Pedelecer
Oct 26, 2018
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Oh just to add someone said on a thread somewhere that Powabykes have either 9inch or 5inch motors, mine seems like 6inch!
Does that mean there is a chance of not having a brushed motor???
As long as you bought it really cheap, under 100 UK Pounds I would say, you have not lost anything big, and you could replace the front motor with something modern and brushless.
The tip in the number of wires from someone else was correct if you only count the thicker wires, as many modern motors also have Hall Effect sensors built in, the thinner wires.
If I remember correctly, there will either be 3 or 4 thin wires for those sensors.
Brushed motors don't need them as far as I remember.
Someone here will know exactly.
But 2 wires only, is definitely a DC brushed motor!!
3 motor wires is actually a small 3 phase motor, with a so called VFD controller, just to confuse you!!! :) :) :) :) :)
I believe you have two possibilities with the bike, sell it for what you paid, or close to. Break it up and sell the parts to get some money back.
Keep the frame, rear gears saddle and brakes (assuming the brakes have the brake sensor, or replace them with such from ebay cheaply) and replace completely the front wheel motor with something someone here has bought and used and knows that it is well documented and works well, not always true from ebay offers...
That way, you will end up with a bike that you know each and every screw and wire, and if anything ever goes wrong you will know what!!
A really great project.
Get all the right tools to do it really properly of course....You will have them then for the rest of your life! Useful!
regards and best wishes.
Andy
 
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wheeliepete

Esteemed Pedelecer
Feb 28, 2016
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Well the bike and wiring all looks to be in very good condition, much better than the bike I had to work on. Unfortunately, you do have a brushed motor, but not the end of the world. Your main problem is having a battery to test the bike with, do you have a charger with the bike? have you tried charging the battery?
 
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wheeliepete

Esteemed Pedelecer
Feb 28, 2016
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That's a shame, sounds like the cells have died, prob. from lack of use/charging looking at the condition of the bike. Give us an idea of your expected use/mileage of the bike and we can advise on the size/capacity of the battery you need, assuming you can't beg/borrow one for testing.
 
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Andy-Mat

Esteemed Pedelecer
Oct 26, 2018
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Yes I have a charger but the it just shows green and nothing much happens.
After a few hours of charge I tested the battery and it showed about 15 volts but then just seemed to go down in the space of about 1 minute
I agree with "wheeliepete".
If a Li-ion battery is not regularly checked and charged, and the battery goes below the level that a regular charger is "allowed" to charge, this/sh*t happens.
If caught in the early stages, a good bike shop will have a so called "Zer0 volt Charger", that can MAYBE recover the battery, but going below the minimum charge level, ages the battery a lot (I am informed!). So it might be dead!
You might be lucky if you can find the special charger at a bike shop near you.
I myself only know of one company, this side of the Atlantic that sells such chargers, but ONLY for 36 volt Nominal batteries.....And yours sounds more like a 24 volt battery.....possibly!
Only you know!!!
By the way, the charger is prevented from charging at all, the LED stays green to inform you of that on most Li-ion chargers....
regards and best wishes
Andy
 
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FrodoBaggins

Pedelecer
Jun 2, 2017
70
25
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West Yorkshire
Thanks for all your help everyone.
So I now know the battery is dead.
I have a brushed motor that by all accounts is rubbish but I know it works as I just connected it to a car battery and all good
Now to test the controller and report back later
 

vfr400

Esteemed Pedelecer
Jun 12, 2011
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You can use any 36v battery with that bike as long as it can give 18 amps continuously. The controller will only work if you connect at least 31V to it. Even then, Powabykes often have weird controls, so you need to do a search for the handbook, which tells you how to get power out of it. You should be able to test it by connecting the charger directly to the battery wires as long as the motor is in the air and free to spin.
 
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FrodoBaggins

Pedelecer
Jun 2, 2017
70
25
46
West Yorkshire
I got the motor spinning directly by wiring in a car battery to it, but thats about it.
I tried to use my 36V 15Ah battery off my Oxygen ebike but could get anything to work.

The throttle looks a bit ropey and the pedal sensors have come detached.
I am therefore left with a mesh of wiring of various colours that seems to have minimal logic to it

I thought about another controller but these are often undocumented junk from China from what I can see, but maybe at least I can wire things in from scratch.

What are your thoughts, if I do buy a new controller then how do I know which one to buy, volts, watts and I guess brushed!

I feel I am having a similar experience to wheeliepete.
I am definitely learning, even if it is not to ever buy an ebike blind off ebay.

Anyway thanks all for helping me today
 

vfr400

Esteemed Pedelecer
Jun 12, 2011
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Basildon
I know some of the Powabyke throttles only work if you pedal first. Without the pedal sensor, you might be stuck. There are loads of brushed motor controllers on Ebay really cheap. You need one that can give around 18 to 20 amps. Unfortunately, they often list them as 350W, 500W or anything else, which gives you no idea of the current they allow. I've seen 14A ones listed as 500W. You have to look at the label to see the current. A normal brushed motor controller will work with a throttle like a motorbike.
 
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