Probably a silly question about batteries

[joanieb]

I got my EZee Liv last week and I am getting used to it, but the lack of instructions make it hard to understand. My main query is that I phoned up 50cycles because the charger doesn't have a refresh button like the one I hired so they advised I should only charge it when its on amber or red.

Fair enough but I use it to cycle to work and it basically does it 1.5 times so by the time I'm coming back on the second day it tends to run out of juice for the big hills near home. Should I just recharge it every night meaning I will have enough battery for each day, or will that seriously reduce the lifespan of the battery ? Or should I just hope that I get fitter soon and that it can cover the 2 x journey if I put in more effort ?

Many thanks for any advice.

 

[flecc]

Yes Joanieb, just recharge it every night to make sure you don't run out. If it's an NiMh battery (grey charger body), from time to time, every two or three weeks but certainly once a month, try to run it low, preferably red, and then recharge. You may have the odd local trip from time to time which will be suitable for doing that.

That's all you need do to ensure the battery has a long life.
.

 

[ITSPETEINIT]

Not silly at all

I got my EZee Liv last week and I am getting used to it, but the lack of instructions make it hard to understand. My main query is that I phoned up 50cycles because the charger doesn't have a refresh button like the one I hired so they advised I should only charge it when its on amber or red.

Fair enough but I use it to cycle to work and it basically does it 1.5 times so by the time I'm coming back on the second day it tends to run out of juice for the big hills near home. Should I just recharge it every night meaning I will have enough battery for each day, or will that seriously reduce the lifespan of the battery ? Or should I just hope that I get fitter soon and that it can cover the 2 x journey if I put in more effort ?

Many thanks for any advice.

Imagine buying a TV or Washing Machine without instructions!
I looked at the Spec. on 50 cycles site and I see (unless that has changed too) you have a Lithium Battery (its type will be on the battery some place and on the charger). It is important, for the longevity of the battery's life that it is charged as often as possible. Deep discharge seems to affect it adversely over time.

It would be to your advantage to give it a boost charge when you are at work (if that is practicable) or better still a full charge (probably 2 or 3 hours after that shorter journey).
Certainly do not run the battery for a second day without charging it overnight. You will have to take the charger to work with you - but it's not a great weight penalty (See Flecc's postings on this Forum on this subject and his fantastic notes and advice on his "blue pages" (help me out here Flecc).

It would be a good idea to give the motor all the assistance you can muster. Not only will it make you fitter but it will also keep the battery healthier in that it will not be so deeply discharged after each ride between charges.
Refresh Buttons on chargers are only for NiMH Batteries which benefit from deep discharge from time to time: Discharge buttons save one having to cycle miles just to get them down to the red light.

You don't say how far it is to work - that would be useful information for others with Ezee Livs

Best of Cycling Luck
Peter

 

[flecc]

As Peter said with Li-ion batteries, just use and recharge as often as you like. The Liv was listed with NiMh batteries previously, hence my advice on that, but if you have Li-ion it will say so on a label on the battery and the charger case will be black.
.

 

[nigel]

Nigel

By joanieb
Should I just recharge it every night meaning I will have enough battery for each day, or will that seriously reduce the lifespan of the battery ? Or should I just hope that I get fitter soon and that it can cover the 2 x journey if I put in more effort ?
Hi joanieb as flecc says if you charge the battery everynight that way you are playing safe and wont have to worry about those hills at the end of your journey also i find that as you get fitter you learn to control the throttle and use it in a more carefull way and prolong your distance i find on most hills that if i use half throttle and keep speed to about 10mph it goes up very easy a happy torq owner.NIGEL

 

[joanieb]

Thats great thanks for the advice.

I will go out and check later but its a black box so I guess that means it needs frequent recharging, which is a lot more practical for me.

Its about a 4.5 mile journey each way and I don't really have the option of charging at work but I can certainly charge it each evening.

I'm just getting used to the whole throttle, pedelec/non pedelec mode thing.My previous electric bike was a hired yamaha which I just switched on and off I went. Granted it wasn't a lot of use going up the hills but at least it did get me fitter, I guess I just have to work out the nuances on this one.

Failing that I let my hubby cycle to work on it today as I was off so I'm hoping he will be taken with it and I can get a different one more to my taste.

 

[flecc]

Failing that I let my hubby cycle to work on it today as I was off so I'm hoping he will be taken with it and I can get a different one more to my taste.

You'll probably soon get used to it Joanieb, I think best just left on the throttle only setting, not bothering with the pedelec mode. Range isn't a problem for you, so you can just twist and go.

Out of interest, what is it that doesn't suit you and what would your preferences be?
.

 

[joanieb]

Ok I cycled into work today and I am getting used to it.

Its just the throttle that I find hard to get my head round as its another thing to concentrate on when I'm cycling and I don't like the way it gives me variable power but I can see that once I am comortable with it I won't find it as much of an issue ( unless I am trying to scratch my nose with my left hand which happens some times) Also the throttle takes about a second to respond which when I'm trying to rush off at the lights is a bit of a pain.
Also I bought the bike to get fit and I find its just too darned efficient ! However again I can see that throttle control is the answer.

I do feel the lack of an instruction manual, as I like to know whats what. Thank goodness for the pedelecs forum !

There are lots of good points to it - It is a really comfy ride compared to the previous one and I don't feel the potholes nearly as much and the power is much better. I'm sure in a month or so I will be in love with it.

 

[flecc]

That's good Joanieb, I'm sure you'll get to like it more over time as you gt used to the differences. The battery connections are important to getting a a quicker throttle response. If there's any resistance there, the response is slowed. It's a good idea to clean the battery terminal clips and battery connection posts on the bike from time to time to ensure the best possible contact.

Easiest way to do that is with a cotton bud squashed flat so it can clean in between the clips at the contact face, preferable moistened with a solvent cleanser. Best cleaner for that since it leaves no deposit is the medical one Iso-propyl alcohol which your chemist can dispense for you, ask for 100 millilitres, it lasts for ages. Then you can moisten the cotton bud with that, and you'll be surprised at how much coated film it removes. You'll also be surprised how much it improves the throttle response.

There's also a modification possible with the throttle which greatly improves the accuracy of control. If you can do it, or know someone who can carry it out for you, the details are on my Torq site on this link. It applies to all the eZee models.
.

 

[nigel]

Nigel

By joanieb
I do feel the lack of an instruction manual, as I like to know whats what. Thank goodness for the pedelecs forum That did surprise me also after spending that amount of money on the bike no instruction manual is this the same for everybody NIGEL

 

[electric.mike]

By joanieb
I do feel the lack of an instruction manual, as I like to know whats what. Thank goodness for the pedelecs forum That did surprise me also after spending that amount of money on the bike no instruction manual is this the same for everybody NIGEL

whats an instruction book i still cant figure out what my powabyke battery indicator is telling me, i emailed powabyke but never got a reply, so i guess they dont know how it works,not that these things are a lot of use any way
mike

 

[nigel]

Nigel

By electric mike
whats an instruction book i still cant figure out what my powabyke battery indicator is telling me, i emailed powabyke but never got a reply, so i guess they dont know how it works,not that these things are a lot of use any way
mike I think now a days mike we have to to try and workout these problems for ourselves But we are very lucky to have pedelec guru flecc to help us NIGEL.

 

[flecc]

I think now a days mike we have to to try and workout these problems for ourselves But we are very lucky to have pedelec guru flecc to help us NIGEL.

Except that all I can offer is that battery meters are useless!
.

 

[Mike Robinson]

If it's an NiMh battery (grey charger body), from time to time, every two or three weeks but certainly once a month, try to run it low, preferably red, and then recharge.

I have an ezee Liv Nimh and my charger has is black. At least I'm sure it's Nimh - ? There isn't a discharge button on the charger so I tried riding round and round the local area - problem is the speed goes down to 13mph but it seems to last longer than my patience.

I think best just left on the throttle only setting, not bothering with the pedelec mode

I didn't know there was a pedelec mode on the Ezee Liv - how do I turn that on then?

Is there a good way of totally discharging a Nimh battery that doesn't take forever?

I'm pretty sure I bought an Ezee Liv with Nimh but is there a place to look on the battery to double check?

Mike

 

[flecc]

I have an ezee Liv Nimh and my charger has is black. At least I'm sure it's Nimh - ? There isn't a discharge button on the charger so I tried riding round and round the local area - problem is the speed goes down to 13mph but it seems to last longer than my patience.


I didn't know there was a pedelec mode on the Ezee Liv - how do I turn that on then?

Is there a good way of totally discharging a Nimh battery that doesn't take forever?

I'm pretty sure I bought an Ezee Liv with Nimh but is there a place to look on the battery to double check?

Mike

Seems like there's been some changes in eZee specs for the Liv Mike. The pedelec mode on most eZee models is a switch alongside the handlebar mounted battery meter, maybe the Liv doesn't have that mode for the UK. Apologies for that.

On the charger colours, I was going by my pair's colours, the body colour being grey for the NiMh. Possibly changed since, the chargers being similarly bodied and from the same source. Li-ion batteries just have a small label saying that near the charger socket. Livs are Li-ion now, but at a different price. My "HighPower" chargers are both clearly labelled on top with what they are for, so maybe the charger type has been changed as well for the Liv.

There's no easy discharge method with these NiMh chargers, but as long as it is run low from time to time, it will be ok. I use the speedo reset at each charge and go by mileage. If you can find the normal range by trial and error a couple of times, then get within two ot three miles of that, that's good enough to keep the battery healthy.
.

 

[Mike Robinson]

The pedelec mode on most eZee models is a switch alongside the handlebar mounted battery meter

Ah - so that's what that switch does! All I knew was that the throttle didn't work unless that switch was in the up position. It did seem odd to me to have a key switch and a switch on the handlebars to turn the power on. I'll try that out tomorrow. Perhaps ezee (and probably all the others) should consider having simple manuals on the web covering:

• what the switches do
• what tools you might require (ie Allen key sizes)
• how to adjust a bike to your size
• how to treat your battery well
• how to fix a puncture
• tyre pressures

or perhaps that's what this site is for

Mike

 

[nigel]

Nigel

By mike robinson
Perhaps ezee (and probably all the others) should consider having simple manuals on the web Well said mike it cant cost that much for a few basic instructions Oh well help MR FLECC? NIGEL

 

[flecc]

Ah - so that's what that switch does! All I knew was that the throttle didn't work unless that switch was in the up position. It did seem odd to me to have a key switch and a switch on the handlebars to turn the power on. I'll try that out tomorrow. Perhaps ezee (and probably all the others) should consider having simple manuals on the web covering:

• what the switches do
• what tools you might require (ie Allen key sizes)
• how to adjust a bike to your size
• how to treat your battery well
• how to fix a puncture
• tyre pressures

or perhaps that's what this site is for

Mike

There's some info on tools on my site Mike, just click the Tools button. Easy way with Allen keys is to buy a three way "star" key commnonly sold in bike shops, covers all the main adjustments.

The tyre pressure range is on the side of the tyres, just adjust within that range to suit your comfort requirement.

One solution to learning how to repair punctures that many have done is to use Marathon Plus tyres. Then you don't need to know how, you'll never get one!
.

 

[joanieb]

Phew, glad I'm not the only confused new E Zee Liv owner !

I have checked mine and it is Nimh batteries in a black case. I'm a bit annoyed about the fact that EZEE have already withdrawn the Liv and now have the Liv Plus with a Lithium battery, makes me feel like my models out of date before I have even broken it in. What are the downsides about this for me, is it mainly that if I had to buy a new battery it would cost mega bucks ?

Mike or anyone , see for the switch at the side for the pedelec mode, I seem to get throttle when its at either 0 or 1, which number do you have it at when you don't get throttle ?

The guy I spoke to at 50cycle said they were thinking about getting some instructions together, sounds like they would be well received.

 

[ITSPETEINIT]

That's strange - the Torq aint like that

Ah - so that's what that switch does! All I knew was that the throttle didn't work unless that switch was in the up position. It did seem odd to me to have a key switch and a switch on the handlebars to turn the power on. I'll try that out tomorrow. Perhaps ezee (and probably all the others) should consider having simple manuals on the web covering:

• what the switches do
• what tools you might require (ie Allen key sizes)
• how to adjust a bike to your size
• how to treat your battery well
• how to fix a puncture
• tyre pressures

or perhaps that's what this site is for

Mike

I am glad my Torq was logical.
The switch on the handle bar (in which the three coloured lights are displayed) switches 'in and out' of PEDELEC Mode.
The twist grip speed controller on the left handlebar (I would think yours is the same but you never know) controls the speed of the bike in both PEDELEC Mode and Non-PEDELEC Mode.
You're right, it does seem odd to have two switches to 'energise' the wheels - I think your bike may be wired up wrongly.
Peter
PS So if you have the bike in Pedelec mode you HAVE TO pedal to get the motor to work BUT you also have to TWIST the throttle
Now in NON-Pedelec Mode (also know as E Bike mode) you don't have to pedal BUT you do have to twist the throttle.