salisbury Motor

flecc · Jul 17, 2009

It sounds like it could be an intermittent connection on one of the five Hall sensor wires that run from the motor to the controller. That could be at any point from inside the motor to inside the controller or any connector in between. It could also be a failing controller. Apart from a superficial check of any outside connections, best not to fiddle with it since it's under warranty.
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flecc · Jul 17, 2009

These things do happen, I had a total motor failure at two weeks old an an expensive top of range e-bike, but the replacement motor has run faultlessly for the three years since.

I'm long out of touch with new unpowered bikes, nine years since I bought my last one so best for others to advise on the currently available ones. I'd personally be inclined to stick to a known name like Trek, Ridgeback, Marin etc in the moderate price ranges, but others may have specific recommendations for a commuter.
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Danny-K · Jul 17, 2009

Abs_N said:
Can anybody suggest a few tests I should carry to identify the problem.

I suppose I will find out whether this is permanent problem on the journey home, not looking forward to it:

Abs N - Sounds like you're posting from work as you refer to 'not looking forward' to the journey home. (Edit: Yes, just re-read and you do start off by saying on the way to work).

- You don't mention the state of the battery lights whilst the incident took place. So, I have to ask - was the battery fully charged-up to begin with? (Could be either the charger has developed a fault or the battery has become defective, and maybe not a motor fault). I say that because -

Abs_N said:
After I got to work I checked the throttle by lifting the rear wheel and it did work. But when I sat on the bike and tried it did not work I also tried the pedelec and this did not work either.

- Also indicative of an exhausted battery, they all do that trick when supposedly 'dead'

I find the motor totally silent in practise - except when the battery becomes almost exhausted - then you can here it become noisy, 'chugging', 'whirring', with the power kicking-in and out, attaining only 4 or 5 mph if that. Try charging the battery again and retest all over, if it's a no-go, then it's something more serious.

P.S. That's assuming you've brought the charger into work with you, otherwise it'll all have to wait until you get home. Without power the Salisbury is a right pig to pedal - it's now gone 2:30pm as I edit this post, so eat a big afternoon sandwich or something later on, you'll need the calories.

flecc · Jul 17, 2009

There's an electrical cable that runs from the centre of the motor spindle to the controller, which on the Salisbury I think is under the battery. The cable has eight wires internally, three heavy ones that carry the motor drive current and five thin ones that sense the motor for the controller. You may have connectors in line in that cable, so you could check if the connections are secure. There's not much more you can do away from home though.
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Bigbee · Jul 17, 2009

Abs_N said:
Hi Guys,

After advice from forum members I purchased a powacycle salisbury to commute to and from work.

It was a good choice and suits me quite well.

However, there is an issue with the motor it seems.
I was riding in to work this morning and half way through, the motor started whirring and making a sound as if the cogs inside the motor where getting tired. I stopped a couple of times and checked that the batter was secure and on and checked to see if the rear had a puncture, all seemed fine. For the rest of the journey the motor did come on a few times but only seemed to propel me to about 6 or 7 mph. After I got to work I checked the throttle by lifting the rear wheel and it did work. But when I sat on the bike and tried it did not work I also tried the pedelec and this did not work either.

I have spoken to e-bikes direct and they said they would get back to me.

Can anybody suggest a few tests I should carry to identify the problem.

I suppose I will find out whether this is permanent problem on the journey home, not looking forward to it

I wondered why you chose ebikes direct so I looked at their website.The RRP is £699 but they are listed at £570.How can they do this?I noticed this around the start of the year but read they had a few of the old stock left from before exchange rates forced the prices upwards.Seven months on this can no still be the case.

flecc · Jul 17, 2009

Bigbee said:
I wondered why you chose ebikes direct so I looked at their website.The RRP is £699 but they are listed at £570.How can they do this?

Retail agents can sell at lower prices if they wish, accepting lower margins than the supplier has given them, since price fixing is illegal and resale price maintenance was outlawed many decades ago. It's a free market.
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Danny-K · Jul 17, 2009

Abs_N said:
Yes the battery was fully charged this morning.

Ah, pleasing to see that my hard-earned reputation as the person most likely to offer the incorrect solution to a problem remains intact.

Abs_N said:
Maybe the green light is not accurate enough and I should charge it for 5 hours after each journey what do you think?

Won't hurt it, besides it makes no odds as the Salisbury charger automatically shuts down once it detects the battery is fully charged anyway, so if you forget and come back to it later than expected, everything should be safe and hunky dory; I usually feel the charger in such situations and, reassuringly it's always stone cold. (The charger casing always being warm to the touch when delivering a charge).

Abs_N said:
...as the commute to work is about 3 miles each way.

Oh well, in that case don't sweat the small stuff as 3 miles is nowt. If any hilly parts then just walk the bike up, and coast down the other side, pedalling in real easy gears on the flats. (Unless it's raining, then it's all pants!)

- There's no intermediate connectors anywhere along the cable from motor to controller on my Salisbury. So, if yours is similar, it'll be a case of battery out, upturning the bike and carefully unscrewing the plastic housing that contains access to the mysterious gubbins we know as the controller. But will that invalid your warranty/guarantee? (Well they did tell you to check). If your luck's in, it'll only be a wire loose in its terminal ending. Pull gently on each one to see if it comes away in your hand - or alternatively just push each one home firmly and tighten the connections.

Don't forget to check the wires (well wire, as they're hidden inside the protective black outer sheath) going into the hub; mine has an additional protective metallic ferrule-like casing at the very end so as to protect any sharp twigs puncturing the wires, so it's doubtful to be anything loose at the hub end.

Danny-K · Jul 17, 2009

flecc said:
Retail agents can sell at lower prices if they wish, accepting lower margins than the supplier has given them, since price fixing is illegal and resale price maintenance was outlawed many decades ago. It's a free market.
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Yes, and not only that, but you also have to take into account the different pressures each individual retailer is under just to survive in this credit-crunch induced recession - just to attract sales in the first place.

For instance, I've just read today, that Harley Davidson are to lay off 1,000 workers. That was the lead title, and I thought 1,000 workers redundant? Poohee - that's nuthin'; but it was the small throwaway details in the news report that caught my attention, and it was this:

- In the last quarter, Harley Davidson sales have fallen by 90%.

Repeat, FALLEN BY 90%!!!

That is quite simply, a catastrophic figure! Yet another iconic name on the verge of disappearing into the pages of history? Roll out Anthony Hopkins to reprise his role in 'The Indian'.

From something like $222 million dollars turnover, if I remember correctly, their sales have fallen to just $22 million dollars.

Now any business that suffers a near total collapse in its sales has the additional burden of no only garnering sales to replace the failure of the anticipated sales to materialise but also shift the undoubted heavy stock-holding of unsold stock, (in this case bikes) to clear.

My guess? Watch the price of Harley Fatboy's come crashing down, in a desperate scramble to shift unsold stock and regain market share, thus alienating current Harley owners who by their perception will erroneously think themselves fools for having previously paid over-the-odds.

Bigbee · Jul 17, 2009

flecc said:
Retail agents can sell at lower prices if they wish, accepting lower margins than the supplier has given them, since price fixing is illegal and resale price maintenance was outlawed many decades ago. It's a free market.
.

theres competition and theres stupidity.£119 less is ridiculous.I can only assume Powacycle are giving ebikes direct a bigger discount than the other dealers.If so the other dealers would be mightyly peed off,well I would be.Maybe one of the parties involved would like to comment on how or why its done?

Mussels · Jul 17, 2009

Bigbee said:
theres competition and theres stupidity.£119 less is ridiculous.I can only assume Powacycle are giving ebikes direct a bigger discount than the other dealers.If so the other dealers would be mightyly peed off,well I would be.Maybe one of the parties involved would like to comment on how or why its done?

From the name I'm guessing they don't have an expensive bricks and mortar shop to maintain so can make a big cut just like wiggle does.

Danny-K said:
- In the last quarter, Harley Davidson sales have fallen by 90%.

Repeat, FALLEN BY 90%!!!

That is quite simply, a catastrophic figure! Yet another iconic name on the verge of disappearing into the pages of history? Roll out Anthony Hopkins to reprise his role in 'The Indian'.

That doesn't surprise me at all, they produced a luxury item at luxury prices and didn't bother with better value bikes. If they weren't so big headed they may have not left themselves so open to a recession where people give up luxuries and for most people having a motorbike at all is a luxury let alone an HD.

Alex728 · Jul 17, 2009

flecc said:
There's an electrical cable that runs from the centre of the motor spindle to the controller, which on the Salisbury I think is under the battery. The cable has eight wires internally, three heavy ones that carry the motor drive current and five thin ones that sense the motor for the controller. You may have connectors in line in that cable, so you could check if the connections are secure. There's not much more you can do away from home though.
.

the controller is under the battery, you need to remove the chainguard first and remove two plastic screws to remove the bit what holds it in. It is jammed in there with all the cables and is quite fiddly. The motor cables are 3 x thick cables on bullet connectors, and a multi-way connector for the hall effect sensors.

flecc · Jul 17, 2009

Bigbee said:
theres competition and theres stupidity.£119 less is ridiculous.I can only assume Powacycle are giving ebikes direct a bigger discount than the other dealers.If so the other dealers would be mightyly peed off,well I would be.Maybe one of the parties involved would like to comment on how or why its done?

Retailer margins of 40% are not unusual in most trades, including cycle, so the tolerance is there. It's not necessarily stupidity, a retailer can go for maximum margin with slow sales or shift lots of stock fast on small margins, both patterns are apparent in many retail fields. Which they use is a just a matter personal preference and judgment.
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Wooky · Jul 20, 2009

Abs_N said:
I did not get a chance to do this on the weeked and will have to look at this at lunch time, the only fear I have is that I might just take it all apart and then forget how to put it back together again

Take photos as you take it apart!

It's all bit fiddly down there, and the second screw behind the chainwheel is left off mine as it does little and is a right PITA to get back on!

t

Bigbee · Jul 20, 2009

Abs_N said:
Yes, I did a search on the internet and found they were the cheapest. This included delivery however I did have to phone them as there was another website which inlcuded delivery for £570 and they did a proce match.
When the bike was delivered the front tyre had a puncture and there were a few marks on the battery but apart from that it looked it brand new.
Maybe I should had paid the full £699 I might have a better bike silly logic I know

Sounds like you got a B version,Ive noticed this!

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