Viking E-Go 24 impulse purchase

[thirteen]

Greetings again, all.

The little E-go now has another intermittent issue (I fixed the derailleur issue by the way).

The handlebar module keeps turning itself off . It will turn back on again when it does but it is a pain having to keep doing it.

When I got the bike it wouldn't light up the low-mode LED and although it would turn on at the on button, it would never turn off there, always requiring the key to turn off.

Essentially it's never been 100% right while I've owned it. It's simply a bit worse now.

I could buy a new module and fit it. However, as I only ever use the high mode for pedal assist, and I don't mind turning on and off at the key, could I bypass it and do away with it completely?

Any assistance from those more knowledgeable would be greatly appreciated.

Cheers!

http://www.parkersofbolton.co.uk/collections/electric-bike-parts/products/viking-e-go-hopper-eco-stepper-e-co-handlebar-module

 

[footpump]

you have still done ok prior to getting an ebike nearly 2 years ago,spoke to someone at local tescos who bought the self same model 2nd hand for £330 if I recall the exact price.
last year spoke to a owner slightly different model paid £120 but had to buy new battery.
I used to see the person who had the £330 one quite often but not for a few months now

 

[thirteen]

Yes, certainly a case of right place, right time for once.

It's been worth what I paid and shelled out to repair several times over. I used the bike extensively last year and it has helped me chose to cycle when ordinarily I wouldn't.

Since I posted in September, it has been further fettled:-

- Dérailleur issue resolved (It wasn't bent but was stiff in operation so removal, an overnight soak in diesel fuel and a good lube up cured it)

- Alloy platform pedals refitted (I bought some new ones for my MTB and refitted the DMR ones back on the E-Go)

- New battery case, kindly supplied by d8veh on here.

- Temporary butt-crimp battery connections replaced with Anderson powerpoles. I can now remove the battery pack for charging again.

I will probably order a new handlebar module and fit it, then take the old one apart to investigate the feasibility of hard-wiring the controls. I'm guessing it can be done as there was a single-speed Hopper on sale last year that came like that as new, ie one assist mode and a simple on-off switch.

If nothing else it has proved itself to be useful and not just a fad I'd get bored with. It still has plenty of life left in it, I reckon.

 

[thirteen]

I realise now that I haven't updated this ongoing review for over 3 years!

I decided not to bother buying another handlebar module and simply hardwired the plug to the controller so it was set on full assistance all the time.

The only issue with the little Viking wasn't with its componentry as such, just that the previous owner had rather run the bike into the ground with little to no maintenance, and the rear brake was never brilliant and over complex to my mind.

Sometime in early 2017 I hit on an idea to build myself a budget 26" wheel trailer pulling bike. My initial thought was to buy an old steel MTB frame and start from there.

This was replaced by another bright idea that would save me some time and perhaps some cash.

On one of their discount weekends, I bought an example of Halfords' cheapest MTBs, the Slant.

To cut a long story short, I simply transferred all the electrical gubbins from the E-Go onto the Slant, and got the motor taken out of the 20" wheel and re-laced to a 26" rim by the local bike service.

Rather than refit the deteriorating frog battery set up, I fasteed a suitably sized Wilkinson tool bag to an old rear rack and fitted the battery snugly and safely inside that. A Halfords frame bag carried the controller.

It was excellent in smal measures. The old 24v batery and being hardwired to ful assist meant that range was limited to around 10 mles but as it was more for lugging stuff for short distances (in panniers, I never got around to fitting a trailer) that didn't bother me one iota.

Sadly, last year I suffered some complications with my prostate gland condition that rendered me incapacitated and in need of urgent surgery. The threat of not being able to cycle properly ever again, and being self employed with no income while I was in and out of hospital, forced my hand and I offered it for sale.

It sold in a matter of hours. I was truly sad to see it go.

 

[Charliefox]

If your offer still stands I would love to take you up on it.

Several months later I figured I woud check in and report on progress with the E-Go.

...and there's not a lot to report. Those nice pedals got transferred onto a cheap DiamondBack MTB I acquired, replaced by the cheap plastic ones that came with the MTB.

The dérailleur is showing signs of use and doesn't swing over to the 6th cog quite so readily. Replacement is due soon.

The power has cut out infrequently, mostly after use in heavy rain. I couldn't find any excess moisture around the controller or connections and re-crimped all the hard-wired joints so I know it's not that. My suspicion lies with the led display and its on/off switch. After it cuts out it restarts readily and runs a while and if left dry for a few days it stops cutting out completely.

It's not a big deal, though and for what I've paid out it is completely forgiven.

The battery casing is failing progressively in use and is now held together with Sudall Fix-all and cable ties, hence the plea to d8veh regarding his offer.

I've used it almost every evening since April for a few miles up and down hills to go and walk a friend's dog. I suspect the range of the current battery is about 10 miles but I charge it every few nights so it doesn't really bother me.

Not a very interesting post, but perhaps helpful to anyone considering an E-Go 24 as this one has had some heavy use and very little preventative maintenance in its early life yet is still soldiering on being useful and fun.

The dérailleur is showing signs of use and doesn't swing over to the 6th cog quite so readily. Replacement is due soon.
Are you sure the gear hanger is not slightly bent. Virtually impossible to see. Can be checked with an X-Tools Pro Gear Hanger Alignment Tool. OK, it costs £19.99 but, as I discovered, nearly all my (8) bikes were out from a little to a lot. Gear aligment was much better afterwards. Seems that even leaning the derailleur against a wall or dropping it can put it out.

 

[thirteen]

Are you sure the gear hanger is not slightly bent. Virtually impossible to see. Can be checked with an X-Tools Pro Gear Hanger Alignment Tool. OK, it costs £19.99 but, as I discovered, nearly all my (8) bikes were out from a little to a lot. Gear aligment was much better afterwards. Seems that even leaning the derailleur against a wall or dropping it can put it out.

Thanks for the help, but that was 4 years ago.

I did actually fix it before transplanting the electric stuff from the E-Go onto another bike.

The derailleur was simply stiffened up due to lack of lubrication. The bike was well used before I got it, and despite me lubricating all accessible surfaces regularly, it needed some additional help.

I took it off and soaked it in a bowl of diesel overnight, refitted it, lubricated as normal and the problem disappeared.

 

[thirteen]

Another update on this zombie thread.

To recap...

Back in April 2015 I bought a broken 24V e-bike (Viking e-go 24) for £20 to fix if feasible, and to discover what was what in regards to e-bikes.

I did indeed fix the bike, rode it for a while, learned a bit from it, plus more from here, but I'm frankly still only scratcing the surface of the depth of knowledge on this forum.

In late 2017 decided that the cycle parts were beyond economical repair and stripped off the electrical gubbins.

I bought one of Halfords' cheapest MTBs, had the old motor laced into a new 26" rim by South Coast Bikes, and built the rest of the electrics into a budget e-bike.

OK, it wasn't brilliant, but ... then again ... it was. Not everyone would be happy with a 24V low-budget e-bike with a severely limited range, but I was.

I even wrote and told Halfords that they ought to do a production version. One of their budget MTBs, fitted with a basic hub motor, battery and kit.

Last year when I got ill, two factors came into play. One, I didn't think I'd be able to ride bicycles properly again. Two, I needed to convert whatever I could to cash to tide me over whilst I wasn't able to work.

Bicycles were sold, including my bright red socket-rocket.

The surgery I had in November 2018 went well. So well in fact that I've been able to get back on a bicycle. albeit with some minor modifications.

Inevitably, this meant that I started to miss my e-bike, as it was the one bike I could take out if I felt I needed to cycle but frankly didn't have the energy.

Lo and behold, what do Halfords introduce? Yep, the Phaze-e, a budget MTB with a basic 24V kit already fitted ... and it's bright, pillar box red, too.

Happily, a combination of a manically busy quarter year (I've been the busiest I've ever been since end of April ) and a whopping 25% knocked off the price in Halfords' flash deals meant I could actually indulge in another impulse purchase.

It would have been silly not to buy one ... so I did.

Again, it's not going to be of any interest to most folks on here, but I'll do a proper review when I have put a few more miles under the (Indonesian Vee Rubber) tyres.

 

[Nealh]

It no matter what the bike is, if it does what you want it to do.
Look forward to your review.

 

[thirteen]

It no matter what the bike is, if it does what you want it to do.
Look forward to your review.

That's pretty much my take on it, too.

As an aside, do you still have your Swizzbees?