Walmart ebike

GoldenMotor.com

cvpsmith

New Member
Jul 23, 2008
33
0
0
Oxford, MS
I bet this bike would do pretty good with a 24V lithium pack. Just yank the stock rack and replace it with a Topeak rack and bag with the lithium. Minimal rewiring and you would still come out way ahead, price-wise. You wouldn't see the performance drop during discharge that you see with the SLAs. Figure $300 for the bike + $200-$250 for the battery + $100 for the rack/pack. If I were building a new eBike, this is probably the way that I would go. WAY CHEAPER than my 36v LiFePO4 kit build!

For another $100, you could go 20ah on the battery at less weight than the SLAs. I have a 20AH 36V that weights exactly 20lbs.

LiFePO4-24v-12ah-BATTERY-FOR-ELECTRIC-SCOTTER-
 
Last edited:

deacon

minor bike philosopher
Jan 15, 2008
8,114
9
0
north carolina
I have been thinking this plush a trailer with a sla pack. The trailer in my opinion makes sla batteries very doable. I'm not sure that it make much difference what their weight is if they are rolling along behind. the effort to pull them up a hill might be countered by their added push going down it. Since my hub has regenerative every time is pushes it pust a little of the energy back.

I am not yet a convert to the new batteries and probably won't be till the price drops significantly. but I am a big fan of innovation.
 

cvpsmith

New Member
Jul 23, 2008
33
0
0
Oxford, MS
Yea, I've actually been using the SLAs as well. I ride the LiFePO4 to work, then put it on the charger (wherein it gets to trickle charge for about 8 hours). While I'm at work, I use the SLAs to putt around. When I'm ready to go home, I leave the SLAs on the charger at work overnight. Works great! The commute is about 13 mi. round trip, which is nothing for the 20ah lithium. I haven't had a chance to really put it to the test yet...
 

deacon

minor bike philosopher
Jan 15, 2008
8,114
9
0
north carolina
If my 24 hours have a projected range of about 12 miles that lith should be good for a few more miles. I just hate to get out somewhere and have a battery die miles from home. I'm pretty anal about testing the charge when I get home.

The one thing I do like about my hub motor is that it will not allow the batteries to drain below about 12.25 which doesn't damage them. I used to run my sla on the friction drive down to 11.75 or lower not knowing it was screwing them up.

I still have it in the back of my mind to try flooded cell since this bike won't kill them. The other issue is that the trailer kind of negates the weight factor of a flooded cell batter. I would love to have a reliable formula for converting the flooded cell rating to actual range. I guess in the end I will have to just buy two batteries and try them out. I know it makes no sense at all. I can get a 20 ah rig sla set up for about eighty bucks. I have no idea what eighty bucks worth of flooded cell batteries would be. The only thing the flooded cells have going for them is the availability... i can pick them up a couple of blocks from my house any day of the week.
 
Last edited:

geeksquid

New Member
Feb 14, 2008
114
0
0
Comments on the Walmart Bike:

1) If you put the battery in wrong the first time, the fuse will blow.
2) The motor is an ASSIST motor. It does not have the power to run the bike by itself.
3) Am not sure if it will help enough going up very steep hills. Will be testing.
4) The motor control has two SAFETY use modes for the motor. a) Power assist after you are moving. b) Power assist after you are pedaling. There is a twist DEADMAN throttle, which only continues working if you twist it.
5) Bike has an extra slot for a second battery pack. You switch between PACK-A or PACK-B depending on which has energy.
I've driven my ezip trailz for 1 year and 8 months now. Almost daily for a couple of miles a day.
1} It's impossible to put the battery pack in wrong. It has slots in the battery case that prevents it.
2} The bike carries my 200lbs with no pedaling and depending on the charge, up moderate hills. I only have one battery pack. The only time I pedal is if I happen to run out of juice.

After about a year, the stock batteries (two 12V 10ah "Enduring" brand Chinese SLAs), were just about fizzled out and I could only go about a mile before needing a charge. Instead of spending $150 or more for a new battery pack from Currie (and the fact that it's almost always out of stock), and instead of spending $70 plus shipping to order two comparable batteries online, I ran across SLAs in a local grocery store that were 12v 7.5ah which cost me $17.99 each. I think they are used for home alarm systems and computer UPS. I took the case apart and installed them and so far they have worked great. I haven't maxed them out since I usually don't make trips over 2 miles total. My max range would probably be about 5 miles. Even when the bike was new, 8 miles was probably the maximum range with the Currie battery pack. I saw someone post here that they went 10 miles and hardly used any of the battery charge. I'd have to see that to believe it.

The bike has been very durable and I ride it on moon crater streets and dirt roads in a podunk one horse town. No breakdowns ever. No flats because I put some gorilla snot in the tires when I bought it.
Top speed 15 mph with no pedaling on a flat road or very slight incline.

Paid $150 for it at Wal-Mart. It was the only one they had and was on clearance. A real steal.
The Wal-Mart I bought it at never got any more of the bikes until recently and they now have two of them and are priced at $398.00. If I keep waiting like I did before, they might even reduce these to $150 and I might buy a new one. Just think, buy an entire new bike for less than the battery pack from Currie.

Mine is a 2007 model. The controller/battery switch is on the seat tube. On later models, they moved the controller to the rear of the bike. I wonder why. Now you have to stop and get off the bike if you want to switch batteries.

Many people are running 36v through this 24 volt motor successfully using the stock controller, but they are drilling holes in the motor casing to cool it. I'm sure it would overheat if you didn't do this. It's a tricky operation to do and I don't want to chance screwing up the motor when all those little pieces fall out.

My biggest complaint is the loud whir of the motor. You can hear it coming from at least 2 blocks away. Dogs, goats and cattle can hear it coming from even further away. I don't like attracting attention, so this whir still bugs me.

The ultimate upgrade for me would be a quality 24v lithium-ion battery pack, which would reduce battery weight greatly plus more range. Wouldn't it be great if a Dewalt or Black and Decker 24v battery packs had at least 10ah? But those batteries are Ni-Cad and peter out after they've sat a few months.

If you plan to buy an Ezip, if you check nothing else before buying, at least check and see if the battery pack will slide into both sides correctly. I discovered long after I bought mine that the right rack was slighly bent and the battery wouldn't slide in. This was a dilemma since the contacts wore out on my left side rack. I removed all the screws from the contact holder on the right side and was able to get the battery in. The contacts probably wear out from all the vibration and bumps from the road, even smooth roads. And I've looked around and haven't found replacements for the contacts. A way to prevent this is wrip a strong bungee cord around the battery pack from top to bottom to minimize vibration. Even this may not prevent it. The connection from the battery to the contacts on the frame is metal to metal and made of copper, so vibrations really take their toll since they are cheap chinese parts like most everything else.
 
Last edited:

offroad

New Member
Dec 31, 2008
43
0
0
Connecticut
1) Has anyone found a good cheap source for lithium ion batteries for this bike?

2) Also has anyone found a way to make the bicycle quieter?
 
Sep 7, 2008
188
3
18
Omaha,NE
What ever you do dont buy one, if you allready have take it back for your money, and third you should know better. i know i should have when i bought one last year. the thing was a absolute siething piece of fodder. all the welds started failing that support the battery bank panier.
 

geeksquid

New Member
Feb 14, 2008
114
0
0
1) Has anyone found a good cheap source for lithium ion batteries for this bike?
Lithium-ion battery packs are made for anything that needs power. There's no need to look for lithium-ion batteries that are made just for THIS bike. And there is no "cheap" source. We're still in the stone ages as far as batteries go. But all those miracle batteries are "just around the corner". I've been hearing that for many years.

2) Also has anyone found a way to make the bicycle quieter?
Impossible. This type of brushed motor has a whir to it and nothing can be done.
 

geeksquid

New Member
Feb 14, 2008
114
0
0
What ever you do dont buy one, if you allready have take it back for your money, and third you should know better. i know i should have when i bought one last year. the thing was a absolute siething piece of fodder. all the welds started failing that support the battery bank panier.
That's pretty strange. I've been driving mine for almost 2 years now over paved streets that are solid patches and haven't been repaved in 30 years and dirt washboard roads and over the most poorly maintained railroad crossings you'll ever see. The battery rack is a solid one-piece unit and is bolted to the bike frame with bolts and brackets. I've read and posted on forums about this bike ever since I've owned it and never heard of a weld failing or anything else for that matter. Just batteries petering out. One would have to wonder what kind of riding could result in broken welds on the battery rack since it's not even under stress when riding and isn't part of the frame. I'd love to see pics of that.
 

ut1205

New Member
Jul 4, 2009
70
0
0
Tennessee
I have one that I purchased from Amazon.com in Dec of last year for $299.00 with free shipping. It has been pretty much trouble free. I live in a hilly area so I pedal and used the motor as an assist to get up hills that I would otherwise have to walk up. My range with normal pedaling is about 5 miles. I put cruiser handlebars on it so I could ride upright. I have a set of street tires for it but have not installed them yet.

Frame is heavy and seems bullet proof. Nice front and seat post suspension. I think the bike construction is better than my Schwinn Landmark with the Stanton kit.

If you want to go 30 mph then this is not the bike for you. If you want to cruise at 12-15 mph for a few miles, take in fresh air and scenery, and get a little exercise then it's hard to beat.

Looking ahead, when the battery, motor, and controller fail this bike has a freewheel and sprocket on the left side of the rear wheel. With some modification it would probably make a good gas powered project. I think the sprocket is about 12 tooth so you would have to figure out how to mount a larger sprocket.
 

offroad

New Member
Dec 31, 2008
43
0
0
Connecticut
Just did a battery replacement on the battery pack. Went for the lest expensive way to do this. Here are the costs.

1) Two SLA batteries at 7AH as that is the common battery, from a battery shop. Batteries will fit inside the case and have no problems. Generic retailers sell these for $30 at Grainger, or at a good hardware store. Cost is $25 per battery at battery shop, plus tax. So maybe $55 total just for two twelve volt batteries.
2) Need to buy the yellow fit-push battery lug connectors at Radio Shack, with a 12 gauge wire fitting. Need two packages so cost is $5. The existing connectors are typically soldered on to the battery terminal; and that is stupid. Part number at Radio Shack is 64-3135.
3) Need a wire stripper and crimper tool. This is anywhere from $10 to $20.

So $70 to replace your batteries. Next time (every year) may cost $55 to $60 depending on how prices go up.

Remember to recharge after use - IMMEDIATELY else the battery will go bad.
 
Last edited:

Nashville Kat

Well-Known Member
Apr 20, 2009
1,501
55
48
Jacksonville, Florida
It sems to me, as an old cycling purist, that this bike could do much better with a better set of wheels- some narrow 700c tires, for better rolling and the mechanical advantage of a bigger wheel. That would surely increase both speed and range- mountain bikes are popular, but it's sort of a mixed metaphor in practicality- this is a bike for road commuting, not trail riding, and it seems it would do better with that idea in mind. The old english three speed had better tires than this with not only wide, but knobby tread that really cuts down on the roll.


Has anyone here had any experience with the electric hubs for sell on e-bay? the batteries are quite expensive and come in various sizes, as do the wheels with the motors in the middle- front or back wheel

I'd like to build a hybrid, with a gas motor and electric motor hub, just as a showpiece if nothing else.
 

geeksquid

New Member
Feb 14, 2008
114
0
0
It sems to me, as an old cycling purist, that this bike could do much better with a better set of wheels- some narrow 700c tires, for better rolling and the mechanical advantage of a bigger wheel. That would surely increase both speed and range- mountain bikes are popular, but it's sort of a mixed metaphor in practicality- this is a bike for road commuting, not trail riding, and it seems it would do better with that idea in mind. The old english three speed had better tires than this with not only wide, but knobby tread that really cuts down on the roll.


Has anyone here had any experience with the electric hubs for sell on e-bay? the batteries are quite expensive and come in various sizes, as do the wheels with the motors in the middle- front or back wheel

I'd like to build a hybrid, with a gas motor and electric motor hub, just as a showpiece if nothing else.
Knobby tires are never used on an electric bike and are very inefficient and would add a lot of resistance. The treads these bikes come with have great traction on wet paved streets and as I've mentioned many times, I drive the bike on all kinds of surfaces including occasionally through the woods with wet, mushy trails. Not for mountain biking, but just to get where I need to go. English racer frames would be much flimsier than this frame, which is bulletproof so far. If I had those skinny 700c tires on the ezip, I'd have a hard time on sandy roads or any other surface except pavement. Might be ok on strictly pavement, but I don't see how they would add range or speed. If you want more range, simply go to batteries with more amp hours. If you wanted an English racer type bike with this type motor setup, you could just buy the Currie add-on kit and install it on one. Or any other bike for that matter. I actually haven't seen any ebike manufacturer make the style of bike you're talking about so there must be a reason.
When you mention hub motors, why do you equate them with ebay? Hub motors are available all over the place, not just ebay. They are actually another topic and there's a ton of discussions about them. The ezip uses a much different motor. Hub motors are better in my opinion.
A bike with a gas and an electric motor would be a tribrid. And if you're dreaming about doing one just as a showpiece, I'd say you're doing it for the wrong reasons. It's nothing new and would not be unique.
 

pre-war Schwinn

New Member
Nov 15, 2009
109
0
0
73
Los Angeles 90039
I'm writing here since I own an E-Zip mountain trails with knobby tires, I bought it dec 10 2008 for $225 no tax no shipping charges on amazon.com they drop prices in early december and I saved $200 over today's price. it is great! I immediatly regestered with Currie industries California and told them the controller andthrottle had melted when the battery mount shorted they sent me new ones for the shipping cost. I converted my battery leads (Red and Black ) to allow twin pairs of 12 volt 9 amp SLA's to ride ontop of the rack. these are given away free on Craigslist as APC rack storage batteries that have gone over date in the FREE section of your Local Craigslist (craigslist.com)
my range is 10 miles on the right bank and 10 miles on the left bank without ever pedeling the speed is safe 15mph to speed the bike up you can change the lefthanded freewheel from 22 teeth to 16 teeth or change controler to a simple 36volt 30 amp Skateboard style the motor heats up on 36 volts but 30 volts is just perfect
 

pre-war Schwinn

New Member
Nov 15, 2009
109
0
0
73
Los Angeles 90039
Im sending new pics of my electric bikes I used the blue one at $225 to ride while I retrofitted my stinger to a front hub motor the rear hub motor by ananda was a meltdown waiting to happen it has to do with the communists in the back office. they cut costs on things like insulative materials therefore creating global meltdown two years later the 09 ptoducts coming from china are a million time better don't be affraid te re confiure your batteriw outside that bos just cut the leasd and hook them to free standing SLA's I did try the 7 amp batts for 40 plus ship they were good for five miles and then **** and quit. the only real SLAs are called APC and are used for backiup systems to keep amaica alive in a grid failure, I can get them for free off of craigslist. I sawed the drawer they came in in half and used the leads provide in a APC drawer to hook them Left side right side and I own 12 suck batterys I can send you the same type pack of four for just the shipping to get you rolling 20 miles with utmost cetanty you won't be pedaling a tired old bike back home. therw are a hygrade type that are at least two years old and replaced for Homeland Security at a $2,000 tab every two years On the black stinger there are 3 12 volt 12 amp slas inside the chrome motor and another 12 sitting inside whats left of the air gap between frame rais I also put a 48 volt scooter charger on there to top off the batttterys any time I want. I can travel uphill for 10 miles on them or speee along at 35 mph on the flat for 15 the Hub motors they send now have no speed governor If you want high performance on your currie just buy a 36 volt 30 amp scooter controll for 30 bucks and put aside all the latest perimeters built into the stock one it will shut you down befor a hot motor and it will limit the voltage to 30 volts a scooter contro will have you singing in th rain at 25 mph
 
Last edited: