Originally Posted by
AngieM
Hey, Ann, you certainly are clever... I'm the same way. I had a nice black basket they have at Walmart that sat on the back battery rack. It was really good looking, but I took it back and got the packs (why do they call them pannieres(sp?), we're in U.S., not France.
I did get the seat post I wanted and Currie paid for it. I've had it checked out completely at the local shop. I rode the bike only twice so far, just around our parking lots 'n up and down some of the hills just to practice shifting, getting used to it. I'm disappointed about:
1) When I make a sharp turn the front wheel starts to go into a wobble, but only slightly. It is acting strange. Mark (local bike guy) put the wheel on and I'm sure he knows what he's doing, so who knows.
2) This bike can barely get me up a slight hill on smooth pavement... it's really struggling and going very slowly!
3) The kickstand is way too long and straight for this bike... the bike can tip over easily and that's quite a nuisance. Mark said it takes a special tool to get it off and maybe he can try to bend it out a bit, but he has to drag that tool out of hiding since he seldom needs to use it. He agrees, the stand is way too high and makes the bike too unsteady. Anyone passing can barely touch it and it'll keel over.
So... so far I'm not too happy, but I do realize these are minor kinks that need to be dealt with.
I got a rack pack that goes on both sides of the rear battery rack. It was at Walmart's for about $24 and it's VERY roomy, two zippered sections on each side.
I don't have a camera, so I can't take a photo of this bike, but while I was in the shop a police officer came in and was admiring it. He couldn't believe Currie could put this much power on the bike and have it look so subtle... me too.
Anything else I should know about or should or shouldn't do, just let me know.
Angie,
I'm sorry that you're not happy with the power. Do you have a computer on it yet to read your speed and keep track of distance traveled? An e-bike won't have the power of a scooter with an internal combustion engine. Some e-bike enthusiasts are building some fast bikes using 1000W motors and lots of batteries, but I wouldn't feel very comfortable putting an extremely powerful motor on a bike with a regular frame. None of them were engineered or built to take the stress that some e-bike enthusiasts are dishing out. I expect to see more stories of frame and fork failures due to fatigue among the "I want to go motorcycle-fast" crowd.
I'm wondering if your battery is charging completely. An undercharged battery would certainly not deliver enough power to the controller and motor. Do you know anyone who has a multi meter that you could use to check the power level of your battery? If so, please post the power reading once you've obtained them with the multi meter. Currie is really good about honoring warranties so if you've got a problem, they should take care of it for you. They will have you checking various things to help them troubleshoot.
If you have a dremel tool, you could use a cutoff disc to shorten the kickstand. I'm not sure what the kickstand on your model looks like. None of the photos on the web show the kickstand. Your local bike store could also replace it for you if you're willing to buy a new one. The Greenfield rear mounted, oversized kickstand is under $20.00 and has good reviews on Amazon (4.5 stars out of 5). I'm happy with my bi-pod kickstand, but I don't know if you could mount one on your bike. I'd need to see a photo of the current kickstand.
I hope one of your early purchases was a good U-Lock and chain; people can have sticky fingers around nice bikes. Good luck. If you have a friend with a digital camera, please get them to take some photos for you so you can post them.