More thoughts on walmart eZip
 

Now that Ive had the 2007 Walmart eZip through a few years and running 2 batteries..Has anyone put a brush/less front hub motor with left thumb controller on this thing? While this may stir further debate, the bike has not given me any trouble at all. The end goal is really to do limited pedalling and go farther distances. I really wish I put a speedo on this to track the mileage, I take it everywhere. Before the replys start saying, "Buy a motor scooter", I already have a 150cc bike. There is something about being on the e-bike that satisfies.:love: I estimate that the weight of a front hub motor and battery strapped to the top of the currie carrier where 2 more batteries reside ..heavier than I can imagine. Anyone done/ tried this ? Thanks for reading. Tom

Hi tinleyiltom,

How many miles would you estimate that you've gone? How long is each trip that you take (on average) and what kind of terrain do you ride on?

Do you charge the SLAs immediately after stopping wherever you are or do you only recharge when you get back home?

I'm wondering why you would want a front hub motor along with the eZip? That seems overkill.

You could just change battery types for a lighter chemistry and increase your amp/hours to increase your range. Are you looking for more speed as well?

Ambrose

Ambrose, I usually keep my ride around 10-12 miles and stay pretty close to home on flat concrete pavement. As you probably know, the sla batteries dont last long. I estimate only between 7-9 miles each battery. . Last year, I rode the bike to my work and didnt make it with both batteries (20 miles). As you know, pedalling this thing its a beast. My goal would be to get 15 more miles of power. I did consider to buy another currie battery and strap it to the carrier someway and if I run down, do a swap from the carriers and keep going. I charge the battery after each day, not ride. Lastly, because im looking for more that one extra battery mileage may allow, thats why I was thinking of a front hub motor. I understand the cost difference ($129 from currie vs buying a 26" front hub ekit which is ..???) and speed isnt really a concern. I like the low speed. I probably have like 1000 miles on this thing. Thanks...Tom

Buying a front brushless hub won't solve your problem - you need a better or larger battery. Talk to ping (ebay ping227) and he could set you up with 24v 20-30ah battery.

Even with larger capacity, it will be about same or less weight than 2 of your Currie batteries. And the cost should be about same of buying a front brushless kit - $400 range (lower end). With very mild pedaling, I used to go 40 miles+ on 20ah battery.

leamcorp..Does ping have a battery that will drop right into the carriers? If thats the case...that would be the most ideal situation..just replace the currie sla battery pack(s)..BTW--Do you still have your eZip? 40 miles on a better battery..Did you replace one or both?

As far as I know, someone did asked ping to make him a battery that will fit inside the Curry case. Email him the dimension and he could tell you. Best bet is to forgo that battery case and mount it on top of the rack. This way, you could have larger battery without worrying about the battery case size.

You have lot of choices and some that have good reputation are (personal experience and online rep) - Ping, e-bikekit.com, Ampedbike.com, and hightekbikes.com. They all seem to have a metal boxed battery kit that would fit nicely on a rack.


I don't have ezip anymore, I'm now on 5th project since then. When I had the Ezip, I've used 36v 15ah lifepo4 pack. But because I pedal, I've never used more than 3-4ah for my commute.

Tiny
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Yes I put a Ping battery in the Currie case. I'm the third I know of to do it. The case has the advantage of protecting the battery (it is soft shell), easy on /off, charge, tidy look. It is interchangeable with the SLA. You can have one SLA with it, as back up. I got Pings 15 AmpHr Ver 2.5 LiFePO4. I get as much as 32 miles on hilly terrain with it. I do pedal a good bit. It's good for me.
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People who mount Pings on top of a rack put them in a metal tool box. I did have to modify the case a little to fit the battery. Ping made it to fit in 2 demensions, but it had to be thicker.

I have 2,614 miles on my eZip by my Cateye Odometer. A bit more than half is with Ping's battery. You can reach him directly at http://www.pingbattery.com/servlet/StoreFront. He answers emails within about 24 hours and he IS the manufacturer unlike others.

Don