![]() ![]() The motor powering the IZIP Urban Cruiser Enlightened is very similar to the one that powers the 2009 IZIP Trekking Enlightened! Both bikes used an efficient, light weight 180 watt geared rear hub motor. Still, it lacks a digital display, there’s no throttle mode and the power is very weak compared to newer bikes. They sell this model for ~$500 and it comes with a replacement battery (which is quite the bargain in my view). I was able to test out a “new” model at a shop in Southern California called the Electric Bicycle Center which has been around for many years and helps to liquidate old Currie Technologies bikes. This thing is comfortable! Note that because it was sold new around the year 2009, these days the only way you’re likely to see one is used at a garage sale or other second hand marketplace. Not only does the Urban Cruiser Enlightened feature swept back high rise handlebars, it also has padded comfort grips, a Velo Plush saddle, a suspension fork (without lockout or much adjustability) and a seat post shock. The best part about it for me was the upright, relaxed seating position. The motor wasn’t especially powerful but benefitted from a smooth, responsive torque sensor which helped to extend range and make for a natural feel. The frame balance, with integrated downtube batteries, and torque sensing pedal assist was top of the line in its day and although the battery pack could not easily be removed, it did help to improve the aesthetic over other ebikes which relied on rear rack style batteries. There are lithium batteries in every phone, every portable computer, every tablet.The IZIP Urban Cruiser Enlightened was an electric bike ahead of its time in my opinion. I guess it is sad that the world's largest ebike company can't supply, out of inventory, a battery for a 3 year old bike. It's sad that there isn't a more universal pack. It's sad that the packs are not made to be rebuilt. It's sad that there seems to be one place to rebuild these packs. On the other hand, you could move the battery forward and make the bike more balanced. The original design is going to be more robust, with better seals at the connections, if nothing else. Rebuilding the pack would make more sense than chasing stuff on Alibaba. You can't recreate those monitoring connections. If the original battery pack has more than the plus/minus connections, stop there. If you run the wires to the original connections, leaving everything else in place (circuit boards, etc) it should work. You can mount his batteries in a bag on the top tube. In other words, one could buy a battery from Paul at EM3ev. The answer to that is 'Yes, that will work', as long as the polarity is right and the voltage is right, and the electronics will integrate with the new battery. I think the OP was asking if there is any reason he can't put a different battery into the connections on his bike and ride off into the sunset. I was surprised how easy it was, really, assuming you can make a good connection to the existing plus and minus, etc. I just tested this out after making a pack for a bike I am building. A custom frame build would be much more of a problem. That means any battery you could safely and securely attach might work, which is good. It looks like your bike is like mine, with a rear rack. I don't know what you want to do for a case and how things would fit together. Beyond this, the charging would be completely separate and you would probably need another charger. The circuit board you see is probably to monitor the voltage and turn off the power if the voltage drops or other bad things happen.Ĭlearly, the connection on my bike is two wires, so it's hard to see what could go wrong. From here I can hook up my bike to another battery, which I moved to the front. Well, I've done this, which is basically jumping the two connections (plus and minus) with the proper connectors. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |