FAQ'S - Frequently asked questions
- (for troubleshooting
page CLICK HERE)
What are the differences between the
various Bike Electrified Models?
The BL36 is a BrushLESS motor system (the motor
has no brushes inside it), and is our "top of the
line" kit. You will get 20 - 25 % more range out
of your battery pack with a BL36 system compared to the
BD36. The other advantage of the BL36 is that you will
never have to change the brushes inside the motor.
How soon will I have to change the
brushes in my BD36 hub motor?
Even with heavy use (riding your Bike Electrified BD36
two hours a day), you will still get two years or more
use out of your Brushed motor before you have to change
the brushes. A regular BD36 user can expect five years
use before they need to worry about changing the brushes.
When it becomes necessary for you to change the brushes
in your Brushed motor (you will notice intermittant power
- it will not start sometimes, and shut off for brief
periods of time then restart), you can either send your
motor back to us and we'll change the brushes for you,
or you can do the job yourself. The hardest part is getting
the motor's case open; changing the brushes is about a
30 second job. We will have a "Changing Motor Brushes"
page on this website soon, within the next few months.
Why should I buy the BD36 instead
of the BL36?
The BD36 is our least expensive kit. It's brushed hub
motor is very sturdy, and the electronics that run it
are simpler than the electronics of the BL36. It is stronger
than the BL36 system (approx. 600 watts vs 400 watts),
with a top-speed of 25+ mph on a 26" bike, and it
will start from 0 mph, so you don't have to pedal at all
if you don't want to. The standard controller that comes
with your BD36 has a maximum amperage (the amount of power
that can be sent to the motor at one time), of 35 AMPS.
The reason for this is twofold: limiting the amperage
will keep the controller from overheating, and it will
give your batteries longer life since the 35 amp limit
prevents them from being discharged too quickly. Your
batteries will take more charges and have a longer life-span
than they would without limiting the amperage output.
(see "Battery Rating" overview below in the
battery section.) However, the other side of this
coin is that you cannot expect your BD36 to take off like
a motorcycle. It will have good accelleration from a dead-stop,
but it won't feel like a rocket.
Why should I buy the BL-36 instead
of the BD-36?
The BL36 uses a BrushLESS motor instead of a Brushed,
which means it's efficiency is much better; about 20-25%
better than the BD36. So if you're planning on using a
bicycle for longer trips, such as commuting 10 miles or
more to work; then the BL36 is the kit for you. The BL36
has no brushes inside the motor, so you will never have
to worry about changing them.
How sturdy is my Bike Electrified
kit and how long will it last?
We at WE (Wilderness Energy), have gone to great lengths
to perfect our kit as much as possible. We feel very confidant
that our kits are the very best on the market today. If
you treat your Bike Electrified kit with love and care,
it should last you years and years! Plus, our kits are
componentized, which means if that you happen to abuse,
or inadvertently break one of the components in your Bike
Electrified kit, i.e.: you dump your bike and smash the
thumb throttle to bits - you can order a new part from
us and when it arrives, unplug the bad part and plug your
new one in, and nobody will be the wiser! This applies
to all components in the Bike Electrified kit: Hub motor/wheel,
Throttle, Key switch, Controller unit, Battery pack, and
Smart charger.
How fast will my bike go with the
Bike Electrified Kit installed?
Using the BL36 kit on a 26" wheel, your bike will
reach a top speed of 20 mph. On a 24" wheel - 18
mph, and 20" wheel = 16 mph. Using the BD36 kit on
a 26' wheel, your bike will reach a top speed of 25 mph.
On a 24" wheel - 22 mph, and 20" wheel = 20
mph. If you are thinking about purchasing a bike to install
your Bike Electrified kit on, keep this in mind: different
wheel sizes will give you different speed/torque performance.
So, you should decide what is more important to you: top
speed, or accelleration/hill climbing ability. If you're
going to be climbing San Francisco type hills every day,
then you should probably get a 20" bike. On the other
hand, if you live in Kansas, a 26" or 700C would
be better since you will cruise along at 22+ mph. Smaller
wheels = torque, larger wheels = high top end speed.
How far can my Bike Electrified go?
With the BL36 kit, we like to use the formula: 20/20,
which means your bike will go 20 mph for 20 miles, but
that is under the following conditions: 26" wheel
with thin, slick street tires, 150 lb. rider, flat riding
terrain, and no stops or starts. In the real world, you
will probably get 15 miles per battery pack charge with
the standard battery pack, and about 10 miles more (25
miles +) with the extended range battery pack. The BD36
will have 35% less range than the BL36 with the same battery
pack: standard pack = about 11 miles; extended range pack
= about 19 miles.
How much drag does the motor create
when I am not using it and pedaling instead?
The motor has magnets inside it, which do create a slight
amount of drag. You probably will not notice the resistance
when you are pedaling on a flat surface. On a hill you
will notice the slight drag, but this would be a good
time to hit the throttle and let the motor assist you!
Is there any way to increase the range?
Yes. The first thing you can do is pedal with your motor,
especially when accelerating from a dead stop, since this
is where the most power is used. Also, using high pressure
tubes (65 psi or above) and street slick tires can increase
your range by 30% or more. Decreasing your "rolling
resistance" will always increase your range.
How can I determine if the Bike Electrified
kit will fit on my bicycle?
If your bicycle wheels are any of the following standard
wheel sizes: 20", 24", or 26", the kit
should fit! A 700C wheel size is available in the BL36
model only. Make sure that your bicycle has a minimum
of at least 3 ¾" distance between the front
forks - 4" is better, 4 ¼" is pushin'
it, and 4 ½" is too wide. Also, you will need
to have 4" clearance to a minimum of 5" up from
the fork mountings, so if your front bike forks taper
in as you go up, you'd better check the distance where
the forks narrow 5 inches above the fork mountings to
make sure that you still have 4" clearance.
Can I buy the Bike Electrified kit
without the hub motor mounted in a rim?
You can purchase our kit without rim and spokes; however,
we do not recommend this. You will incur many costs trying
to get your hub motor mounted in your custom rim: approximately
$20 or more for a rim, $8 or more for spokes, and most
bicycle shops charge $30 or more in labor to build custom
wheels.
Are there any other accessories that
I might want to purchase with my Bike Electrified Kit?
Yes. There is a lot of power consumed by the capacitors
in your BD36 controller the moment you plug the battery
pack into it, which causes a small spark to occur during
plug-in. As the battery pack is plugged in, the BD36 controller's
capacitors refill themselves quickly, drawing a current
and causing the spark. This spark cannot hurt you. (There
is no sparking with the BL36 controller.) However,
if you find that you cannot live with the spark, (it bothers
some people more than others), you can purchase a circuit
breaker switch with new battery wiring for $15.00 and
re-wire your battery pack with this switch in the battery
circuit. Then, when you want to plug your battery pack
into the BD36 controller, you can turn off the breaker
switch first, then plug the battery pack into the controller
unit - and this will eliminate the spark. After you've
plugged the battery pack to the controller, and everything
else is plugged in (throttle & motor), turn the breaker
switch back "on". The spark will occur inside
the breaker switch now, where you cannot see it.
------------------- BATTERIES ---------------------
--- "Battery Rating"
Overview ---
Most battery's discharge capabilities are determined using
a C-20 rate. This means the specifications given for a
battery's performance are determined when the battery
is discharged over a 20 hour period. SLA batteries boast
between 300-500 charge cycles, but this is when they are
discharged at a C-20 rate. Using them in an electric bike
kit discharges them 10 times (or more), faster than the
C-20 rate. So this means you will not get anywhere near
300-500 charge cycles out of your batteries. With normal
use, never running your batteries completely dead, and
being very vigilant in charging your batteries back up
IMMEDIATELY after each use, you can realistically expect
between 100-200 charge cycles out of them.
The amount, or depth of discharge also has
a lot to do with the life-expectancy of your batteries
also. SLA batteries should never be run completely dead;
since this will damage them and reduce their life expectancy.
Automobiles use SLA batteries to start the car's gasoline
engine. So why do car batteries last five years then,
you ask? Because when the car battery is used to power
the engine's starter motor, it is only used for a few
seconds and is discharged only 10 % of it's total capacity
(if that); then it is IMMEDIATELY recharged when the gasoline
engine starts. This is why a car battery can last five
or more years.
What kind of batteries does the Bike
Electrified Kit use?
Sealed Lead Acid batteries (SLA), are the standard batteries
that come with your kit. SLA batteries have been around
for a long time. Some of their advantages are: they're
reliable, easy to charge, and inexpensive. Disadvantages
are: they're heavy, bulky, and they are very unforgiving
when they are not charged back up immediately after use.
Your BD36 or BL36 kit will come with three 12 volt, 7
amp/hr batteries connected in series to equal 36 volts,
or you can upgrade your kit to the extended range battery
pack (3 - 12volt, 12 amp/hr batteries connected in series)
for another $30.
How long does it take to charge my
batteries?
Depending upon the degree of discharge, it will take up
to 4 hours to charge the standard battery pack, and up
to 6 hours to charge the extended range battery pack.
Can my batteries be overcharged by
leaving them plugged into the charger too long?
No. The charger that comes with your Bike Electrified
kit is a smart charger. It will shut itself off when your
battery pack reaches a full charge, but it is always a
good idea NOT to leave your battery pack plugged in all
the time. Just unplug the charger when the charger light
is green.
How many charges can my battery pack
take?
Your battery pack is built with sealed lead acid batteries
(SLA), which can be charged and discharged up to about
200 times. But you must do some things in order to get
the maximum life out of your SLA battery pack: ALWAYS,
we repeat - ALWAYS charge your batteries up IMMEDIATELY
after EVERY use! Sealed lead acid batteries hate to be
left discharged, even for only a few hours, so plug your
battery pack into the smart charger immediately after
every use. Also, try not to run your batteries completely
dead, for this will diminish their life cycle.
Where do I get replacement batteries?
Replacement batteries can be purchased through us (Wilderness
Energy), or you can buy them in your local area at many
retail outlets such as: Radio Shack, Fry's Electronics,
or even Toys R Us.
Can I use other batteries with my
Bike Electrified?
Yes, as long as the battery pack you are using puts out
36 volts - BL36 & BD36 models.. However, you will
have to figure out how to strap your custom made battery
pack to your bike frame. Our canvas bag might work, as
long as the total dimensions of your battery pack doesn't
exceed 12"L X 2 7/8" H X 6" W (Standard
Battery Pack Bag) or 12"L X 4 ½" H X
6" W Extended Range Battery Pack Bag.)
------------------- CHARGERS ---------------------
How can I tell when my 36volt charger
is working, and when it has fully charged my battery pack?
36 Volt Smart Charger - When the battery pack is unplugged
from the charger; both lights are red. When charging,
the right light is green. When you're battery pack is
fully charged, both lights will go red again.
How can I tell when my 24volt charger
is working, and when it has fully charged my battery pack?
24 Volt Smart Charger - When the battery pack is unplugged
from the charger; the left light will be green and the
right light will be red. As the battery pack is charging,
the green light will blink, and when it is fully charged,
it will stop blinking, and both the red and green light
will stay on.
