FAQs

Q1. How fast will my bike go with the Electric Kit installed?
Q2. How far can my Electric Bike go?
Q3. How can I determine if the Electric kit will fit on my bicycle?
Q4. Where do I get batteries for my electric bicycle?
Q5. How long does it take to charge my batteries?
Q6. How many times can you charge SLA (sealed lead acid) batteries?
Q7. What do I have to do to get the maximum life out my SLA battery pack?
Q8. Do I need a driving license, insurance or registration?
Q9. Do I need to pedal an electric bike?
Q10. What type of motor do your bikes have?
Q11. Are the bikes light enough to be lifted without help?
Q12.How do I know if the batteries are almost empty?
Q13. Do I have to wait for the batteries to completely discharge before I charge them?
Q14. Do the batteries recharge when going downhill?
Q15. What type of batteries are used on electric bicycles?
Q16. How much does it cost to ride an electric bike?
Q17. Can I ride my electric bicycle in the rain?
Q18. What is better, adding an electric kit on your bicycle or purchasing a ready made e-bike?
Q19. How to prolong the life of my sealed lead acid (SLA) batteries?
Q20. If my electric bicycle breaks down, do you carry parts, like, electric motors, controllers, battery packs, throttles, chargers?
Q21. If I have problems with the installation of the electric bicycle that I purchased, and I don't live in your city, what kind of help can I get?
Q22. I am in my 50's. I wish to purchase an electric bicycle, but I want to get the lightest bicycle from you. Which bicycle would you recommend?
Q23. Can you place SLA and Lithium batteries in parallel?
Q24. How do I know if my scooter's motor is brushless or brush type?

Q25. You have any kits for 700C wheels?

A1.
On a 26" wheel, your bike will reach a top speed of 32 km/h.

A2.
Your electric bike will go about 30 kilometers, but under the following conditions: 26" wheels with thin, slick street tires, 150 lb. rider, on a flat terrain, and no stops or starts.

A3.
If your bicycle wheels are any of the following standard wheel sizes: 20", 24", or 26", the kit should fit! However, make sure that your bicycle has a minimum of at least 4" distance between the front forks.

A4.
We supply batteries for all our models.

A5.
Depending upon the degree of discharge. For a fully discharged battery allow 4-6 hours of charging time.

A6.
Battery life will vary depending on the type of battery you choose and how well you maintain it.
Typically, Lithium Ion (Li-Ion) batteries last anywhere from 700-1000 charges. Nickel Metal Hydride (NiMH) batteries last anywhere from 500-700 charges, while sealed lead acid (SLA) batteries last between 300-500 charges.
In order to get the maximum life out of your SLA battery pack ALWAYS charge you batteries IMMEDIATELY after EVERY use! Also, try not to run your batteries completely dead, for this will diminish their life cycle.Never partially charge SLA batteries.

A7.
SLA batteries can be charged and discharged up to about 300-500 times. In order to get the maximum life out of your SLA battery pack ALWAYS charge you batteries IMMEDIATELY after EVERY use. NEVER partially charge the batteries. Also, try not to run your batteries completely dead, for this will diminish their life cycle.

A8.
With all our models, you do NOT need a driver's license, insurance nor registration. According to Federal law, electric bikes that have pedals and that have a motor under 500 watts are classified as bicycles. . According to provincial regulations, one does require the use of helmet and riders to should be at least 16 years old.

A9.
No but it helps to prolong battery life. The motor on our bikes is throttle controlled, allowing you to decide how much power you desire. The faster you go, the faster you will deplete your batteries, shorting their range.

A10.
We only use brushless maintenance free motors on all our bikes. Brush type motors cost less by have higher maintenance costs due to the wear of the carbon brushes contacting the rotor.

A11.
Bikes with SLA batteries are much heavier than lithium batteries, but SLA batteries are much cheaper to purchase than lithium batteries.

A12.
Turn throttle to full throttle and hold for a couple of seconds. At the same time (with the throttle at maximum) look at the throttle LEDs or gauge. If the battery reading is very low, this indicates that the batteries are running low.

A13.
No you do NOT have to wait for the batteries to completely discharge before recharging them. This applies for both SLA and Lithium batteries. The only difference is that you can partially charge lithium batteries, but NEVER partially charge SLA batteries.

A14.
The motors do generate current when going downhill (with the key off for bikes with the lithium battery packs), but the amount of power produced is very little so you would have to freewheel for many kilometers in order to slightly charge the batteries.

A15.
Currently, there are 3 main types of batteries used in electric bicycles:
Lithium Ion (Li-Ion) - Lithium Ion batteries are the highest quality batteries available in today's market. Although they cost the most money, they have the longest life, the lowest weight and the best total range per charge.
Nickel Metal Hydride (NiMH) - NiMH batteries are a mid-range battery type. They are light-weight, have an extended life span and provide great range compared to the SLA batteries.
Sealed Lead Acid (SLA) - Although they're the cheapest form of battery technology, they have the shortest life, the lowest range and are extremely heavy when compared to other battery types.

A16.
It costs around $0.10 to fully charge your battery pack. Even with the oldest and least efficient form of battery technology (SLA), it costs less than $0.01 per kilometer to operate an electric bike. Li-Ion and NiMH cost even less. The average cost of driving and maintaining a automobile is around $0.64 per kilometer.

A17.
Electric bicycles are weatherproof but not water-tight. During heavy down pours, we recommend pulling over and waiting for the weather to subside. If you plan on riding in the rain on a regular basis, we recommend taking some extra steps to further waterproof your e-bike ( eg; wrap all electrical connections in electrical tape, etc..).

A18.
There are advantages and disadvantages in both situations.
Converting a standard bicycle with an electric kit;
ADVANTAGES
One big advantage is that you can choose almost any bicycle you like.
Conversion kits the power that you wish to have (great for bigger riders, steep hills, etc)
DISADVANTAGES
You'll be required to do some work and basic mechanical ability is required.
A standard bicycle with an electric kit installed has a 'messier look' (components may be exposed, like controller, etc)

Getting a factory built e-bike;
ADVANTAGES
Are great for casual riders who don't need excessive power or speed. If you're average in size and weight (5'1"- 6'2", 100 - 230lbs) then you will be happy with a factory built e-bike.
DISADVANTAGES
Factory built e-bikes are limited in speed and power (more pedalling will be required to get up steep hills).
It is harder to modify a factory built e-bike.

A19.
Immediately charge the batteries after using your electric bicycle or scooter even it it's a short distance.
For the batteries, it's better to partially discharge them (to go short distances) than completely discharging them (going the full or maximum distance).
SLA batteries can be recharged ~ 300-500 times (exact number not known), so every time you recharge them, this counts as 1 charge used up. Assuming that SLA batteries can be charged 360 times, if you use the scooter every day, you will have used 30 charges in a month, or about 120 during the summer, which means that 1/3 of your battery's life is now used up (120 out of 360 charges).
Do NOT leave electric bicycle or scooter exposed to the sun in hot summer days. Always under the shade.
During winter, discharge (by running the scooter while on the stand for 5 to 10 minutes) and recharge the batteries once a month to maintain their strength.
NEVER partially charge SLA batteries. Always charge them completely.
The charger's light usually turns green when the batteries are fully charged, but NEVER rely on the charger's light to turn green in order to disconnect it. If you've completely discharged the batteries (have gone a long distance with the electric bicycle or scooter), put a timer for 5-6 hours.
The batteries should NOT be hot after charging. If they are hot you have overcharged them, which is as bad as not charging them immediately after use. Physically touch the batteries to see if you are overcharging them.
(Optional) To prolong the life of the charger, when charging a battery, place a small fan over the charger, so that it never heats up during charging.

A20.
As long as our suppliers are in business, there will be available parts for all our customers.

A21.
If you do not have any mechanical knowledge on bicycles, and you wish to avoid any problems with the installation, it would be best to purchase a bicycle that comes with an installation DVD (for eKits) or an assembly DVD (factory pre-assembled electric bicycles).

A22.
The lightest electric bicycle that we have is the hybrid-cc. The kit installed on it is the 98200L (36v 10AH eKit with lithium battery pack). The bicycle has an aluminum frame and it was purchased from Canadian Tire.

A23.
You shouldn't place SLA and Lithium batteries in parallel because they discharge at different rates and can therefore damage each other, although they would work for a short time.

A24.
Follow the wiring harness coming from the motor to the end of the connector. If connector has 3 or 8 wires your motor is brushless. If the connector has 2 wires the motor is brush type.

A25.
Yes, the ekit installed on the hybrid-cc bicycle (see electric bicycles page) has 700C tires (700C ~ 27" tires).