F.A.Q.
Care and Maintenance for Your New e-Bike
You should in general take care of your e-bike the way you would with a regular bicycle
by keeping it dry, clean and the moving parts well lubricated. You should also avoid
parking your e-bike in exposed areas whenever possible.
You should check the effectiveness of the brakes before each use.
For your e-Bike, you should also take note of the following:
Your e-bike is designed for regular road use for a single person. Using your e-bike for extreme maneuvers, such as extreme off-road use, jumping, or carrying excessive load will damage the e-bike and could cause serious injury.
Do not use high pressure water streams to clean your e-bike, as water might seep inside the motor or the wiring compartment and cause rusting of electrical parts or short circuits.
Avoid parking your e-bike outside when there is rain or snow. At the end of a trip where there was rain or snow, bring the e-bike inside and use a clean, dry towel to eliminate any wetness.
Be sure you do not lose both keys. If you lost one key, you should immediately make a copy as a back-up. If you lost both keys, you will be unable to remove the battery from the e-bike.
Special Care for the Battery and the Charger
Use only the supplied charger to charge your battery. Do not use an unauthorized substitute. If your charger is lost or damaged, contact your dealer to order a replacement.
Do not open or alter the battery or the battery charger.
Do not place the battery near fire or corrosive substances. Do not immerse in water or other liquids.
Avoid subjecting the battery to high temperature, such as directly under the hot sun, for prolonged periods of time.
Do not connect (short circuit) the two poles of the battery.
After much use, your battery's charge holding capacity will decrease. If you find that your battery does not hold sufficient charge even for short trips, you should contact your dealer to order a replacement. Under normal use, the battery will undergo 1000 charging and discharging cycles.
If the battery will not be used for an extended period of time, charge it fully and recharge it every 3 months. Store it in a cool place.
Your e-bike battery is engineered with precision for high capacity and a long useful life. We do not recommend that you use it to power other electrical devices. Improper use of the battery will damage the battery and shorten its useful life, and may cause fire or an explosion.
How to Operate Your New e-Bike
Your First Ride
(Reprinted from the Safety and Compliance with the Law section)
When you are ready to get on your e-bike for the first time, be VERY CAREFUL because the e-bike, when in active power-assisted mode, moves significantly faster than a regular bicycle. Take your e-bike to an area with a lot of open space before you start. Do not start pedaling hard as soon as you get on the e-bike (as you normally would with a regular bicycle), as the e-bike will accelerate under pedal-assist mode and you may be unprepared for the sudden increase in speed. However, after a few times, you will enjoy using the pedal-assisted function.
Pedal-Assisted
You must turn on the battery to use the e-bike in pedal-assisted mode.
In the pedal-assisted mode, power assist is triggered when you pedal forward, and power assist stops when you stop pedaling. In other words, power assist happens as long as you pedal. You don't need to pedal hard. All you need is to apply a light force to the pedals continuously to maintain the current flow. When you apply one of the brakes, power assist will automatically stop, allowing the e-bike to slow down and stop. Power assist will turn itself off when the e-bike has reached the maximum speed of 15 mph.
You should use the gear shifter at the handlebar to set the gears appropriately according to road conditions and pedal as usual, you will find that you need to exert a lot less effort and the e-bike travels faster and at a more steady speed.
Note that the charge level indicators on the handle bar will show the correct level only when power is not being drawn from the battery. When power assist is active, the indicators will momentarily show low. This is true for both modes.
Hand Throttle Control
Your e-bike is factory-configured to operate in pedal-assisted mode only. To re-configure it to full power mode where you can also use the hand throttle, please consult the section on Reconfiguring the Power Assist Mode.
In the hand throttle mode, amount of power assist is determined by the throttle switch controlled by your right hand. You control the throttle by twisting it from its resting position, the farther the throttle switch is from its resting position, the more power is delivered to the motor to accelerate the e-bike. When you want to slow down, you simply release the throttle and let it return to its resting position, and simultaneously apply the brakes if necessary You do not need to pedal the e-bike if you use the hand throttle. However, you can pedal while commanding power assist. If you do pedal to help the movement, you conserve energy and the charge in the battery will last longer.
Charging Your e-Bike Battery
Your e-bike battery is a lithium ion battery. Lithium ion battery requires specially designed chargers. You should never charge your battery with a substitute charger that is not designed for this use. Use of an unsuitable charger to charge a lithium ion battery will result in over-heating, fire or even explosion. If your charger is lost or damaged, contact your dealer to order a replacement.
Charge your battery while the e-bike is not in use. You should turn off the battery before you charge it. You may charge your battery while it is mounted on the e-bike, or after it has been removed from the e-bike.
Do not place either the charger or the battery near flammable substances while charging is taking place. Charging should not be done in the vicinity of infants and small children. It is also prudent to remove valuable objects from the immediate vicinity of the battery while it is being charged.
The length of charging time depends on the level of charge the battery still holds. If a battery is completely discharged, it will take 4 hours to be fully recharged. When a battery is fully charged, the LED on the charger will transition from RED to GREEN. At this point, you should disconnect the charger. Do not leave the charger connected to the battery for very long period of time after charging is complete. (Leaving it connected for an overnight charging is OK.)
It is normal for the charger and the battery to be slightly hot while charging is on-going.
Removing the Battery from the e-Bike
The battery is an important and costly part of the e-bike. It is designed to be locked into position with a key to prevent theft. You can take further precaution by removing the battery while the e-bike is parked unattended. You may also have a need to remove the battery from the e-bike to recharge it at a location where you cannot park your e-bike.
Use the key to unlock the battery and pull out the top first, and then lift to extract the entire battery from the bottom socket. The battery is quite heavy and you should take care not to drop it.
Maximizing the Riding Range
Many factors affect the rate of use of the electrical energy and the riding range.
You should fully charge the battery before a long journey. Rough road conditions and hilly terrain will consume more energy. Frequent change of speed will consume more energy. Carrying more weight on the e-bike will consume more energy. Keeping the tires properly inflated and keeping the e-bike clean and well lubricated will save energy.
Making sure that both wheels move freely when brakes are not applied will save energy. You should check brake adjustments frequently. Pedaling as you ride will consume less electrical energy and increase the riding range. When the battery is turned off, your e-bike functions as a regular bicycle. If you embark on a very long journey, you might want to turn off the battery for long stretches where the road is level or downhill, and pedal the e-bike as a regular bicycle so that you can conserve electrical energy stored in the battery.
Maximizing the Riding Range many factors affect the rate of use of the electrical energy and the riding range.
You should fully charge the battery before a long journey. Rough road conditions and hilly terrain will consume more energy. Frequent change of speed will consume more energy. Carrying more weight on the e-bike will consume more energy. Keeping the tires properly inflated and keeping the e-bike clean and well lubricated will save energy. Making sure that both wheels move freely when brakes are not applied will save energy. You should check brake adjustments frequently. Pedaling as you ride will consume less electrical energy and increase the riding range. When the battery is turned off, your e-bike functions as a regular bicycle. If you embark on a very long journey, you might want to turn off the battery for long stretches where the road is level or downhill, and pedal the e-bike as a regular bicycle so that you can conserve electrical energy stored in the battery.
How to Assemble Your New e-Bike
Step 1: Attach the handle bar subassembly
Stand the main body of the e-bike on the kickstand. Insert the stem of the handle bar subassembly into the steering column that is at the front of the main body frame. Make sure that the fork (that will hold the front wheel) is pointing forward, and orient the handle bar accordingly. Insert the stem all the way and tighten from the top using the big hex wrench.
Step 2: Attach the Front Wheel Fender
Make sure that the fork from the steering column is pointing forward. Place the front fender within the fork: locate the small projection with a screw hole at the top of the fender, fit it to the bolt at the back of the base of the steering column; attach the supports (two on each side) to the base of the fork using four small bolts (supplied). After all five points (the dorsal point and the 4 support points) are properly attached, use the multi-wrench to tighten.
Step 3: Attach the Front Wheel
Make sure that the fork from the steering column is pointing forward. Place the front wheel within the fork and between the two brake pads on either side, seat the axial stem properly within the receptacles at the tips of the fork, and tighten the nuts with the multi-wrench. Make sure that the front wheel moves freely and does not wobble from side to side. Reposition the wheel and re-tighten if necessary.
Step 4: Assembling and Adjusting the Front Brake
You may need another person to help you with this step. The front brake is installed and assembled except that the cable was relaxed to allow the installation of the front wheel. After properly installing the front wheel, the cable can be tightened again.
Using the small hex wrench, loosen the screw that tightens the cable so that the cable is completely free to slide back and forth. Arrange the several pieces of metal and rubber along the brake cable in their correct positions by referencing the rear brake. Squeeze the brake arms so that the brake pads are against the wheel, but leave sufficient clearance of 1/8 inch on each side (you might want to insert some scrap material, such as a piece or cardboard, between the wheel and the brake pad to ensure there is sufficient clearance). Pull the cable at the end to take out all the slack, tighten the cable by means of the small hex wrench.
Test the brake by lifting the front of the e-bike and setting the wheel in motion (turn it) and apply the brake at the handlebar to stop it. If you could not set the wheel in free motion, or if you could not stop it by apply the brake, you need to re-adjust by increasing or decreasing the clearance.
Caution: Do not operate the e-bike until you are satisfied that both the front and rear brakes are operational.
Step 5: Installing the Light and Dynamo Assembly
(Note: Installing of the light and dynamo assembly is optional. Some people prefer battery-powered LED light as opposed to dynamo-powered light.)
Attach the light and dynamo assembly to the special receptacle on the right side of the fork for the front wheel. Tighten slightly. The front light has a wire already connected to the dynamo. Connect the loose electrical wire that runs from the rear light to the same connection point at the dynamo. Operate the lever to check that the two dynamo positions are properly assembled to the effect that the dynamo can engage and disengage from the front wheel. Tighten the nut and bolt. Test the installation again by checking that, in the engaged position with the front wheel turning, the lights are turned ON.
Step 6: Installing the Seat and Pedals
Insert the pedestal stem of the seat into the seat column of the main body frame, use the built-in lever to tighten.
Attach a pedal on each side of the crank, tighten with the multi-wrench.
Inflate the tires to proper pressure.
At this point, your e-bike is a completely functional bicycle, although without any battery operated function as yet. Check all tightening points to make sure. Take a short ride. Adjust the height of the handlebar, and the height and the tilt of the seat, if necessary, for maximum comfort.
Step 7: Installing and Charging the Battery
Remove the battery from the box and turn the switch to the ON position. The LEDs on the battery should light up to indicate that the battery is functional and that there is an appreciable amount of charge in the battery. Install the battery by first seating it at the base at an angle and then gently push it into a vertical position. You need to insert and turn the key anti-clockwise to lodge battery snugly into the top bracket. You should also see the charge level indicator at the handlebar will also light up. Remove the key, make sure the battery is in position and not movable. Turn OFF the battery.
Remove the charger from the box, attached the power cord and insert that to any wall outlet. Insert the plug at the end of the smaller cable into the charging terminal of the battery and start charging. The charging terminal is on the side of the battery opposite to that of the switch. The LED on the charger glows RED while charging and glows GREEN when charging is complete. The battery should be turned OFF while being charged. When the LED on the charger turns Green, disconnect the charging cord and cover the charging terminal with the metal cap. The battery has a series of LEDs as charge level indicators. There is a similar series of LEDs on the handlebar. If a battery is installed on the e-bike and turned ON, the LED indicators will show the charge level of the battery.
You are now ready to start using your e-bike.
How to Safely Use Bike Lanes
Bike lanes are smaller versions of the lanes cars drive in. The lanes are painted onto the roads by local highway departments to enable a buffer zone for bicycle travel. Cars are allowed to enter the bike lanes, but bikers have the right of way in these lanes. It is sometimes difficult to distinguish how to best be safe in a bike lane. Here is your guide.
Step 1
Use the bike lane. This may seem like an obvious step, but most bike/ car accidents occur when cyclists are not in the bike lane. Ride between the dividing lane and the curb or side of the road. Avoid the use of sidewalks.
Step 2
Ride in the bike lane with the flow of traffic. Walk against traffic and ride with traffic. Look at the car to your left and go the same direction as the car. If the car is going north, go north. If the car is going west, ride west. Don't ride against traffic.
Step 3
Know the law and follow it so you'll understand how to correctly yield to cars and pedestrians when they have the right of way. Went there is a green light go. When you have a red light stop. When cars are turning on a green arrow, yield to the car. If a pedestrian has a walk sign, stay out of the person's way.
Step 4
Wear a helmet. Choose a helmet that you will wear and that fits your head correctly. Go to a sporting goods store to be fitted for the best helmet. Strap the helmet on correctly each time, fully fastening it snugly. Sit the helmet flat on your head. It should not tilt forward or backward.
Step 5
Wear reflective items and install some on your bike. Purchase a reflective vest or cycling outfit from a local cycling store. Wear the reflectors whenever you go out and especially at night. Attach lights to the bike and turn them on in dark and inclement weather.
How to Plan a Bike Tour
Take the extra time to plot out your bike tour, and your journey down the road will be much more enjoyable.
Step 1
Get an updated road map, a topographic map and weather information for the area you intend to tour.
Step 2
Decide how far you're comfortable riding each day, keeping in mind that you'll be riding for several consecutive days.
Step 3
Decide whether you'll camp or stay in hotels, and make appropriate reservations.
Step 4
Arrange for a friend to accompany you in a car if you don't intend to carry your gear.
Step 5
Identify secondary and tertiary roads using a road map. Consult travel guides for scenic routes.
Step 6
Call local transportation authorities for shoulder information, and avoid roads with gravel or no shoulders.
Step 7
Check prevailing wind conditions, if any, and try not to plan a ride that keeps you heading into the wind.
Step 8
Schedule rest days (days with fewer miles) after especially long rides.
Step 9
Plan night stops at the base of hills rather than at the top and before entering areas with narrow roads or high traffic.
Step 10
Identify stops for water, food and mechanical assistance, and plan accordingly.
Why We Choose LiFePo4 Battery
Why We Choose LiFePO4 Battery in PowerSmart Power-assisted Electric Bicycles? LiFePO4 Power Battery: The new generation power solution for Electric Vehicle-----a most advanced technology in the world ---the application tendency for lithium iron phosphate as cathode (LIFEPO4 technology).
Due to the shortage of fossil fuels and environmental concerns, we re convinced that the green energy industry and related industries will become the main stream in the coming 30-50 years. This causes a strong demand of rechargeable batteries.
Lithium iron phosphate cell has the best safety characteristics, long cycle life (up to 2000 cycles) and good availability. It is very suitable for high discharge rate occasions such as EV (including e-bike, electric scooter, and electric car), power tools, UPS and solar energy system.
Key Features and Advantages of LiFePO4 media
1. High Performance
2. Extremely Safe/Stable Chemistry High intrinsic safety, no explosion & will not catch fire under collision, over charged or short circuit. High thermal stability of phases up to 500C.
3. High Rate Capability For all high power output application
4. Extraordinary Long Cycle Life Best can up to 2000 cycle life, would be over 8 times life of Lead Acid and 3 times of NIMH.
5. Environmentally Non-toxic, non-contaminating No rare metal, UL, CE, SGS/RoHS approved. LiFePo4 technology does not contain any heavy metals and does not exhibit the "memory effect" of Nickel-Cadmium and Nickel-metal Hydride solutions.
6. Another key benefit of our LiFePo4 technology is its flexibility, both in terms of battery application and cell design. Small in size and light in weight 1/3 weight of Lead Acid and 65% weight of NIMH.
7. PowerSmart provides not only LiFePO4 battery pack, but also total solution which includes protect circuit module with balance charging function, BMS and specific charger.
COMPARISON CHART OF VARIOUS LITHIUM BASE BATTERIES
Electric Bike Knowledge - Share, Learn, Maximize Your Experience
Why Electric Bike?
- Deserve more fun and freedom.
- Want their own traffic "lane", convenient parking spots and shortcuts.
- Prefer their local errands to be easy, slow paced and scenic.
- Like to save money, meet new people, and protect the environment.
- Enjoy the feeling of riding a bicycle.