Electric Bike with battery on a car bike rack.

[eliot3b4]

When I first purchased the Trek Super Commuter 7+ and read the manual and the associated Bosch manual, the advice was not to transport the ebike on a car battery rack with the battery installed on the bike. Made sense since the Trek Suer Commuter is very heavy to begin with.

I now own the Cannondale Super Neo 1 e bike (pure pleasure) and it is so much lighter than the Trek which was my only reason for getting the Cannondale.

QUESTION: Is it ok to transport the Cannondale with the battery still on the bike? I love the Cannondale, but taking the battery on and off is so very very difficult.

Any thoughts?

 

[Deleted member 18083]

Eliot …
I have never removed a battery in order to carry an ebike on my car rack. There have been no problems.
… David

 

[eliot3b4]

Thank you, David! I just wish these bikes were not so bloody heavy

 

[Tars Tarkas]

Weight is one issue. Safety is another. And just the cost of a lost battery if it manages to fall off unnoticed. The safety issue, I think, has to do with the possibility of an explosion if you're in a wreck. I suspect the odds of that happening are very low, so you can reasonably take your chances. Take my word for it! -- Guy on the internet.™

Make sure your rack is rated for the weight though. An extra 10lbs bouncing around on the back of a rack can be very significant.

TT

 

[eliot3b4]

Thanks! I think the battery weighs 6 pounds

 

[TomD]

I'd think if explosion was a concern (not that it is) you wouldn't want it in the car.

 

[PDoz]

I've had my bike turn itself on a few times - usually after a particularly wet and bumpy drive ( eg an alpine crossing on dirt roads)


Just imaging a throttle assist bike deciding to ride off the rack and causing a multiple vehicle accident. And then your insurance company reads the instructions about removing the battery.....

 

[Mr. Coffee]

I've had my bike turn itself on a few times - usually after a particularly wet and bumpy drive ( eg an alpine crossing on dirt roads)


Just imaging a throttle assist bike deciding to ride off the rack and causing a multiple vehicle accident. And then your insurance company reads the instructions about removing the battery.....

If it has a throttle, it is probably a hub drive bike. If it is a hub drive bike, there will be an easy way to disconnect the power cable to the motor (because you need to do that to fix a flat tire). Disconnect the power cable, wrap with plastic and tape (to make sure the connector does not get contaminated) and you'd be good to go.

If you are hauling the bike on a rack you should also wrap the display in a plastic bag (secure with rubber bands) as well.

 

[harryS]

I always take them off, as my bikes are near the weight limit of my Swagtron rack (35 pounds per bike). When rain is a consideration, plastic bags and rubber bands go around the throttle, display and any buttons on the handlebars. I don't think any of my batteries would survive a 12 hour drive in the raim. They have on/off switch and button to light the LED's.

It would be nice to have a full wrap bag for bikes on a hitch rack. I've seen one traveller with one. it was -5F on a salt encrusted I-57,, Our bikes were inside the minivan.

 

[tomjasz]

I always take them off,

I always take them off. Why subject a battery to that potential abuse? My decision is based on 4 years of selling batteries and customer support. MANY of the batteries, especially on budget bikes are a failure waiting to happen. Too many of the Hailong cased higher Ah batteries have the cells glued together to fit them in.

Luna battery.