2016 Voltbike Mariner - My Honest Review

I WANTA RIDE!:D

Just want to ride my Mariner all day!:)

48V 20ah Silver Fish style batteries, having high quality cells, appear to be multiplying :cool:.
48V 17ah Silver Fish style battery on Amazon.o_O

Battery Dimensions:
Height: 390mm
Width: 76mm
Depth: 110mm

Come on @Voltbike o_O Make it So!:)


Are these battery definitely compatible with the Mariner? Since my Mariners expected to arrive by the end of this week and I have no experience with it thus far,if i am using moderate levels of PAS with occasional moderate hills (nothing too crazy). How long will the mariner included battery last in terms of total distance traveled averaging 12-15 MPH, of course leaving a bit of charge left at the end of the ride so I dont end up walking the bike home the last 5 miles.
Are there currently GOOD HIGH QUALITY cell 48 Volt 20 AH battery that are currently available that would be compatible. I don't recognize the brand name of the one mentioned, and I would be hesitant to purchase. I sure hope Volt offers this choice in the very near future both as something you substitute for there current battery they offer when purchasing their bikes and also in accessories for people that already own one of their bikes.
COME ON VOLT....THIS IS A NO BRAINER option!
 
Are these battery definitely compatible with the Mariner? Since my Mariners expected to arrive by the end of this week and I have no experience with it thus far,if i am using moderate levels of PAS with occasional moderate hills (nothing too crazy). How long will the mariner included battery last in terms of total distance traveled averaging 12-15 MPH, of course leaving a bit of charge left at the end of the ride so I dont end up walking the bike home the last 5 miles.
Are there currently GOOD HIGH QUALITY cell 48 Volt 20 AH battery that are currently available that would be compatible. I don't recognize the brand name of the one mentioned, and I would be hesitant to purchase. I sure hope Volt offers this choice in the very near future both as something you substitute for there current battery they offer when purchasing their bikes and also in accessories for people that already own one of their bikes.
COME ON VOLT....THIS IS A NO BRAINER option!

Your Actual Milage May Vary ;)

The distance that the bike can traverse depends on a number of factors. :confused:
Such as terrain, overall weight of the bike, tyre inflation pressure et al.
Generally, a 48V 10ah battery will render approximately 20 t0 24 mile range.

A number of ebike manufacturers are now offering multiple battery options.
Enabling the bikes to be ridden farther. :)

Greater range is now a thing. :D

@Voltbike battery "trade-up" program would be nice. :D
 
A 48v 20Ah battery will likely cost almost twice as much as a 48v 10Ah battery, so the benefit is not cost savings, but convenience of not having to carry a spare battery.

You could buy two 48v 10Ah batteries (to double your distance) and bring the spare only on long trips.

Better yet, since the price of the battery alone is already around 40% of a complete bike, you could justify buying another bike for a family member, and "borrow" their battery when not riding together.

For example, the 48V 10Ah battery for the Yukon 500 is listed for US$550 today. I would estimate that a brand new 48V 20Ah version (if available) will cost around US$1,000. For US$350 more, you could buy an entire new Yukon 500 (US$1,350) with the battery included!

Also, the smaller 10Ah batteries will be lighter. If your routine includes a stopover (like the office), simply keep the extra battery in the office to swap to double you distance.
 
A 48v 20Ah battery will likely cost almost twice as much as a 48v 10Ah battery, so the benefit is not cost savings, but convenience of not having to carry a spare battery.

You could buy two 48v 10Ah batteries (to double your distance) and bring the spare only on long trips.

Better yet, since the price of the battery alone is already around 40% of a complete bike, you could justify buying another bike for a family member, and "borrow" their battery when not riding together.

For example, the 48V 10Ah battery for the Yukon 500 is listed for US$550 today. I would estimate that a brand new 48V 20Ah version (if available) will cost around US$1,000. For US$350 more, you could buy an entire new Yukon 500 (US$1,350) with the battery included!

Also, the smaller 10Ah batteries will be lighter. If your routine includes a stopover (like the office), simply keep the extra battery in the office to swap to double you distance.

Impractical :eek:

Carrying a 2nd battery - @Voltbike suggested the very same to me - isn't realistic (which I explained to George).o_O
• A 48V 20ah battery is believed to deliver approximately 100km/62 mile range!:D
• It won't have to charged as often that may increase its life.
• I could be wrong, but I assume that if the battery is purchased in quantity the battery won't cost that much more: (Link Removed - No Longer Exists), and Example 2.

It's inevitable for battery tech to improve resulting in more power and greater range.
 
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Would a 20ah battery from say a radmini be a direct swap?

The Radmini's battery connection plug arrangement and number - male plugs between the motor controller cover plate inserts into female battery bottom - might have a different. As I don't know anyone with a Radmini, I'm unable to compare batteries. I can not answer your question.:( Sorry.
 
Is there a queue for this now on the Volt site or are you just saying you'd be the first to buy?:) Or.. did you buy from this other site you linked (TLH BATTERY)?

I could find no reference to the Radmini's being sold with a 20 ah battery only the same 10 ah.. I emailed RadMini and they said they had no intention of stocking 20 ah silverfish. The replacement silverfish battery you could purchase also would not come with any kind of warranty... (yikers). Any info on how many cycles one could expect out of the 20 ah vs. the 10 ah?

What happened the 52V idea? :D
 
Is there a queue for this now on the Volt site or are you just saying you'd be the first to buy?:) Or.. did you buy from this other site you linked (TLH BATTERY)?

I could find no reference to the Radmini's being sold with a 20 ah battery only the same 10 ah.. I emailed RadMini and they said they had no intention of stocking 20 ah silverfish. The replacement silverfish battery you could purchase also would not come with any kind of warranty... (yikers). Any info on how many cycles one could expect out of the 20 ah vs. the 10 ah?

What happened the 52V idea? :D

48V 20ah silverfish battery @Voltbike queue: "Just my imagination running away from me. :rolleyes:" "If you dream it, It will come. :D" I'll wait and see what @Voltbike comes up with for now.o_O
• 52V 20ah silverfish battery: I'd emailed LUNACYCLE on that subject some time ago. Lunacycle did reply to my query. Their response was that, there needed to be more interest, so NOT :eek: at this time.

Maybe @Voltbike can reach out to Lunacycle about suppling high output batteries for their ebikes?
52V battery option would be pretty awesome! ;)
 
Maybe we could get a list of interested folk.. I am pretty sure the RadMini has the same battery/connectors so between both there could be enough? Of course if the cost isn't insane.
 
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Santa, All I want...

After watching the Haibike XDURO Urban S RX Review I wish for just two upgrades for my beloved Mariner/eMoto:
• More WHOOSH! It's such an exhilarating ebike because of how quickly it accelerates, however it's let down by its 20mph speed cap.:(
• Greater RANGE! The bike is very capable and comfortable to ride. It can be ridden long periods without becoming fatigued. However, only getting around 20 miles needs to be improved upon.o_O
IMHO;)


voltbike 20inch.jpg
 
KNOG OI Bicycle Bell Review

As I mentioned in my review of my eMoto/Voltbike Mariner, the original equipment, combo bell/compass, cracked and fractured.:eek: Searching Amazon I found Crane Riten Bell. Beautifully crafted bell. Made of brass, its sound was exquisite ringing clear and loud. However, the round shaped bell took up much of the space on the Mariner's handlebar.:confused: Around the same time, I happened upon a Kickstarter campaign for a bell designed just for bicycles.o_O The bicycle component manufacturer - KNOG - seemed to have put a thought in the design of their bell. I was soo compelled as to order a pair for both the Mariner and my single speed. Knog emailed updates as the bell's progress. After many months the nicely package bells has arrived! :)

The Good:
• Available in 4 finishes: Black, Cooper, Silver and Brass
• Fits various diameter - ROUND - handlebars: LARGE 23.8 mm to 31.8 mm, SMALL 22.2 mm bars
• Both their tones are very good
• Large bell's volume being louder
• Designed to capture cables
• Seem well made

The Bad:
• None so far:D

View attachment 11180 View attachment 11183 View attachment 11186 View attachment 11189 View attachment 11192 View attachment 11195

@Voltbike alerted me the bell will be included on their bikes! From @Voltbike "I also did like the bell you showed me last time, and now we add this bell to all our bike standard." Wooohoo!:)
 
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Nice pics.
My Mariner doesnt say "Mariner".

Have you done anything to avoid slush/snow getting directly at the controller housing?
 
Nice pics.
My Mariner doesnt say "Mariner".

Have you done anything to avoid slush/snow getting directly at the controller housing?

I believe Court posted a YouTube Video on ebike maintenance that mentioned riding in wet conditions. My understanding is that the bike's motor and its controller can not be submerged in water. The Mariner's motor controller housing does have a water drain hole.

I once rode through water that was deep enough submerge a portion of both the tire and rim. The bike's rims are extruded aluminum. Some water must have gotten in between the spoke nibbles into the rim's cavity. Now trapped, every day for about a month I wiped dried evaporated water from the spoke nibbles. Good thing they're stainless and/or plated.
 
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Mariner Down :( | Update: Back up! :)

One day this week when I attempted to start my beloved Mariner it refused to come to life! :eek:
The bike was ridden the day before and its battery had been charged that night so I was puzzled as to why it didn't turn on.
On occasions, the bike was difficult to start, perhaps that was an indication that there was an issue?
I tried a couple of things, even connecting the old LCD Display (read my review of the Mariner).
Nothing seem to work.o_O
Desperate, I reached out to, emailing @Voltbike.
Enter George, his thinking was that it could either be the bike's battery or LCD display.
He asked that I check the battery's voltage. He said that it should read 48V.
After a dash to the auto parts store to purchase a digital voltmeter, upon checking the battery, it returned a value of 54V. (54 Volts??:confused:)
That would rule out the battery leaving the display that I already had connected earlier.
Once more I connected the old LCD display, THIS TIME IT WORKED!:)
Yet another replacement display was mailed out, I received today.
The bike is working again.
Thank you George! :D

About my 54V battery, has anyone checked their battery's voltage?o_O
So I wanted to purchase a 52V battery?:confused:
Why have only 52 volts when you can have 54?:D
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