Aftermarket battery

[Donny]

I'm looking at these bikes and have read about the concerns regarding batteries. I know some of the other bikes I have looked at, people have simply replaced their OEM packs with another brand (like the ones they sell at Lunacycles, etc.). Has anyone already done this with a Dash and if so, what was involved?

Thanks

 

[Gbarb18]

I am interested in learning how to install an aftermarket battery as well. bump.

 

[Donny]

I am interested in learning how to install an aftermarket battery as well. bump.

I think the long term solution, assuming OEM packs are not available, is going to be just to replace the cells in the existing packs (significantly cheaper as well). I'm still curious though.

 

[Tara D.]

@gadgetguy was thinking of replacing their battery with an Allcell SE-4814 and shares their plan to do so here.

 

[gadgetguy]

I am also interested in replacing the frame mounted battery on my Izip Peak. I am seriously considering the 48v 13.5ah Dolphin from Luna Cycle. I noticed that the existing Izip battery has four wires attached and the third party batteries have two wires. I have experimented by attaching another 48v 12ah battery with two wires, ignoring the other two. I found that the motor ran but the lcd did not report battery condition. I only connected it very briefly. I suspect that the other two wires are associated with a portion of the lcd panel. I think the bike will run but I am not sure that the lcd will report correct information for remaining miles. I already have installed a Cycle Analyst on my bike so I am not too concerned about incorrect data from the existing Lcd. I currently have around 2,800 miles on my bike and the original battery still provides adequate performance. The new battery interests me because of the increased capacity 13.5ah vrs 8.7ah. I think the bike would be a lot more fun if I could ride in mode 4 and not have to worry about running out of juice after 10 or 12 miles. If anyone can shed any light on the other two wires connected to the battery I am sure we would all appreciate hearing from you.

 

[gadgetguy]

Last week I purchased a third party frame mounted battery (48v 13.5ah). Very pleased with the results. Even looks better than the original. Performance is much enhanced in all 4 assist levels and distance traveled greatly increased. I am getting more watts of power from the motor at all levels of assist. Traveled 37 miles and the battery still had 30% remaining. Did not figure out how to connect the other two wires, so I lost the battery meter on the lcd display and the distance to empty display. No big deal since I have a cycle analyst installed. A larger battery was a great investment! It put new life into this bike.

 

[Ann M.]

Just curious @gadetguy where did you source the battery and what price? Did you go with the Luna battery? I've got a number of customers looking to replace older IZip batteries and am always looking for good suppliers.

 

[EasyMotion Rider]

i would like to have an extra battery for my eflow nitro but i just cant justify pay oem price for it. the battery on this bike is in the frame under the seat not easy to replace. if i could find an old battery case i would have a battery built or possibly get a battery to add to the bike inside the frame or on the rack with a quick connector to connect to the existing battery. my wiring diagram is very vague and does not show all of the individual wires and connections just major cables, i am not good at electronics and find it intimidating to work with. i would like to find a competent ebike shop and have them do the work for me but this is hard to find. most shops just sell bikes and really dont like to work on them. i like your cycle analyst and will consider installing one someday i dont want to ruin anything working on it then i couldnt ride

 

[gadgetguy]

Just curious @gadetguy where did you source the battery and what price? Did you go with the Luna battery? I've got a number of customers looking to replace older IZip batteries and am always looking for good suppliers.

 

[gadgetguy]

I purchased the 13.5ah Carbon Shark Pack from Luna Cycle. I did not chose the high power option only the long range (+ $40). I also purchased the advanced charger (additional $80). Total cost without tax including shipping was $525. The only modification required was to drill an additional hole in the battery mounting bracket to secure the battery to the bike frame (purchased longer screws). Mounts in the same position as the existing Izip battery, has a smaller profile with no greater weight than the original battery. New battery only has black and red wires which I matched with black and red on bike. Ignored the other two wires which only control the battery charge indicator on the display and the miles to empty. New battery has an led light meter on the top and a usb port. I have a cycle analyst installed which I use to monitor the battery. The new battery is a substantial improvement over the original. It adds new life to the electric motor, lets you use level 3 0r 4 of the assist as you chose and greatly enhances the riding range of the bike. My only regret is that I did not replace the battery sooner!

 

[Nothlit]

I purchased the 13.5ah Carbon Shark Pack from Luna Cycle.

This pack seems fairly new, so there are not many other customer reviews of it that I have found online. I have seen one or two mentions that it can be a little tricky to ensure it is fully locked into the mounting bracket (i.e., you can turn the key and it can seem like it locked, but if you pull on the battery, or go over a bump, it can pop out). Have you noticed this? Would you consider it a problem, or just something to be aware of? I am considering this pack for a BBS02 kit build as the standard shark pack doesn't look like it would fit my frame without drilling additional holes, which I'd rather avoid (although you said you had to drill extra holes even for the carbon shark). I've been making cardboard cutouts based on the schematic images at Luna's web site to try to test out the fit before purchasing.

Also, Luna says the carbon shark has a physical on/off switch on the battery, but none of their pictures show it (the original shark didn't have a switch, which could cause problems with it shutting down due to sparks when connecting to the mounting bracket). Can you confirm where it's located?

 

[Cameron Newland]

I'm looking forward to trying this. I've got a 702Wh shark pack from Lunacycle that I'm using on a brand new full suspension mountain bike build, but I'd love to mount a shark pack mounting bracket on my E3 Dash so that I could use the shark pack on my Dash and get more range. It's too bad that you end up losing the ability to see your battery's state of charge. I'm wondering if there's some circuit on the Shark pack's BMS that could be connected to one of the other two wires (blue and white, I believe) which might provide the voltage status to the display.

 

[gadgetguy]

This pack seems fairly new, so there are not many other customer reviews of it that I have found online. I have seen one or two mentions that it can be a little tricky to ensure it is fully locked into the mounting bracket (i.e., you can turn the key and it can seem like it locked, but if you pull on the battery, or go over a bump, it can pop out). Have you noticed this? Would you consider it a problem, or just something to be aware of? I am considering this pack for a BBS02 kit build as the standard shark pack doesn't look like it would fit my frame without drilling additional holes, which I'd rather avoid (although you said you had to drill extra holes even for the carbon shark). I've been making cardboard cutouts based on the schematic images at Luna's web site to try to test out the fit before purchasing.

Also, Luna says the carbon shark has a physical on/off switch on the battery, but none of their pictures show it (the original shark didn't have a switch, which could cause problems with it shutting down due to sparks when connecting to the mounting bracket). Can you confirm where it's located?

You do need to confirm that the lock has engaged before you ride off. I did notice when I thought the battery was locked on it was not. That said, I have not had a problem with the battery falling off. I charge the battery on the bike, so I don't remove it very often. Two charging ports are available - one on the underside of the battery (next to on/ off switch) and one on the battery holder next to the usb port. In my opinion the on/off switch is in an inconvenient location since you have to unlock the battery from the holder to engage it. I don't turn the switch off, just leave it on all the time, I ride almost everyday so I don't think leaving it on matters. I do have a secondary switch between the battery and the motor but that is because I have a cycle analyst and that was the only was to turn it off without removing the battery. I drilled an extra hole in the battery holder since the existing ones did not line up with those on the bike (I did not drill any new holes in the bike frame). The battery holder metal is soft so drilling was not a problem. The battery is very securely mounted to the bike frame (bolted in three locations). I charge the battery using the port on the battery holder. I did notice sparks jumping every time I plugged the charging cord into the battery port on the battery holder (this was with the charger turned off). I next tried charging with 1st turning the charger on and then connecting to the battery port - no more sparks. Hope I have answered all your questions.

 

[gadgetguy]

I'm looking forward to trying this. I've got a 702Wh shark pack from Lunacycle that I'm using on a brand new full suspension mountain bike build, but I'd love to mount a shark pack mounting bracket on my E3 Dash so that I could use the shark pack on my Dash and get more range. It's too bad that you end up losing the ability to see your battery's state of charge. I'm wondering if there's some circuit on the Shark pack's BMS that could be connected to one of the other two wires (blue and white, I believe) which might provide the voltage status to the display.

There probably is away to connect it but I did not want to risk voiding what little warranty to find out. Also I would not want another two wires running out of the battery to deal with. Did you purchase a 52v pack? Better make sure the controller on the Dash can handle the 58+ volts when this battery is fully charged.

 

[claucXC]

@gadgetguy, thanks for being the guinea pig here! I have also been looking at options other than the OEM battery for my Izip E3 Peak. Other than the battery level and distance to empty not working on the display, is there anything else that doesn't work? i.e. odometer, speed, assist level indicators all work? Do the diagnostics and error codes work as well? If so, do the diagnostics for battery charge (codes 8 (%) and 9 (Ah)) work? I suspect not but was just wondering. Lastly, do all the sensors still work as before (torque, cadence and throttle)?

 

[gadgetguy]

Speed, odometer, trip odometer and pas 1-4 all work. The back light sensor on the lcd works at night. In place of the battery meter are two flashing cursers. Range does not work (reads 0). I have not tested the error codes but expect that 8 and 9 will not work since there is no input signal from the battery. Sensors work fine. If you can live without the battery meter you will love this battery! This battery should have been installed originally. When the battery is fully charged you will notice a more powerful motor in the lower pass levels. Its like you installed a higher wattage motor! The 13.5ah battery, installing a 46t chainring and upgrading the rear cassette (wore out the original) are the best improvement I have made on this bike. With 3180 miles I like the E3 Peak more than when it was new.

 

[claucXC]

You can use the meter on the top of the battery to get approximate charge levels, correct? If that's the case, I can definitely live without this info on the panel. Looks like my 2014 Peak is going to get a new lease on life!

 

[gadgetguy]

You can use the meter on the top of the battery to get approximate charge levels, correct? If that's the case, I can definitely live without this info on the panel. Looks like my 2014 Peak is going to get a new lease on life!

Yes, it has five led's.

 

[Dave Schlabowske]

This is a very helpful thread. I just had a 20 amp/hr LiPo pack built locally and wired the red and black wires into the harness on my Yuba Spicy Curry. The assist worked fine and the display was also missing the range and battery level as described above. After a week of using it, the motor stopped working and I got an error code E 1, which the tech rep from Acellna said was permanent motor failure. The controller is built into that motor I think, so it could have been that. I replaced the motor and things are working fine, but now I am worried that something I did with the aftermarket pack caused the failure. Gadget Guy, how long have you been running your aftermarket pack with your Izip?

 

[gadgetguy]

This is a very helpful thread. I just had a 20 amp/hr LiPo pack built locally and wired the red and black wires into the harness on my Yuba Spicy Curry. The assist worked fine and the display was also missing the range and battery level as described above. After a week of using it, the motor stopped working and I got an error code E 1, which the tech rep from Acellna said was permanent motor failure. The controller is built into that motor I think, so it could have been that. I replaced the motor and things are working fine, but now I am worried that something I did with the aftermarket pack caused the failure. Gadget Guy, how long have you been running your aftermarket pack with your Izip?

I purchased the frame mount battery about a month ago. It is 48v 13.5ah replacing a 48v 8.7ah frame battery. It works great, better than the original. You mentioned the amp/hrs what about the voltage? Some Izip products run on 36 volts. You might want to check the voltage of your old fully charged battery compared to the new one. Both my batteries were around 53 volts when fully charged + or - .5 volts.