Battery protection

[Dick Shultz]

Just got my Prodeco 500 v4 a few days ago. It arrived with a 48v 12ah battery, which I'm thrilled about. The bike itself is awesome; 500 watt rear hub motor, 9-speed gear set, the aforementioned 48volt 12AH battery, and hydraulic disc brakes that are amazing.
I do have one major concern though. The kickstand is on the flimsy side, and the bike could easily fall over, possibly damaging the battery case. A new battery is $780.00 so it needs to be better protected. I'm sure this is a common problem - does anyone have any suggestions?

 

[J.R.]

Hey Dick,
The kickstand is a concern! Prior to purchasing a Prodeco e-bike I had read many reviews, many complementing the Prodeco center stand. But a few had stated concerns for it, and one review stated that the battery case had cracked wide open when the bike went crashing to the pavement. I had thought at the time, that would never happen to me!
Well... I had the bike less than 24 hours, breezy day, put the bike in the driveway and went to lock the garage door (took all of two seconds) and it went down! Fortunately it fell onto a grassy hill. Only fell over a few degrees, bike was safe just a scratched pedal. The bloom is off the rose, I don't have to worry about the next scratch now. But the question remained; how do I prevent this from happening again?
A hard target search found few good options. But I didn't want to always be forced to find a good place to lean the bike, although it is the best and most secure option. It is not a foreign concept in cycling to lean or lay down bikes costing far more than these e-bikes. Competitive cyclists prefer it to mounting a heavy stand that often times will not work. But still for this bike I expect there will be times I will want a stand. For those times I chose to purchase the Pletscher ESGE Double Leg Center Kickstand. You can find it on Amazon, it is available in black or silver. I will be mounting it later this week and will let you know how it works. No matter I will still always try to find a soft grassy spot to lay the bike down, a secure spot to lean it or a place to lock it to.
Good luck!
Be aware, ride safe - JR

 

[J.R.]

Stand

 

[Dick Shultz]

Thanks for the reply. Is your bike a 20 inch Mariner? I can't find a double stand that's short enough to fit a 20.

 

[Dick Shultz]

OK, after checking out the Pletscher stand it looks like it will fit my bike. That both legs fold onto the same side, and that I can cut it to fit for length should make it a good fit. I ordered the rubber feet too (had Amazon points to burn since I bought the bike with them.)

 

[J.R.]

Hey Dick,
No, I have the X3. And you have it with your second response, the stand can be easily cut with a hacksaw. Just be careful... measure twice, cut once. As for the rubber feet; I did read a few reviews stating the rubber feet didn't work out as well as hoped for. If they work, bonus! If not, worth a try for a couple bucks or points in your case.
Good riding, or parking!
JR

 

[Dick Shultz]

Hey Dick,
No, I have the X3. And you have it with your second response, the stand can be easily cut with a hacksaw. Just be careful... measure twice, cut once. As for the rubber feet; I did read a few reviews stating the rubber feet didn't work out as well as hoped for. If they work, bonus! If not, worth a try for a couple bucks or points in your case.
Good riding, or parking!
JR

 

[Dick Shultz]

View attachment 1864 View attachment 1865

I'm so bad at posting but anyway - the Pletcher stand is great. Had to cut it down to around 250mm but it fits ferfectly and the front wheel is 1/2 inch off the ground. It's very sturdy and easy to use.

 

[Dick Shultz]

In the pic it looks like the stand folds very close to the rear tire - it actually has about an inch of clearance.

 

[J.R.]

In the pic it looks like the stand folds very close to the rear tire - it actually has about an inch of clearance.

Dick,

Glad the stand worked good for you. On the X3, the stand (350 mm) did not have to be cut at all. I gained more than 2 inches of ground clearance and the stance, while the stand is down is also greater than 2 inches. The bike is steady as a rock! While up, the stand tucks neatly under the chain-stay. It could not have worked any better for the X3, worth every penny.

Shame that Prodeco didn't put better stands on their bikes in the first place. I plan on doing a review soon of the accessories I've added to the bike, with comment on what Prodeco should have done better.

JR