Xpedition review.
- Thread starter sc00ter
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The quick release pedals that come on the Xpedition are a strong 8 out of 10. Very nice quality and easier to use that my perfect 10 pedals. I got quick release pedals for my 3.0 from Flat Bike for around $80. Welgo brand magnesium.
I suspect the ones on the Xpedition are either Welgo brand or MKS. They had a tad excess of slop when inserted for my taste. Plus, what if some idiot takes them while locked up outside! My perfect 10 Welgos...
I suspect the ones on the Xpedition are either Welgo brand or MKS. They had a tad excess of slop when inserted for my taste. Plus, what if some idiot takes them while locked up outside! My perfect 10 Welgos...
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Wife and I did our maiden voyage today. She really likes the extra room in the passenger area. I swapped over the whole 3.0 passenger kit onto the Xpedition. I'll get a picture up soon. It was not a straight forward swap but it's safe. I need some more back to back riding to feel the difference in power delivery but the Xpedition does have more overall power. I still don't understand what the new PWR cadence does different. More to follow.
I've had my XPedition for 3 weeks. Ordered with 2 batteries. Other than a couple of bad tubes (bad batch of Lectric tubes I guess - seam failures in 1st 10 miles) all is well. I only use mine in class 2 mode up to PAS 3. I did PAS 4 and 5 and was sailing down the road. My wife and I usually use our non-powered TREKs. If I ride the XPedition I usually don't get out of PAS1-2 as we are in our 70s and ride SLOW. I'm 73 and I'll use the XPedition mainly for trips shopping and just cruising around when the electric assist is welcome. We live near a bike path with access to shopping. I'll use the XPedition more and more in the future as needed. I don't drive my car much anymore because I'm close to everything I need and have many good bike paths. Have you tried the Class 3 setting? I may try this on our ride tomorrow when I have a nice long straightaway. Per some posts and info from other members on this forum I have ordered a motorcycle tire and tubes to try on the XPedition and will update with all the specifics when I swap tires. BTW (and maybe old news to you) - My first battery charge, as Lectric warned, took 7 hours - so don't give up and make sure you unplug when charged. I also ordered a second battery charger. I've over 50 miles on the bike in PAS 1-2 mostly and the display still shows a full charge. As I stated in other posts I have added a second headlight and taillight, a mirror and a rear bag/trunk. Also - changing the tubes were not as bad I I had thought - just take before pictures and go slow the 1st time. Sadly - I have e-mailed Lectric 3 times about the tubes and have so far received no replies. I may call them next week. I do enjoy the XPedition and think I made a great choice.
I stay in PAS 2 most of the time, PAS 3 when I wanna live dangerously! The Xpedition is quick as delivered! I have no urge (yet) to unlock it. My XP 3.0 is unlocked and I've never seen anything over 24mph. I'll look into the motorcycle tire as well. My wife says "You know how much rolling mass a motorcycle tire will add?" and I agree, but I hate flats. Post a detailed review of the motorcycle tire when you get it.
I agree about the added weight of a motorcycle tire. I was going to try the Shinko SR241 but opted for a Pirelli Scooter Tire. The Pirelli looks like it will fit and, from my research, is lighter than the Shinko. I'll weigh both the original and the Pirelli and update on the weight and take some pics and report. Sic Puppy has some great info on tires and suggested the Shinko. If the Pirelli doesn't work out I'll follow Sic Puppy's advice as he obviously has a ton more experience than me. The Pirelli should arrive in a week and will try a mount on the front wheel first. I believe the power of the XPedition will be adequate for the new tires and I normally will not need to lift the bike into a vehicle for transport. The experiment should be fun anyway. I'll keep the original tires for backups if needed.
Just got the Pirelli scooter tire mounted on the front of my XPedition - here's a pic. Looks like it's around 3.5 lbs heavier than the original but it's soooo much more substantial. Took it for a quick ride today (around 10 miles) and I can't tell any difference in the ride. The tire was tough to mount and I resorted to using the old tie-wrap method (but around the rim AND tire/tube) to secure the last of the mounting as I worked the tire levers around the rim. The Pirelli is much less flexible that the original Lectric tire. I used the motorcycle "double-tough" tubes (3-3.5in) from RevZilla and have 30 lbs in the new tire. Remember the tubes must have a TR6 valve stem (thanks Sic Puppy) to fit the Xpedition's rims. It performed flawlessly on my test ride, runs straight and true with no wobble or surprises and looks like it will last a good long, long time - corners well also. Keep in mind I'm 73 and slow and I don't push my rides like I used to. I kept my speeds under 20 MPH and usually around 10-15. I'm sure it's possible but I can't imagine the Pirelli getting a flat unless I really load the thing down and hit a really sharp object. No front fork or fender modifications were needed. When mounting the completed tire it was tight getting it past the brake caliper but just needed a slight nudge to clear it. As a side note - per Sic Puppy, I also ordered a Shinko 241 which I just received and will mount on the rear tire just to see how it mounts and fits. The Shinko is more flexible than the Pirelli and the Shinko's tire rim is narrower and should be easier to mount. I imagine I'll eventually go all Pirelli or all Shinko eventually. There are, I'm sure, other tires that may also work. I like how the Xpedition fender mounting points have some slack to, I assume, allow the installation of slightly larger/sized tires. I followed no special tire-mount procedures so have no special directions to post. I'm not a very skilled bike person but can watch YouTube and follow directions. Try this new tire - I think you'll like it. Again - the Pirelli is hard but not impossible to mount, at least it was for me. Stick with it and be patient and make sure you have some big thick tie-wraps in case you need them. I'm not sure I could have completed the mount without the tie-wraps assist - at least it made the procedure easier. I'll post more info after I mount the Shinko on the rear rim and take for a test ride - I wonder what the ride will be like with a mix of tires? I wouldn't try it on a motorcycle but may be fine on the Xpedition. Again, thanks to Sic Puppy for all his tips and directions.
Here's the Pirelli on the XPedition.
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On motorcycles and scooters we set the tire that's being mounted in the sun for awhile before wrestling it on. The sun makes it slightly softer when warm. Another trick is P-80 Rubber Emulsifier. Most motorcycle supply shops like Cycle Gear sell something very similar. I've had some difficult tires, even with my cheats!
My friend would say "If you didn't bleed during install you did something wrong!"
My friend would say "If you didn't bleed during install you did something wrong!"
Amen to sitting in the sun. It was 94 in Dallas Friday and I left that sucker in the sun for about an hour and yes, I did bleed - several times. Also came up with some colorful language
. I'm hoping I won't have to fix any flats (or failed valve stems) on this thing (Ha, just jinxed myself), but if I do, I'll pick up the emulsifier you mentioned and additional tools I saw on a YouTube piece. The last motorcycle tire I replaced was almost 20 years ago on an old Honda V65 and I swore I would NEVER - ever again change a motorcycle tire. I'll change the XPedition's rear tire tomorrow but with what I know now, it should be much easier. I still mostly ride my non-powered TREK with my wife and grown kidos so end up changing bicycle tires often. Installing a motorcycle tire on the XPedition isn't really that hard.Do any of you have that one bike shop you don't like going into? I do. I just get a bad vibe walking in the door. This bike shop also happens to be a Specialized dealer and the Globe Haul line always supports those MIK adapter plates. I figured I could just run in and grab a MIK plate to experiment with. This shop had both a Globe ST and LT on the floor but never has them listed as in-stock on their website. I already have my Xpedition and after seeing the Globe in person, all be it very briefly, I have no regrets going with the Xpedition.
Quick story about my MIK search. So this shop didn't have any in-stock. They can order it, well so can I. But they wanted me to bring the XP 3.0 in so their mechanics can assess if the MIK plate will work on the XP. Get out of here, its a sub $25 gamble. If it fits, great. If not, I'll find someone who will want it for free. As I walked out empty handed and got back in the car (my wife waited in the car because her hip was hurting) she says "Sucker! You knew this was a dead end lead!" and she was right. So I now have 2 bicycle shops I avoid. The dark and creepy Aleister Crowley shop and the one I shouldn't have wasted my time going into in the first place.
Quick story about my MIK search. So this shop didn't have any in-stock. They can order it, well so can I. But they wanted me to bring the XP 3.0 in so their mechanics can assess if the MIK plate will work on the XP. Get out of here, its a sub $25 gamble. If it fits, great. If not, I'll find someone who will want it for free. As I walked out empty handed and got back in the car (my wife waited in the car because her hip was hurting) she says "Sucker! You knew this was a dead end lead!" and she was right. So I now have 2 bicycle shops I avoid. The dark and creepy Aleister Crowley shop and the one I shouldn't have wasted my time going into in the first place.
m@Robertson
Well-Known Member
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- USA
On the difficulty of getting the oversized tire on the bike: Try putting the assembled wheel on the bike with the tire largely deflated. Inflate after you get the thing on. Thats what I do with fat tires and it works a treat. This includes the rear wheel that can have issues getting past the speed sensor.
Just finished installing the Pirelli motorcycle tire on the rear XPedition wheel (now it has a Pirelli on BOTH the front wheel and rear) and took it for a ride today, around 20 miles, on some bike trails (not off-road). While the tires are heavier, around 3-4lbs per tire, they performed very well. The ride was smooth, and handling was great. Remember - I'm an old guy and I never ran the XPedition higher than PAS-3 and usually ran the course at PAS-2 (and occasionally PAS-1). I no longer push my limits or the bike's limits. My son and wife were with me on separate non-electric bikes. I let my 30 yrd old son ride it for a while and he seemed to love it. Although I never hit any holes or really rough trail, the bike was at least as smooth as with the original factory tires. I'm running the tires at around 27 lbs. Why 27? That was where I set them when first mounted and it seemed to be a good smooth setting. Looks like only the middle 1 inch of the tire comes in contact with the path on a straightaway so they look like that's where I'll leave them for now. I'll will continue to mostly ride my non-powered TREK and will use the XPedition for shopping and hauling stuff - for example, the lake we ride has a bunch of geese and ducks we feed on occasion and the XPedition hauled a 50lb sack of cracked corn easily. Our bike trails take me right by several local shopping centers so that's handy. I have 50 miles on the batteries since fully charged and have around 60% power remaining. I'm using the double-tough tubes with a TR-6 stem. Let me know if anyone has questions and I try to answer. I posted a pic of the front tire in an earlier post. I'll post updates as needed. Also, no rear-fender mods were needed. The tire/wheel, after mounted, was easy to install on the frame.
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I'm using the 90/80 16 Pirelli Scooter tire. These are very stiff but sturdy. I also have a Shinko 241 I might try later which is more of a knobby but was told (member sicpuppy) it's smooth and it's more pliable than the Pirelli. There are other's out there such as - see below. Make sure you order the tires with the TR-6 valve stem and of course a rim diameter of 16. SicPuppy has some good tire info. So far I'm real happy with the Pirellis - but, they were hard to install. I'm not an expert tire installer and a more experienced person may not find them as difficult to install as I did.
Pirelli Angel Scooter Tires - Cycle Gear
The Pirelli Angel Scooter Tires feature an innovative tread pattern over a stiffer carcass to offer a high degree of comfort. The new rubber compound …
www.cyclegear.com
Shinko SR 714 Moped Tires | 24% ($15.39) Off! - RevZilla
Save 24% ($15.39) today when you shop RevZilla for your Shinko SR 714 Moped Tires! Free Shipping on Orders Over $49.99, Lowest Price Guaranteed & Top of the Line Expert Service.
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Heidenau K63 Scooter Tires - Cycle Gear
A reliable touring tire, designed for high mileage and excellent performance. Shop Cycle Gear for our 30-day best price guarantee & 90-day hassle free returns.
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Update on the Pirelli tires. I checked both tire's air yesterday for the first time in 3 weeks and found NO air in the rear tire which I found to be caused by a loose valve stem core. The tire looked and "felt" like it still had air. Tightened the valve stem core and problem solved (also checked the front tire's core and was OK). Here's the interesting thing - the valve leak was huge and lost all air in a matter of minutes which means it appeared I had put nearly 10-20 miles on the rear Pirelli scooter tire without knowing I had a no air in the rear tire. I believe this was because the Pirelli tire is so stiff it held its shape even without air. Which means with the Pirelli tires, even if you do get a flat, you can make it home and fix the issue there rather than on the side of a bike trail. Cool...!!! Lastly - the new Pirelli tires are still performing well and afford a smooth ride even though they are stiff.
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