WebMaster Note: I have just begun collecting all the information necessary to build this FAQ page.  I hope to have it finished by the summer of 2009.  Thanks,  JY

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Table of Contents

General Product Information

Where are these products made?

All of the scooters and bikes, as well as parts and accessories, are made in China, but the two main suppliers we use for scooters and bikes both have representatives there, or are there to inspect production.  What we sell is NOT just what the Chinese dump on the American market to eager importers here looking to make a fortune on cheap scooters that will not hold up over time.  Our products are made for us (the American Consumer), under supervision of Currie Technologies or Dart Electrics, by our most industrious friends overseas.
 

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How available are parts?

Generally parts are readily available.  Only had problems with the cheap junkie scooters where they used ever changing parts depending on what was on sale from their suppliers no doubt.  Currie has rarely, if ever, failed to provide us with parts in a timely manner, whether for stock or for end user.

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What is Peddle First?

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What is Peddle Assist?

All electric bikes are in essence Peddle Assist (PA).  If you want to peddle and see the glass full and you assisting the motor, that's one, but two is seeing the glass half empty and the motor is assisting your peddling.  Most of the Currie Izip bike have a switch that allow you to choose to be in "peddle assist" mode or "instant start" Mode.  In older peddle assist bikes there were no throttles and thus no variation in the amount of the assist.

All, or almost all, modern Peddle Assist bikes have a throttle, but unlike Instant Start controllers, the Peddle Assist controller (or PA mode if dual mode) will only function when you are actively peddling.  This will happen at any speed, usually, unlike the PF controllers, but will only work when you are actively peddling.  So if you hurt your foot or you knee, you will not be able to use your electric bike unless you bite the bullet and peddle in spite of your injury.  Unfortunately the Currie Ni-MH and Li-Ion powered bikes (made in the factory with these battery technologies pre-installed) use only a Peddle Assist controller.  We therefore suggest to those who want the flexibility of IS, to buy the bikes made with the standard SLA batteries and replace them now or later with the other battery technologies.

Peddle Assist is not to be confused with Peddle First.  This is, in the writer's opinion, a reduction in flexibility of the vehicle with almost no savings over the Instant Start (IS).  With IS you have the choice of the motor assisting, doing nothing, or assisting to variable degrees.  With PF or PA that choice is taken from you (and any future owner of the vehicle, and thus affecting resale value).

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What is Instant Start?

Instant Start (IS) controllers are just what they say they are.  They will start working at any time.  Period.

If you want to use your bike or scooter with IS controller to get exercise, you don't have to use the motor if you don't want to. 

If you want to use your IS controlled bike or scooter to provide Peddle Assist, then only use as much of the throttle as you need to get the amount of assist you want. 

The IS controller is the most flexible, and practical of the controllers, though it does cost more than either the PF or the PA controller.  If you are unable to peddle for any reason, the IS controller is the ONLY controller that is hit the throttle and go.  If you want more capabilities from your electric vehicle, don't be sorry, get an IS controller in it.

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What is a Controller?

The Controller is the "brains" of the system.  It translates signals from the throttle (and/or other sensors) and determines the power output to the motor many times per second.  This output is sent in pulses rather than a continuous stream of power, and with the Brushless Motors, which have feedback sensors in the motor, the controller calculates whether a pulse is needed or not - rather like the difference between mechanical timing and electronic timing - and if it decides that a pulse is not needed, results in increased efficiency because those pulses that don't get sent add up and save your batteries charge so you can get more miles out of the same battery pack (see also Brushed/Brushless Motors).

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Chargers & Charging

What kind of rechargeable batteries comes with my Bike/Scooter?

SLA batteries and charger.  BUT the system doesn't care where the electrons come from.  Any bike or scooter can be switched over to Ni-MH (and charger) or Li-Ion (and charger) at any time.  Just replace the batteries with equal voltage, and a matching charger.  DO NOT attempt to increase voltage, though you can increase the AH somewhat for longer cruising time.
 

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Does my product come with a "smart" charger?

Yes, all products currently sold by Scoot On This! LLC comes with a "smart" charger.  A smart charger has a feedback sensor that "knows" when the battery is getting full and will drop off the charging when the battery is full.  The chargers will drop off in three stages as it nears completion, similar in fasion to how your toilet will gradually stop the flow of water as the tank gets full.

IF YOU DON'T SEE THE CHARGER LIGHT GO GREEN AFTER 6-8 HOURS - UNPLUG IT AT ONCE AND CALL ME!! If a "smart" charger goes "dumb" it will force more electrons into the battery pack and they will swell up like balloons and completely trash your batteries.
 

Chargers are specific to the battery technology and cannot be interchanged.  An SLA charger will NOT work with a Li-Ion battery, or a Ni-MH battery with an SLA charger, etc.

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Should I unplug my charger when it's done, or can I leave it in... ?

In a nutshell: yes, you should, and yes, you can, BUT we do not recommend it.  Here is why:

Batteries have a short break-in period. After four or five charges, you should notice a slight increase in performance.  Once the light goes green, or solid green depending on the charger, you can leave it plugged in with out hurting anything (if the charger is working properly, see above), but I tell people to unplug them when done to prevent any potential fire hazard; as we should do with any transformer or power supply when not in use, like answering machines, printers, etc., but of course nobody does.  See also: http://scootonthis.com/tipscare.html for more on caring for your new LEV.

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How Often should I charge?

After every use.  If you have standard SLA batteries, you want to keep them always topped off.  The memory effect business was with the Nickel Cadmium technology, and nobody uses them for our purposes anymore.  If you 

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How do I maintain my batteries for longest life?

With any battery except for Ni-Cd (Nickel Cadmium) you want to keep them topped off at all times!  If you are having range issues then it may be that only one of the two, three, or four batteries in your pack (SLAs) or D or F cells in your Pack (Li-Ion, Ni-MH) has sustained damage of some kind.

Remember: the pack of batteries is only as good as the weakest one. It completes a circuit through all batteries an its way and if one is broken, then it impairs the flow through all of them.
 

Keeping your batteries "topped off" is the best way to assure long life in your batteries.  Most damage to batteries comes from impact, so we do not recommend jumping curbs or doing stunts with your scooter or bike!  Go easy and your batteries will last for years with literally zero maintenance other than charging.  You never have to put anything in them, like water, or lube them or anything!  These batteries (SLA, Ni-MH, or Lithium) can be safely stored in any angle or position; even upside down for storing your vehicle in tight spaces.

For more discussion of Battery Maintenance and Care, Please refer to our Tips and Care page, regarding Batteries.

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How do I test my batteries?

The battery pack (and the batteries inside) is able to endure a great amount of normal riding, bumping, potholes, and jars, but with traditional SLA batteries, impacts remain the number one cause of damaged batteries! This is why the warranty on batteries is the shortest; usually only 30 days, and even then only covers manufacturer defects, and it's easy to tell when an internal plate is cracked or otherwise damaged by impact (or short circuiting, of course), or was never working to begin with. So ride with care, and DO NOT jump curbs or attempt to perform "tricks" using an electric bike or scooter! With normal pleasure or commute riding, your SLA batteries should hold up for several years - assuming constant charging and top-off charging is also occurring.

A normal multi-meter will NOT test for internal damage to the batteries.  For that you need a load tester, and they are cheap.  They are made primarily for car batteries, but will work on any 12V battery.  So you will have to disconnect each one before you begin testing with a load tester (see also: My batteries are soldered in place!)  Your multi-meter will tell you that you may have a full 13.5 or 14 volts, but if there is internal damage, that voltage will be hampered from flowing properly.  What the load tester does is to simulate working conditions wherein the proof of the pudding is revealed.  This is accomplished by running the current through a coil (a heater coil and so be careful, the tester does get hot while being used!) and drain off power as your motor normally would do.  The load tester has a gage which will tell you what your voltage is (nominal and during load test) and has an easy to read set of resultant areas that assure your battery, even if it's weak, is still viable. 

Because the testers are make for larger batteries, you have to take the scale reduction into account, so it may be in the very bottom of the green area, that is all it's going to show for our 10 or 12 Amp Hour (Ah) batteries.  It's a good idea to test your batteries under load when  you first get them so you know what the normal, healthy reading is for your particular batteries.

It is a good idea to test your batteries FIRST before tearing into the electronics or motor looking for problems or need to do some troubleshooting.  Generally when you loose power suddenly, and there is no smoke or smell, it's because a connector somewhere on the batteries or elsewhere in the system has become jarred loose.

Testing a pack of batteries without a load tester is not recommended - you will be ticked off when you thought you ruled them out hours ago!  If, however, all you have is a multi-meter, you can still look for anomalies such as one battery have a different voltage reading, even if it appears slight - it's a signal to be concerned since the batteries should be working equally as a team.  If one is out of step with the others, you can suspect internal damage and seek out a load test to confirm.

• Testing the batteries requires a Load Tester, which simulates a working load on the batteries.  This is the ONLY way to tell if your batteries have internal damage or not.  A voltage meter is not enough.  The meter may give you a full reading of 13 plus voltage, but if there is some internal damage to the battery, such as a damaged or cracked plate, the batteries will not be able to produce enough amperage to get the scooter or bike moving. And believe me, this one is absolutely essential because you can spend hours swearing up and down that there is nothing wrong with the batteries and that you have a full charge, but without this device you can be fooled into thinking so and spend a lot of time and money when the problem was in fact to your batteries all along.  A battery load tester is available here, or at any automotive supply store.  They are designed for car batteries primarily, but can be used on our sealed lead acid batteries as well.  (just keep in mind that the values on the needle gauge,  or whatever readout it uses, will show at the bottom of the green or "good" value , but should still be well above the line indicating "bad".  These are smaller cranking amp than a car battery.

The load tester is designed for a single twelve volt battery so it will be necessary to check each battery individually; although if the battery's connections are soldered, it is not necessary to un-solder them in order to test them.  

When you perform the load test if the gage goes immediately into the red or "bad" area, there is internal damage to the battery and it must be discarded - even if a regular voltage meter shows it to have a full charge in terms of Voltage potential.  Trust the load tester.  If it says it's bad, throw it out.  See Also: Replacing Cells in a Pack

The meter (on the load tester or on your multi-meter) should read an equal charge in all batteries in the pack.  Remember, they are working as a team.  If one battery is less than the others by more than a voltage point, it is a suspect battery.  The Load Tester will also usually indicate the voltage, but additionally it will pass current through a resistive coil (a heater basically) to simulate a working load.  This is where internal damage can be detected, and the meter will go right to the "bad" zone if there is damage.  THIS IS THE ONLY SURE WAY TO RULE OUT BATTERY RELATED ISSUES.  You've been warned.

Good healthy batteries should easily stay in the green in the load test, have equal voltage during normal use, and have a normal operating charge, as individual or in packs about

12V = 13.5+ volts when charged

24V = 26+ volts when charged

36V = 39+ volts when charged

48V = 53+ volts when charged

For more discussion of Battery Maintenance and Care, Please refer to our Tips and Care page, regarding Batteries.

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My batteries appear swollen, what's up?

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My batteries are soldered in place!

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Can I Change Battery Technology?

Yes, you can.  Most LEVs come with standard SLA batteries because they are cost effective for the manufacturer, who is in the LEV business not the battery business after all. 

Converting to alternative battery technology is simply a matter of obtaining the pack and charger of the new battery type, then mounting the pack to you bike in a convenient place (or fit into your hard-shell case if possible), and then connect up the wires to the leads (or somewhere along the leads) that lead to the controller.  That's it.

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Passengers

Can I carry a passenger on my scooter or bike?

Not unless you have both of the following: a raised seat directly behind the driver, AND you have a foot peg or foot rest area clearly provided for the feet of a rear passenger.  You cannot ride two person per scooter in any other way or risk a ticket.

How much weight can an LEV Carry?

Most of the manufacturers will set,  or establish, A maximum weight that is the most likely to be safe.  For them.  As with any piece of machinery, some common sense prevails.  If you are over 250lbs., then you will require more energy, cause more ware, and cause greater stress is on the metal structure over time.  Giving your light electric vehicle more frequent visual inspections of the welds and the other  major moving parts can become aware  of any issues that might arise.  If there is a problem,  and you are over the manufacturers are recommended weight, you could be excluded from warranty coverage.  You can't get around that, but you can ensure your safety.  If you see any signs of cracking or breaking of the welds in the frame, take the bike in to a welding shop and have it repaired.  Shocks, if you have them, should be checked regularly, and tires to have the proper inflation, and checked often for sharp debris.  Generally we would not recommend exceeding the manufacturers recommended weight by more than the weight of groceries that a 200 Pound rider could carry with them, say 50lbs. - this is a practical suggestion and is not meant to encourage or suggest that weight limits be ignored indiscriminately.  If you do, know that you may be denied  warranty, and you will need to take extra care for it. 

Suggestion: one bike-scooter hybrid that has no established wight restrictions is the Curry Technologies Sereno (formerly the HG-1000).

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Power and Performance

Can I upgrade my scooter or bike to go faster?

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How much "drag" will I feel from my electric motor while coasting?

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Battery Packs - Replace One or All Cells?

The pack of batteries is only as good as the weakest individual battery.  Testing batteries, before anything else, is the best way to make sure your pack is providing you will all the available power it can.  Once that is done, IF it is determined that ONLY ONE CELL out of a pack of two or more batteries has become damaged, any battery or EV shop will tell you this, and it is NOT a trick to sell you more batteries: If you want optimum performance of your vehicle, you should replace all of the batteries together.

Well, this is basically true.  If your pack is still within six months of when you began using them, then you could probably get away with just replacing the one battery (or cell).  However, if your pack has been in service for longer than that, you will need to consider this: 

The current flows unimpeded through all batteries in the pack in a "circuit", because they are wired In Series, so that you can get the accumulated voltage of all the batteries; 24V (two batteries), 36V (three batteries), etc.  So if only one of the, say three batteries gets a damaged plate inside, it effectively disrupts the entire cuircuit.  Ok.  So you replace it, that's great, problem solved. 

Not so fast.  The same principle applies.  Now lets say you now have two older batteries and one new.  Since the Pack only works as well as the weakest cell, the new battery is only performing as well as the two older, weaker batteries!  What a rip!  You just paid for a new battery but it's only going to work as well as the two old ones!  That sucks!  As you swap out individual batteries you will never get your best performance.

5 Common Battery Maintenance Errors (Courtesy and Copywrite of Xiang U.S. car industry Co., Ltd. )

This is not to poke fun, but it is amusing how things get lost in translation, this one I'm guessing was automated [JY]:

General Troubleshooting

What is the first thing to check if I'm having problems with my system?

With a brushless motor never attempt to connect the batteries directly to the motor, because of the sophisticated electronics involved with the brushless system , the motor will not turn without the appropriate signaling from the controller, and depending upon the voltage applied, could potentially damage the hall effect sensors in the motor. 

In the same way that troubleshooting a gas powered vehicle, where there are three requirements: gas, air and spark, your electric bike or scooter has a system which is comprised of only a few essential components: the motor, the batteries, and the controller/throttle.  Any additional functions (such as signals) being ignored, these four components determine whether or not the system functions properly. 

• Troubleshooting a brushed motor system

   

  • Rather like checking to make sure your vehicle has gas, the first thing you want to check is your batteries to ensure they have an appropriate charge, and that they are not in any way damaged or impaired.  We also do this first because the controller (the brains) has what is called a "low voltage cut-off" that will not let the system function unless the minimum power requirement is met.  This is done primarily to protect the batteries from being deeply discharged (which can harm them), so when your batteries drain down to a certain point the system will simply stop rather than try to continue to function on less power than the system was designed to use.  

    You need to test each battery individually, and with both a Multi-Meter, and a Load Tester.  Only the Load Tester will tell you if there is internal damage to a given battery in the pack.

     

  • Testing the motor is fairly easy. A brushed motor is very stupid;  you apply power and it turns.  Therefore in order to diagnose whether or not the motor is actually functional (to rule it out as the cause of system failure) you may connect the power leads from the batteries directly to the motor leads - inadvertently reversing polarity will make the motor spin in reverse, but I would advise against it because any burs on the backside of the brushes from them wearing down could become broken free and jam the motor.  That is unlikely, but unless the motor is made to be reversible it is a potential hazard to avoid. 

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Range of my Vehicle

How Far Can I Go on Electric?

Can I use new technology to extend my range?

Yes.  See Batteries, Chargers and Charging, How Can I Change Battery Technology?

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Payment/Shipping FAQs

Why Are Some Items "Local Sales Only?

This is determined by the supplier, not by Scoot On This! LLC.  There are a couple of reasons why they do this, the main being:

    1.  Set-Up and Support.  The Manufacturer or distributor may require us to only sell to local customers (though we may display those products on our web site) because they want to ensure - for their safety and yours - that the product is set up correctly so that no-one gets hurt.  That's pretty easy to understand.  All the KHS brand of bikes are an example of this.  They also want to ensure the customers using their products can have professional servicing to increase the life of the bike's useful years.

    2.  New Product Lines.  Often if a distributor is bringing out a new product line there will be a period where the items should only be sold through a local dealer so that if there are issues (ok, problems), they do not want to create the time and costly experience of having to have the item shipped back to the distributor (never the Manufacturer - way to cost prohibitive, since they are all in China), but can be dealt with locally.  This can and does happen, and can ruin a less established supplier; oh, the stories I could tell...

Trying to re-create factory carton and packing specs long after the original carton is gone, like on used or floor models, is near impossible - and unreasonable to try with Freight Items (over 150 lbs) and again, there is the risk of shipping damage due to incorrect packing and we are not going to risk it, and you don't want us to because shipping - for whatever reason and in whichever direction is YOUR responsibility!  Think about that before you ask us.

Why Are there so few suppliers

After our first few years in business we noticed that the same law that says, "90 percent of your grief [in business] comes from 10% of your customers", also works for suppliers.  We were spending exorbitant amounts of time on certain suppliers products, and hardly any on others.  It was a no brainer to focus our business model on the most effective products, both for the sake of our customers, and for ourselves.  Yes, we considered what we, as a group of people who have put our money where our mouth is, want from our investment in our company.  We put our interests into the equation.

Jon Y recently sent a letter to a customer explaining why we would not carry, or get for him, on of the old friction drive kits that sell for around 3 or 4 hundred: "

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