It is not a hub motor, which is surprising for a bike at this low price point, but a chain-drive motor which uses a brushed motor that is geared so that it drives the rear wheel on the left hand side, on the opposite side of the pedal gear cluster. The Currie “Electro-Drive” system has been used on Currie bikes for the last decade and is a reliable and proven system that’s made in India. But if you care concerned with how your electric bike looks you should be buying a different bike anyway (and spending a lot more money). The downside to to this battery pack is its pretty ugly. Also this mounting rack allows you to easily add a second pack to your Ezip. The ideal battery mounting system is with the battery built low into the frame, but this is currently only available in e-bikes costing thousands of dollars. A lot of more expensive E-bikes just strap the battery to the top of the rack. This is a good cheap solution to keep all that weight down low. Separately, I like the Currie battery mounting system, where they thoughtfully put the battery as low as they could on the rear rack. So you can rest soundly at night knowing that your $500 Currie bike will not burn down your house while you sleep. For example, charge your bike right after using it and when you store the E-bike make sure you do so with the battery totally charged.Ī positive characteristic of the lead-acid chemistry is it will not burst into flames if abused like some lithium chemistries will (LiPo requires the most caution). If your commute is over 10 miles you should consider buying a 2nd currie lead acid battery pack ($130)…or upgrade to the Currie lithium battery option, which is much lighter but costs $350.Ī tip to buyers of this bike: be sure to read your owner’s manual on how to care for your lead acid battery or it will not last long. Lead acid batteries do not have a cut-off, so even if you could squeeze 15 miles out of this pack you would be doing damage to your battery pack. If you run a cheap SLA pack like this below 40% capacity you’re going to drastically reduce the overall life of your battery. Luckily, the battery can be easily removed to reduce the weight of the E-bike when needed.Ĭurrie advertises you can get 10-15 miles out of this pack with mild pedaling. The battery is part of the reason why this low range bike weighs in at a hefty 70 pounds. In comparison, my 48V / 10-Ah lithium (LiFePO4) pack, a pack with twice the energy capacity of the EZip’s battery, weighs in at 7 pounds. The one small pack weighs in at a hefty 15 pounds. The Ezip Trailz comes with a 24V / 10-Ah sealed lead acid (SLA) chemistry. The trick to offering a sub-$500 bike is to not use a lithium battery. The battery is the most expensive part of an E-bike to manufacture if using a a lithium technology. The EZip weighs 80lbs in the box, 72 lbs once out and set up. In all, it took about 20 minutes for me to unpack it, assemble it, and inflate the tires. The only equipment that needs to be installed are the handlebars, seat, and front tire before you are ready to ride. The Ezip comes packed in a bicycle box with all the tools and directions you need to finish the build. To last this long you know Currie must be doing something right. The biggest seller of this bike appears to be Amazon and it can sometimes be found as low as $350 ( see our story)Ĭurrie has been selling electric bikes in the US for over 15 years, making them the only company I know of to survive a very difficult US market (read our electric bike graveyard story). The Ezip sells at many mass outlets such as Target, Walmart, Amazon, Pepboys, etc, and is reliable enough not to swamp these retailers with returns like most E-bikes would. It’s amazing to get a safe electric bike that even rolls at this price, and the Ezip is a descent bike for the mony. The most important point to make about the Curry Ezip Trailz electric bike is that it costs under $500 delivered.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |