Bikeboard

[Electrosaurus]

Hey everyone,

Update: I bought that e-BikeBoard S500. It is awesome! It ran for 20 miles before dying, at which point I discovered the parking brake was engaged (yeah, real smart huh?). Anyway, I definitely recommend it to anyone who cannot afford an real EV. I will update you with any problems I incur with the bike, but so far I've just been happily surfing through traffic on a wave of electrons.

-Adam

[David Dymaxion]

20 miles is very impressive for something that small! Lithium is awesome that way. Here's a link I found:

http://bikeboard.com/world/e-bikeboard-products/e-bikeboard-s500/

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From: Electrosaurus <cha...@gmail.com>
To: utahEVi...@googlegroups.com
Sent: Wed, May 18, 2011 11:40:09 PM
Subject: [UtahEVinterest] Bikeboard

Hey everyone,

Update: I bought that e-BikeBoard S500. It is awesome! It ran for 20 miles before dying, at which point I discovered the parking brake was engaged (yeah, real smart huh?). Anyway, I definitely recommend it to anyone who cannot afford an real EV. I will update you with any problems I incur with the bike, but so far I've just been happily surfing through traffic on a wave of electrons.

-Adam

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[Electrosaurus]

Hello again,

I am going to try to maintain a chronological record on this thread as a means to document Ebikeboard ownership for my own reference, and also to share it with others who are either interested or want to know what to expect with their own bikeboard.

S500 Updates:

Brake Fluid:
The bikeboard has these little disc-brakes, just like on a car. They said it is for longer life, better performance, and cheaper maintenance. There seems to be a leak somewhere in the brake fluid line, which I suspect is resultant of the crash the first day I got it as it twisted the handlebars ~300 degrees. I cannot find the leak, nor any evidence of a leak save for a peculiar disappearance of fluid. I have had to refill that tiny little box twice now. It's not expensive because it only holds a few drops (literally). Nor is it time-consuming or even difficult, it's just really annoying.

Abuse:
Crashed it into a tree last week. I'm amazed at the motor's resilience to my stupidity. Really, one could probably hit it with a sledgehammer and not harm it (.... although I wouldn't recommend you actually test its durability this way...). The Bikeboard is not definitely not to blame for this one; I am just an idiot. The last time it crashed, it got away because I had not learned to use the throttle. The throttle is a little fickle. Sometimes it doesn't spring back, so you have to twist it back manually. Believe me, however, when I say that it will only happen to you once before you learn your lesson. My bikeboard has not make a dash to freedom since. For you bikeboard owners out there, you should be aware that the left brakehandle is somehow wired to the motor's controller, and pulling it engages a safety cut-off of sorts, which will be very helpful.

Water:
While reading the manual I learned that you are not supposed to get the bikeboard wet. That sucks! So one can strike the motor with a sledgehammer but the batteries can't get wet?! I hope future models come with better seals to handle it, because the bikeboard is not a feasible replacement for a car if it cannot go out in the rain.

Lights:
The headlight and taillight on this S500 are abysmal. The headlight is great for being visible, but it is useless for seeing where you are going. The taillight is dim, and only helps in total darkness. However, I'm told the new models have much better lights, but these lights didn't set the bar very high...

Tires:
I was skeptical of the tires at first, they look so vulnerable. However, they stay inflated despite driving them over broken glass (at least a dozen times), gravel, mysterious debris, potholes, and even one little patch of rusty screws.

Odometer:
Just over a month now, and I hit 500 miles with it a few days ago. About 150 of those miles were traveled with a backpack containing ~30 pounds of water, and at least 50 miles on less-than-suitable terrain. I also determined how much it costs me to charge it and drive 35-40 miles: $0.105. If my calculations are correct, that's about $100 saved on fuel, ATF, and oil.

[David Dymaxion]

Enjoyed the report and glad it sounds like you weathered the crashes. I'd be curious to hear the steepest Salt Lake you've tackled and how fast it was to climb.

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[David Dymaxion]

Whoops that was supposed to be steepest Salt Lake hill.

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[Adam]

It goes about 9-12 mph up steep hills. Although there was one hill where I was probably only going about 4 mph, but that hill is insanely steep. The manual says something about a "turbo button" on the new models, made specifically for going up hills.

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[Cy Waldron]

Hello,

I just joined this group and noticed that there was a discussion on
ebikeboard. It so happens that I am the master distributor for
Ebikeboard now known as LYRIC. We just open the first dealership in
Draper Utah. Our website is www.lyricmotion.com we have renamed
ebikeboard to LYRIC and changed the models as well. I would love to
have you come into the dealership and check out the new models and
upgrades. Also, I would love to chat with you regarding your old
Bikeboard. I am glad that you are having a blast on it.check us out
and you can also find us on www.Facebook.com/lyricmotion. You can
email me at c...@lyricmotion.com

On Jun 26, 6:06 pm, Adam <chab...@gmail.com> wrote:
> It goes about 9-12 mph up steep hills. Although there was one hill where I
> was probably only going about 4 mph, but that hill is insanely steep. The
> manual says something about a "turbo button" on the new models, made
> specifically for going up hills.
>

[Adam]

Excellent! Yes, I love my S500, and I like the looks of those new models. Tell me, are the new models more water resistant?

Exactly how much rainfall can the LYRIC tolerate? It is annoying that I have to find cover 10 miles from home to prevent damage to the bikeboard. Although riding in slippery conditions should be discouraged, they should be completely waterproof. Until then, they are NOT suitable replacements for cars.

Also, can I put those flat-free tires, the ones the Golf version has, on the Runner?

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[Cy Waldron]

The newer models are very water resistant. I have ran mine through
deep puddles and have taken it to the car wash and sprayed it off and
then rode it home. Never a issue. I have ridden it in the rain and
was completely soaked. No issues. So I think you are good to go. If
there were any issues it would be where the battery connects to the
frame. Not sure if the golf tires would fit on your RUN3R (s500). I
will have to see. The only problem I see with that is it makes it
hard to steer when you are on the road. Next year we are making a
solid front and rear street tire. That is what you would want to wait
for.

On Jul 24, 2:11 pm, Adam <chab...@gmail.com> wrote:
> Excellent! Yes, I love my S500, and I like the looks of those new models.
> Tell me, are the new models more water resistant?
>
> Exactly how much rainfall can the LYRIC tolerate? It is annoying that I have
> to find cover 10 miles from home to prevent damage to the bikeboard.
> Although riding in slippery conditions should be discouraged, they should be
> completely waterproof. Until then, they are NOT suitable replacements for
> cars.
>
> Also, can I put those flat-free tires, the ones the Golf version has, on the
> Runner?
>
>
>
> On Sun, Jul 17, 2011 at 10:12 PM, Cy Waldron <cywald...@gmail.com> wrote:
>
> > Hello,
>
> > I just joined this group and noticed that there was a discussion on
> > ebikeboard. It so happens that I am the master distributor for
> > Ebikeboard now known as LYRIC.  We just open the first dealership in

> > Draper Utah.  Our website iswww.lyricmotion.comwe have renamed

> > ebikeboard to LYRIC and changed the models as well.  I would love to
> > have you come into the dealership and check out the new models and
> > upgrades.  Also, I would love to chat with you regarding your old
> > Bikeboard.  I am glad that you are having a blast on it.check us out

> > and you can also find us onwww.Facebook.com/lyricmotion. You can

[Adam]

Awesome! Thank you.

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[David Dymaxion]

BYU is running their electric streamliner on the Salt Flats today, Tuesday, and perhaps Wednesday. Kelly said Tuesday is probably the best day to see them run. I'm probably going to run out there just Tuesday to watch, shoot me a private email with your phone number if you'd like to carpool with me out there.

[Kelly Hales]

David and all,

 

Things are moving slowly for us out here actually, we have not as yet run down the track with the car.  We are adjusting some things for the driver.  In fact we will likely only do a single under 100 MPH run at speedweek and head back to Provo.  We have some more modifications to perform after further consultation with the pros.  We plan to return for World of Speed in September.  That would be a better time to come watch.  There is plenty of action to see other than our car anyway.  Not much electric. Ohio State is not here this year, they are building a new car with hopes to do 400 plus next summer.  If you do come out look for us and come chat.

 

Kelly Hales

BYU Streamliner Team

On Mon, Aug 15, 2011 at 1:01 PM, David Dymaxion <david_d...@yahoo.com> wrote:

BYU is running their electric streamliner on the Salt Flats today, Tuesday, and perhaps Wednesday. Kelly said Tuesday is probably the best day to see them run. I'm probably going to run out there just Tuesday to watch, shoot me a private email with your phone number if you'd like to carpool with me out there.

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[David Dymaxion]

Thanks for the update. Glad to hear you are taking the first run slow. Work stuff calls, so it turns out I probably won't be out Tuesday.

---

From: Kelly Hales <kelly...@gmail.com>
To: utahevi...@googlegroups.com
Sent: Monday, August 15, 2011 9:56 PM
Subject: Re: [UtahEVinterest] BYU Electric on Salt Flats

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[Brett Davis]

I wanted to get out there sometime this week...needed to look up the schedule today but too busy.

 

Brett

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[Kelly Hales]

Speedweek update

 

We spent most of the day making modifications to the car to get the driver more comfortalble.  We will get on the salt in the morning weather permitting.  David made it out for a visit, was good to chat with him.  We watched the lighning bike run 214, they were also great to visit with.  I will let you know how things go.  We might just set a pretty low record for the E1 class (under 1100 pounds) then come back for more in September.

 

All the best,

 

Kelly Hales

BYU Streamliner Team

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[Kent Singleton]

Update, please:

 

How did this morning go, Kelly?

 

Brent and Kent

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[Electrosaurus]

E-bikeboard S500 Updates:
I'm at just about 2500 miles on the bikeboard now.

Accidents:
4. Hit a few inanimate things...
3. Drove it into a river (thanks to the fact of having no brake fluid). It shut itself off when it happened, but it came back on the next day when I re-mounted the batteries.
2. Ran over one of the back tires with a Ferris 3100Z (a big lawnmower). The tire went flat, and now it wobbles slightly.
1. And my personal favorite... Drove it off a 4-foot cliff, landed in an open manhole and did a frontward flip (and it was not a graceful, or even complete flip either).

Problems:
-Someone tried to steal one of the batteries at Weber State Davis Campus. They did not succeed, but the battery is damaged. The frame that surrounds the handle joint is split, and the handle is quite loose now.
-Had to refill brake fluid >=200 times. Finally I figured out the plunger's O-ring is worn out.
-The tires are probably about done. The roads in this area are pathetic, they are like crater-filled canvases painted with shredded rocks. The sidewalks are even worse (if they are even present). Driving on the sidewalks can be likened to playing a scrolling game of Minesweeper because the city can't seem to figure out what the heck a blower does. Not to mention these newer sidewalks and their canyon-like cracks.
-The handlebar assembly needs some kind of parking brace.

Despite all that, it's still the best investment I've ever made.

[TIMOTHY LEONARD COOLEY]

is there a picture of this thing some place?

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[David Dymaxion]

http://www.lyricmotion.com/

Electrosaurus: Suggest you mount a video camera to the handle bars to document these adventures! You'd have a million YouTube hits!

---

From: TIMOTHY LEONARD COOLEY <tim.c...@utah.edu>
To: "utahevi...@googlegroups.com" <utahevi...@googlegroups.com>
Sent: Tuesday, September 6, 2011 10:20 AM
Subject: RE: [UtahEVinterest] Re: Bikeboard

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[Cy Waldron]

Thanks for the Great write up about LYRIC fromerly E-Bikeboard. you
can also check out our Facebook page at www.facebook.com/lyricmotion
and our youtube channel at youtube.com/lyricmotion. We are always
putting up Pictures and videos.

If any of you are interested in LYRIC let me know and I will let you
demo them for the day.
Thanks guys,

On Sep 7, 10:57 pm, David Dymaxion <david_dymax...@yahoo.com> wrote:
> http://www.lyricmotion.com/
>
> Electrosaurus: Suggest you mount a video camera to the handle bars to document these adventures! You'd have a million YouTube hits!
>
> ________________________________

> From: TIMOTHY LEONARD COOLEY <tim.coo...@utah.edu>

[David Dymaxion]

It also would be fun to have a UtahEVinterest meeting at your shop some day.

---

From: Cy Waldron <cywa...@gmail.com>
To: UtahEVInterest <utahEVi...@googlegroups.com>
Sent: Wednesday, September 7, 2011 11:45 PM
Subject: [UtahEVinterest] Re: Bikeboard

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[Adam]

Count me in

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[David Dymaxion]

Our own Bill Dennis is drag racing in this picture, at the EVCCON convention. Man do I wish I was there, that sounds like great fun.

http://www.semissourian.com/photos/15/48/07/1548072-L.jpg

[David Dymaxion]

Here's the whole article, the video is nice:

http://www.semissourian.com/story/1766742.html

I like that Porsche, it would have been fun to run against him!

[Bill Dennis]

Wow, David, I’m amazed that you found this.  I didn’t even know about it.  Here’s a link to a 4-second video of me tearing up that pickup truck off the line.  Unfortunately, I had trouble getting out of 2^nd gear down the line, so he passed me in the end.

 

http://sedwjd.zenfolio.com/p78523821

 

Bill

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[David Dymaxion]

Nah, no real skill, it was posted on another email list I frequent.

Great job burying that truck off the line! I forget, is your car clutchless?

---

From: Bill Dennis <e...@q.com>
To: utahevi...@googlegroups.com
Sent: Sunday, September 25, 2011 7:43 AM
Subject: RE: [UtahEVinterest] Bill Dennis drag racing

[WILLIAM DENNIS Owner]

Yes, it's clutchless.  That was the problem.  When driving during my normal commute, I have no problem shifting.  But I wasn't used to flooring it and trying to shift.  So I couldn't get the gearbox into 3rd.  I coasted for a few seconds trying, then shifted back down into second.  By that time, I'd been passed.  

For the second race, I tried just starting out in 3rd, but didn't get the acceleration I needed off the line, so I lost that race, too.  That's the race start that you see in the news story photograph.

Bill

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From: "David Dymaxion" <david_d...@yahoo.com>
To: utahevi...@googlegroups.com
Sent: Monday, September 26, 2011 1:52:51 AM

Subject: Re: [UtahEVinterest] Bill Dennis drag racing

Nah, no real skill, it was posted on another email list I frequent.

Great job burying that truck off the line! I forget, is your car clutchless?

---

From: Bill Dennis <e...@q.com>
To: utahevi...@googlegroups.com
Sent: Sunday, September 25, 2011 7:43 AM
Subject: RE: [UtahEVinterest] Bill Dennis drag racing

Wow, David, I’m amazed that you found this.  I didn’t even know about it.  Here’s a link to a 4-second video of me tearing up that pickup truck off the line.  Unfortunately, I had trouble getting out of 2^nd gear down the line, so he passed me in the end.

 

http://sedwjd.zenfolio.com/p78523821

 

Bill

 

From: utahevi...@googlegroups.com [mailto:utahevi...@googlegroups.com] On Behalf Of David Dymaxion
Sent: Saturday, September 24, 2011 5:25 PM
To: utahevi...@googlegroups.com
Subject: Re: [UtahEVinterest] Bill Dennis drag racing

 

Here's the whole article, the video is nice:

 

http://www.semissourian.com/story/1766742.html

I like that Porsche, it would have been fun to run against him!

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[Adam]

Historical Updates for S500 (to whom it may concern or interest):

Both brakes, front and rear, are completely nonfunctional. Front cable detached and ziptied uselessly to the handlebars. Rear brakes... I suspect they need to be "bled," but the old S500 does not seem to have what is needed to do it. I think I mentioned before that I have replaced the gaskets on the plunger to little avail.

Headlight no longer works. Had to install two new ones from Harbor Freight (which work better than the original). Was not easy because the S500 does not have simple handlebars. If any happen across this thread and need to know how to do it, feel free to contact me. I screwed up enough times to tell you EXACTLY what NOT to try.

Batteries: This is peculiar, because the battery pack that has been damaged again and again is completely fine. It still reads 11340 mAh, discharges fine, and all other diagnostics check out. The other, undamaged, battery is behaving rather oddly. The cycle counter appears to be running backwards now. Worse still, the pack hits about 30% and suddenly drops to 7% when placed under load. After charging, this pack only reads 9968 mAh, which is considerably less than before.

That is not to say the damaged pack is faultless, because there is one annoying little problem. Since the charging port has been directly damaged, one cannot but breathe on it while charging, lest the charger will shut off mid-cycle. Does anyone know what to do about this problem?

Frame: This thing is falling apart. I routinely examine and tighten everything, but I am confident that the batteries and the motor could go 20000 miles beyond the frame. It is just so loose where the handlebar bends and where the rear wheel construction connects under the board. I took it to the Lyric dealership in Draper, but the guy there did not seem keen to fix it.

Still, I find this to be a more reliable PTV than my new Lyric for going to new places. It is considerably more agile, and it goes A LOT farther. It has never failed to get me where I am going and back home again.

You can build bigger EVs if you want (I don't deny my desire to own a Model S), but I'll stick with my boards for simplicity and elegance for now. They charge in any standard outlet (170000 gas stations in America, how many power outlets do you think there are? Virtually every standing structure is my fuel station!), require little maintenance, the batteries are portable (allowing safer storage, theft protection, and easy replacement), are inexpensive, and best of all: they require no license, insurance, or registration. Well, that last one can be a "con" in my case, because I tend to break the rules of the road a bit... On a low-speed PTV, I am not liable for much save for public endangerment. If I get pulled over, what the officer going to do? Make my insurance rates go up or take my license away?! Ha!

[Adam]

Hey guys! It has been a while! Yes, I am still surfing. Still no serious problems. I don't even know how far I have gone. Tens of thousands of miles, at least. And I bought a third board about a year ago. That old S500 just would not quit and I wanted to go faster. Anyway here is an overview of the things that have happened.

Brakes - Still garbage. Gave up on the hydraulics and have been using front cable brakes.

Rear Axle - Last year, the purple Lyric rolled out into the WSU parking lot by the stadium... I was digging in my backpack for my keys.. anyway a big truck ran it over. It drove on the front motor and hit the back left wheel pretty hard before stopping. I dragged it into the automotive department and some teachers bent the spokes back into their relatively correct position. And I drove home without incident. THEN about two months later, the rear left tire, uh, sort of fell off. Kimi was driving it over some railroad tracks, but was uninjured when it happened. In fact she said she didn't even know it happened. "I just felt something was wrong so I stopped and the wheel just rolled in front of me." So that back axle is broken. Lyric has given us another board to use until they have the part we need. That motor still works just fine, but it makes a wretched noise when coasting down hills haha.
Lyric's
Controller - The newest Lyric was soo wimpy when I got it. It used less amps going uphill with the turbo than our old one did on level ground without the turbo. So I removed the controller and installed the one from the Lyric that needs a rear axle. Problem solved. Although the wire for the turbo is turning black. I believe it will eventually burn up.

Fuse - We blew one 40 A fuse in the portside battery of our LiFePo set from our first Lyric. That SHOULD have been a simple fix. It turned out to be a huge pain in the a**. We had to take it apart and use a desoldering tool and a rotory tool to remove the fuse, then we had to solder the new one on. I am told the new batteries have a proper socket.

Foam Tires - Still rolling fine. Loved em so much I filled the new Lyric's tires too.

Batteries - I see absolutely no sign of capacity loss in the LiFePo sets, they will probably last longer than I will. The LiPo set from the old S500, however, are slowly degrading. I would estimate they take me about 80 to 85% as far as they originally did.

Anyway glad to see you guys are still around!

[David Dymaxion]

Glad to hear you are still traveling electrically! Would an inline fuse have worked? You could have spliced in a fuse into a battery pack power lead, and it would have been much easier to replace (you would have had to solder in a wire or another fuse still in place of the broken fuse).

---

From: Adam <cha...@gmail.com>
To: utahEVi...@googlegroups.com
Sent: Sunday, June 16, 2013 8:19 PM
Subject: [UtahEVinterest] Re: Bikeboard

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[Adam]

Yeah I probably could have done it differently, but I was impatient. The guys at the Lyric store tell me the batteries they sell have a proper socket and 10% more Ah. In addition to that, they said the new Lyrics have controllers that were actually made for the Lyric. The controllers in mine are from the bikeboard days and were manufactured to do something else, which explains why my wires are melting; I looked up the text on one of the wires coming out of the controller and found that it is "10A MAX."

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[Adam]

Oh hey could you email some photos of your new mower setup?

[David Dymaxion]

I have a rough web page 1/2 done, I'll post up when it is ready for prime time. If anyone would like a peek right away please send me a private email and I'll send you the password to look at it.

Tonight I was working on battery racks for it (for now I threw all the batteries onto a wagon that I tow so I could start mowing). Fun fun fun!

---

From: Adam <cha...@gmail.com>
To: utahEVi...@googlegroups.com

Sent: Wednesday, June 26, 2013 2:14 PM
Subject: Re: [UtahEVinterest] Re: Bikeboard

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[David Dymaxion]

My electric lawn tractor (converted 43 year old John Deere) is working great. It actually has 2 transmissions. One is a four speed manual, like a car would have. The 2nd tranny is a continuously variable "variator" and you change ratios by moving a lever. The variator gives you roughly a 3:1 speed range for each gear. First gear is super low at 0.8 mph, and has a special gate as it is rare it is used. I have been mowing in 2nd gear (3 mph max). I thought I would try moving up in speed today. I thought the shift pattern was the same as any other I have seen; 2nd to 3rd is forward, right, and forward. I did this. The tractor seemed to be going really fast. I started thinking "Man, 3rd gear is overgeared, too bad there is such a big jump from 2nd to 3rd." I was pleased it would readily climb a 20% grade (measured via a cell phone app) and that the current draws were only a little higher. Temps stayed at 76C or less.

I charged it up and drove it around the block for fun and too cool me off. Hmmm, that's funny, going to "4th" gear was actually slower. I figured maybe the belt was slipping... or something... I used my flashlight to check the gear labels. 3rd and 4th gear positions are swapped on the John Deere compared to a conventional shift pattern! Small wonder the mower was going so fast! I was then doubly impressed it climbed the 20% grade so readily! I'm also happy I do have a gear between 2nd and what I thought was 3rd! 3rd gear mowing plus the variator should be perfect.