[Smoker]

Been going downhill, and my attitude has been shitty. Up all night again, so may as well post about my new toy.

Lost my license for a bit. Hooligan life. Got a surprise letter from the DMV about some shit from years ago. Courts dropped all charges, but not the DMV. I can still drive, but with the possibility of getting my vehicle impounded, and being carted off to jail- plus, more penalties and shit. So, I'll keep that to a minimum.

This is my solution for getting beer and Mexican food, and getting to welding class. Here are a couple of generic pics. It has 2 wheels and a motor. A tiny-ass motor, less than 3 hp. I could have gone with a more powerful bike, but this one appears legal.

Ariel Rider 52V X-Class:

So, the max power for a street-legal e-bike is 750 watts. Since I refuse to pedal, I got a class 2 bike with a twist throttle. Street-legal limit is 20mph. The bike comes with an obvious Class 2 sticker.

So, this e-bike comes from the factory in Class 2 mode, limited to 20 mph. However, with the push of a button, the power can be UNLOCKED to 2,000 watts peak power.

Of course, I would never UNLOCK while street riding. :knucks:

Already getting started on mods. Also have to deal with some problems.

 

[Smoker]

I watched a lot of reviews before buying. All the talk was about how fast this e-bike is. I was skeptical, but this little shit can get up and go. First time I got on the bike and grabbed a handful of throttle, it almost got away from me. The initial hit of power from the tiny electric motor is ridiculous.

The bike has enough power to be enjoyable. Zips right up to 20 mph. But when the motor kicks off at 20mph, that's a letdown. Did some off-road testing in the UNLOCKED mode. Didn't do any max speed testing, but was clocking 35 mph, no problem.

One big problem is, when cars are parked in the bike lane, I have to move left- into the driving lane. This happens constantly, and is scary as shit at e-bike speed with no rear view mirrors. Working on a good solution ASAP.

 

[Smoker]

I've been away from cycling for many years. Don't have any experience with these ergonomic grips.

I get it. More surface area means less pressure on the hands, especially good for off-road. They are definitely comfortable.

Maybe I'm wrong, but I think there's a design fail on the throttle side.

The ergonomic grip is on the bar, no throttle tube. To twist the throttle, I need to loosen pressure on the grip. I was letting off the throttle because of some bad road, and the bars almost jumped out of my right hand.

My initial thought is to search for a good quality compatible electric throttle tube. I'll bet there's someone around here familiar with electric bike stuff....

 

[Smoker]

First mod that went on was a small rack. Arrived a day after the bike. Works great.

Not the best pic of the handlebars, but they suck. Looks like they belong on a little girl's bike.

Have carbon bars coming on a slow boat from China. Ordered it too long, so I can custom fit. Might have to order a different gooseneck to get more comfortable.

 

[Smoker]

Just posted a pic above of the throttle. Next to it is the shifter, and next to that is the dinger.

What a worthless piece of shit. If I have to let a car know that I'm coming, with this tiny bell, I'm fucked.

Trying to find a proper horn.

 

[Smoker]

Pretty much all the other bikes I was looking at had bicycle seats.

No way in hell am I riding around on a bicycle seat. Plus, I can replace with a custom seat.

The 4 inch fat tires are also important. That extra cushion makes my spine happy.

 

[yantosh]

still 2 wheels mate

 

[Smoker]

still 2 wheels mate

And a MOTOR!!!

Have to admit it. It's fun to ride.

 

[Smoker]

Most of an e-mail I just sent for a warranty claim. Will let you know what happens:

"Upon receiving the bike, there is an immediate issue. When I charged the battery for the first time, it only would charge to 3 of 4 bars, possibly only 75% of full capacity (See attached photo). I hoped that with some use, it would start charging properly, but I see no improvement.


The battery is definitely a critical and expensive part of my nearly $3,000 E-bike purchase- affecting performance in both power and range.

I would like to file a claim under Warranty for a replacement battery that is in new condition and will take a full charge."

 

[Smoker]

So, here's the answer I received:

"One of the LEDs will always stay red, when the battery is at 25% it should be the only LED left on."

So, if that's true- the battery could be fine. No instructions were included with the bike about it. If my damn multi-tester was working, I could check the battery myself. Guess it's time to order a new multi-tester.

 

[Smoker]

Gotta go practice some welding. When I get back, we can talk about the rear suspension issue.

Another big concern is protection. And not the rubber kind of protection. I don't want someone walking away with my new toy. Locking it down seems quite problematic.

 

[XxGRYMMxX]

aside from a good chain/lock, a tracking tag glued under the seat might be a good idea. apple airtags or a tile would probably work.

 

[Smoker]

So, what's up with the rear shock???

I've see quite a few review videos about this bike. Every one complains that the rear shock is oversprung. Supposedly, it has a 1,000 pound spring. It's so stiff that the shock doesn't move at all. No sag, and no compression when riding. It's useless, like riding a hardtail. Hit a small pothole and shot a bolt of lightning up my spine.

Seen a couple of videos where softer springs were installed on the stock shock with some improvement. 450/500 pound springs were still rated too stiff, 350 was rated pretty good. Didn't see any softer springs used.

The stock shock is supposed to come with adjustable rebound. Every video shows the shock with the rebound adjuster knob.

From the website:
"The X-Class electric bike boasts a top-of-the-line rear shock that sets it apart from the competition. 100% CNC machined for precision, this shock offers rebound adjustment for improved handling, support, and a lower stance."

Photo from the website:

You can see the red knob at the bottom of the shock. So, the shock that came with my bike has NO rebound knob, just a schrader air valve on top.

Looks like NO rebound adjustment, and I think adding air will only make the shock worse- even more stiff. I'm going to contact the company to see if I can at least get a shock with rebound adjustment, but doubt it's going to happen. Maybe I could get some store credit.

I think the shock eye-to-eye distance is 235mm, commonly used on shit chinese dual shocks. Haven't found any quality bike shocks in that size. Looking at a 240mm length, which should raise the rear. Could be good, since the pedals are too close to my butt. Will try to mock up a solid bar to replace the shock and check the height difference.

Haven't seen many good options. Looking at an Ohlins TTX22M. There's also a Marzocchi Bomber CR, which is cheaper and probably not as good.

 

[Smoker]

Was going to pull the rear shock and get some accurate measurements, while it's pouring rain. Just don't have a proper stand to use, yet.

Trying to design something I can whip up in welding shop. I pulled the end caps off the swingarm pivot, and it looks like pins can be inserted there.

Didn't see any appropriate stand for sale.

 

[Auser6guy]

I was wondering how long before someone started seriously modding the shit out of these.
Looks like a shit tonne o fun

 

[ToadofToadHall]

So, what's up with the rear shock???

I've see quite a few review videos about this bike. Every one complains that the rear shock is oversprung. Supposedly, it has a 1,000 pound spring. It's so stiff that the shock doesn't move at all. No sag, and no compression when riding. It's useless, like riding a hardtail. Hit a small pothole and shot a bolt of lightning up my spine.

Seen a couple of videos where softer springs were installed on the stock shock with some improvement. 450/500 pound springs were still rated too stiff, 350 was rated pretty good. Didn't see any softer springs used.

The stock shock is supposed to come with adjustable rebound. Every video shows the shock with the rebound adjuster knob.

From the website:
"The X-Class electric bike boasts a top-of-the-line rear shock that sets it apart from the competition. 100% CNC machined for precision, this shock offers rebound adjustment for improved handling, support, and a lower stance."

Photo from the website:

You can see the red knob at the bottom of the shock. So, the shock that came with my bike has NO rebound knob, just a schrader air valve on top.

Looks like NO rebound adjustment, and I think adding air will only make the shock worse- even more stiff. I'm going to contact the company to see if I can at least get a shock with rebound adjustment, but doubt it's going to happen. Maybe I could get some store credit.

I think the shock eye-to-eye distance is 235mm, commonly used on shit chinese dual shocks. Haven't found any quality bike shocks in that size. Looking at a 240mm length, which should raise the rear. Could be good, since the pedals are too close to my butt. Will try to mock up a solid bar to replace the shock and check the height difference.

Haven't seen many good options. Looking at an Ohlins TTX22M. There's also a Marzocchi Bomber CR, which is cheaper and probably not as good.

Is the spring rate designed to cope with an adult pillion ? would explain why it's over sprung for solo riding, btw Marzocchi is a mid level brand in the MTB world. they're kit might not be as plush as Ohlins or FOX, but it's likely to be a lot better than the non-shock you have currently, and I've not come across any negative reviews of their gear... Oh yeh, Electric Motors, 100% Torque from ZERO revs ! Enjoy !

 

[taglicious]

F'N LOVE IT!!!
P.s.

Where's the pic of the sombrero hat and beer on the rack?! 😁

 

[Smoker]

I was wondering how long before someone started seriously modding the shit out of these.
Looks like a shit tonne o fun

It's definitely lifting my spirit.

I've been searching, trying to look at mods others have done. Seen a lot of questionable motorcycle mods in the past, and bicyclists are no different.

One thing that sucks about the new bike is that the seat is too close to the pedals, and is not adjustable. Was looking for seat mods and found the following. This isn't supposed to be a joke.

4 different mods, pretty self-explanatory. Should also point out the rear-view mirror, and hooded skull around the headlight.

Hopefully, I can come up with a better solution.

 

[Smoker]

Is the spring rate designed to cope with an adult pillion ? would explain why it's over sprung for solo riding, btw Marzocchi is a mid level brand in the MTB world. they're kit might not be as plush as Ohlins or FOX, but it's likely to be a lot better than the non-shock you have currently, and I've not come across any negative reviews of their gear... Oh yeh, Electric Motors, 100% Torque from ZERO revs ! Enjoy !

Yeah, for sure. It's got some really nice passenger pegs that I'll never use. Pillion seat, or dual seat, are also available.

Plan is to remove the passenger pegs and fab up some combo lift spools/sliders to install on the rear peg mounts.