Electric Bike

How far can my Electric Bike go?
We like to use the formula: 32/32, which means your electric bike will go 32 km/h for 32 kilometers, but that is under the following conditions: 26" wheel with thin, slick street tires, 150 lb. rider, flat riding terrain, and no stops or starts. In the real world, you will probably get 24 kilometers per battery pack charge with the standard battery pack, and about 16 kilometers more (40 kilometers +) with the extended range battery pack.

How sturdy is my Electric Bike kit and how long will it last?
Wilderness Energy, has gone to great lengths to perfect our Electric Bike kit as much as possible. We feel very confident that our Electric Bike kit is the very best on the market today. If you treat your Electric Bike kit with love and care, it should last you years and years! Plus, our Electric Bike kit is componentized, which means if that you happen to abuse, or inadvertently break one of the components in your Electric Bike kit, i.e.: you dump your elcetric bike and smash the thumb throttle to bits - you can order a new part from us and when it arrives, unplug the bad part and plug your new one in, and nobody will be the wiser! This applies to all components in the Electric Bike kit: Hub motor/wheel, Throttle, Key switch, Controller unit, Battery pack, and Smart charger.

How can I determine if the Electric Bike kit will fit on my bicycle?
If your bicycle wheels are any of the following standard wheel sizes: 20", 24", or 26", the kit should fit! However, make sure that your bicycle has a minimum of at least 3 ¾" distance between the front forks - 4" is better, 4 ¼" is pushin' it, and 4 ½" is too wide. Also, you will need to have 4" clearance to a minimum of 5" up from the fork mountings, so if your front bike forks taper in as you go up, you'd better check the distance where the forks narrow 5 inches above the fork mountings to make sure that you still have 4" clearance.

Will the Electric Bike kit come mounted in a 700C wheel?
At this time, we do not offer the Electric Bike hub motor mounted in a 700C wheel.

Can I buy the Electric Bike kit without the hub motor mounted in a rim?
You can purchase our Electric Bike kit without rim and spokes; however, we do not recommend this. You will incur many costs trying to get your hub motor mounted in your custom rim: approximately $25 or more for a rim, $12 or more for spokes, and most bicycle shops charge $50 or more in labor to build custom wheels.

Where do I get batteries for my Electric Bike Kit?
Your Canadian Electric Bike kit will come with a standard battery pack (3 - 12volt, 7.5 amp/hr batteries connected in series), or you can upgrade your Electric Bike kit to the extended range battery pack (3 - 12volt, 14 amp/hr batteries connected in series).

How long does it take to charge my batteries?
Depending upon the degree of discharge, it will take up to 4 hours to charge the standard battery pack, and up to 6 hours to charge the extended range battery pack.

Can my batteries be overcharged by leaving them plugged into the charger too long?
No. The charger that comes with your Electric Bike kit is a smart charger. It will shut itself off when your battery pack reaches a full charge, but it is always a good idea NOT to leave your battery pack plugged in all the time. Just unplug the charger when the charger light is green.

How many charges can my battery pack take?
Your battery pack is built with sealed lead acid batteries (SLA), which can be charged and discharged up to about 300 times. But you must do some things in order to get the maximum life out of your SLA battery pack: ALWAYS, we repeat - ALWAYS charge you batteries up IMMEDIATELY after EVERY use! Sealed lead acid batteries hate to be left discharged, even for only a few hours, so plug your battery pack into the smart charger immediately after every use. Also, try not to run your batteries completely dead, for this will diminish their life cycle. A good "rule of thumb" to follow is stop using your Electric Bike motor, when the "LOW" indicator light on your thumb throttle comes on.

Where do I get replacement batteries?
Replacement batteries can be purchased through us (ItsElectric), or you can buy them in your local area at many retail outlets such as: Radio Shack, Active Electronics, or even Toys R Us. They must be deep cycle batteries, not the kind that are used to start cars or motorcycles.

What are Nickel-Metal Hydride batteries?
Due to its immense advantages over normal batteries, Nickel-Metal Hydride (Ni-MH) batteries are a source of power that is becoming increasingly more common in devices such as portable computers, compact disc players, and cellular phones. Nickel-Metal Hydride batteries are rechargeable and are able to provide up to 40% longer life than regular Nickel-Cadmium batteries. In addition to a longer energy life, Nickel-Metal Hydride batteries have a much greater capacity.

Invented in 1992, Nickel-Metal Hydride batteries are a definite tremendous improvement over Nickel-Cadmium and alkaline batteries because they may be recharged up to over one-thousand times! Nickel-Metal Hydride batteries also have the ability to be charged partially and the user would not experience any negative results.

Can I use other batteries with my Electric Bike?
Yes, as long as the battery pack you are using puts out 36 volts. However, you will have to figure out how to strap your custom made battery pack to your Electric Bike frame. Our standard canvas bag might work, as long as the total dimensions of your battery pack doesn't exceed 12"L X 2 7/8" H X 6" W or 12"L X 4 ½" H X 6" W.