6. Do’s and Don’ts
Do
treat your eBike like any bicycle you would want
to last well… keep it stored somewhere secure and
away from the elements.
Don’t
treat your eBike as a dirt-bike! The motor and
battery are weather proof, but not water-tight. It is
ok in rain, but not to ford streams, etc!
Never
take your eBike on the beach as salt water
and sand will drastically shorten the lifespan of
many of the ebike’s components (motor, gears,
wiring connections, etc).
Note: Your warranty is void if evidence of salt, sand,
or water damage are present within the compo-
nents. Important: If you live very close to the sea
you must keep your bike indoors when not in use.
This will save you $$$ as your components will last
longer.
Don’t
power up the throttle while the eBike is held
stationary. Motor operation for more than a few
seconds while the wheel is locked/stationary can
damage the motor and controller.
Important:
Your bike will arrive with the battery
partially charged. You need to give it a full charge
before ANY use. Smartmotion batteries have been
precondition-cycled, so no need to do 3 full deep
discharges as for some other brands. Just charge
and go... then just top your battery up after each
use (lithium batteries prefer shallow discharge).
Then give your battery a complete discharge and
full charge every 3 months or so to keep the cells
well balanced.
Note: The LCD battery display bars will dip under full
load (on hills, etc). This is normal as running voltage
drops under high load. To get an accurate battery
reading, wait about 10 sec after the motor is not in
use. The 8 step capacity lights on the battery will
give you a more accurate idea (button on top rear of
battery – more info later in manual).
Do
take extra care on the road as you will be
travelling faster than you normally do on a bike and
your bike is now power-assisted, so will behave
differently.
6. Do’s and Don’ts
Don’t
let others ride your eBike unless you have
properly explained safe and appropriate use to
them.
Don’t
attempt to open the motor or battery should
your system malfunction. This will void the warran-
ty. Return it to the store you purchased it from.
Do make sure your charger has free air movement
around it as it will get quite warm.
Don’t
use your charger outdoors. It is for indoor use
only.
Do
top up your battery whenever possible. Lithium
batteries actually prefer shallow discharge (the
exact opposite of older types of batteries that have
memory effects). Keeping your battery topped up
between rides will prolong the life of your battery
and give you more power too, as a full battery is
better on the hills.
Do
disconnect your battery from the charger when it
is charged. Leaving it connected permanently when
not in use will shorten cell life.
Never
leave a fully discharged battery uncharged
for more than a week… you will shorten the lifes-
pan of your battery the longer you leave it in a fully
discharged state.
Don’t
leave your battery for more than 3 months
without top-up charging it.
Note: A battery left for more than 3 months at a low
voltage may suffer cell damage. This will not be
covered under your warranty. It is to your advantage
to properly look after your battery as it is the most
expensive part of your ebike!
Important:
Though the risk of battery fire with
charging Samsung or Panasonic 18650 cells is
considerably lower than cheaper, unbranded cells
(online data suggests about one in 40 million for
the cells we use - i.e., you are more likely to get
struck by lightening), it is still possible. Treat any
charging lithium battery (including SmartMotion) as
a potential fire risk (yes, this includes cellphones,
computers too). If charging your battery while it
is still docked into the bike simply make sure the
bike (includes charger) is not on or leaning against
a flammable surface. Same for charging battery
off the bike, make sure the battery and charger is
placed on a fire-rated surface (concrete floor, steel
bench or shelf, etc).
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