Quote from: esotericist on July 11, 2021, 08:04:47 AM
yeah, that's totally valid (and a nice looking bag!), but i'd have to solve the getting-the-battery-from-bike-to-bag-without-dropping-on-asphalt part. which, if it comes down to it, i'm willing to do, but i worry that'll require me to void my warranty adding a handle or something. plus stores around here get really wiggy about carrying zipper-able bags into them, which is frustrating (more than one store i frequent explicitly disallows backpacks, no exceptions. you might imagine how that makes me feel given my hand situation, and how much easier it is for me to wear a backpack than carry bags.)

How about adding a decent motion-sensitive alarm to your bike, so that you wouldn't have to remove the battery unless you're in a really skeevy part of town?

After hearing a number of people recommend it, and watching video reviews, I got one of these:  https://amzn.to/3i1Lzeg The main reason I was hesitant was the price; it's too cheap!  But the bulk of the reviews were so good that it wasn't much to lose if it was junk, so I ordered it.  However, it's built very well, is water-resistant and is annoying as hell when it's triggered - very, very loud.  If you try it out when removing from the box, keep the remote handy to shut it off, because you'll be startled by how loud it is.  But it has a harsh, short warning growl when first disturbed; it will lose its mind if moved again within a minute or two, but the warning should suffice most of the time.  Motion sensitivity and alarm volume are adjustable.

Here's one video review; there are many others to be found by searching on "wsdcam".  https://youtu.be/dn8CPJmANDU   There are also other alarms, but this is the first one I tried and I love it so I stopped looking.  You can buy them in sets of two, with two remotes instead of one, and other configurations.

I mounted mine upside-down, strapped to the underside of the rear rack, just above the fender, with zip-ties; it fits neatly in the square area designed to attach kiddie seats and is invisible down there; your bike probably has that in its rack too.  I will have to cut and replace the zip-ties to change the batteries, but I replaced the factory cheap batteries with new Duracells before installation and have heard that they'll last a long time.  I don't set it very often, so I'm probably good for a year or so before having to change them out.

Highly recommended if an alarm would work for you, and cheap to give it a try.  Just don't forget to disarm it before climbing back on!

Quote from: esotericist on July 10, 2021, 10:08:00 PMthe obvious answer of "just take the battery with you" is problematic, as i am disabled with impaired hand mobility, and while it's possible for me to remove the battery, it requires an exceptional amount of effort to do so without dropping the battery. i'd prefer another answer, if at all reasonably possible.

Aside from your difficulty removing the battery, I just created a post for a carrying bag that makes it a LOT easier to stow and carry a Rad battery, here:  https://www.radowners.com/index.php?topic=1165.0
Perhaps this bag might be useful to you.

I found a reference to this on a forum post somewhere (might have even been this one) and gave it a try - if you'd like something to protect a Rad battery and make it easy to carry when off the bike, this is it!

https://amzn.to/3iKKO8r

As I'd heard, this fits current batteries like a glove, as if it were made for this purpose, right down to following the curves at the top of the battery.  Padded, well-made and sturdy with a strap handle.  Not expensive, and you might get lucky - I got mine "Used-Like New" for only US$14.95 and it looked brand new.  Highly recommended if you need something like this; you might want to snag one before Rad buys up the production and rebrands it at twice the price.   

I like your afterburner fan - is that wired into your bike?

Quote from: Hehateme on July 09, 2021, 09:31:14 AM
You must be right. I live in Washington and still didn't know what the heck that was.

Dan's right.  I figured anybody in the Quimper Peninsula area would know.

Quote from: Diane Reynolds on June 29, 2021, 12:13:09 PM
For the first time in 4000 miles, I removed the battery due to traveling in extreme heat with the bike in the hatchback of the car.  Took it in at night to motel.  Arrived at destination and cannot for the life of me, figure out how to "slide" it back in.  Can anyone help me?  It seems to get stuck on little plastic tabs on the way down.

That's smart to pull it inside to room temp if it's very hot outside.  I think Tony has the best idea for the first thing to check - if that pin is sticking out on the back, it means you put the key back into the "locked" position before removing it from the battery.   Set the lock to "unlocked" at the very end of the travel and that'll fix it.

If that's not it, let us know which model bike you have, since the batteries are mounted differently.

I'm in PT, exploring the trails I never knew were there - happy to look into connecting with others in the area.  Older and slower than my motorcycle heyday, but not as slow now after getting the Rad Mini.

Quote from: Ryan on July 06, 2021, 12:28:47 PM
Curious if anyone else has solutions here. With our RadWagon 4 and the front rack I'm wondering if I should even bother trying to put on the premium headlight or stick with the stock one.

Ryan, you might get some benefit from my reply #6 in this thread, which meandered onto headlights: https://www.radowners.com/index.php?topic=1132.msg5687#new

Quote from: jbfoster on July 05, 2021, 01:51:39 PM

Quote from: Kenzo35 on July 04, 2021, 11:18:07 AM
Try 2 months waiting for headlight upgrade that was said to be in stock. No tracking number. Was told they'd notify me when shipped, nothing beyond that.

Don't get to excited for the headlight upgrade. I got it and it kinda sucks. No way it's worth $49.

I absolutely agree!  It's bigger and looks better in proportion to my Mini ST, and it's brighter than the little stock light, but the beam just sucks - it's a very bright and tightly-focused little rectangle thrown out ahead of you, surrounded by darkness so that you can't see to either side or near the bike to avoid stuff on the road or see potholes, animals, signs or people up ahead.  It's actually dangerous on a dark night unless you're riding very slowly.  Awful design, unlike many Rad things - the lens designer and product manager should be fired for putting this on the menu as-is.  I wrote a well-mannered owner's review about this (no "sucks") on the product's web page and it was never posted - scrolling the list of reviews seems to indicate they're only posting the 4 or 5-star reviews, which IMHO are undeserved.

I kept the "premium" light in place as a backup/running light and because it's not wimpy-looking like the stock unit, but added a Planet Bike 800 SLX light to an add-on accessory bar (was running out of level horizontal room).  Now THAT is a great bike light; nicely-shaped beam that lights up everything ahead without annoying oncoming drivers, very bright for absolutely-dark country roads, with two dimmer modes and a very nice pulsing (not strobing, although it can do that too) daylight visibility mode.  Pic below.  Absolutely love that PB800 and wouldn't have ordered the Rad "premium" light if I'd done better homework.

Good video; thanks for the link.  The Lockpicking Lawyer YT site ( https://www.youtube.com/c/lockpickinglawyer/search?query=kryptonite ) is also pretty interesting - he gets through anything, including Kryptonite and ABUS, pretty quickly.  Fortunately, most criminals aren't as skilled as he is.

I've read a number of comments on forums about how Kryptonite weasels out of almost every single one of their "bike replacement guarantee" claims.  Ended up going with an ABUS Granit U-lock and finally figured out how to efficiently mount it to the outside of the basket on the back of my Mini StepThru, along with an ABUS cable.  I live in a peaceful rural area, so don't have to use either one (I turn off the battery and set the alarm if she'll be out of my line of sight for any length of time) but wanted them available if I ever need to lock up the front wheel, in a big city, to a tree, in a sketchy area etc.

I concluded quickly that buying a seat is like buying shoes; everybody has a different fit and preference.

I ordered a Cloud 9 Cruiser Select when I ordered my Mini StepThru, having heard numerous reports of how uncomfortable stock Rad seats are (I can now confirm that personally) and wanted to be prepared to swap it out immediately.  The C-9s are very well made and it was an improvement, but my butt still hurt after 30 mins or so.

So I tried a Bikeroo and a Velmia and again, both are well-made and seemed better at first but ultimately not an improvement, so I went back to the C-9 Cruiser Select.  I didn't stop my research, though.  Reading up on seat fitting, I found that the seat should be mostly level for this style of riding and that handlebar height (thus weight distribution) was a big factor as well as "butt posture" which affects pelvis alignment.  Be aware that tiny (less than 1/2") adjustments in seat height, handlebar height, seat rail fore/aft setting on the post and seat angle all have very significant effects on comfort; be prepared to measure, tweak and fiddle.  Shifting position while riding to relieve pain will help guide you toward what needs to be changed for a better fit.

It still wasn't "right", though, so I ordered the Cloud 9 Cruiser Gel Sofa seat, the one with a really long nose.  That long nose is an issue and doesn't have to be that long - it sticks out so far that dismounting to stand on flat feet at a stoplight is a hassle.  However, I think it's my keeper seat; I set it up exactly the same as the Cruiser Select, but it's a better fit for me and much more comfortable - I think the difference is not only the extra width but that the cushions are flatter than the Cruiser Select; that's hard to see from the online photos.

So I ended up with a Cloud 9, but not the one I started with.  They have quite a few models and both of mine are extremely well-made, but fit differently.  So, sad to say, you may have to take the same journey of trying different seats to see which works best for you; find a vendor that will let you return ones that don't improve your ride.  I still have the Cruiser Select and the Bikeroo as well, but Amazon was fine with my returning the others I tried and would have taken these back as well, I just want alternative/spare seats if ever needed.  I think the C-9 Gel Sofa is Seat #6, so it took me a bit of effort to find the one I liked best.

FWIW, I also added a Redshift suspension post, which is a very nice upgrade to smooth out my rides as well - highly recommended bit of engineering and once adjusted (more fiddling and testing the Redshift adjustments) teams up with the C-9 to work well together.  All the above seats will work with it, but it increases the minimum seat height by about 3" or so due to the mechanism, and Cloud 9 seats are very thick to begin with, so short people and short legs should measure before adding it.  It does have a 30 or 90-day return policy (can't remember which) to help with trying it out and there is a first-time buyer discount coupon available on their website by signing up for their emails - saved me about $30 overall.  That paid for most of the Cloud 9 seat.

I've attached a photo of the C-9 Gel Sofa seat and the Redshift; you can see how long the seat snout is, and how flat it is if you look closely, but I'm getting used to the big nose.

Interesting, but way too expensive for what they are - could just get a waterproof rafting/kayaking bag and a bungee cord to strap it down for $20 or less.  I have the small basket bag and it's pretty good, includes some insulation which it seems these new bags do not.

Thanks for sniffing this out, Ryan; always good to keep up.  I was expecting new-model bikes to be announced this year, but I bet production and shipping problems have put plans on hold unless competitors force their hand.  Perfectly happy with my Mini ST, though.

I'm considering buying this one (along with a cargo net on top to keep it from flapping in the wind) for my Mini StepThru, it might fit Rovers too: https://amzn.to/3hZYfCn

But my needs would be occasional for point-to-point transport to keep rain and dust off my bike, not long-term for RV travel - it might not be durable enough for weeks spent outdoors.  I'm curious to see what others recommend before I buy something, too.

I know a lot of businesspeople who can't find anybody with a few brain cells who wants to work if Uncle Joe Bedpan will send them "free" money to sit on their butts at home instead - it's perverse, and becoming a serious problem across industries now, distorting our economy, combined with the ongoing problem with suppliers being able to produce, ship and deliver, plus the gift of inflation FedGov is bestowing upon us with insane deficit spending.   

Rad's service for me in the past has been stellar, but I can see some cracks in the operation and I'm not surprised because it's hitting every business I'm aware of.  I think Winter Is Coming, as the saying went.

Quote from: veganbiker on June 30, 2021, 08:37:27 PMI am going to visit the RadPower showroom and show them the key and ask them to consider selling some sort of battery locking device.

When I ordered my Mini ST back in March, I mentioned what I'd heard about this to the CSR on the phone and she was sort of cagey in her reply, so I knew then I would probably get a vulnerable lock and should start thinking of my own solution - they may have been coached on the subject and may be dreading a class-action lawsuit or something.  I know the lock mechanism was probably selected by the battery manufacturer they contracted, or a designer, but they know about the problem and it's a potential liability for them as the final vendor.  A bit surprised they haven't already come up with an add-on lock to send to customers or even better a replacement lock core for the battery that's actually a bit more secure than just needing a blank key.  I don't think I've ever seen any place they've even publicly acknowledged the problem - sooner or later it's going to bite them in the butt with many thousands of $500+ batteries out there awaiting harvest by organized thieves.

I carry that blank key with me now on my keyring to demonstrate the problem to other Rad owners.

It'll be interesting to see how this shakes out.