I have ordered a bare, full sized 750 W bafang core for my Bolton upgraded 2020 Rad Rover step thru. I have read a lot about folks saying how much of a pain getting the original cassette off is and the special tool required to get around the electrical connectors and how it's easier to just put a new cassette on the new core to avoid all of that.
My question (for those who have already done this) is did you need anything else to complete this job beyond the Torx t20 bit/ lock tight & lithium grease?

Quote from: Altema on October 16, 2022, 07:34:46 PM
I had to come face to face with reality. It's been many years since I've had a flat, and that includes 3000 miles on my RadMini with no flats. Then I installed Tannus Armour, and I've had SIX flats due to tube failures. I took the Tanus Armour liners out, and stopped having flats. The last group ride was also the last straw, with two flats on the same ride. A clue to what is going on came in the form of finding shredded rubber inside the tire. The Tannus Armour liners create internal friction, and the friction apparently causes failure of the tube. In addition to emptying a handful of shredded rubber, the liner has rubber bits melted into it, and my tire was worn down to the bare cords on the INSIDE . The heavier the load and the faster the speed, the more internal friction is generated and the quicker the tube fails. My last tube only lasted 6 miles.

Below are photos of the inside of a tire without Tannus Armour, and one tire that was used with Tannus Armour.

Just a word of warning.


The only problem that I'm aware of with the tannus system is when I've run 4" tires in the snow and dropped the psi down low enough for a better grip but that allowed the inner tube to slide inside the tire, putting too much potential wear on where the tube exit the tire rim. I caught the problem before anything happened because I noticed the tire stems were starting to bend at an angle.
I've run a RR 1 Step thru with the usual Bolton upgrades, dual batteries, thud buster suspension, electric pump & RR tool kit, wooden lockbox on the back and so am fully loaded but in 2 1/2 of year round riding (often at maximum speed) I've never had so much as a flat. In fact even though I've replaced my tires, my inner tubes are the bike's original ones.

This is just a warning to any Rad Rover step-thru owners who are choosing to add a second battery to their rear rat trap. 

I occasionally & momentarily sit upright and take my hands off the handlebar on long rides (when I deem it safe to do so) to stretch while riding.  Now that I've added a second battery in a lockbox on the stock rad rear carrier I have found that a harmonic oscillation can randomly arise that could take a rider down if they did not get their hands back on their handlebars within 3 -5 seconds. It appears to be connected to the location in height and weight of my lockbox(containing 2nd battery, battery rack, stock tool kit, electric air pump & parallel battery controller all totaling about 12-13 lbs) over the rear tire that can cause a compounding shimmy in the front handlebars/ tire when a rider's weight is not leaning forward in the usual bicycle position to countermand it.
So if you're trying to decide whether to put the second battery on the front of the step-thru frame or the rear rack, this might be important.
I have decided to keep it in the rear because of the security and the weatherproofing that a rear lock box can offer.
Cheers all.

E bay ordered the female xt60 connected with 14 gu wire to a male 5.5 connector for $8.49 (Canadian & delivery included) about 10 minutes before I saw your last post....sigh.

It will be nice to finally just plug the battery into a Luna charger and have it automatically shut off at 80% full without me having to continually guesstimate approximate charging times after each ride..

@ wkindred
That Luna charger is exactly what I was looking for. Just so I can find the right adapter for my battery, is the terminal end of the Luna charger a XT60 male or female fitting.
Thanks again.

I've been reading recently about lithium ion bike batteries having a shorter lifespan when they are being fully recharged every time we ride them. They are recommending not charging them above 80% and just topping them up to 100% just before taking the bike out. Presumably this is to limit the time that the battery is 100% charged.
This is not about battery balancing or longer term storage because those are different issues but its about our daily usage. Claims are being made of potentially doubling the battery lifespan by doing this. If any of this is true, considering the cost of replacement batteries,

This completely contradicts Rad Rover's instructions for 100% bike charging after every ride.

It seems like it would be a pain in the ass to try to manually limit recharging ones battery to 80% or less.
Has anybody here used a battery satiator for limiting the battery charging to 80%? and if so, which brand or type do you use? The ones I've looked at did not have the lead ends that are compatible with the Rad battery.

I have a Canadian 2020 RadRover fat tired step through with the upgraded bolton Lcd & controller.
It's stock setting listed the L3@0  &  the L4@0. Some American videos on adjusting the controller for erratic speed readings have recommended trying L3@1  and  L4@5. I was doubtful about this especially for the smaller Canadian 500w motor but I tried it.
While that change didn't seem to make any appreciable difference, my controller will now not let me reset the L4 back to L0.
I am obviously not recommending anyone else try this in case the same thing happens to them
but has anyone else already had this experience and been able to correct it again?
I've gone back through Boltons and the manufactures instructions but nothing seems to indicate how to correct this.

They have just emailed me now saying they've reviewed my complaint saying that it was an honest mistake and will be refunding me the $39.00 charge.
Sorry for the whine.

I live in Victoria BC within a 100 miles of Seattle's Rad power Bikes.

I have been working with Rad on an intermittent power problem with a 2 1/2 month old RadRover step thru and a couple of days ago, with no preliminary warning, they sent me a notice of intent to send me a replacement controller  (shipping free) under warrantee. It says the controller costs $139.00 less a $100.00 warrantee refund plus taxes leaving me with a $39.00 charge.

I have responded with an email contesting the warrantee refund not covering the full cost of the part. No mention of any replacement labor even though I am quite willing to replace the controller myself.

Friends of mine who are involved in warrantee repairs and replacement parts routinely send warrantee items across International borders with a nominal $1.00 value.

Am I out of line on my warrantee reasoning with a new bike and has anyone else had this experience with Rad.

I'd suggest Tannus tire armor for anyone wanting an extra level of bump absorption if they have fat tires. It also helps address a multitude of different causes for flat tires but the smoother ride from an extra internal layer of foam in the tire and the correspondingly lower PSI requirements are what I appreciate the most.

Not sure about the rad runner (because I have the Rad rover) but Tannus armor protection offers a 15mm foam spacing between the tire and the innertube so only something longer than 15mm can cause a flat.

Near 900 km on my stock Juggernauts and those center treads look like they look like they are 1/2 way through their lifespan. Tannus armor protection inside might be something to consider since it means that only something sharp that is longer than 17mm will cause a flat....and you can also switch them over to whatever next tire you get.

I had much of the same thing happen to me last Friday on my 2 month old Rad rover step thru but it is complicated by being also the 1st time I've ridden through some rain. Power drops/grinding noise and vibration/ a couple of fault 21's/....and its intermittent. Three messages to Rad so far have also gone unanswered.

Quote from: wkindred on September 23, 2020, 05:45:36 AM
hi how!

check out this rad power "error 21 troubleshooting guide".

not sure if you'll find the answers you need but is a good start -

https://radpowerbikes.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/360015396794-Error-21-Troubleshooting-Guide


     - will

Thanks will.
I first tried all of Rad power's pre recorded stock answers in regards to a fault code 21. There is a pizza delivery company nearby that uses a fleet of Rad power bikes in all sorts of weather without any specific water related issues so I think this problem is specific to my bike. It could also be That I have a motor issue that is exasperated around high humidity but I'm guessing because the problem is intermittent and Rad is only saying they've received my messages without actually getting back to me on any of them.
I can still drive my bike right now but what point is a help department if they won't even return polite courtesy calls on one of their brand new 2 month old flagship e bikes?

Hey folks
I have a 2 month old 2020 fat tired Rad rover step thru and 5 days ago after running into my first rain with this e bike I started having problems. When the rain started I was 20 km from home.
I covered my lcd and its controller on my handlebars with freezer bags and some elastic bands which was recommended to me to help protect against rain.
10 Minutes more of riding and my power shut off. It restarted after I rebooted it but failed again 5 minutes later. Then it started shutting down for 5 - 10 minutes at a time where nothing could restart it during that time. That was followed by an intermittent grinding and shaking from the motor when ever I was starting off or traveling at a low speed but would dissipate at moderate or high speeds.
When I finally pedaled home ( under no power) I dried off the bike with toweling, a heater and a fan over night. I opened up and re checked every electrical connection the next day because my led had shown a fault code of 21 a couple of times during the rain storm. Everything seemed ok but the next day I continued to have power shut downs and the same intermittent grinding and shaking.
I have put in a request for help from Radpower on the last two consecutive days but have not received any call back yet. Very disappointing considering how helpful and attentive they were to my previous emails during the purchasing process.

Has anyone else had problems after riding in the rain? I live in a coastal city with pretty unpredictable rainy weather so even though I have loved this bike up until that rain shower, I am now wondering if I should have chosen a better water protected e bike over the Rad rover. Has anybody here done anything to better waterproof their bikes?