Quote from: DickB on September 07, 2023, 08:44:27 AMYes. I would be concerned about exceeding the headlight power rating of the controller.

I just got a reply from Area13 that their 35A controller kit won't even handle the Rad allegedly-"premium" headlight, stating emphatically that it WILL burn out the controller.  It's new verbiage added to their controller sales website page.

Quote from: handlebar on September 25, 2023, 07:16:49 PMYou may be unaware of the law. Unless on rails, a locomotive must have somebody with a lantern walk at least 60 yards ahead. That should allow ample braking distance if he spots a critter or a pothole and flags you down. It was repealed when motor vehicles came along, but an ebike is not a motor vehicle.

Oh, I'm aware of the law, all right.  I always comply with any arbitrary law, excreted by somebody who could only get a government "job" that comes along, to the letter.  You betcha.

Anyway, everything was fine until my lantern guy was run down by a locomotive sneaking up from behind.  Nailed the lantern too, so I'm scrooed.

Quote from: Naranja_CT5+ on September 25, 2023, 03:20:28 PMIt does not look like you need to remove it. Your headlight says you can use 12v "Designed to work on 12v 48v 52v and 60v ebike electrical systems" You just need to power it externally. I have seen a 12v system powered by 18650 batteries on Amazon

Yes, I getcha, but I rarely ride after dark, or really anytime a headlight would even be visible on the road surface - I was just trying to replace the stock headlight with one that had a useful beam pattern, for emergencies (like my Planet Bike rechargeable not working) or the very-rare need to ride after dark.

I don't want to carry around more batteries and have more hassle just for that.  So far, I've been unable to find a 5-watt headlight that could be a drop-in replacement like the 10-watter I have, but with a better beam than stock. 

Also still sort of pissed off that an "upgrade" controller can't even handle 10 watts whereas apparently the stock controller can (I asked Rad how many watts the "premium" headlight draws and their response was "500 lumens") - does nobody attend even high-school STEM classes anymore?  WTF is that about?

Quote from: handlebar on September 25, 2023, 12:28:48 PMMy rechargeable has a 5.8 AH, 3.7 V battery, or about 21.46 watt hours. The manufacturer says it will run 4 hours on high. That would be more than 5 watts. I think a modern Cree bulb will typically produce 100 lumens per watt, so it's probably about 500 lumens. I can adjust the beam height as I ride, and unlike a carbide lamp, it won't burn my fingers.

My main headlight is a Planet Bike 800 rechargeable, almost exclusively used in slow-strobe mode for daytime visibility.  Highly recommended.  I was hoping that yellow one would be a good backup for nighttime use just in case, because where I live, if the moon's not up after dark, it's farkin' DARK outside.  The stock (and "Premium"... hah) headlights are actually dangerous in that condition, where you'd be in the pothole, or critter, before you spotted it.

And somewhere I still have an honest-to-God brass carbide miner's headlamp that's around a hundred years old or so, used by my grandfather when he was a kid.  It's a beautifully-crafted jewel and I can't imagine mining amidst coal dust with an open-flame lantern like that.  Brass ballz, they had.

WARNING - I just got a reply from Area 13 saying the 35A controller upgrade is limited to 5w headlight power and can only handle the stock 5w headlight, not even the "Premium" Rad headlight.

I checked with them after reading this:

Will only work with stock 200 lumen headlight, will not work with the 500 Lumen headlights. THE 500 will burn up your controller.

from here:  https://area13ebikes.com/products/radkit

I assume this applies to the upgrades sold by ElectroBikeWorld and other vendors as well.  This seems like a ridiculous design spec on an "upgrade" controller, but Area13 is adamant about this.

I haven't had a problem, but I almost never ride after dark, so my use so far was limited to a few minutes after installation of this 10w unit to get it aligned to the road:

https://www.ebay.ca/itm/234738995390

So it looks like I'll be removing this one and leaving both it and the Rad "Premium" headlight in my spare-parts box.

Sigh.

WARNING - I just got a reply from Area 13 saying the 35A controller upgrade is limited to 5w headlight power and can only handle the stock 5w headlight, not even the "Premium" Rad headlight.

I checked with them after reading this:

Will only work with stock 200 lumen headlight, will not work with the 500 Lumen headlights. THE 500 will burn up your controller.

from here:  https://area13ebikes.com/products/radkit

I assume this applies to the upgrades sold by ElectroBikeWorld and other vendors as well.  This seems like a ridiculous design spec on an "upgrade" controller, but Area13 is adamant about this.

I haven't had a problem, but I almost never ride after dark, so my use so far was limited to a few minutes after installation of this 10w unit to get it aligned to the road:

https://www.ebay.ca/itm/234738995390

So it looks like I'll be removing this one and leaving both it and the Rad "Premium" headlight in my spare-parts box.

Sigh.

I agree that this "premium" headlight is utterly useless after dark (I tried one) but does anybody know the wattage draw of this light?  I've attached an aftermarket light that draws about 10 watts and Area 13 warns that their controller upgrade (which I also have) does not support this light and runs a risk of burning out.

Quote from: bjander on September 23, 2023, 03:51:14 PMhttps://www.cascademanufacturing.com/products/rad-rover-bike-bottle-holder-mounting-bracket
This is from a company that is in the same town as me, so I may try to ride over there during business hours and check it out. I love that it's made locally!

I have one of those on my MiniST2 and although still a little expensive (we're all conditioned to the cost of stuff made from Chinesium), it's strong and very well made, so if it's the way to go for you, you'll be happy with the product.

I put an ABUS folding lock on the stock bottle-mount pattern, so I moved two water bottles to the front stem.  Both the lock and the water are easier to get to and I ended up with more knee clearance on the step-through, getting on and off.

Sorry, I'm no good to you with your specific problem, but I wanted you to know how much I appreciate seeing others willing to tear down greasy mechanical things on the kitchen countertop.  I usually draw the line at the bedspread, though.

Quote from: handlebar on September 23, 2023, 08:17:50 AM

It could prevent theft. Unhook it and lock it under the bottom bracket like a center stand. Unable to pedal off, the amateur thief will phone a professional, who will rush to the scene only to discover that it looks like a lead-acid golf-cart battery, with about 25% of the capacity of LiFePO4. No respectable thief wants a white elephant, except of course the Pink Panther.

Always appreciate the divergent ramblings; may I ask what you're drinking to fuel that?  My gasbagging often bores even me while I'm doing it.  Like now, for instance.

Quote from: RadBob on September 14, 2023, 08:36:35 AM
Is there information on the controller to know exactly what the specs are?
I?m looking to squeeze the most performance and range out of these bikes while protecting the battery at the same time.

From the looks of it (no hands-on experience with the Expand 5), it looks like there are no changes to the battery/controller from the Rad Minis it replaces.  I have a 2021 MiniST2 and love it, but I would highly recommend you consider a 35A controller upgrade - turns these little workhorses into stealthy little rockets and can now climb hills like they aren't there.  The controller upgrade won't add more top-end speed, but the torque increase is immense and other features like cruise control are nifty to have as well.

By the way, do you know about the theft danger for that type of battery Rad's been using for a number of years?  A Honda motorcycle blank key will unlock essentially all of them, making them easy to harvest by knowledgeable thieves.  I carry only a blank key, so I can prove this to other owners who can't accept something so ridiculous on my word alone.

Here's part of my solution, in addition to a hidden alarm.....

Have fun!

Check with your current home/renter insurance agent - my Rad bike is automatically covered by that policy's "personal property" clause, no rider, no declaration, no additional fee needed.  I took photos to document it and the accessories, but was really happy to find this out.

Got it and installed it yesterday, tested last night on my 2021 MiniST2.  I'm impressed!  Bright, good beam pattern, decent price and very ruggedly built from the looks and heavyweight feel of it.  The yellow light takes some getting used to, but it's no different from blueblocking sunglasses I suppose.

Thanks again for the tip!

Typically, warranty starts when you receive the bike (some places might have different terms, so be sure to know what yours are), but since you'll have a one-year warranty you'll have one full riding season to break it in and check it out, even if you have to wait until springtime.  I'm in the same boat; mine's off the road about 4-5 months each year, but c'est la vie.

Quote from: mrgold35 on September 11, 2023, 03:37:43 AM
My favorite large seat is the Sunlite Cloud-9 Cruiser seat 11X10X8 size, Amazon, $37.  I use the Cloud-9 on my two 2016 Radrovers and two Radcity Step-Thru (2018 & 2023 models).  Works equally well for me (6'3" 300lbs) and my wife (4'11" 130lbs).

https://amzn.to/3RoDBxp

After trying 5 aftermarket seats on my 2021 MiniST2, including 2 Cloud9s, I settled on this one as the best fit for me as well.  It may not fit everybody else as well, but it's very well made and worth trying out, like the other Cloud9 products.