Electric-Bikes.com
Tips for Phat Flyer Owners
Throttle Control
Some folks find it difficult to maintain steady pressure on the thumb control when riding - even on slightly bumpy surfaces. A workable solution one user found to his initial discomfort with the jiggle-jiggle of the thumb throttle was to loosen the connector nuts and spin the whole throttle housing down. Then his thumb, fully extended with hands in a comfortable riding position, holds the throttle at about 85% open - just where the Flyer seems to find it's hum and gets maximum mileage at ~13.5 to 14mph. This simple trick made the ride more enjoyable so he could put his concentration on safety and smiling.Is it a Flyer SE?
Here's a simple way to tell the 2001 from the SE. Look at the screws (6) that hold the deck to the chassis. If they go all the way through the chassis tube and have a nut and washer holding them down, it's a 2001 Flyer. If they just thread into the chassis, (no nut and washer) it's the 2002 Flyer SE.Warranty Claims
From: Rob Means/Sustainable Habitat
To: Warranty Department (Stu)
Subject: Warranty Returns - RA# 21WR
Stu,
Here's the proof of purchase for the Electro Drive Kit motor that needs to be replaced.
I'll tell my customer to pack up the motor (with RA#21WR written on the side) and send to:
Currie Technologies
Warranty Department
6855 Hayvenhurst Avenue
Van Nuys, CA 91406-4718
Thanks for your assistance.
Rob Means, Electro Ride Bikes and Scooters
408/262-8975 http://www.electric-bikes.com
1421 Yellowstone Ave., Milpitas, CA 95035-6913
Discover cycling that's Easy, Safe, Fast - and FUN!
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Other Tips
- "gas gauge"
- "out of gas"
- Preventing flats
- Speedometer
- Security (anti-theft)
- "How do I make my scooter faster?"
- For additional technical information
Date: Mon, 06 Nov 2000 15:07:56 -0700
From: "John Mancenido" <youngjedi@sharpercards.com>
Subject: Re: cold weather tips?I'm from Calgary Alberta, and I rode my Zappy all through the winter last year. There were maybe about four weeks where I wasn't able to use the Zappy due to too much snow on the roads.
The stock Zappy does just fine in cold weather--you don't have to baby it at all. I rode it in -20 (Celsius) weather and no hiccups as far as the motor, battery, or controller. I did find the zappy to be a little slower last winter, but not by much. It slowed down maybe 1-2 mph overall.
Also, I just recently converted from 12 v to 18 v a few days ago. This morning was the coldest day so far this year, -10 degrees. I ran at 18v for my entire 2.5 mile commute and it was fine.
Riding on icy winter roads actually wasn't too bad. Because of the low center of gravity it's surprisingly stable.
My biggest problem riding when its -5 degrees or colder is snow getting in the belt--after a few revolutions the snow gets compressed into ice, and the whole thing stops turning. around -4 to 0 degrees the snow is slushy and doesn't freeze on the belt.
I jerry-rigged a plastic cover last winter for the drive belt out of Styrene sheet--It helped keep a bit of the snow off the belt. I'll try to post some pictures later.
-John
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If the battery is fully charged, leaving it out overnight is not a problem. Your range will be reduced with a cold battery because maximum capacity is available at room temperatures. That's why some folks take it in at night to charge. Battery capapcity only becomes an issue below freezing; at -20C you only get about 2/3 of normal capacity.
One customer recommends the pocket sized multimeter sold at Radio Shack as a great "gas guage". His battery reads 13.2 volts with a full charge and 11.7 volts when almost dead. The relative reading in between gives him an idea how much juice he has left. To test your battery, insert probes into the Zappy charging port.
"By the time I arrived at the beach (3 miles) my battery showed 12.2 due to the 20 mph headwind, not good. I had lunch and the battery came up to 12.3. I made it back to within 50 feet of my van before it stopped with a reading of 11.5."
If your Zappy fails you far from home, you'll want to kick it like a kick scooter to get home. Reduce the motor drag in such situations by pulling/rotating the belt off the big sprocket. Then slip it off the silver front sprocket. By turning the belt inside out and resting it on the big sprocket, you'll eliminate the motor drag.
To reduce the problem of flat tires, put Slime in your tubes. (Get Slime at most bike shops or from an online dealer.) Get the 4-oz. size and squeeze half the goop into each tube. Even better might be using a tire liner like Mr. Tuffy tube protectors. The ultimate is solid tires:
Date: Tue, 10 Jul 2001 13:41:06 -0400
From: "Scott MacGregor" <smacgregor@aasp.net>
Subject: Re: Re: Airless tires for a Zappy?I've sold dozens of these tires, and no complaints yet. Most riders think they feel like 50-70 lb pressure. The main thing is NO flats, and no fiddling with air pressure.
Regards,
Scott MacGregor, 9 South St., Plainville, MA 02762, Voice 508-695-3717
Fax 508-643-0233, smacgregor@aasp.net, www.EVdeals.comDue to the small diameter wheels, most bicycle speedometers won't work. Some, however, do:
The Avocet 25 works fine, but is limited to around 18 pulses per second, which is around 75mph on a bicycle, but only 25mph on a Zappy. It uses valve-cap magnet for sensing rotations.
The SigmaBC is a standard single magnet computer, but can handle pulses up to around 40 per second. So that easily allows accurate measurements up to 50mph on small scooter wheels. You can order one with the rear wheel sensor mount so you can continue using an old Avocet 25 valve-cap magnet.
www.infinity.nu/vfr/Computer.html and
www.sprotbikes.com/bc700.htmCatEye Astrale or CatEye Wireless can both handle small wheel circumferences. The Astrale can measure RPM's. It has no problem measuring up to 30 mph on downhills (488 rpm).
Standard bicycle locks, either 'U' or cable, can pass through the frame to lock to a tree or post. For high-crime areas, the investment in a "New York" style from Kryptonite is worthwhile.
HANDLEBAR-MOUNT ALARM
J. C. Whitney offers an inexpensive alarm ($22.00 at www.jcwhitney.com/productnoitem.jhtml?CATID=60100&BQ=mot
Of course if anyone wants your scooter badly enough, it'll be gone in less then 60 seconds. But at least they will think twice about it at 110dB.Be sure to inflate your tires to over the recommended limit. Flyer tires should be inflated to at least the 35 psi rating printed on the sidewall.
Have a need for speed? Need more power to go up hills! Then, change the pinion gear on the motor shaft. EVdeal.com offers replacements for the stock 15-tooth pinion gear: 13T, 17T, 19T, 21T. Check the "Custom Currie Flyer Items". You can also learn about 36-volt upgrades there.
For additional technical information go to the group site (http://groups.yahoo.com/group/zappy/) and click "bookmarks", "technical", "Zappy".