Battery registered to bike

[Geebee]

I discovered that the battery on a Gazelle is registered to the bike it is on and can't be interchanged with any other Gazelle's unless registered with the other bike by the dealer.
Obviously this means DIY or after market batteries won't work.
Is this a common practice?

 

[neptune]

Sounds like an excellent reason not to buy a Gazelle. To achieve this state of affairs, involves extra technology on the bike, in order to put the user at a disadvantage. And guess who pays for this "privilege"?

 

[JuicyBike]

On the face of it this appears a bit cheeky, however it could well be just sensible administration for warranty records.
We record frame and battery IDs for each bike we sell, or that we send to dealers. This helps identify claims under warranty and creates a history for each bike that can be useful when a bike changes hands or needs maintenance.
This sounds like a system that has the same aim, implemented in an impossibly cumbersome way, unless we've not understood it properly. I can't believe anyone would intend to physically prevent swapping of batteries and perhaps the way the dealer described the registration process has been misinterpreted?

 

[Old_Dave]

I took it as a step (not all steps are forward) towards an 'anti theft' marketing hype...

However.

Unlike serial numbered frames & motors, batteries are a consumable item and will need to be changed.. so maybe its a method of ensuring that there is only one source of supply for your new battery at what ever price they decide to charge

Hmmmmmmmmmmm bit sharp to say the least

Edit..
Wonder if the BMS looks for a chip hidden in the bike or the controller, or is it the controller looking for a chip in the battery.. which ever way its just a use of existing technology

 

[flecc]

Ir sounds very unlikely. There may be confusion about the fact that the first Panasonic unit powered Gazelles used a battery mounting that soon changed for later ones, a Panasonic idiosyncracy and not of Gazelle's doing.

Each has to have the correct replacement battery.

 

[indalo]

I discovered that the battery on a Gazelle is registered to the bike it is on and can't be interchanged with any other Gazelle's unless registered with the other bike by the dealer.
Obviously this means DIY or after market batteries won't work.
Is this a common practice?

I can "buy" the first part about the battery being recorded against the particular bike but I really can't believe that the maker would go to the trouble of introducing such a feature as preventing interchangeability as a security aid. Within the manufacturing group, there already exists an immobilising system so I can't imagine Gazelle would utilise something other than that but I could be quite wrong.

Have you actually had this information from the horse's mouth or is it just hearsay?

Indalo

 

[Blew it]

In some cases this is done to protect the consumers interests. In one particular case I'm aware of, the purchaser of a very expensive kit queried the battery serial number with the kit manufacturers. The reply was, his battery had been allocated to a different kit assembled two years previously.

Apparently, the importer had attempted to 'cycle' his battery stock, and got caught out big-time by a very canny customer.

 

[Geebee]

The below is a copy and paste from Gazelle Australia, I take it from the reaction that it isn't a common practice thankfully:


Is the battery protected against theft?

Yes, in 2 ways. The battery is in the frame with a separate key lock. The key is the same as the lock on the wheel. There is also a battery with a unique serial number. This serial number of the battery is stored digitally in the computer. If the number on the battery does not match the number on the computer, the bike will not operate electrically.



The frost outside affects the batteries range. Why is that?

At temperatures below -5 degrees Celsius, batteries lose some capacity. Unless the battery is fully discharged, this won't cause any problems.



Are spare batteries available?

Yes, through your Gazelle dealer. Sometimes it is handy to have more batteries for longer trips. Batteries must be registered to your bike through the Gazelle dealer.



Can I also use the battery from my partner's bike?

Yes you can if the dealer has reprogrammed the battery on the computer. If this has not happened, you will get error message "1.1" on your monitor. Contact your dealer for more information.

 

[flecc]

While I can see the reasons for doing this, I still think from a consumer point of view that it rules out Gazelle as an option. Too much dealer dependence, not enough flexibility, tied in to Gazelle batteries and prices and the possibility of local support disappearing if the dealer gives up the agency or closes. This sort of thing is not so bad in the Gazelle homeland of the Netherlands where the dealers and Gazelle bikes are everywhere and competition fierce, but elsewhere I think a big no, no.

 

[RobF]

Gazelle battery prices are still stupidly high - £450 to £750 - at a time when other suppliers have brought the price down to £250.

The Gazelle system records details of use, which could settle any arguments in the event of a warranty claim.

I tried an open frame Gazelle which was about £2.700 with a decent strength battery.

In car terms it was like a limo, big and luxurious if not particularly fast.

It had road presence and seemed nicely made and finished, but was worth about half what they were asking.

 

[indalo]

While I can see the reasons for doing this, I still think from a consumer point of view that it rules out Gazelle as an option. Too much dealer dependence, not enough flexibility, tied in to Gazelle batteries and prices and the possibility of local support disappearing if the dealer gives up the agency or closes. This sort of thing is not so bad in the Gazelle homeland of the Netherlands where the dealers and Gazelle bikes are everywhere and competition fierce, but elsewhere I think a big no, no.

I agree entirely with that assessment. Gazelle seems to have lost the plot somewhat in regard to the wider market beyond the Dutch borders.

Beautiful machines they may be but my next bike will be equally beautiful but won't say Gazelle on the badge.

Indalo