Charging problem - Raleigh Array - Suntour battery and motor

[Michael Price]

Hi all
I recently bought a Raleigh Array - which is great

Just one major problem - plugging in the charger to the battery - it is very fiddly and difficult - the local bike shop things the pins may be a bit bent and the sockets are a bit damaged
This is because it is impossible to be certain that the plug and socket and actually lined up - there are no guide rails and the pins are so small (in all dimersions) taht you can;t even feel when it is lined up

I have to say that the LBS has been very helpful and so have Raleigh but it does seem like a design fault - it really should not be so difficult.

You might thing that maybe I am a bit ham fisted - but this is my 3rd ebike - I have been using them for 10 years - and the others could have been put on charge in a cramped shed in the dark with perfect accuracy every time. This one has to be taken off the bike and then taken inside - and even then I need to big light on to see what I am ding

Also - I have been an IT technician or various kinds for the last 40 years - so I am used to putting things together carefully without breaking them - but this thing has me flumuxed


Raleigh are sending a new battery and charger to replace the current ones. They have also admitted that they also find it very fiddly to charge them - they are made by Suntour so it is not Raleigh's design, They are also going to look at the design and see if it can be improved - and have promised to contact me and update mine if a better solution is found.


So basically Raleigh have done exactly what I would hope for - which is greate

I was just wondering if anyone else has had the same problem - either on Raleigh Arrarys or possible a similar Suntour battery/charger

 

[Vin]

Hi, we have the 2020 Raleigh Array and the latest Carrera Vengeance E Womens which uses the same Suntour HESC system (batteries are also interchangeable) and initially thought the pins would get bent as could not tell whether male/ female lined up perfectly before screwing the connection closed but have never had an issue with either charger so far.

 

[Sturmey]

Plug the charger into the battery. Then use white nail varnish to put a white dot on the plug and a corresponding one on the battery, and this makes plugging in easier and less likely to bend pins.. I have done the same with motor cable.

 

[Michael Price]

Thanks for the replies
I really think that it is a really bad design - it should be far easier to get sorted easily
Basically there is no reason for it to be harder than plugging a laptop in

 

[barbel]

raleigh array or vengence ,which is the better bike

 

[Vin]

Hi, have only used my wife's Carrera once on the public road and both would be fine in my opinion for commuting. Although the Array can cope the Carrera has the edge for rougher paths.

 

[Michael Price]

I have ridden my Array on rough paths and it coped fine
I tried both but much preferred the Array - the Array did seem to have more Road friendly tyres - for what difference that makes
I have noticed that the Array tyres are puncture resistant - dunno about the vengeance

 

[vfr400]

The Vengeance has standard Chinese electrics, so is easy to fix and change. I don't know about the Raleigh, but it doesn't look standard, so you'll probably be in the hands of the dealer for fixing. That's no problem while under guarantee, but can be very problematic in a couple of years time.

 

[Vin]

I have ridden my Array on rough paths and it coped fine
I tried both but much preferred the Array - the Array did seem to have more Road friendly tyres - for what difference that makes
I have noticed that the Array tyres are puncture resistant - dunno about the vengeance

Hi, I occasionally commute using the Raleigh (approx. 30 miles round trip)sometimes using an alternative route negotiating River Paths (Thames/ Darent) with some rough stretches out in the marshes (narrow stony overgrown paths through brambles. We also ride to a local country park with bike paths through the woods with different levels of difficulty. On a few of the more challenging stretches the drops are steep, narrow meandering paths criss crossed with the exposed roots of the trees on each side. My wife seems to navigate these more effectively on the Vengeance whereas I have always made it on the Array albeit with the occasional hair raising skids on the way.

The Vengeance has standard Chinese electrics, so is easy to fix and change. I don't know about the Raleigh, but it doesn't look standard, so you'll probably be in the hands of the dealer for fixing. That's no problem while under guarantee, but can be very problematic in a couple of years time.

Hi, Looking at the two bikes we have the new 2020 Array shares the same SR Suntour HESC system as the Vengeance and is all wired up in a similar way.

 

[vfr400]

Hi, Looking at the two bikes we have the new 2020 Array shares the same SR Suntour HESC system as the Vengeance and is all wired up in a similar way.

Ah yes, I can see that they've changed it. The Vengeance E used to have a conventional LED control panel and magnet disc pedal sensor, but now they have the Suntour stuff. That's a shame!

 

[Michael Price]

Hi, I occasionally commute using the Raleigh (approx. 30 miles round trip)sometimes using an alternative route negotiating River Paths (Thames/ Darent) with some rough stretches out in the marshes (narrow stony overgrown paths through brambles. We also ride to a local country park with bike paths through the woods with different levels of difficulty. On a few of the more challenging stretches the drops are steep, narrow meandering paths criss crossed with the exposed roots of the trees on each side. My wife seems to navigate these more effectively on the Vengeance whereas I have always made it on the Array albeit with the occasional hair raising skids on the way.

Hi, Looking at the two bikes we have the new 2020 Array shares the same SR Suntour HESC system as the Vengeance and is all wired up in a similar way.

If you are skidding on the Array then I would suggest that this is just the tyres - I seem to remember that the Array's tyre looked more slick roadie type that the Vengeance

 

[barbel]

thank you very much for the info guys

 

[Michael Price]

Been back to the local bike shop today - they have been really good - as have Raleigh

a) Raleigh have offered to send a new battery and charger just in case there is a problem with one of them
b) The LBS rang Raleigh for me (hence (a) ) and Raleigh admitted that they find the charger connection very fiddly themselves - but haven;t had any other complaints (yet!). As a result they have raised this as a problem and are looking for a better solution - they have said they are looking to get something sorted quickly
c) in the meantime the LBS have given me a new charger to try - that was OK in the shop but failed again when I got home. Took it back again today and he tried to force it in with pliers but just made it worse - seems like the thread inside the battery socket is part of the problem. Hopefully the new battery will sort this out

The bloke at the LBS has now kept the battery and charger and hopefully will have the replacements in the next few days.
In the meantime I have found a manual on the WWW for the battery and charger - but the Suntour version not the Raleigh version - the connected is significantly different - and contains a guide to make it impossible to get the plug into the charger wrongly - plus 2 extra pins for some reason
Looks like someone (Raleigh or SunTour) have changed the design recently - probably to make it cheaper to make but they may have gone a bit too far.
Still - it is good that Raleigh have accepted the problem without any fuss and committed to find a solution!

Finally - the LBS is talking about just sending the whole bike back to Raleigh if things take too long - if I am lucky maybe they will send a replacement of a more expensive model using a different battery/motor!!!


All through this the LBS have helped me and acted as a liaison with Raleigh - and Raleigh have reacted very well

 

[barbel]

i was told the motor torque on array was 60 mn
powerful motor

 

[Michael Price]

i was told the motor torque on array was 60 mn
powerful motor

from the Suntour site it looks like 50Nm

seems OK to me - gets me up hills OK

 

[Nealh]

Looks like you have a good relationship with your dealer, worth it's wait in gold.

 

[Michael Price]

yes it is - well worth cultivating. I have noticed that people why he clearly knows tend to get significant discount on marked prices fro bits and pieces
Strangers still get a discount - but much smaller

He clearly realises the best way to keep business - if he hadn't been so helpful I could have bought my new bike online - thank God I didn;t!!!

 

[Vin]

Been back to the local bike shop today - they have been really good - as have Raleigh

a) Raleigh have offered to send a new battery and charger just in case there is a problem with one of them
b) The LBS rang Raleigh for me (hence (a) ) and Raleigh admitted that they find the charger connection very fiddly themselves - but haven;t had any other complaints (yet!). As a result they have raised this as a problem and are looking for a better solution - they have said they are looking to get something sorted quickly
c) in the meantime the LBS have given me a new charger to try - that was OK in the shop but failed again when I got home. Took it back again today and he tried to force it in with pliers but just made it worse - seems like the thread inside the battery socket is part of the problem. Hopefully the new battery will sort this out

The bloke at the LBS has now kept the battery and charger and hopefully will have the replacements in the next few days.
In the meantime I have found a manual on the WWW for the battery and charger - but the Suntour version not the Raleigh version - the connected is significantly different - and contains a guide to make it impossible to get the plug into the charger wrongly - plus 2 extra pins for some reason
Looks like someone (Raleigh or SunTour) have changed the design recently - probably to make it cheaper to make but they may have gone a bit too far.
Still - it is good that Raleigh have accepted the problem without any fuss and committed to find a solution!

Finally - the LBS is talking about just sending the whole bike back to Raleigh if things take too long - if I am lucky maybe they will send a replacement of a more expensive model using a different battery/motor!!!


All through this the LBS have helped me and acted as a liaison with Raleigh - and Raleigh have reacted very well

Hi, if it helps I paid more attention when plugging in the battery to charge this morning and if you look closely there is an arrow on the charger plug to aid aligning

 

[Michael Price]

Hi, if it helps I paid more attention when plugging in the battery to charge this morning and if you look closely there is an arrow on the charger plug to aid aligning

Thanks - I had noticed but it doesn't help much as you have to me so precise to line it up and can't feel when the pins are aligned
I am hoping that the battery socket is faulty and the new one will be better

 

[barbel]

calibre kinectic ebike listed on go outdoors as 14.5kgs sounds
light for a ebike ,cant find any info any help guys.