Discounted old model bikes.

[JohnCade]

Has anyone bought an old model e bike from a non main dealer I wonder? You do see some 2011/12 models at general bike dealers for very good prices for quality bikes. Some at 60% discount on the new price.

What would the drawbacks be? Apart from getting a bike which the main dealers would claim is outdated and obsolete of course. Would the batteries be in good condition after three years, and would the dealers charge them regularly I wonder? They are said to be sold with full manufactures warranty but if the dealer was a long way away, maybe even in another country I wonder how that would pan out.

I know that dealers who have a presence here offer discounts on older models but I don't think they have too many as old as that.

 

[Wicky]

I bought a used KTM ex-demo 2014 at a discount from the UK distributor and I'm happy - if a bike is from 2011/12 then they've been sitting around for a while then you're right to ask questions...

 

[JohnCade]

Someone must have bought an old stock e bike a couple of years old? I've bought new two years old normal bikes at a very good discount. But it's the electrics and the battery of an e bike I'd be concerned about here.

 

[Electrifying Cycles]

Definately ask questions re: the battery. EBC have quite a few AVE bikes on offer at the moment. However all these bikes have the smaller battery (300wh rather 400wh). The models they had with Intuvia display are/were
AVE SH5 (52, 56 or 60cm crossbar frame), MH7 and Ave Easy (step-through 52cm). They also had some bikes with the old HMI display

The new range is due to launch soon and I have been impressed
http://www.ave-bikes.de/index.php/de/

If you ask the right question you may get a bargain so could be worth it. We will have some offers on in October if we have any bikes left.

Good luck!
David

 

[JohnCade]

Thanks David.

As a general rule do dealers charge the batteries when they keep the bikes in stock? They're sent from the factory semi charged like most consumer items with this sort of battery I should think. Though there would be a time limit of how long they can be left uncharged I suppose?

 

[flecc]

Most suppliers say they should be charged at least every three months. This is to prevent cell death due to the discharge over time. In fact lithium cells don't naturally discharge, it's the internal BMS being on all the time that gradually decays the charge.

Batteries from Panasonic and Kallhoff-BMZ expressly for the Panasonic crank units have a sleep mode which means they can last almost indefinitely without attention. What happens in these is that after about two weeks of inactivity the BMS switches off. Bringing them back to life is just a matter of connecting and switching on the charger which kicks the BMS back into action.

These are the only batteries that I'm aware of that have that function, it may extend to the Kalkhoff-BMZ batteries for the Kalkhoff Impulse units but I have no evidence for that. Panasonic batteries for other bikes and units do not have this feature

 

[JohnCade]

Thanks flecc, that's just the sort of information I was looking for. The bikes I'm most interested in are 26v Panasonic Kalkhoffs.

I expect the battery has to be in good condition and fully charged to begin with though. Julian was selling his 2008 Pro Connect here the other day and his battery was dead after being left for a few years; and after only a summer's use.

 

[flecc]

Despite no self-discharge, like any chemical device lithium cells do age with time, so that may have been a component in that case. However, complete failure is very unusual, so that particular battery may have had a specific fault such as a defective cell or inability to switch into the sleep mode.

 

[Electrifying Cycles]

Thanks David.

As a general rule do dealers charge the batteries when they keep the bikes in stock? They're sent from the factory semi charged like most consumer items with this sort of battery I should think. Though there would be a time limit of how long they can be left uncharged I suppose?

I do. This is more important for the cheaper bikes in my opinion (others may disagree). For instance KTM bikes come with a date they should be charged by and it is several months later (can not remember how long as charge them before then on the rare case they they are not sold).

As a rule Bosch batteries like to be kept at 60% so a short partial charge is normally enough. Others I will charge at least every couple of months.

The most important thing is to regularly charge them.

 

[tillson]

These are the only batteries that I'm aware of that have that function, it may extend to the Kalkhoff-BMZ batteries for the Kalkhoff Impulse units but I have no evidence for that. Panasonic batteries for other bikes and units do not have this feature

I think the Impulse batteries have the sleep function. Forum member DavidW reported that his Impulse battery was, "dead". He hadn't used or charged it for a couple of weeks or so. I asked him to try putting it on charge because I knew that was how to get the Panasonic battery out of sleep status. He reported back that it worked and the battery was working as expected afterwards.