e-Bike on a bike rack. With or without the battery?

[Point Reyes]

We're having a towbar installed on our car so we can haul our bikes. When we're ready to take a trip I thought I'd remove the batteries to make them a bit lighter but then I thought about the exposed battery compartment and the damage rain could do.

What do you folks do? Remove the battery or not? The rack can handle the weight with or without the battery.

 

[JPGiant]

Remove the batteries, if you don't and decide to go out in the rain - well, your choice.
If you leave them on and it rains unexpectedly - have some cling film ready.

 

[Stanebike]

I’ve always removed the batteries when using my rack. I assumed jostling of the batteries locating points would be greater than normal when left on the frame. Have driven on rainy days without problem. Seeings JP's cling film suggestion though I might protect the exposed terminals if likely to rain.

 

[Point Reyes]

I’ve always removed the batteries when using my rack. I assumed jostling of the batteries locating points would be greater than normal when left on the frame. Have driven on rainy days without problem. Seeings JP's cling film suggestion though I might protect the exposed terminals if likely to rain.

Thanks, so no problem getting any contact points inside the battery compartment wet? Cling film might be wise I guess.

 

[Point Reyes]

Remove the batteries, if you don't and decide to go out in the rain - well, your choice.
If you leave them on and it rains unexpectedly - have some cling film ready.

I was just concerned about getting caught in the rain with an open battery compartment. Cling film might be wise. Thanks.

 

[Andy-Mat]

Make sure that the carrier is more than just able to carry all the weight.....
Though some e-bikes have battery carriers/holders that still "seal" with or without the battery being installed, and are very easy to open/close and remove the battery. Even some quite cheap bikes do this..... I am sure that some members here will be pleased to tell you which e-bikes have closed and sealed battery boxes, even without the battery being installed.
So buy carefully, with much thought your bikes and your tow bar carrier. Even some tow bars are limited in the amount of nose weight a trailer (or a bike carrier) may exert, some usual ones are 50KG and some are 75KG.
There may even be ones with even higher limits (Land Rovers can haul quite large boats on a trailer for example, possibly having higher limits), as the limit is actually set by both the car manufacturers and the tow bar manufacturer.
I hope this enables you to pick a setup that suits your needs fully.
regards
Andy

 

[Point Reyes]

Make sure that the carrier is more than just able to carry all the weight.....
Though some e-bikes have battery carriers/holders that still "seal" with or without the battery being installed, and are very easy to open/close and remove the battery. Even some quite cheap bikes do this..... I am sure that some members here will be pleased to tell you which e-bikes have closed and sealed battery boxes, even without the battery being installed.
So buy carefully, with much thought your bikes and your tow bar carrier. Even some tow bars are limited in the amount of nose weight a trailer (or a bike carrier) may exert, some usual ones are 50KG and some are 75KG.
There may even be ones with even higher limits (Land Rovers can haul quite large boats on a trailer for example, possibly having higher limits), as the limit is actually set by both the car manufacturers and the tow bar manufacturer.
I hope this enables you to pick a setup that suits your needs fully.
regards
Andy

Thanks for the info.

Our bike's batteries come as a unit so when they're removed the cover comes with them leaving the compartment open. It would have been better if the cover was separate but too late now. We went with Focus Planet 2 bikes.

Yes, making sure the towbar/bike rack would fit our car and be able to hold the weight was very important so I really read up on it all. I'm pretty confident on its capability. We have an Auris Hybrid and went with Toyota as so many others were a bit a vague on specs, especially the towbar. Many wouldn't touch a hybrid.

 

[Andy-Mat]

Thanks for the info.

Our bike's batteries come as a unit so when they're removed the cover comes with them leaving the compartment open. It would have been better if the cover was separate but too late now. We went with Focus Planet 2 bikes.

Yes, making sure the towbar/bike rack would fit our car and be able to hold the weight was very important so I really read up on it all. I'm pretty confident on its capability. We have an Auris Hybrid and went with Toyota as so many others were a bit a vague on specs, especially the towbar. Many wouldn't touch a hybrid.

Here, where I live (Germany), all towbars have either a sticker, or its pressed into the metal part, the maximum allowed "Nose-weight" in Kilograms.
Here they are also a bit strange with regard to any form of electric car!!! You are not alone!!!
I myself have not lived in the UK for over 40 years now, so I am not able to help much, sorry.
regards and best wishes
Andy

 

[Point Reyes]

Here, where I live (Germany), all towbars have either a sticker, or its pressed into the metal part, the maximum allowed "Nose-weight" in Kilograms.
Here they are also a bit strange with regard to any form of electric car!!! You are not alone!!!
I myself have not lived in the UK for over 40 years now, so I am not able to help much, sorry.
regards and best wishes
Andy

Yeah, several companies told me they don't install towbars on a hybrids at all. I think it might have something to do with the transmission in a hybrid and towing. I finally went to Toyota and they had a tow bar for our hybrid and a carrier for e-bikes. We get it installed this week but it certainly wasn't cheap.

 

[Andy-Mat]

Yeah, several companies told me they don't install towbars on a hybrids at all. I think it might have something to do with the transmission in a hybrid and towing. I finally went to Toyota and they had a tow bar for our hybrid and a carrier for e-bikes. We get it installed this week but it certainly wasn't cheap.

Definitely the best decision.
I wish you a lot of biking fun in the future.
regards
Andy

 

[StrawHatMan]

I recently purchased a Thule Easyfold to enable me to transport my Riese and Muller Homage for rides throughout the North Yorks Moors. I have to say that I’m delighted with it as it extends the range available to me. I only use it to carry one bike and I leave the battery attached. I also tend to check the weather forecast closely and avoid rain if at all possible. One of the benefits of being retired. It only takes a few minutes to attach the Easyfold to the towball and fix the bike to the rack. I’m well within the towball specification on my VW Tiguan of 100kg. I also use the foldable ramp that Thule supply as an optional extra. My strength isn’t what it was and I really find the ramp very helpful. The big advantage of the Easyfold, as the name implies, is that it can be folded and stored in the boot of the car at the destination.

 

[Point Reyes]

I recently purchased a Thule Easyfold to enable me to transport my Riese and Muller Homage for rides throughout the North Yorks Moors. I have to say that I’m delighted with it as it extends the range available to me. I only use it to carry one bike and I leave the battery attached. I also tend to check the weather forecast closely and avoid rain if at all possible. One of the benefits of being retired. It only takes a few minutes to attach the Easyfold to the towball and fix the bike to the rack. I’m well within the towball specification on my VW Tiguan of 100kg. I also use the foldable ramp that Thule supply as an optional extra. My strength isn’t what it was and I really find the ramp very helpful. The big advantage of the Easyfold, as the name implies, is that it can be folded and stored in the boot of the car at the destination.

That Thule Easyfold looks much like the one we're getting from Toyota. Both our bikes on the carrier are well within the weight limit so maybe leaving the batteries in isn't a bad idea.

Rolling the bikes up on a ramp sounds much better than lifting them.

Thanks!

 

[Barnsleyrob]

I’d imagine that the battery gets shaken around more on a ride than it would hanging off the back of a car with working suspension.

 

[georgehenry]

With new cars having can bus wiring systems, fitting an after market tow bar can be complicated and costly.

When I bought my new car I had a factory fitted tow bar installed which cost a not inconsiderable £750, but as I was sure I would want a tow bar bike rack at some point and have a motorcycle trailer I thought it best to get it done.

All three of my bikes have easily removed batteries. The only one I have carried so far has been an old heavy rear hub bike with a silverfish battery. I remove both the battery and the seat post and saddle.

I bought a cheap but recommended tow bar rack which has worked very well. It carries the bike very securely with no rattling. Compared with other bike racks it seems very good value. The 45kg weight limit would only be just enough for two ebikes and you would need to remove the batteries. I remove the seat post and saddle on my old rear hub as it is very easy and reduces wind drag, but for reducing weight it is the battery that needs to be removed. You also need to be able to dead lift the bikes on to this rack. However withing these limitations, if you are on a budget, it is very good.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B006WNC5NE/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o03_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I had a nasty surprise when I tried to use my old light board as the new tow bar electric plug on my new car has more electrical pins and was not compatible. This is where the complication of the can bus system showed, as when I plugged in my old light board the car refused to reverse as the rear parking sensors remained live and sensed there was an obstruction and applied the brakes when I tried to reverse.

Once I bought a modern light board and plugged that in, all was well.

Complication for complications sake seems to be the modern way.

 

[cyclebuddy]

IIRC one of the manufacturers advised strongly against carrying ebikes on rear carriers. Although the advice was aimed principally at RV/Campervan owners, the reasoning was that road spray and dirt is sucked into the rear of the vehicle from a vacuum created by air movement over the vehicle. The argument suggested that carring an ebike on the rear of a vehicle on a wet day amounted to subjecting the ebike to a force similar to pressure-washing it... which we all already know is a really stupid thing to do.

If you really do need to use a rear-carrier, I think I'd consider using some kind of bike cover to protect from any airstream damage.

 

[Point Reyes]

With new cars having can bus wiring systems, fitting an after market tow bar can be complicated and costly.

When I bought my new car I had a factory fitted tow bar installed which cost a not inconsiderable £750, but as I was sure I would want a tow bar bike rack at some point and have a motorcycle trailer I thought it best to get it done.

All three of my bikes have easily removed batteries. The only one I have carried so far has been an old heavy rear hub bike with a silverfish battery. I remove both the battery and the seat post and saddle.

I bought a cheap but recommended tow bar rack which has worked very well. It carries the bike very securely with no rattling. Compared with other bike racks it seems very good value. The 45kg weight limit would only be just enough for two ebikes and you would need to remove the batteries. I remove the seat post and saddle on my old rear hub as it is very easy and reduces wind drag, but for reducing weight it is the battery that needs to be removed. You also need to be able to dead lift the bikes on to this rack. However withing these limitations, if you are on a budget, it is very good.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B006WNC5NE/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o03_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I had a nasty surprise when I tried to use my old light board as the new tow bar electric plug on my new car has more electrical pins and was not compatible. This is where the complication of the can bus system showed, as when I plugged in my old light board the car refused to reverse as the rear parking sensors remained live and sensed there was an obstruction and applied the brakes when I tried to reverse.

Once I bought a modern light board and plugged that in, all was well.

Complication for complications sake seems to be the modern way.

We decided to let Toyota install the towbar and wire it up. It's going to be around £600 but I think it'll be done right.

 

[Point Reyes]

IIRC one of the manufacturers advised strongly against carrying ebikes on rear carriers. Although the advice was aimed principally at RV/Campervan owners, the reasoning was that road spray and dirt is sucked into the rear of the vehicle from a vacuum created by air movement over the vehicle. The argument suggested that carring an ebike on the rear of a vehicle on a wet day amounted to subjecting the ebike to a force similar to pressure-washing it... which we all already know is a really stupid thing to do.

If you really do need to use a rear-carrier, I think I'd consider using some kind of bike cover to protect from any airstream damage.

Maybe down the road but for now I just want a towbar and bike carrier. This whole thing has been way more involved than I thought it would be.

When I lived in California and had a Prius I installed a carrier hitch on the frame of the car and the bike carrier for two bikes fit perfectly. We didn't have e-bikes but the whole thing sure was simple.

 

[Andy-Mat]

I’d imagine that the battery gets shaken around more on a ride than it would hanging off the back of a car with working suspension.

 

[Old Fart At Play]

I remove the battery and use a Fahrer battery cover on the bike, it is a neoprene/velcro thing which fits nice and snugly keeping rainwater and grit out.

 

[BazP]

IIRC one of the manufacturers advised strongly against carrying ebikes on rear carriers. Although the advice was aimed principally at RV/Campervan owners, the reasoning was that road spray and dirt is sucked into the rear of the vehicle from a vacuum created by air movement over the vehicle. The argument suggested that carring an ebike on the rear of a vehicle on a wet day amounted to subjecting the ebike to a force similar to pressure-washing it... which we all already know is a really stupid thing to do.

If you really do need to use a rear-carrier, I think I'd consider using some kind of bike cover to protect from any airstream damage.

Bizarrely, I've carried the bike on the back of the car loads of times in the rain and when I stop the car the bike is dry. Perhaps it is getting a blow dry whilst the car is moving. Obviously it gets wet whilst stationary.