Voodoo Bizango help

[Chobbit]

Hi I currently have a Carrera Vengence e bike which I've had for just over a year but im looking to get something better and I can get a Voodoo Bizango e mountain bike for £1500. It seems to be a great bike from reviews, great build quality and motor for the price.

However does anyone have one of these to confirm what they are like? What sort of range the bettery gives roughly in the 4 modes?

The main thing I want to know though is can the battery be charged when it's removed from the bike? As the bike is parked outside no where near a charge point so I need to take it inside to charge.

Any help will be great thanks

 

[Ballynoes]

HI,

I can't comment on the actual bike as I own a Cube.

However the battery and motor are what are on my bike, and I have had no problems at all. The battery comes off the bike with the key provided and you can take it indoors to charge it, I take mine of every time to charge it.

The motor, same as mine is a good choice, some might say otherwise, but I have had no problems.

As for range... that depends on a whole host of factors, age, ability, weight, and what mode you ride in.

I am nearly 60 and not very strong in the leg department, but with this motor and a 500W battery I can still range between 35 and 40 miles with a fair but of climbing.

As an example I did 32 miles and 2800ft of climbing and still had 1 bar left.

What I would say is DON'T treat it as a normal mountain bike thinking it will plow through water sand and mud... it will eventually stuff the motor, they are NOT waterproof, and an expensive repair if you do.

Good Luck.

 

[Chobbit]

Thanks for the feedback I really do hope the battery can be taken off the bike to charge however aparently the Bizanho apparently has a 400wh battery. It's this one https://www.halfords.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductMobileDisplay?catalogId=10151&langId=-1&categoryId=211566&productId=1407658&storeId=10001

Is this the same battery?

Cheers

 

[Ballynoes]

Hi if you look here

https://www.halfords.com/cycling/bikes/mountain-bikes/voodoo-bizango-electric-mountain-bike-17-19-21-frames

and choose the 360 picture you can spin it round and you will see the key slot at the top of the battery to remove it, same place on all of them.

Mine has a 500W battery for info.

 

[Chobbit]

Thanks appreciate again for the help.

Yeah I can see the key hole, but it also appears the charging port is on the frame the battery clips into:


If I remove the battery from the bike is there still a port on the battery to charge it? Where is it on your 500w version?


Cheers
Michael

 

[Chobbit]

Even on the Bosch website https://www.bosch-ebike.com/en/products/batteries/ it's confusing, it looks like it's the PowerPack 400, and the blurb for the battery range says:

"Both frame and rack batteries: it's easy to remove and charge at home. The PowerPacks can also be conveniently charged directly on the bike."


but then in the description for the PowerPack 400 it says:

"The light lithium-ion battery is easy to install or remove or can simply be charged using the charging socket on the eBike."

I've sent bosch an email to check but it will probably be next week I'll receive a reply.

Apparently the PowerPack5 500 which I assume you've got Ballynoes is the exact same battery in size and look (just heavier) so if you can charge it outside of the frame I should be able too with the PowerPack400, can you just confirm you can and where the charge port is on the battery?

Thanks again
Michael

 

[Nealh]

The battery has it's own charge port, it will charge on & off the bike.

 

[soundwave]

 

[Ballynoes]

How many batteries do you need Soundwave

 

[Chobbit]

Thank you Nealh & soundwave so much, that image shows exactly where the port is and answers my question.

Since I just found out what the battery was called I've been looking on Youtube and was just watching video's on it and I've just seen this one that shows the same thing where the port is when it's off the back and says you can charge it off the bike:

 

[Ballynoes]

Even on the Bosch website https://www.bosch-ebike.com/en/products/batteries/ it's confusing, it looks like it's the PowerPack 400, and the blurb for the battery range says:

"Both frame and rack batteries: it's easy to remove and charge at home. The PowerPacks can also be conveniently charged directly on the bike."


but then in the description for the PowerPack 400 it says:

"The light lithium-ion battery is easy to install or remove or can simply be charged using the charging socket on the eBike."

I've sent bosch an email to check but it will probably be next week I'll receive a reply.

Apparently the PowerPack5 500 which I assume you've got Ballynoes is the exact same battery in size and look (just heavier) so if you can charge it outside of the frame I should be able too with the PowerPack400, can you just confirm you can and where the charge port is on the battery?

Thanks again
Michael

Hi Michael,

My bike setup is exactly the same as the one you are looking at, and has the lower charge port on the frame also... I just choose to take the battery off to charge it, esp as I can do that indoors like Soundwave has posted. On or off the bike it uses the same charger supplied, the wattage is the only difference, and you can buy the bigger wattage battery and it fits right in the same place.

 

[Gringo]

Charging indoors is always favourite, the battery chemistry dosent like charging in the cold, especially as the winter is almost upon us.
You will also get better milage if you only put the battery on the bike just before your ride rather than leaving it on the bike in the cold.

 

[Chobbit]

Thanks Ballynoes and Gringo, yeah happy now that this bike will be a big upgrade on my current Carrera Vengence and £1500 (£500 off and 3 years ebike cover and parts included) seems like a good price for the parts and frame on it. Will probably buy it tomorrow

 

[Gringo]

Will probably buy it tomorrow

Are you a British cycleing member A £39 membership will give you many benefits including 10% at halfords, that's another £150 off.
Halfords have tightened the procedure recently, instead of just showing your membership card you now need this months barcode aswell, either on your smart device or a print out.
Last week I brought my sister a dash cam, I took in a screen shot of my new membership email and this months barcode, no bother for 10%

 

[Chobbit]

I checked the BC angle I'm already getting a £500 off and can't add the BC promo lol

Should be getting the bike next week , does anyone know of a cheaper alternative to the official Bosch chargers? (so I can keep one at work too rather than carrying it every day)

£80-£125 for either the Compact/Normal/Fast chargers are just ridiculous prices for basically a plug and cable lol I've seen there are alternatives but can anyone recommend a good but cheaper one?

 

[Ballynoes]

What I know from this site, is Bosch batteries will ONLY work with Bosch chargers, and only Bosch batteries will work with the Bosch motors etc.

Apparently its all to do with communications, which the manufactures have tied up nice and tight, apparently.

So no would be the short answer, been asked many times here before. Sorry

On that note, how far do you cycle to work, as if you are in say Eco or Tour mode, cycling on roads with no major hill climbing, you should get 45-50 miles easy so won't need to charge it at work to get home. , but it depends on your circumstances.

If I go out for a ride round the local roads for fun, I can get 30 miles out of two bars easy.

 

[Chobbit]

Thanks for the info I guess I just need to bite the bullet with the charger.

I think it's just paranoia, I cycle 26 miles a day (13 miles each way) but there's a few steepish hills which seem to go on for a bit and although I can have 2 bars out of 5 left if i try hard on a normal day in eco mode. If there's wind over say 15mph I'm down to the last bar and even had it flashing on bad windy days so don't want to risk running out sometimes.

Also the first battery i had started to malfunction and discharge too fast so I couldn't do a full round trip after a few months on one charge.

Also I think sometimes when it's Friday, it's dark and peeing it down, you just want to get to work and then back home as fast and easy as possible and those faster modes seem mightily appealing haha. So I'd like the option to charge at work especially since this new bike has the performance CX motor lol

 

[soundwave]

have a look on ebay for a bosch charger.
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Bosch-ebike-Battery-Charger-36-4-230-brand-New/153270852602?epid=2293714881&hash=item23afa79bfa:g:sQAAAOSwKSlb9Zqm:rk:10:pf:0

 

[Chobbit]

I actually got that ebay listed charger for £92 and it turned out to be the fast charge one which are about £160 in most places lol

Well an update:

I got the Bizango (torque assisted) bike last week and it's much different bike to the Carrera ebike (pedal assisted). It has more power when your pushing and is easier to maintain top speed even in eco mode but you can't just back off the peddling when you get tired on a steep hill and the bike will steadily pull you up like the Carrera pedal assisted e-bike did (and there's a fair few steep hills on my 26 mile commute).

You can always put it in eMTB mode for some more assistance on hills and Turbo mode to make hills very easy even with just a bit of effort. Although I leave it in eco made 90% of the time and put it in Tour mode for a small amount of help on hills. I've found I'm working harder and I'm more tired when I get to work since getting the bike but this a good thing for the long run and I'll get used to it.

If I was much lazier and did much less miles between charges you could keep it in Turbo mode and you'll struggle to drop it under 15-16mph in any situation.

The quality is no contest the Bizango is much better, you can tell this bike was built to be a heavy duty ebike rather than an alright bike that they strapped a motor on and doesn't take the extra power well.

To be fair to the Carrera wasn't a bad bike but after a year the spokes kept braking on the rear wheel (where the motor is situated) as it's not reinforced enough especially for the motor and our pot hole ridden roads in the UK, our roads also managed to break the battery and the motor electrics at separate occasions so almost all of the electrics have been replaced at some point. Halfords have been great at sorting out all the issues but I'm so glad I got the 3 year ebike warranty as it more than paid for itself when a new battery is £400 on it's own.

The only real complaints I have is the seat is too hard especially with the 29" wheels I really need to find a suspension seat post, Does anyone know where I can buy a suspension seat post to fit the Bizango? Also the front wheel doesn't have a quick release but the back does however the back wheel is a nightmare to get back on even compared to the Carrera which had the motor on the wheel.

Cheers
Michael

 

[Adamski]

I am loving mine, I was out on a trail yesterday, my first time off road with the Bazinga, and it was amazing!
On the flat stuff I left it in eco, and we were munching the track up, no problem. When we came across a huge hilly, and very muddy section, I popped it in emtb, and it was an utter delight!
No fuss, just keep looking where I wanted to be heading and it got there, all I had to do was pedal and hang on!

The only downside for me would also be a suspension seatpost!