Q. Are the kits easy to install and do you have a manual?

A. Yes, click here to see the manual. Even better, have a look at the instructional videos part 1 and part 2. I believe the kits to be quite simple to install, if you can fix a punctured tyre then you should be able to install a kit with no problems. All you really need to do is put on a wheel, change a handle grip and connect some cables. The manual has more information on installation.

Q. How do the 500W motors go compared to the 200W motors?

A. They are considerably more powerful so will give you better assistance on the hills and better acceleration. On flat ground the 200W will propel you at about 30km/hr unassisted while the 500W will get you up to about 35 - 40km/hr. This does depend on rider and bicycle so these values may vary a little. The 350W is a nice balance in between. 200W is the legal limit and 500W is exciting and a touch on the dangerous side.

Q. How do the different motors affect the battery?

A. The larger motors draw more current so the battery will go flatter quicker. In general you will get a range of about 20km with the 500W motor, 35km with the 350W motor and 50km with the 200W motor. This is without pedalling so you can add an additional 5 - 10 km ontop of these values. These values of course will vary depending on the rider and bicycle. I've heard from a customer that purchased a 500W motor that he can travel 44 km with moderate pedal assistance before the battery cuts out. Someone on a 350W motor mentioned that he gets about 55km with some pedaling. The best way to increase distance is by not engaging the throttle fully, breaks between motor use and of course pedaling more. Click here to see some information on electric bicycle batteries, it has a table of estimated distances based on battery capacity and motor current draw.

Q. How are the motors uphills? I am around 100kg, will they pull me up really steep long hills?

A. This is probably what they are designed best for (or for against the wind). They'll turn a steep nasty hill into a flat road more or less - no matter what hill you are talking about and no matter whether you choose 200W or 500W I can gaurantee that it won't be a struggle. You'll still need to pedal lightly but it will not be a slogging annoying workout you are doing, instead it will be a pleasant enjoyable one as you'll be cruising up a steep hill with just a harmoniuos contribution from your legs. Electric bikes are designed to be used in tandem with your legs, when it is a struggle with just your legs then it will be a struggle with just the motor. It is the combination of the two energy sources that sets the bike gliding along.

Q. How fast can I go if I pedal at the same time as having the motor on?

A. The motors top speed is about 30 - 40km/hr. Of course you can go faster than this but that will be either due to moving downhill or pedaling. So the answer is as fast as your legs can go or as fast as gravity pushes you.

Q. Do I need to have the motor running all the time and how do I turn it on and off?

A. You do not need to engage the motor all the time. You engage it when and as much as you like by twisting the throttle. The motor is off until you begin to twist the throttle. You will unlikely use the motor when travelling downhill or in crowded areas. You can still use the bike without the motor but it does have slightly more resistance than usual. You should switch the battery off if you are not going to use the bicycle for an extended length of time or don't wish it to be under power.

Q. What are the measurements inside the front forks for the motor to sit in?

A. The distance from fork to fork should be 10cm. The distance between the fork gaps where the wheel axle sits should be 1cm. Nearly all bicycles have these dimensions. You should have steel forks due to the strong motor torque. Check this by making sure a fridge magnet sticks to them. If you use carbon forks the end of the fork tip may snap off, some people install these kits with alloy forks but steel forks are better.

Q. Are these bicycles legal? Do i need a licence to ride an electric bicycle and do I need to register my bike?

A. You do not need a licence or need to register an electric bicycle. However, the legal power limit in Australia of electric motors for street use is 200W. So, if you use a 200W motor, in the eyes of the law it is considered to be just a bicycle. Anything over 200W should only be used off-road.

Q. Why are some motors small and others larger? Is there a difference between the silver motors and the black ones that I see pictured on your website?

A. The smaller motors are the 200W motors - often referred to as mini-motors. These use what are called planetary gears inside them. I have opted to use gearless motors and have them come in the larger black hubs. The motors in larger black hubs come in a range of 200W, 350W and 500W, the wattage is controlled by the coils within the motor. All motors look identical and the wattage can only be determined by sophisticated measuring devices. Planetary gears are quite elegant and some people like them to try and get a bit extra out of a 200W motor. They are lighter so will draw less current than a gearless motor and they also are smaller so they don't look as obviously like an electric motor. However, their cons are that as they have gears they can be more susceptible to wearing out than the gearless motors, their expected life is 2-3 years. Also, they are a touch louder than the larger gearless motors. I also experienced Hall sensor burn out problems in my early testing days with these small motors when under heavy load - though my current suppliers don't have this problem anymore. I always like to aim for the simplest solution to any system and this I believe is the gearless motor as there are actually no moving parts inside the motor at all. The larger hubs have more torque and provide a smoother and quieter ride. The outer hub has rare earth magnets attached to it and this simply spins around the stationary motor core. I've taken some pictures of both types of motors I've pulled apart out of curiosity and you can see them by clicking here.

Q. What size rim do I need on my electric conversion kit?

A. Most mountain bikes have rims with a diameter of 26" and most road or hybrid bikes have rims of size 700c. The best way to check is to look carefully on the tyre, the size should be printed on there. 28" and 700c rims are slightly different sizes, they are interchangeable on nearly all bicycles though. 28" tends to vary in size slightly and is usually a tiny bit bigger than 700c.

Q. Are the electrical components waterproof?

A. They are water resistant, not waterproof. If you get them too wet they will stop working. That said, I have ridden through numerous heavy storms for quite long periods of time with no problem so far.

Q. How does regenerative braking work and do your kits have it?

A. Regenerative braking works by reversing the current flow to recharge your battery when you are going downhill or when you are braking. It works best when slowing quickly from high speeds (eg. from 120 km/hr to 20 km/hr) so is quite effective in cars and often stated to be able to provide about 10% more travelling distance. It is not so useful with bicycles due to lower speeds and weight. Reports from manufacturers about whether their controllers can provide regenerative braking are difficult to interpret. From our testing, controllers that have been stipulated to come with regenerative braking have not - as we have gained no extra distance and felt no torque when applying the brakes. We hear that the controllers that provide this function are more susceptible to breaking down also. We currently do not sell controllers with regenerative braking but are actively seeking ones that we can prove provide extra travelling distance per charge. I have my doubts about their availability currently and have seen numerous reports on problems associated with excess current flowing back into the controller during braking causing the controller to burn out.

Q. How do I know how much battery life I have left, do you have battery gauges?

A. It is difficult to accurately measure the state of charge of a battery. There are gauges we can provide that measure battery voltage and can give you a rough estimate but these work best with sealed lead acid batteries. Lithium ion batteries discharge evenly from full to empty so power will not change throughout your ride and voltage drops are minimal. Guages we've tested let you know whether it's fully charged, half charged or empty and you should know this already. You can gauge how much battery you've used from the time it takes to recharge your battery. Generally speaking, it takes 5 hours to fully recharge the battery from flat so monitor the recharge time and estimate how flat your battery has become. It's good practice to try not to let the battery drop below about 20% capacity and definitely don't let it go to dead flat more than a few times. If you ride the battery until flat you will not feel a change in power output, power will suddenly cut out when you're nearly empty. If this happens, get off your bike and turn off the switch to avoid it discharging further and risking battery damage. A couple of rides home with no power and you will figure out your range pretty quickly. Recharge your battery fully before using it, recharge your battery after using it and try to never let it go flat. If you do this it will last a really really long time. It's important to turn off the switch when not in use to avoid charge trickling through the controller and discharging your battery slowly over time. You should recharge your battery every 2 months if not in use. Please click here to download a battery information and instructions pamphlet.

Q. What does the battery management system do and do your batteries have them?

A. Yes, all of our lithium ion batteries come with battery management systems. The battery management system (BMS) is a small piece of circuitry inocorporated as part of the lithium ion battery packs; it is designed to protect against overcharge, excessive discharge and to balance the charge between the individual cells. It's very important to have this for safety and for enhanced battery life.

Q. What is the pedelec sensor (PAS) for?

A. The pedelec system uses a little magnetic device that is fixed to the pedal crank at the frame of the bike and has a wire running to the motor controller. It measures how fast you are pedalling and can be used to engage the motor to provide certain ratios of motor power to pedal power - generally in the ratio of 1:1. It is a typical European thing because of laws, some people do like it though. We can provide one but we rarely install it due to no need and no wish to have additional wiring. In our opinion, the throttle is the better system and is safer too. We find the pedelec system to be quite annoying and dangerous, it engages the motor any time you pedal the bicycle and this is not ideal when wishing to ride slowly near traffic or populated areas.

Q. Is there any specific maintenance that needs to be done?

A. No, you shouldn't need to touch anything. The motors are sealed and are brushless and gearless so there are no moving parts except the wheel. There are no parts that wear down. The only thing we've heard occurs sometimes (on about 1-2% of kits) is that a few spokes have a tendency to come loose. You should keep an eye on this and tighten any if needed. Typically this will occur if riding regularly over rough ground. Check they're tight for the first ride and check again every now and then and this won't be a problem. The best way to check is to give them a little pluck with your finger - you should get a nice ping sound, if it's dull then give it half a turn.

Q. Do you need special brake levers or can I use the ones on my bike?

A. Electric conversion kits often come with a set of levers that have wires to connect to the controller. These levers function to cut off the motor any time you apply the brakes. If you use your common sense and do not apply the throttle and brakes at the same time they are not needed and you are most likely best using your original ones.

Q. Do these parts come with a warranty?

A. If the bicycle we provide does not get modified in any way then there is a year warranty on all parts and two on the frame. However, after any modification - such as adding an electrical conversion kit - this warranty is void (sorry). There is a three month replacement warranty on all elctrical kit components for manufacturing faults. The solar panel comes with a 25 year warranty. If faulty, components should be returned to SOLAR BIKE at the buyer's expense and we will replace components or refund money accordingly. We will always aim to keep your bike fully functional. Treat your bike with respect and it will serve you well!

Q. Why don't the electrical conversion kits come with a longer warranty?

A. If any fault is to arise with any of the conversion kit components it is most likely to occur within the first couple of weeks. We cannot know how people treat their bicycle and don't wish to be responsible for rough treatment or damage suffered from any accidents. We feel that 3 months is long enough time for any faults to arise from manufacturing defect. However, even after this time we will always do our best to deal with any problems in a manner satisfactory to everyone.

Q. Which cities can you deliver to and how long does it take?

A. Delivery is by courier to all Australian cities and generally takes about 7 days after payment is recieved. Due to the high voltage lithium ion batteries we use with the kits they cannot travel by air. TOLL IPEC has been very good and fast to date.