Does degree of battery integration sway your purchase decision?

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Noclutch

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I’m shopping and specing, drilling down to all I can on paper and computer.
And one of my decision hang ups might be to what degree any particular brand and model may bury, or not, their battery. I know it’s one of those “bit what if” things to consider, but it is real, maybe.

Some are pop a panel, 1-2 bolts and unplug- bada bing. Some are pull a little more and unbolt more, maybe pulling the motor, possibly requiring the dealer. Some are don’t even think about it without dealer involvement!

I’ve been wrenching to variable degrees on toys and vehicles for years like most here. And most of them have very easy battery extraction protocol. But e bikes seem to take it to a higher level than many.

So, for those who aren’t professional mechanics, where is this community when it comes to letting this sway their choice in e bike?
 
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I would not choose a bike where a huge section of the frame is removable to access the battery. I think that it introduces additional weight and stiffness to the frame that is not desirable.

Out of the bottom is fine, if that's your thing.
 
pop a panel and out it comes is good,though to be fair if a bit of frame removal is required it wouldn’t be a deal breaker .My battery has never been removed in 4 years( and until it fails,whenever that is ) and won’t be until necessary.
I think it depends on whether you want the convenience of taking the battery indoors to charge or taking the whole bike indoors,It isn’t an issue for me ,so I don’t mind .For others it may be an issue
All the best
 
Quick swap was a must have for my last 3 bikes as I occasionally do massive rides.

Currently on a Bosch with an 800Wh and 600Wh battery. I could almost convince myself to go fixed internal battery next time. For sure if there is another 20% jump in battery size I wouldn't need two batteries.

I think it's very rare that a battery would be a dud, and if it were your shop would have to replace it the one time, so I would not factor that into the equation at all.
 
A removable battery was never a concern of mine until this year. We started riding at a new place and fell in love with it. So much so we have a 6 year plan to buy a second home there. But this new place has bike storage lockers with no power access so now removable batteries are a must.
 
I personally don't care about a removable battery. When I travel, it is with my regular bike, and I've yet to need any extra range. I can see scenarios where it would be beneficial, however.
 
My spec is a removable battery because I want a lighter battery for when im going for shorter rights and a bigger one for bigger rides and the I do dual battery days and also stay in places where having thr bike inside is inappropriate so charging the battery is off the bike is important.

With that said. With the advent of fast chargers I see that I could get away with a one battery bike a fast charger and one of those power bank things.
 
Easily removable battery was on my list of dealbreakers when I was shopping for an e-bike.

When I go to Bike Park Wales with a mate he has a Whyte E160 and 2 x 750wh batteries. I normally have my Nukeproof Mega Enduro bike.

I get the uplift while he pedals up.

He gets a run in before the uplift starts (sometimes 2)

Then, every lap he beats the minibus to the top, sometimes he’s waiting 5 or more minutes for me, he says he feels fresher because he hasn’t had to stand still in the queue or sit in a minibus with his muscles cooling down.

Then when we break for lunch he changes the battery and is ready to go again.

Then when the uplift finishes he can still get another run in.

He gets 10 top to bottom runs in without being at the mercy of the uplift and queues and his batteries have some power left.

For me, that’s what I want, I see a good day at BPW as getting 10 runs in a day, but it’s got so busy there that being dependant on the uplift means 10 runs is a rare treat.

Now I’ve got my Kado, the first thing I bought for it was an extra battery and I’m looking forward to smashing the laps at BPW and other bike parks without worrying about the bike running out of energy before me.

I have theorised about a day mission there where, if I try hard enough and exert some discipline on power modes I think I could get 14 T2B’s done in a day, it would be a big physical challenge but I think possible with 12 runs being probable

I’m up for the challenge. He’s got 2x750wh’s, I’ve got a 600wh and an 800wh so I’m down 100wh for the day, but the Kado seems a bit more efficient than the E160 … looking forward to giving it a go.

The BPW mission isn’t my only priority though, living in South East UK all of the bike parks in the area are pedal/push up, I’m the kinda bloke that wants to get my moneys worth out of my day ticket, I’m in as the gates open and the gates close behind me, so 2 battery days will be great for maximising my DH experiences
 
As well as my last post, this year I was given an Orbea Vibe by my sister, for my wife to use while I ride my gravel bike, it was essentially brand new, despite being 4 years old it was used only 3 times by my sister but stored in a shed so the lack of use and (probably) the exposure to cold killed the battery.

All I had to do was replace the battery, luckily I have a local friendly e-bike dealer who sourced a battery for me, but the battery, then the labour to replace it cost me £650 for the battery and ½ a day’s labour and faff replacing it, but it meant the bike was out of action for a couple of months before we could get it done.

I want to be able to bring my batteries indoors in winter and not have my bike out of action for long periods if/when there’s an issue.
 
Plummet said:
My spec is a removable battery because I want a lighter battery for when im going for shorter rights and a bigger one for bigger rides and the I do dual battery days and also stay in places where having thr bike inside is inappropriate so charging the battery is off the bike is important.

With that said. With the advent of fast chargers I see that I could get away with a one battery bike a fast charger and one of those power bank things.
Click to expand...

My F150 has a generator on board meaning I can throw a bike in the bed (I have a camper so it's secure) and plug it in with the (edited) truck turned off and have lunch. I have an SL bike (small battery now) and have utilized this feature 2-3x so a fast charger for a larger battery should work well.

It's looking like I'll almost certainly be on an Avinox with a 600w battery and fast charger for the next bike.
 
Last edited:
Suns_PSD said:
My F150 has a generator on board meaning I can throw a bike in the bed (I have a camper so it's secure) and plug it in with the bike turned off and have lunch. I have an SL bike (small battery now) and have utilized this feature 2-3x so a fast charger for a larger battery should work well.

It's looking like I'll almost certainly be on an Avinox with a 600w battery and fast charger for the next bike.
Click to expand...
My truck has a something similar. Check out the max output. My bosch charger works charging a battery from the truck but the fast charging dji charger draws too much power and doesnt work.
 
jonboy1066 said:
Easily removable battery was on my list of dealbreakers when I was shopping for an e-bike.

When I go to Bike Park Wales with a mate he has a Whyte E160 and 2 x 750wh batteries. I normally have my Nukeproof Mega Enduro bike.

I get the uplift while he pedals up.

He gets a run in before the uplift starts (sometimes 2)

Then, every lap he beats the minibus to the top, sometimes he’s waiting 5 or more minutes for me, he says he feels fresher because he hasn’t had to stand still in the queue or sit in a minibus with his muscles cooling down.

Then when we break for lunch he changes the battery and is ready to go again.

Then when the uplift finishes he can still get another run in.

He gets 10 top to bottom runs in without being at the mercy of the uplift and queues and his batteries have some power left.

For me, that’s what I want, I see a good day at BPW as getting 10 runs in a day, but it’s got so busy there that being dependant on the uplift means 10 runs is a rare treat.

Now I’ve got my Kado, the first thing I bought for it was an extra battery and I’m looking forward to smashing the laps at BPW and other bike parks without worrying about the bike running out of energy before me.

I have theorised about a day mission there where, if I try hard enough and exert some discipline on power modes I think I could get 14 T2B’s done in a day, it would be a big physical challenge but I think possible with 12 runs being probable

I’m up for the challenge. He’s got 2x750wh’s, I’ve got a 600wh and an 800wh so I’m down 100wh for the day, but the Kado seems a bit more efficient than the E160 … looking forward to giving it a go.

The BPW mission isn’t my only priority though, living in South East UK all of the bike parks in the area are pedal/push up, I’m the kinda bloke that wants to get my moneys worth out of my day ticket, I’m in as the gates open and the gates close behind me, so 2 battery days will be great for maximising my DH experiences
Click to expand...
I find it surprised at how, after not that many days of riding a bike park with a pedal up approach, that the bike has paid for its self with lift costs savings...
 
+1 on a removable battery: flexibility to do 2-battery days without waiting; ability to leave the bike outside a hotel room for charging; park days; more easily swap battery sizes (manufacturer dependent); easier flight travel
 
Suns_PSD said:
I would not choose a bike where a huge section of the frame is removable to access the battery. I think that it introduces additional weight and stiffness to the frame that is not desirable.

Out of the bottom is fine, if that's your thing.
Click to expand...
I would always, always choose not to have a battery in my bottom.
 
Obviously there are a bunch of good reasons for favouring a removable battery (see #14), but the standout reason for me is the flexibility offered by having multiple (smaller) batteries - take as much as you need for that day‘s ride, even none.

This is probably more relevant the lighter (= lighter assisted) the e-bike.
 
I personally prefer an easily removable battery as I don’t like storing and transporting the bike with the battery in the bike
 
I don't care whether a battery can be removed easily, but it has to be properly "integrated" into the system. I was looking to buy an Ari fat bike with a Shimano motor, but the battery was not Shimano. There were numerous reviews that indicated that interface didn't work well, so my only qualifier now is that the motor and battery should probably be from the same manufacturer.
 
Noclutch said:
I’m shopping and specing, drilling down to all I can on paper and computer.
And one of my decision hang ups might be to what degree any particular brand and model may bury, or not, their battery. I know it’s one of those “bit what if” things to consider, but it is real, maybe.

Some are pop a panel, 1-2 bolts and unplug- bada bing. Some are pull a little more and unbolt more, maybe pulling the motor, possibly requiring the dealer. Some are don’t even think about it without dealer involvement!

I’ve been wrenching to variable degrees on toys and vehicles for years like most here. And most of them have very easy battery extraction protocol. But e bikes seem to take it to a higher level than many.

So, for those who aren’t professional mechanics, where is this community when it comes to letting this sway their choice in e bike?
Click to expand...
No not at all
 
Definitely need battery out my shed is an icebox in winter. Handy for charging at campsite or hostel if it's pouring with rain etc. Side removal would be easier than bottom I think 🤔.
 
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