Quote from: Eric7 on May 04, 2022, 05:03:43 AMI have thought of mounting a pully on my garage ceiling to lift the bike but it is probably too complicated.

That's a very good idea, and you reminded me of a pulley system I used to have set up to stow kayaks in the garage ceiling.  Compound pulley design makes the pull-strength manageable.  Don't forget about possible clearance requirements for an open garage door. 

I wouldn't work on a swinging bike in the air, just use it to hoist and hold bike in position to get clamped up in the stand.

I might have to order one now.
https://amzn.to/3LkoY7N

Just playing the odds, we can start by assuming Western Hemisphere, perhaps even North America, but a little geographical clarification would be useful for interested folks, along with pickup only or if shipping is available.

Also, "Rad Plus" .... what?  Rover, Runner or City?

Oh, man, that sucks. 

Definitely call them.  It's not only faster but you'll get a chance to plead the need and urgency of your case in person - I have always had great experiences the few times I've called and have never been transferred, the issue was always resolved by the person who answered the phone, including fixing a squeak I couldn't diagnose.  Rad's CSRs have the knowledge and authority to actually HELP the customer right away, unlike some companies.

Good luck.

Quote from: Runningliner13 on May 02, 2022, 05:57:30 PM
Hello, my question to JimInPT  is the throttle power button made by yourself ?

No, I got it on eBay:  https://www.ebay.com/itm/223592231970  high-quality 3-D printed part with stainless hardware, in various colors.  Love it; hasn't loosened a bit in almost a year.  I mostly use it to blip away from a stop at intersections, especially uphill.

If you have a 3-D printer (I don't ... yet), I think there are free plans out there to make your own.

Quote from: Eric7 on May 02, 2022, 05:07:09 PMHow do you get the bike onto the repair stand?

LOL, I don't... yet.  Just got the stand a few days ago and set it up to check out, was very satisfied with materials and construction.  My first planned use is for dropping the front wheel to replace the quick-release with a solid bolted axle, also just received.

My current plan is to remove battery, locks and other stuff not fastened on (as you do), then get up on a short stepstool and deadlift the bike up into the clamp.  Not as young, strong and spry as I used to be, so these things take a bit more planning ahead.

I got a Hollywood-brand temporary crossbar for use while traveling on the hitch rack; might put that into place as the grab point if I need more fore/aft adjustment for balancing it during maintenance.

Don't feel too bad; hydraulic brakes are brand-new to Rads on the two new models and I have yet to hear any chat about doing any work on them at all so far - you seem to be the first one, so glad to see you got it sorted out and owners here now have a bit more info about them for future reference.  And I've found that providing a bit more detail about the question in the subject line will draw more attention that just the bike model.

Welcome to the gang, by the way.

Quote from: handlebar on May 02, 2022, 01:30:09 PMWith a bigger diameter, I needed less force to apply equal torque. Because the grip had a larger area, I could get the necessary friction with a relaxed grip.

If you ever get a hankering to replace the controller with the 35A upgrade from Bolton or EBW, you might be pleased to know it comes with a cruise-control option, which would also greatly reduce grip strain on the throttle side for long steady rides.  I finally installed mine last week (along with the hydraulic brake calipers also from Bolton) to get ready for warmer weather and she's almost like a new bike.  Zoom-zoom and stops like hitting a wall now.

Those Bike Hand stands are quite good for their prices; I bought the 110-lb version for my Mini, which is pushing 80 lbs with accessories and no battery (https://amzn.to/3FUvykv).  I'm very happy with its materials and construction at much lower price than the Park equivalents. 

Did you just manhandle it into the air to get it into the clamp?

Quote from: Chris777 on May 02, 2022, 11:54:01 AMLooking for US controllers and screens for 2 RadRunners.

You might want to try a US-spec setup on one bike first, before investing in two.  I don't recall reading about anybody doing this mod and it's possible Rad may have jiggered the Canadian motor to limit RPM or current no matter how much the controller tries to apply.  I bet somebody's tried it, but not that I can remember.

IIRC, Altema's motor experiments revealed some sort of circuit in the US-spec motor that limited RPM no matter the current or voltage, so that even with a 52v battery he still couldn't get it going past 25 mph.  Not certain, but that's what I recall.  He ended up installing a standard Bafang motor and then tried destructive high-amperage testing on the removed stock Rad motor - he couldn't make it die, so they're pretty rugged.

On the other hand, I think I've seen vids of the Eggrider working on even the strangled Euro Peon controller limits, so US controllers might just drop in and work for you.

Quote from: handlebar on May 02, 2022, 10:43:24 AMI took the washcloth off to measure the OEM grip. The thumb part is hard. On the right, the throttle ring is also hard, but it has a bigger diameter. On yours, is the thumb part cushioned?

No, those grips I use and linked to are hard rubber.  Not hard like plastic, but very firm rubber and quite grippy, which I like.  I don't press my thumbs against the grips, they just sort of hang underneath until called upon for a PAS shift, mid-loud bell on the left and the shifter or throttle thumb activator I added on the right.

Hah!  Yes, slightly convex Mirrycle brand, which is ok for my needs, but I get your point.

I've been very happy with these on my MiniST2 for almost a year now:  https://amzn.to/3wjocUy I wanted a grippier feel over the stock faux-leather grips and these work very well for me and have some shock-absorbing ability as well.  Very comfortable; the palmrest is nice.

The split line shown is the perfect place to cut down the right grip to clear the throttle and if you clean the bar and the inside of the grip with rubbing alcohol, then let dry and spray the bar with heavy-duty hairspray, the grip will NOT move once that dries (takes a day or two to fully set up).

Pic below; I can see behind me with both mirrors; had to turn the right mirror inboard to clear a trailhead entrance between a tree and a fence.  Can still see the pretty girl on the sidewalk I just passed.   

Quote from: seanerino on April 30, 2022, 10:56:26 AMI locked up my bike a couple of times today while running errands around town. I used the Abus frame lock with the additional chain. This was the same lock I used with a different e-bike a few months ago and I really liked it.

What helmet are you using? I was looking at some with Bluetooth bone conduction for phone calls and podcasts. I also saw some helmets with front and rear lights and even turn signals! Cool.

I thought it would be cool if the battery had some kind of arm strap so you could more easily carry it around. I wonder if that already exists.

I think ABUS is a good choice; cafe frame locks aren't available for the Mini's frame - I use their 6500 folding lock for quick lockups (it stows nicely in its case bolted to the water-bottle mount) and also carry their Granit 540 U-lock and ABUS cable on my rear basket for more-complicated situations.  Any lock can be defeated with the right tools and enough time - the trick is to make them realize this won't be easy nor quick, so best move on to a dumb-guy's bike.  ABUS products are tough.  For really short/quick coffee stops etc. I just hit the remote button to enable the motion-sensitive alarm hidden under the basket above the rear fender.

I use this Sena R1 helmet:  https://amzn.to/3LmoZIB  and got a good "Used-Like New" price on it (it was new).  Great helmet and the audio integration is fine except the audio has no bass, to be expected from the micro-speakers built into the frame - but I listen to podcasts, not music, so don't care.  Have had people tell me they didn't notice I was on a bike when taking a call; the microphone is apparently pretty good as well.  If you end up with the R1, be sure to order the optional sun visor; the helmet frame doesn't help shade eyes at all.  It's cheap, and included with some higher-end models.

A big advantage of helmet audio is that one's ears are still fully exposed to the world so you don't lose any situational awareness.

FYI, somebody posted on this forum about a week ago finding a carrying case that fits those batteries almost perfectly and I think it had a handle, so you might want to poke around for that info.

Found it!  Has a carry handle and shoulder strap - here you go:  https://www.radowners.com/index.php?topic=2072.msg10816#msg10816

Nice writeup; thanks for taking the time to do it.  I have a MiniST but always interested in the details and satisfaction with new models from actual owners/riders.  I'd appreciate some feedback once you've settled in about Rad's removal of the keylock's ability to disconnect electrical power - from all I've read, the key simply locks the battery in place and there's no way to "turn off" the bike completely except by removing the battery, right?

A little feedback about the lights, if I may, since they appear to be essentially unchanged from my bike when it was stock.  I like the blink option at the rear as well and like you, would occasionally forget to activate it.  I added one of these; it's strapped under my seat and sits above the rear rack and basket: 
https://amzn.to/38CeYcN

It's a fantastic little light, especially for the price; you have to charge it with USB now and then, but it runs many hours in the blinking mode (I think it has 3 or 4 modes) and is very bright and visible from a long distance in daylight, but the best part about it is that it's motion-activated, so that it starts up blinking as soon as I climb on for a ride and shuts down 2 minutes after the bike sits still - no more worry about remembering to activate the rear blinker.  Very rugged and well-made, it hasn't failed me a single time.  Comes with a nice, rugged rubber mount which it just clips to securely for remove/recharge.

At the other end, if you haven't owned a Rad before, I'm afraid you'll be disappointed with the headlight, unless it's been redesigned.  I just hated it, because while bright, it only casts a tight little rectangle at some distance ahead, rather than lighting the roadway.  In my rural area when it gets DARK at night, that's quite dangerous since critters and potholes don't become visible until you're about to hit them.  I tried the "Premium" Rad headlight and ..... it's not premium.  In fact, it's just as bad a beam; I left it on the bike simply because it looks better than the stock light, can be useful for visibility to others during the day and might serve as an emergency light at night.

Here's what I replaced it with:  https://amzn.to/3PotMwh

This is a phenomenal headlight, with a great beam pattern and several operating modes.  I normally ride in daylight hours, so I set it to slow-stobe with a recharge life of about 15-18 hours, but the regular steady beam (two or three brightness levels) is fantastic in shape and evenness of illumination, and is lensed to avoid blinding oncoming vehicles.  Highly recommended.  It also needs recharging, but lasts a long time and so I just toss it onto a charger along with the taillight and my helmet (which has Bluetooth speakers for intercom, podcasts and phone use) all at the same time whenever I recharge the main bike battery.

Thanks again and cheers!

Quote from: jclin10 on April 29, 2022, 01:00:31 PM
What is the real world capacity of a rad runner? The website says 300 pounds and 350 pounds for the rad wagon, but they look very similar to me

The Runner and the Wagon are quite different structurally, with different frames, wheel sizes and tires (in fact, IIRC the Wagon's tires are pretty unique and hard/impossible to find elsewhere - somebody please correct me if I'm wrong here).  The Runner is rated for a slightly-higher load capacity than the Expand/Mini frames due to that horizontal member the optional bucket bolts to - that stiffens the center of the frame against bending.  I'm sure there's a safety factor built into the quoted figures allowing higher loads, but the engineers who designed and tested these bikes didn't just pull those figures out of the air.

The recovering mechanical engineer in me says those are numbers that Rad's warranty and product-liability-lawyer departments are ok standing behind for all-day usage without getting sued or losing money on warranty claims - I bet you could go 25-30 lbs over them easily as long as you didn't abuse the bike and avoid potholes.

Since they carry squishy people, engineers are required to design far beyond the ratings marked on the product before they fail (things like elevators and lifting cranes are 4x - 10x, going from memory; I never worked on products like that), so I'm guessing that you could put at least 400 lbs on either one and not break the frame unless you drove off a curb or something as long as the tires and other components are in good condition.   I'd be more concerned about snapping spokes or bending wheel rims.

Just remember you could buy an entire second e-bike to carry more people for far less money than a single trip to the emergency room.   

I do agree with the points made earlier that the Wagon's longer wheelbase would be more of a handful for making tight turns, but I consider it's intended to be the suburban minivan of e-bikes, not the commuter or trail-buster.