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Frequently Asked Questions
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Not enough info here? There's more at the forum.
Quickly visit, search, and join our FAQ & Research Forum and/or Blog for detailed answers and discussions.
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CHARGING The Standard (SLA) Battery - What is the procedure for charging my standard lead acid battery?
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1) Turn the battery switch ON (red color showing).
2) Plug battery into charger.
3) Plug charger into wall socket. Charge indications: Red--Charging, Red/Green--80%, Green--Full charge. For longest battery life top off the battery to 100% after each ride and then disconnect the charger and turn off the battery switch. If switch is left on for a long time, the internal electronics will slowly drain the battery. Quickly visit, search, and join our FAQ & Research Forum and/or Blog for detailed answers and discussions.
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CHARGING The Lithium Battery - What is the procedure for charging my lithium battery?
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1) Turn off battery switch (no red color showing) during charging and non-use to avoid battery pack electronics slowly draining battery.
2) Plug charger into wall socket. Charger light should blink red 3 times, then turn green.
3) Open battery bag, plug charger into small round socket next to yellow 'check' button. Charger light should turn red.
4) 100% full charge is indicated when the charger light has again turned green while it remains plugged into the battery. Remove the DC plug from the battery before removing the AC plug from the wall socket. The 4 LEDs on the battery are charge level indicators for riding and have no meaning during charging. Top off the battery whenever possible, and then unplug. These batteries have no ‘memory’ issues.
Tips & Tricks for Lithium Battery Maintentance:
Your battery will NOT be damaged if you ignore the following procedures. Clean Republic lithium batteries contain internal over charge protection, over discharge protection, and over current protection circuits. These protection features do not allow the battery to operate in conditions that will damage the internal lithium cells, so you can use and charge the battery at your convenience. The following procedures can, however, extend the life of the battery by about 5%. See our forum (follow below link) for detailed lithium battery discussions.
A) Charge battery to 100% before first use. 100% is indicated by the four battery LEDs all being lit AND the charger LED turning solid green at the same time.
B) After 100% charge is reached, unplug the DC battery plug, then unplug the AC wall plug and store the battery, as opposed to leaving the battery and charger system constantly online and plugged into the wall socket 24/7 between bike rides.
C) Re-charge your battery to 100% when the battery has been drained down to around the 50% (or "2-led") level, as opposed to re-charging it after every short bike ride, or as opposed to waiting until it is fully drained before recharging.
Notes: The batteries are shipped at 80% charge. They are pre-imprinted at our facility and have no significant "memory" issues. Quickly visit, search, and join our FAQ & Research Forum and/or Blog for detailed answers and discussions.
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BATTERIES - How long will the batteries last?
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Your sealed lead acid (SLA) battery/controller unit is rated for 400 full discharge/recharge cycles (500 for the lithium battery). So, if you used a full charge of your kit a few times a week for commuting, the useful life of your battery pack would be a a few years. If you used it once or twice month for recreation, the battery pack would probably outlast your bike itself. You can buy replacement battery packs from us any time. Check our list of products on the website for prices and details. Quickly visit, search, and join our FAQ & Research Forum and/or Blog for detailed answers and discussions.
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PAYMENT - What if I don't want to give my credit card over the Internet?
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That's fine, simply continue through the ordering process until it asks you for a credit card number, then simply choose "check" or "phone" as a payment option and we will receive your order electronically. You can then give us your credit card number over the phone, or write us a check, and as soon as we receive payment, we'll ship your order. Quickly visit, search, and join our FAQ & Research Forum and/or Blog for detailed answers and discussions.
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WARRANTY - Do you guarantee your products or services?
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Yes, we offer a 2-year 100% quality guarantee on all products. If you have any quality issue with any component, simply return it to us for inspection and we will issue you a replacement component at no additional cost. DIY modifications such as altering the electrical system or damage due to gross negligence are not covered by the warranty, though we will always work with you until any customer service issue is resolved. Quickly visit, search, and join our FAQ & Research Forum and/or Blog for detailed answers and discussions.
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INSTALLATION INSTRUCTIONS
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Click here to download a copy of our 2-PAGE installation guide. For in-depth discussion on many topics including installation and operation, quickly visit, search, and join our FAQ & Research Forum and/or Blog for detailed answers and discussions.
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FORKS - Will the motor fit my forks?
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"Yes, if you have 95mm (or about 3.9 inches) between the inside edges of the very tips of your forks the motor should fit your fork just fine. It's very rare that any customer will have a problem fitting the motor into their forks, as this dimension is very standardized. For a detailed discussion on fork spacing and motor measurements and dimensions, see this topic in our FAQ forum." (with hypertext link directly to the forum topic that has this discussion and shows the motor schematic).
SLA Basic Information
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TROUBLESHOOTING
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Refer to your paper instruction pages included in your original shipping box. Quickly visit, search, and join our FAQ & Research Forum and/or Blog for detailed answers and discussions.
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GRIP SWITCH Handle bar control - no twist throttle?
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The Grip Switch handlebar motor control on the Hill Topper kits is 100% on/off. It does not act as a variable throttle like a "twist throttle" or "thumb throttle." We designed the kit this way because this style of control has significant advantages over other electric bike kits. The Grip Switch can be installed quickly and easily in any position that best suits your personal hand and handlebar shape. Other kits limit you to the exact shape and feel of their handle grip. Also, kits with twist throttles usually force you to disassemble your handlebars and brakes to finish installation.
With the Grip Switch you have 100% control over when you use the battery. Other kits force the motor on as soon as you turn your legs, even if you don't want to use the battery right then. This gives you significantly more flexibility in tailoring the use of the system to your own individual riding style and route, allowing you to extend the battery range as much as you like by riding 'motor only', 'pedaling with motor,' or 'pedaling only' at your convenience. Quickly visit, search, and join our FAQ & Research Forum for detailed answers and discussions.
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