New (Happy) owner of an XB-600

hyperob,

First, welcome to the forum, and thanks for your first of many excellent posts. I'm a bike guy myself but it appears you have really done your homework and now have an exceptional scooter you are very happy with. I am sure we are all waiting to hear how you your new green machine and as always the forum will be helpful if you run into any problems. I am curious if you have any plans in the future to upgrade the batteries. I think a scooter like yours could be an even better green machine with lithium.

Good riding,
Grandpa Chas S.

Moderator Captain

Hi Chas_stevenson,

Thanks for the welcome. I don't plan on doing the 60volt mod as of yet. I like the storage under the seat too much but I am studying converting to LI batteries as this pack wears out its welcome. I figure perhaps the prices for these batteries will drop next year (hopefully) since the new models are all going that way.

Cheers

Hey, glad you took the "leap." I tried to tell you as much as I could...from my riding mine for a year now. No, I haven't done the mod yet. I've been waiting because even though I would really like that additional power...(1) I wanted to see if it really shortened motor life, or had any other adverse affects and (2) I'm really interested in the new 700li and thought if I purchased that I would want to sell the xb600. Now, you'd think that the mod would make the 600 more sellable...but then I'd want to be honest with any buyer and it might turn some off if I told them I had "modified" something relating to the power...which "could" shorten the lifespan of the motor, controller, or eventually burn something else out. So, that's the only reason I haven't done it. Sure wish though you had taken a pic of your coathanger shunt...just so we'd have another reference pic to go by. I may not buy a 700li...and if not I don't think I can wait much longer to get that power up!

Regarding the mirrors. Are they loose at the base...which has a nut to tighen them under the rubber...or is it where the arm goes into the mirror case. I've looked at the case and it seems to me that the gray piece of plastic might just "snap" off the back...which would expose I'm sure where the arm is connected there. And, if it's like other mirrors I've went into...there will be some sort of spring and nut threaded on to hold the spring at a certain tension. That tension is adjustable by just tightening the nut which compresses the spring tension more. At least that's the way it was on the set of mirrors on a previous scoot I had. But, on that one you had to "pop" the actual glass mirror out from the front...and I cracked one of them trying to do it. But hopefully these mirrors have what appears to be a separate piece of plastic (the gray/silver) part on the back...which can be snapped/popped off to make an adjustment. Mine have stayed pretty good...but they do move over time so I've been looking at that myself.

Definitely stay with us here! You'll be glad you did. I'm not a "forum" person either and this is really the only forum I read and contribute to as well. But, I think it's a great symbiotic relationship here...getting help/product info...giving help/product info...and that way we can have the best experience with these electric scoots that most everyone in our "immediate" world doesn't even know exist!

So, again glad you made the purchase...and welcome to our world!

Gushar

Hey Gushar,

Thanks for the reply and the thoughts on the mirrors. I will check tonight after work and see what I can do.

Regarding the shunt, I may go ahead and do it to the backup controller as well so if I do I will certainly document the whole procedure. Its actually quite simple (I'm not an electrical guy). I can certainly understand about the resell value of a "moded" scooter but you could purchase a second controller as I did and just replace before you sell or give the person the choice.

I think the 700li is nice but it looks to me like its getting pretty big for a 20mph scooter. Most of the cost is LI battery pack. I think $1700 is a little pricey for an e-bike unless you just plain love them and don't care what the cost is. I plan on modding to an LI pack next year on the 600. That will have to do for me instead of upgrading to a 700li.

I will also post a picture of the "turn signal speaker" and how to take care of that annoying sound if anyone cares to know how to do it.

Thanks again for the welcome.

I set my mirrors in place with plumber's pipe tape on the threads.

And my flame stickers are long gone, replaced with various San Diego State stickers.

Hey...here's another thought on the mod. One other reason I've hesitated is that using more power (amps) must pull the batteries down faster...lowering range. Now, I know the range is accurate at 30 miles cause I checked it...once. I got like 29.2 miles and creeped back into my driveway. However, the battery gurus on here suggest that the batteries will last a whole lot longer if you don't take them down so near full discharge. That's really bad on them. Also, it's recommended that you don't pull the charge down beyond 50%...at least most of the time. Therefore, I have very unscientifically determined that to be...from checking voltage at various points... about half the maximum...or approximately 15 miles. Most of my rides are less than 10...so that's not a problem for me. However, if after the mod the range decreases much...less say to approximately 20 miles...then half of that is 10 miles. I'd still be safe with that...but then I'd always be kind of hesitant if I wanted to ride beyond that.

But on the other hand...what's alittle battery life in trade for some real ZIP!

Might be something to be aware of though!

Guahar

It stands to reason that more amps to the motor will pull the batteries down faster. Like I said I haven't had the chance to drive it a long distance yet (at least 15 miles )to see if it will make it but I might just do that. I might have to keep the cell phone handy to call my wife for a pickup if I run out of juice but I will certainly test it. My commute is only a few miles each way so I never really run down the batteries and charge overnight so I never really push the batteries to the extreme.

I will tell you that having the ZIP does make me feel safer on the bike. It is more responsive and really helps in traffic. For me the trade-off is beneficial because being in L.A. you have to keep your head on a swivel. Drivers here will run you over and then sue you cause you got in their way......

We are really talking about two different mods here.

The first mod is to reduce the resistance of the shunt so that the controller demands more current. This mod will definitely reduce your range.

The second mod is to add a fifth battery. BocaBike's Law, which has held true for the last 10 years, states that, "adding an additional battery in series will make your bike go faster, but the range will remain about the same".

BocaBike's law has been argued in the newsgroups extensively for years. But every real-world test of BocaBike's Law has shown that BocaBike's Law holds true.

I've read the thread on that shunt mod but it makes absolutely no sense to me. Step-by-step photodocumented instructions for a poor girl?

Hey Aztec,

I only understand a little of it myself but you really don't need to. All you need are the instructions. It works and its fairly simple to do. Like I posted earlier to Gushar, I will do it to my spare controller and will document the whole thing so you can see how it is done. I don't think the xb-500 controller is the same as the 600 but it will have the same basic components including the shunt resistor.

I will try to get this done next week. If you don't mind losing some range it really does make the XB a whole lot more fun to ride.

Cheers.

BocaBike I wondered about that. Simply adding another battery...bumping up the voltage from 48-60 gives faster speed...enough to make a difference? Which mod would give the most increase in speed you think? But then apparently that ZIP these guys are talking about...quick acceleration...comes from the shunt mod only.

And Aztec just remember when HypeRob posts the doc on the shunt mod... That the controller (brain) through it's circuit (arteries) allows only so much power (energy) to the motor (body). When an extra piece of metal/shunt (artery) is added then alot more power (energy) can get to the motor (body). And the old body can run the 500 yard dash alot faster!

Gushar

Hyperob, that would be awesome! Range is not an issue for me because I'm only riding around my neighborhood. Owing to pretty big hills in the area, no nonhill round trip is more than 6 miles. With added hill power, however, it might actually expand my range.

Congrats and welcome, Hyperob! I'm glad to hear you successfully modded your scoot. I would seriously recommend going 60v, you've already done the hard part when you modded your controller. It's worth it. My next project is to put an xm 3000 hub motor on my xb 600 and go for 50 mph I look forward to trading posts with you as I have Milleym, Gushar and andrew, and everyone else. Welcome again!

Hey Zerogas,

Thanks for the Welcome but seriously, stop taking the crazy pills -- 50mph on a XB-600?!???! You are the Chuck Yaeger of the scoot world.....Defenitely The Right Stuff.

I will think about the 60v but the idea of losing cargo space and having to use two chargers is just unapealing right now. Perhaps if I could find a charger that would charge all five batteries at once in that same way the stock one does, then I might be persuaded....hmmm..You sir are a very bad influence.

hyperob

Gushar,

It was my understanding from all the posts that the 60volt mod gives you more top end speed but not necessarily acceleration or increased range. From what I could tell from Zerogas he didn't pick up added range. I think you would have to go to LI batteries for that. I am sure others with more experience can probably chime in. The shunt mod gave lickety split acceleration and maybe 1 or 2mph on the top end at most.What I was really looking for in doing the shunt mod was a more full bodied 20mph experience, which is exactly what I got. I couldn't ask for more but speed does thrill doesn't it?

I am not sure I want to go 60volt because I still would like to obey the regulations in California as it pertains to E-Bikes. I did a lot of research with the local Glendale police department and the California DMV. They all told me as long as I stay "close" to 20 I wouldn't have a problem but if I went "30" or more than I would have problems. You could probably get away with it in more rural areas.

Hey guys,
You can get a 60v charger from www.x-tremescooters.com . Just order the one for the xm 3000. They all plug in the same. I just received a reply email from MountainChen in regards to my quest for a bigger motor!!!! My need for speed may soon be satisfied. YAY!!

Hey Zerogas,

Your enthusiasm is infectious. I will take a look at that. So I would order and extra 20ah battery and the charger and I would be good to go?

As for your need for speed: There is always a bigger motor....

Happy 4th!

Yep! Mountainchen is going to make me a motor it seems. We are trading emails right now to see what will work best. I can't wait.

Hey Zerogas,

I ordered the charger and an extra battery last night. Never drink and shop....not a good combination.

As for the wiring instructions, which one should I follow yours or MilleyM's? You had said that MilleyM's was the way to go but I haven't heard if he's solved his electrical issue and if its related to his shunt or battery set up.

I would like to do it where I could add the battery or take it out depending on my needs. If I need to carry more stuff take the battery out but if I want to ride like the wind put the battery in and use the 60V charger.

Suggestions?

P.S. Can't wait to hear about the motor mod you are going to do. One question. Aren't you worried about going 50mph on those tires (a little narrow and not the best quality) and the stress on the frame going that speed (welds and hitting bumps and potholes)? Or are those an non-issue?

hyperob

A 4 amp charger is pushing it a bit for 20Ah SLA batteries. I would worry that it woulde reduce the service life of your batteries. 2.5 amp (which is C/8) is about the highest I would go. ecrazyman on eBay sells a good 60v 2 amp charger that is just about perfect for the XB-600.

Yes. Speed is directly proportional to voltage. 5 batteries will make you go 25% faster than 4 batteries (5/4).

Hey Hyperob,
Glad to hear you're gonna add that 5th battery. You'll be glad of it. To answer your question... I'm not afraid to go 50mph. Even though 45mph will probably be a more likely top speed. Besides, just because I could go that fast doesn't mean I'll have to. It would just be handy for those times when cars are barrelling down on me at 50+mph. I could go 45mph (which is the speed limit most places around here) and not have to keep pulling over for these speed demons. Plus my commute is taking about 18 to 20 minutes right now because I have to keep pulling over, so I'd like to get it down to 10 minutes. 45mph would do that for me.

Hey Bocaguy

Thanks for the info but I already placed the order. How much do you think it would reduce the service life and why....I thought I read somewhere that the charger should be about 25% of the rated ah on the battery. This is not the case?

More info would be appreciated.

Thanks.

Hey Bocabikeguy,

One more question. You've got me thinking in waves now.....

Read your post on the addition of the relay before the fifth battery. Do you think that 60volts is that much strain on the dc/dc controller? I do want to make the ride safe and reliable as I upgrade to 60volts. If you could explain where the 48volts come from.(which wire and where from) I can kind of make out your schematic but there are some question marks in there and I am not sure of the exact procedure.

Again, thanks for the info and I am just trying to take this all in. I ordered the other 60volt charger as you suggested just to be on the safe side that it matches the current stock one for amperage.

I wont make any final decisions on which charger to use until I can get some more feedback from you and other users who may have some experience with using a 60volt charger on the xb600.

Thanks again

hyperob

You will be fine with the 4A charger. Just try to let the batteries cool a bit before charging if you used them hard in warm weather. If you had temperature feedback to the charger, you could safely charge at C/3. With no temperature feedback a C/8 smart charger is usually fine. In between, you should probably watch the temperature - not so much for danger of thermal runaway but to reduce sulphation and breakdown of the metals in the battery.

Off the charger, you could be at 70-71 volts. If you run all your lights and horn with this voltage powering the DC-DC converter, there is a real possibility you can blow the FET's in the converter.

If you use a seperate 12v charger for the 5th battery, or if you use a bank charger, it is easy to run the motor at 60 volts and the DC-DC converter from the original 4 batteries, by using a relay, as I showed.

If you use a 60v charger you should use a BattEq or equivalent to keep the pack balanced after installing the relay.

You can reduce the likelihood of damaging the DC-DC converter at 60v by not turning on your headlights for the first few blocks afer a full charge. The initial voltage drops quickly after a full charge.

Guys, I've had a look at the dc-dc converter on these bikes. They are rated for a 60v input, so they probably have much higher rated FETs. More than likely, it's the same converter used on all the bikes x-treme sells, including the xm2000 etc... I've been running 60v for months now with no problems at all from any component on this bike. I haven't even blown any fuses. If worse comes to worst, I have another 12v 7ah battery which is small enough to put anywhere on the bike for lights, etc... No big deal if it does pop.

Thanks for the info Zerogas. I had read a post from you a few weeks ago talking about the dc/dc converters. I didn't think you had had problems and I think that MilleyM's electrical problems started before he did the 60volt conversion.

Still going forward with the conversion but I am still trying to figure out the best way to wire it up so that I can switch back and forth between 48 and 60 if I need to.

I do not understand, is this some kind of new math? 48 volts is 80% of 60 volts, if you have 80% of the total power then adding another 12-volts is only adding 20% more voltage, how do you come up with 25%? It seems you took 48-volt pack and allowed each battery to represents 25% of the voltage which would be true. Then you added another 12-volts, so you assumed another 25%, but that totals 125% the way I was tough to add. Can someone clarify?

So, if I only have 20% more power how can I go 25% faster?

Smarter than a fifth grader?
Grandpa Chas S.

Moderator Captain

Hey Zerogas (or anyone who has replaced their stock tires)

I had read a post of yours about how the standard tires suck. I just wanted to know if you had replaced your tires with better ones? I've been scouring the internet but I havent really found anything comparable. The tires on the xb-600 are 16 x 3" and most replacements I've seen are 2.5". Has anyone found tires that would be better the stock ones? I couldn't find the Bopper in size for the XB and the Pirelli's are 2.5". What will actually fit on the rims for the xb-600?

hyperob

Hyperob,
I ordered the wrong tires for mine. I assumed they were 10" LOL and ordered michelin s1 tires. I now know the tires we need are either 90/90-12(almost stock size) or 100/90-12(a hair bigger than stock size). Unfortunately, the only tire I can find in 100/90-12 is a dunlop and it's on nationwide backorder. On the brighter side of things, I was going to add a 6th battery in parallel with the 5th 12ah battery from my 60v conversion and for shiggles I added the 6th in series! This little 600 watt motor was hauling at 35mph exactly on the speedo!!!!! LOL, I put some videos on youtube, so check them out here...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q2w8Mo3lh2Q
Good Luck,
Warren

Chuck Yaeger Strikes again!

That has got to be a land speed record for the XB-600...It should be renamed the x-1. I saw a replica of the one Chuck Yaeger broke the speed of sound with at the science museum in L.A today. I have to say it made me think of Zerogas.

Cheers

hyperob

LMAO!!

Hey Everyone,

I did the 60Volt mod last night to the scooter and it was way easier than I thought. Much easier than the Shunt mod. I used the same battery as was in the original pack and wired it up the MilleyM way and it worked without a hitch. My bike hasn't hit thirty but it will go a steady 28mph and around 22mph up inclines. Not bad and I still have room under the seat for everything I had under there except the charger which I don't use at work.

So far so good. I will let you know if I see any adverse effects -- other than speeding.

Cheers and Happy Riding!

P.S. Now we wait to see what Zerogas will come up with next.........

Chas, I'm not sure if you are just teasing me, so at the risk of seeming foolish, I will answer.

You have to look at the problem in terms of what you have, and what you can expect to gain. The total voltage when you start is 48v.

If your bike goes 20 mph at 48v and you add a 12v battery, your bike will go 25% faster.

25% of 20 mph is 5 mph. So, your bike will go 5 mph faster, or 25mph, at 60v.

bocabikeguy,

Thanks for the answer, I see now I was looking at this from an algebraic view and therefore did not really understand the principle. I now see that 12-volts is 25% of 48-volts and you do indeed add 25% more voltage. Sorry my bad. Thanks for keeping this old man on his toes.

Grandpa Chas S.

Moderator Captain

LOL!! I've already begun the next step.. I ordered 12 new 100v mosfets (4110's) from www.digikey.com which I will be replacing the stock mosfets with, as well as the capacitors with their 100v counterparts out of the 72v controller I ordered before. I intended originally to find a higher watt motor for the current 60v setup, but I can't justify spending $600 - 800 more on this scooter for 10 more mph. Instead I will be running 72v again and doing some long term testing with that setup. 35mph is fast enough on this scoot anyway. Also in the works, I bought a rad2go sunbird off of ebay for $102! It doesn't run because water got in the hub motor, so I'll be either fixing and overvolting it, or getting a 1000 watt dc motor and large sprocket setup to power it(not sure till I do some testing to see what's wrong with it). Then, the future will hold a car conversion (144volt 70+mph) hopefully before winter. I'll keep everyone posted.
Congrats on the successful mod, Rob.
Keep modding!!
-Warren

Well hyperob, your positive review and ardent enthusiasm have finally convinced me that I'm probably going to slot an XB-600 into my new 6 mile daily commute. I do have a question for you. I'm new to California and frankly the wording of the electric bicycle/moped part of the Vehicle code (in all of its incarnations, be it the DMV site, the VHC itself, and various repastings) is a bit confusing to me. My interpretation is that the XB-600 is a motorized bicycle. I can't figure out if it falls under VC Section 406[a] which appears to have a maximum speed of 30mph or the later 406[b] which limits the speed to 20mph. Now, I can guarantee that out of the box its a moot point, but a year from now after I've probably modded it, it'll be capable of hitting over 30mph. Again, maybe California cops are pretty lenient on this stuff, but back home in Ohio they'd prefer to pull over a perfectly legal motorbike/moped/scooter to hassle him/her than a car going 10mph over the speed limit (note: that's a bit editorial and not really intended to start a flame war).

Also, did you have to go to the DMV and get the $6 sticker or is that unnecessary?

Hey depetro,

I too did some research on the whole motorized bicycle thing here in California. I will relay my quest and see if it helps you out:

First thing I did was call my local police dept. They had no clue what a motorized bicycle was. They asked if it went over 30mph and I said no. The local police said I didn't need to register it with them (bicycles need a license in Glendale). They didn't see a problem but said to call CHP.

I called the CHP and pretty much got the same response. They said to call the DMV.

I did more research and started to believe from what I read that I needed to "register" the XB and get and M2 license. I sent away for the proper forms and made an appointment with the local DMV. Drove the XB all the way there (8miles at 28mph....Sweet). Once I got there I showed them the paperwork with the serial number for the XB and my application for an M2 permit. They had no idea what to do with me. They took everything and went back in a big huddle around a computer terminal. Fifteen minutes later the person comes back and says that all I needed to do was get a license plate for the XB ($17). Its a one time fee and you don't have to register the vehicle every year. They said to send the paperwork to Sacramento and a plate would be issued.

I then asked about taking the test for the M2 and they said it was unecessary. If I had a class C (standard) then I was good to go.

I stood there for a moment taking this in and then I said "but I read that I had to do such and such and this and that..." The person just looked at me and said "$17. Send the paperwork to Sacramento...have a good day."

So that is my experience so far with the California DMV.

By the way, I ride past my local police station everyday on my way to and from work and have been seen and waved to by police many times and have never been stopped. I get nervous sometimes cause I think they are going to hastel me but....nothing. The funny thing is I don't even have the plate yet. I guess they have bigger fish to fry.

Hope this helps or not.... I can't tell anymore.... I am sure some people have had a nightmarish time getting to the bottom of it and your experience may be different.

Sweet. That's kind of what I was hoping. I was fairly sure that at the worst it was a one-time 17$ registration, at the best nothing needing to be done on my part. I called up the DMV about 2 months ago before I got sent out here, but they weren't too knowledgeable and said I might not need to do anything if it had pedals.

I'd love to get an M2 or better yet an M1, but I'm crazy busy at the moment and really don't need a bike that big yet. If I need one in a year or so then I'll reconsider my options and look for something bigger. But for now I'd prefer to "keep it simple, stupid."

Also, this is not really a deal breaker, but have you tried to pedal the XB-600? Somehow I'm assuming that its a huge pain. Obviously, I'm hoping to never run the batteries down, but who knows.

Hey depetro

Forget the pedals. You end up looking like a d-bag if you try to use them. I took them off and keep them in the storage under the seat if a cop stops me.

The pedals really are only there to make it a "motor assisted bicycle"...yeah right.

Cheers

hyperob

That's kind of what I was thinking. I can't imagine pedaling a hundred pound bike with my fat butt on it. Plus I couldn't really even figure out how you'd have to sit on it to pedal correctly. Oh and the fact that it'd just make it wider. I'm sure motorists would love me scratching up their vehicles as I tried to get around them.

I threw my pedals away! LOL, If my batteries go down, I'll be calling for help, I can't pedal this bike! For the record, Kentucky must not care about scooters, I pass by cops all the time and they don't even look twice. They assume it's a 50cc scooter buzzing by, and Kentucky doesn't register 50cc scooters or give them plates. HAHAHA! If I had the spare cash for the xm3500 I'd love to get it, and I'm sure it would have to be licensed as a motorcycle here.

Wow! I can't get enough of this board! I enjoy reading everyone's posts! Especially about the XB-600.

Just to add my 2 cents...the laws in Nebraska seem to be different than every other state.

-It has to have pedals to be considered a moped. Which means, no licensing, no insurance and no motorcycle license.

-Top speed not to exceed 30 mph. Also since it is powered, not allowed to ride on bicycle trails or sidewalks.

-Wheels should be more than 14" or it could be considered a scooter(stand-up kind) which is totally illegal here on sidewalk or street.

So, if I buy one I'll have to leave on the ugly pedals...for show.

Laurie

Look at the bright side... They make another good place to rest your feet.

Hey Reikiman,

Shouldn't this topic have been put with the rest of the XB-600 posts? Its a little lonely out here....

All the best,

hyperob

I can tell you threw away your pedals.

I think it is dangerous to rest your feet on the pedals. And that it is all but impossible to use the pedals.

The pedals are inconvenient, but they are required here by law. Removing the pedals could mean jail time. We leave the pedals on our scooters, but suggest to people that they not use the pedals, to keep the pedals folded and the cranks horizontal, and to be careful - especially backing up.

Hi all, first post here, and this seemed like as good a place as any.

First of all, what an incredible resource. Thanks to all of you for sharing your knowledge.

I have a Vego SX600 in pristine shape (wasn't ridden for a few years) that I bought years ago when electric scooters first were commonly available. I love the little thing and would never get rid of it. Every kid in the city envies me when I zip around on it.

I also bought an X-treme XB-600 a couple of months ago for my wife (first) with my tax rebate - thanks, Dubya - to see if it was suitable for a big guy like me (220 lbs). I was hesitant because of the truly awful things I've read about their service, but took the plunge anyway. I have been totally satisfied with this bike and plan to get another next month, especially after seeing the success you people have had with the shunt mod and the 60v mod. Here it is just after arrival, you can see all the parts aren't even on it yet (just the most important ones, lol)...

As you can also see, we are lucky enough to live where it's good riding weather all year around.

For the record, my only problem was that the throttle malfunctioned while riding (real nice!). At least the brakes still worked to kill the motor. X-Treme mailed me another one immediately, so score one for their service department.

Other notes: Rather than remove the speaker from the turn signal module, I filled its opening with epoxy. That way you still get a little beep that reminds you to turn your blinkers off.

Loose mirrors: Mine were loose but it turned out I simply hadn't tightened them adequately.

I plan to get another XB-600 next month for myself and mod it immediately for my 4-mile, rather hilly, work commute. I've been riding my wife's and, except for the hill problems, it works great.

The mod I'm really waiting for someone to come up with is a viable lithium battery pack. I had been thinking about the 700li but things I've read in the forums about the packs from X-Treme worry me.

Thanks again to all of you for a ton of info on BOTH my Vego AND the XB. As I perform my mods I will definitely take pictures and share.

Simple. 48 volts gives you 20% less power than 60 volts (48 is 80% of 60), and 60 volts gives you 25% more power than 48 (60 is 125% of 48; 25% more, in other words). There is no discrepancy, in one calculation you are comparing to the original voltage, in the other you are comparing with the new voltage.

Where's a fifth grader when you need him!

Hey Sundog,

Good luck on modding the XB. Done right, they will definitely enhance the bike. I've been running mine at 60volts with the "shunt" mod with no problems. The parts that are wearing out are all the incidentals and not the major components.

Regarding the LI pack. I had emailed one of the LI battery dealers on Ebay and he said that they could build a LI pack for the XB-600 to fit in the original battery holder and would come with a compatible charger. Its about $900 at this point. That is four sets of LA batteries for the XB. I don't know if it makes sense at this point unless you absolutely need the extra distance.

Cheers and Happy Riding.

Welcome, Sundog
Congrats on your new xb 600(the best looking x-treme scooter) Good luck on the mods and any help we can give along the way, feel free to ask.
-Warren

Thanks Rob and Warren!

Now that I'm up to speed on these mods I can't wait to get another and start hacking on it. I don't want to mess with this one because my wife is just barely confident riding it, I'll mod mine first and let her ride it to show her that zippier is SAFER, not more dangerous!

LOL, in my case "viable" includes "financially sensible", so I think I'll be holding off on the lithium packs for a while. If I was going to spend that kind of cash right now (and I'm still considering it) I think I'd get one of the bigger bikes.

Looking forward to sharing ideas!

Hmm! What "incidentals" are wearing out after only two months of owning it? That sounds a little worrisome.

Sorry to be posting on this thread so much, but I don't want to start a new one for such a minor question. I want to know if someone can explain the braking on this bike to me.

On my XB600, the right brake lever (front brake) obviously has some electrical function going on when I squeeze it - it acts like a power brake (is that a feature of this bike?). It's MUCH too "grabby" and so far I see no way to adjust the non-mechanical part of it. (I'm also confused since the motor is, of course, on the REAR wheel.) The left brake lever, the one for the rear wheel, feels completely normal when I squeeze it - like a bike or ordinary sccoter brake.

Is this normal? What's going on here? At first I thought "cool, regenerative brakes" but that isn't so. Are they power brakes? (Why in the world would someone put electric brakes on an electric scooter?)

Any info is appreciated.

Hey Sundog,

By incidentals, I mean things like the keyswitch ignition which lasted a month and some of the bolts and screws that stripped immediateley and the cheap blade fuse holder that comes with the bike. Things like that.

As for the braking system. Yep that's it. What it is is that the right brake has a cutoff for the motor which is required by law I believe for most E-bikes. I agree its a little rough and my brakes already squeak (since I've been riding at 30mph I think its a little more strain on them.) I am looking to see what I can do for that. If anyone has any ideas I am all ears.

Ask all the questions and post all the comments you want this is what this forum is about....sharing info and concerns.

Cheers

Thanks Rob,

I'm going to put the thing up on its stand (how convenient is that thing!) tonight and experiment. Something still doesn't make sense to me. When I initially adjusted the brakes I adjusted them with the power off, and my method of doing so was to tighten them until they interfered with freewheeling and then back them off a bit. So I know that, under no power, the rear wheel freewheels very smoothly. So what isn't clear to me is why, with the throttle at zero and coasting down a hill, the cutoff should be felt at all - the motor's already freewheeling, right?

It acts more as if it's actually assisting the braking process - it acts like the effect is more pronounced the more you squeeze the handle, which shouldn't happen if it's a simple cutoff. I seem to remember reading somewhere in the often contradictory descriptions that this model had "power brakes", silly as that sounds...

I ordered an extra controller today so I can go ahead and play around with the shunt mod and get a head start. I just have to remember to swap the controllers back before my wife rides it, LOL!

Hey Sundog,

Thats a good point about going downhill but I think someone posted a long time ago (could have been Gushar) about that problem and some had suggested that it actually add