BionX Taken Over

Hmm. I don't know how to feel about this. Bionx is my favorite ebike on the planet. I think I'm going to go to my happy place and pretend this is a good thing.

The take over is by Magna international, it was mentioned on this video Briefly.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ka6-8Gdcg1g

here is the company

http://www.magna.com/magna/en/

Magna will be taking over the manufacturing facility and QA process. The product is already shipping from Ontario instead of Quebec. There isn't whole lot of information you can find on the net. What I foresee there were a few companies who tried to turn electric bike company and getting into auto or Military business had failed. A good example is Tidalforce by Wavecrest. And Magna has all the known how, money, and facility to make BionX into the auto or military business. That is very interesting join venture. I am waiting to see what will happen!

Here is the latest I have heard on the takeover by Magna. BionX is still (as of today), built and sold out of Asbestos Quebec, but all stuff is sent to Magna distribution center north of TO for shipping. So far this is NOT any good for us as consumers. Previously if your dealer ordered something, it was shipped to him as soon as BionX built it or received (batteries) from Sony. Now everything is sent to Magna in TO central shipping warehouse and goes on a shipping list with all other auto parts and products and your dealer may have to wait for it to move up the delivery list. For example, my wife's new BionX which just arrived in London, Ont this week, was produced and left Quebec on 18 July but didn't leave TO until 25 Aug and reached London on the same day. I have 2 friends who are BionX dealers here in Canada and they say that the long term plan is to move the production plant to TO and sales and corp. HQ will stay in Quebec. Have to wait and see how this shakes out, but as we know, bigger is not always better.
Also, if anyone is playing with the BionX codes, don't forget to experiment with 0007 and 0008. 37773 is just an "on/off" for the controller speed limit and as Davew said it really does remove the "wall", but 0007 and 0008 can really be fine tuned to your exact weight and riding assist preferences.

Thanks for keeping us up to date. I certainly hope they don't kill Bionx through mismanagement.

I sure hope so too. So far I've got about 4 grand into BionX stuff in the last 5 months. By the way, I have 1 unit I just got with 250 watt and 24 volt LiMn and so far it will only show a 3/4 charge on the display even though the battery charger says fully charged and it's been 3 or 4 hours. When my wife rides, it takes a very long time and several miles to get the charge meter to move 1 bar off 3/4, so I think the charge is there but it is just not registering with the controller display. The owner's manual covers this in troubleshooting and I have done every thing that they suggest, but it's been 5 recharges so far and no change. Anyone had anything similar?? Will it eventually correct itself?? Not really worried as it's under warrantee for 1 year but it's a pain to have to return and wait for a replacement. I think I would try to push the dealer to order a new battery and let me keep mine until it's in and then swap. Haven't had any problem with my NiMH or a 24 volt LiON, just the new lithium manganese. Open to any suggestions???
JDJ

I'm not sure whether this is the same procedure mentioned in the manual, but the following worked for me:

Step 1) Charge the battery

Step 2) Let it cool down for 1 hour.

Ste 3) Check voltage with code 3772 (See console code from the attached)

Step 4) If the battery 36V LiMn is showing 41.0 and more, the battery is fully charge

Step 5) If the battery is fully charge push on mode for 20 sec, that will force the gauge to show full.

Console Programming
Display
• Turn on the system ( “mode” button )
• Simultaneously press on the « chrono » and
« mode » buttons for 2 seconds
• Enter the desired console code.
N.B. To change a digit, use the “A+” and “G-
“buttons.
To accept a digit and go to the next one,
press the “mode” button.

• Once you are done with your
programming, simply press « mode » to
go to the original display, then turn
the system off to save the changes.

Hi sandorszabo:

I have printed your suggestion (poor memory at age 63) and I will go try it this PM. I will let you know. I have a 24 volt, so do you know if I should still get a reading of 41 or something lower?? thanks, JDJ

Hi Sandorszabo;
I tried what you suggested and it worked perfectly!! Only difference was that the 24 volt system registeed 29.2 (about 5 plus over the 24, the same as you said the 36 volt needed to register 41 or more). How in the world did you ever hear about holding mode down for 20 sec's or more?? It made a loud beep in the battery like the alarm mode and the gauge immediately went to full charge on the controller display.
Thanks a bunch, JDJ

I got the info from my dealer. Your determination of the "full charge" voltage of a 24V system will answer another poster's query.

Here is an interesting announcement that Magna will develop electric hybrid car. It will buy up another company BluWav. For some of you who had been around long enough remember the TidalForce by WaveCrest

Here is the link for the announcement:
http://www.reuters.com/article/mnaNewsConsumerGoodsAndRetail/idUSN2345259920081023

and here is BluWav web site

http://www.wavecrestlabs.com/

What does this means for Bionx?

My wife and I both ride tadpole trikes (TerraTrikes) and we ordered 2 Bionx PL350 systems on December 12th thinking they would make a nice Christmas present to each other. Then I began to hope for them to a Valentines day present. I'm beginning to think Easter now.

Honestly, had I known it would take this long (nearly 3 months now), I wouldn't have ordered them. This delivery perfomance is unacceptable and I would recommend no one order another of these and let this company fail. They are trying to any way so just hasten the process. I just can't wait to experience customer service!

Bionx Sucks!!

Ordered from whom? I was on the verge of ordering a BionX system, and your post has given me pause. Have you gotten your units yet?

-Steve

I would call Nycewheels in NYC or Greenspeed in CA or one of the other reputable E-bike dealers and ask what they have in stock. That's what I did last year and I had my 350PL kit at my house within a week. They can also give you realistic times if they need to order a kit.

i have a Q on this quote

Console Programming
Display
• Turn on the system ( “mode” button )
• Simultaneously press on the « chrono » and
« mode » buttons for 2 seconds
• Enter the desired console code.
N.B. To change a digit, use the “A+” and “G-
“buttons.
To accept a digit and go to the next one,
press the “mode” button.

---------

ok here is ware i get confused. once i use the A & G keys to select the last digit then what ? as if press the mode button it just goes back to display screen so what am i not understand and what are you not putting in your procedure right here. thanks :)

---------

• Once you are done with your
programming, simply press « mode » to
go to the original display, then turn
the system off to save the changes.

Also

i find Ebay is a fantastic place to get some top deals on bionx i got a trek 7300 with extras with a bionx 250 with 2 batteries for £450 off ebay thats less than the bike alone costs so was chuffed.

one thing i notice about bionX is its a good product badly marketed and sold and warranteed what it needs is to be taken up by a a companyt hat can do the product justice maybe that french guy needs to go on dragons den not for there money but for the abillity to speak ballshitease aka buisnessmen. ;)

i mean we still have no uk dealer but i guess that cause in the uk we are born with arms for legs and cant rie bicycles or bionx have no real buisness sence , hmmm. ;)

its like when i finally decided to buy a gaming laptop my ultimate decision was based on that the warranty covered any accidental damage or theft AND was 24 hour On Site and they could do this for 300£ additionally which i felt ( and made sure ) was good value, this can only be achived by a very large organisation ( especially as there is a fair few who will go beyond the normal level of taking the piss and film them selves dropping a 3K£ laptop in the bath and getting a new one and posting it on YouTube so rmeber when your life sucks to randomly shout at a stranger it probably is there fault :D lols ).

i dont know that the company in this case is going to be any better but ya can hope if they do auto parts they would be a reasonable placed company lets just hope there a good company too.

Yes, Magna bought Bionx for the technology in the wheel to use in another application. I think a car. I'd never paid attention to Magna or knew who they were before hearing this maybe a year and a half ago. But now I hear Magna in the news often -- last week 'buying Opal (I think it was), Russians, possible job losses in Canada.' With so much industry going under, I wonder who this giant is who is eating so much, and hope they don't mess up Bionx in the process. It reminds me of when another Canadian conglomerate (well, who knows who the principals are really) bought up Vermont Castings (the wood stove producer) for their excellent foundary and and almost put them out of business. They survived, but they are not under that conglomerate any more.

I have never been able to get past the price of the battery. As one poster put it (thanks for doing the math), a daily ride back and forth costs* as much as driving. (*not including pollution costs).

Can someone answer the question I have?
http://visforvoltage.org/forum/7462-what-size-motor-do-i-have-can-you-add-throttle-unit

-----
following Bionx since 2006

Thanks... I had the same problem... This is probably a common problem, then.... Thanks for the information.... it worked!!!!