Problems with MagicPie - Warranty - Correct parts - Stripped Cable

[bullyp]

Problems, Problems, Problems……
I would like to be writing that I have had a good experience with my purchase of a MagicPie kit. It all started well enough, apart from NO instructions, NO packing list, and an incorrect throttle controller sent. When everything arrived I made best guesses at putting everything together and had the bike working well enough. However, within a short time I managed to strip the controller cable exiting the axle. I did a little research on this site and found that this was a common occurrence. I made some remedial repairs to the cabling but still had no luck getting the bike to go. So I started emailing Tom at the Goldenmotor service dept, and at first there was a dialog and some help to diagnose the problem, but when it was agreed that the controller was probably at fault the simple answer was, you striped the cable, buy another one.

Now in New Zealand you would have received instructions, a packing list, and perhaps a warning that the wheel nuts tend too loosen after some time and a torque bar was necessary to make sure the axle didn't spin stripping the cable. And I would have thought that given China's increasing reputation, as a quality supplier things might have been different but sadly NO.

So I went the next step and asked would Goldenmotor pay for the freight since surely they would supply the correct throttle controller and I would pay for a new controller and cable. Once again NO, NO communication with regards to any offers has been responded to to date- really disappointing.

So the end result I have paid a significant amount of money for a bike that isn’t working, that Goldenmotor won’t supply a correct throttle controller for and I have to buy a new controller board and cable!

So if you are planning on purchasing a Magicpie kit and you aren’t put off by my experience then I have a brand new 36v front wheel kit with a dead controller available for sale.

Here is one link documenting the damaged cable problem http://goldenmotor.com/SMF/index.php?topic=227.0 I also spent some time researching torque arms and they do exist just not as part of the kit, here’s the link for one site in Canada http://goldenmotor.com/SMF/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=2217.0;attach=2465;image.

[GM Canada]

Hello

I am sorry to hear of your problems, but you really cant blame GM for damage caused by your wheel spinning out of the dropouts. GM does not sell torque arms. I do carry them on my website as an additional safty precaution but they are not made by GM. The profits on all GM products are very small and any replacements sent out surely mean that there will be a loss. If the failure is caused by the consumer then it is unlikely they or any company would pay for the replacement.

Gary

[MonkeyMagic]

Not trying to stir any pots here but I would also have to agree there 100%...

Depending on the type of bike, some people need to slightly file their dropouts, and others have quite a generous dropout axle spacing that does require you to tighten the nuts maybe more than you would normally. I know yours is a front motor..

Personally, my bike has ridiculous dropouts - before running the wheel I made 2 small plates of metal and used that as a 'torque plate' that bolted to the bike frame:
http://goldenmotor.com/SMF/index.php?topic=2278.0

Even the ones you buy commercially need some form of modification as the dimension and dropout angles vary so greatly.

Valy - a member of this forum made some fantastic custom ones that he has mentioned he can sell. See this post:
http://goldenmotor.com/SMF/index.php?topic=2513.0

Even though you may think its too late, it's not... Should you wish to replace your internal controller and cable will probably cost you around $50, and if you want to go external you have some options from around $50 to +$100 for an GM External or Infineon controller.

That said you can still get some love out of your bike Don't give up now, imagine if you had an accident in your car. The motor was fine, but the computer that told everything your car to do was broken. You wouldn't just sell the car because of the broken computer

Front wheel kits are also notorious for aluminum front dropouts, if you have alloy forks then 100% put something there to stop this or buy a set of steel forks. GM or not, it would have failed with any motor with power.

I only have a torque plate on the rear, my forks are steel and I tighten my nuts with a tyre lever - and hence the name it has excellent leverage, maybe a bit too much. Anyway it does not budge 1 bit, I also check my nut tightness along with my tire pressure before every ride just like I check suspension, brakes and air pressure before a long drive in the car... Safety first ~~!

Peace out MM

[bullyp]

To those who have posted after my initial comment you may have missed the bit.........

"So I went the next step and asked would Goldenmotor pay for the freight since surely they would supply the correct throttle controller and I would pay for a new controller and cable. Once again NO, NO communication with regards to any offers has been responded to to date- really disappointing.
"

The important bit being they (GM) had supplied the incorrect part, I don't know how you can explain this away in any country with any margin base, or whatever. My suggestion was a simple way to move everything forward, I had already offered to pay for a new controller, I just wanted the parts I had ordered even offering to send back the incorrect throttle controller once I received the correct one. The fact that I was prepared to keep an open line of communication and Goldenmotor have seemingly shut the door when things got a little bit hard doesn't bode well.

[Leslie]

Hey bad news there.

My Backberry Pie needs no torque arm but my new build looks like it will.

I use a steel frame on the Blackberry and I avoid front hubs.


Take the time to file sand the cable moat into your Pie so it is smooth and not sharp.  Makes replacing the cables easier by decreasing the chance of damaging them when replacing them, and opens more options to how you can secure the cables into the motor.



Hey Monkey

You becarefull you don't do scerw those nuts too tight, sometimes you bend the washers and or squish the dropouts appart with too much torque there on the wheel nuts.

I use a very large shifter that prolly is as long as a car tyre lever but I don't go too sick.  

I believe alloy will crack with a combination pressure and shock if you tighten them too much.  So with aluminium, tightnen just above normally and use a bloody good torque arm.  Black Steel is better and can take the shock but can bend and squash under extreme pressure, Chrome molly better again and has a mix of good hardness, strength, flexability for its weight.