Strida hidden power electric Kit

[marsupilamii]

Hi,

I’m looking for a Strida electric Kit.
I saw the “hidden power conversion kit” for Strida : someone have been tested it?

youtube.com/watch?v=QSfcukSV7fk
jasonchoi.iisweb.co.kr/wp-conten … 010062.pdf
hiddenpower.co.kr/products/prdt_mv1.asp

Thanks,

Mike

[Blackstridaaustria]

Hello Mike,

many thanks for these links, naturally I’d be also highly interested in this devices…

Did you already try to use their contact form?

Kind regards,

Chris

[Blackstridaaustria]

Well Mike, forget the question above…

According to Mrs. Minney Park, the overseas manager of the hiddenpower company, is this kit not available in Europe (by now).
In fact, hiddenpower is already in negotiation with distributors from several European countries…

But it is possible to order it directly from Korea, the kit costs ~ 850 Euros, the shipping costs are ~ 205 Euros.
You might wonder about the high shipping costs - these are caused by the Li-Po battery, which can be sent only in the category DG (dangerous goods). The hiddenpower company does accept wire money transfer via International Bank Account.

It might be possible to save shipping costs by visiting the booth of hiddenpower at the Eurobike 2013 in Friedrichshafen, Germany.
The booth number ZH-315 can be found in the “Zeppelin Hall”.

Mrs. Park’s reply was indeed very fast and friendly, surely she will be happy to meet you in Germany

Further questions?
Please mail to:
marketing@hiddenpower.co

https://www.facebook.com/hiddenpowerconversionkit

[marsupilamii]

Hello, I haven’ forgotten my post …

I was just getting exactly the same information as you from “Hidden Power”!
I’m really excited that the kit will be available from Germany … or France!

[Bietrume]

For more info on the Hidden Power friction drive system, see also following link
http://www.endless-sphere.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=28&t=21357

The main drawback of such systems is that they do not work well in wet weather: the drum slips on the tire, but it has the best power/weight ratio amongst eletric assistance systems.

Other similar systems exist:

• http://www.electric-bicycle-guide.com/friction-drive-conversion-kit.html

• http://www.eboo.st/: the drive drum only touches the tire when the power is on, so there is no additional resistance when riding without assistance . It is detailed here: http://www.electricbike.com/friction-drive/ and here: http://endless-sphere.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=28&t=25645

• A DIY system: http://hobbyking.com/hobbycity/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=6740

[marsupilamii]

Compared to other kits listed above, the “Hidden Power” kit has the following advantages:

• To be very light (2,6Kg included the battery !)
• Whether the engine is not directly on the wheel (which prevents dust with water clog the mechanism of the engine)
• A fastening system that adapts well to the configuration of the Strida.

What do you think?

By cons, yes, you’re right, I think that when it rains the system is a long walk.
For my part I will not try to ride with Strida in electric mode (too dangerous compared to roads of my way).

Mike

[Bietrume]

I agree with you, the Hidden Power system is a well thought system and it fits nicely on a Strida.

But I am not sure I would like to ride it because a Strida can be rather unstable at speed. I think the torque variations could initiate some instability because you don’t master it completely as opposed to the force you put on the pedals.

I have a limited experience with electric bikes, and what I didn’t like with them, is the cut-off response time when you stop pedalling. This is probably only valid for pedelec system, but it is weird to have the electric motor still running when you would like the bike to decelerate .

[Blackstridaaustria]

Highly frustrating experience at the Zeppelin hall in Germany:

Neither the ordered drive kit nor Mrs. Parks could be found at the booth of hiddenpower!

The Korean guys told me that Mrs. Parks has retired (?) and they didn’t know anything about my order…

Wtf is going wrong in this company?

[marsupilamii]

I don’t believe it!
Sorry for you Blackstridaaustria …
I hesitated in august to make the trip to Germany … luckily I didn’t make it!

You did not have to buy a kit if I understand?
Can you tell us more about your interaction with them?

Thank you for your feedback!

I try to send an email to Mrs. Parks and to marketing@hiddenpower.co (2 times) and no answer !?
WHY ?

Perhaps we can try to communicate with us on Facebook ?

Marsu

[marsupilamii]

You traveled 700Km to go to Eurobike 2013 ???
Wow… If yes, I understand why you’re angry!

[Blackstridaaustria]

@marsupilamii

Can you tell us more about your interaction with them?

Of course, that’s no secret.
My first mail was sent via the web form, I don’t have a copy of it.
Below the first reply of Mrs. Park:

@hiddenpower

Dear Chris,

I got your messeage like :

Hello, could you please tell me if (and where) your products are available in Europe? Kind regards, Chris

I am an overseas marketing manager, Minney Park. So, if you have questions,
you can send me emails.

This kit is not available in Europe, right now. We are under negotiation with some distributors in Europe.(Germany, England, the Czech Republic and more)

If you want to order a kit, you can directly contact me.

Thanks,

Kind Regards,
Minney Park,

Marketing dept. of team manager
Tel. +82-2-548-8800
Fax. +82-548-5353
Skype. Minney.Park
Add. 3F Siloam Bldg.,557-1, Sinsa-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul, Korea

I replied:

@BSA

Dear Minney,

many thanks for the fast and kind reply!

Could you please tell me the price for the MV-1 kit and the shipping costs to Vienna/Austria?

And for the payment: Do you accept (VISA) credit card or wire transfer via International Bank Account?
(I don’t really like Paypal and would prefer not to use it.)

Best regards,

Chris

2nd reply of Minney:

@hiddenpower

It costs 1,250,000 kw(Korean won).
Shipping cost is around 205 euro.

We accept money transfer through international bank account.

Kind Regards,
Minney Park

@BSA

Dear Minney,

the price for a high quality device seems acceptable, that should be ~ 850 Euros.
But I wonder about the extremely high shipping costs, are you really sure?
(It doesn’t need to be sent express.)

3rd reply of Minney:

@hiddenpower

Due to its category of DG(dangerous goods), it costs that much. Specifically, the batterymakes the shipping cost that much.

P.S. we are going to visit Germany for Eurobike in aug. the booth number is Z-315.
You can visit us there.
Also, if it is possible, we will send you the kit from Germany. Then you can reduce the shipping cost.

@BSA

Ah, now I do understand, thank you!

The good thing is - I’ll be at the Eurobike too )
(Not at the public day - at the dealer’s days before, hehe)
So, if you don’t mind, we could manage that in Germany directly.

Just one more question, please:
I’d like to report a few details about our conversation at the Stridaforum, would that be OK for you?

4th reply of Minney:

@hiddenpower

Sure. You can report it.
If I have some more details, related to this matter, I will let u know.

See you at the fair.

@BSA

Well, many thanks again

Can’t wait to meet you at Friedrichshafen!

Shortly before the fair I wrote the final mail to hiddenpower, but got no more reply:

@22.08.13

Dear Minney,

please do you not forget to take one MV-1 drive set to the Eurobike?

My bike-dealer and friend Mike dasfaltrad.at/ (he will be with us in Germany)
meant I should ask if you would give us a dealer’s price.
Maybe you could think about that until the show.

Rest as above, we should not count on this company, I mean.
The better way will be to read the posts of this forum
http://www.endless-sphere.com/forums/index.php
carefully and build a friction drive by ourselves.

To be honest; hiddenpower was for me definitely not the only reason to visit the Eurobike.

[marsupilamii]

Thanks a lot again for your feedback Blackstridaaustria.

Are you going to try to build your own “homemade” kit now ?

[Blackstridaaustria]

@marsupilamii

Are you going to try to build your own “homemade” kit now ?

I’m actually thinking about it - of course as a long term project.
For example this project does look indeed interesting (with some modifications).
http://www.endless-sphere.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=28&t=53365

And what are you planning to do now?

[marsupilamii]

Unfortunately I have no machine tool for metal work.
I followed several topics on different forums and it seems that the creation of a kit is very complicated…
As more… I’m not a great handyman …
I think I’ll follow hiddenpower on Facebook and mal and push them to quickly find a distributor!

Of course, I’ll post on the forum if anything moves towards !

[Blackstridaaustria]

Searching the web for “hidden power e-bike kit” it is very easy to find out that they already had an European distributor - a company named pedalix.com from Suisse:

http://web.archive.org/web/20110209071442/http://www.pedalix.com/

I just wonder that this company is not any longer existent…at least their website seems to be offline since a while…http://pedalix.com/

If hiddenpower is really searching for a new European distributor…why didn’t they bite on that hook: “My bike-dealer and friend Mike http:… (he will be with us in Germany)”?
Do you think I’ve mentioned that accidentally

[marsupilamii]

In the light of the old site “Pedalix” (Thanks for the information), I made some research … and find some posts in forums.

On a French forum that I know well, they raised the question of the reliability and the sustainability of the kit because the motor used is probably a motor made ​​for models (like RC plane?).

In french :
cyclurba.fr/forum/109289/kit-ped … ionID=6610
In english :
translate.google.fr/translate?sl … 10&act=url

In this UK forum they told that the kit is really noisy and … dangerous (without PAS but I think the new version have one) :
pedelecs.co.uk/forum/electri … n-kit.html

mmm…I doubt more and more…

[Blackstridaaustria]

Thanks to you for the investigation

I believe it’s no problem to build a friction drive with a high quality RC motor, these motors are light, small and strong.
Seems that many contributors of the endless-sphere forum used them.

Also I don’t understand why a drive without PAS (pedal assist sensor) should be dangerous…
In some European countries are e-bikes without PAS forbidden, but a reliable throttle with passive safety function (and maybe brake lever switches) should avoid any trouble.

The noise will be a product of the high revolution speed of small RC motors, would we want less noise we had to use a (much bigger) hub or mid drive motor…unfortunately these will not fit on Strida

[Bietrume]

An alternative system is the Mottrix developed and sold by a fellow countryman.

Weight: 8kg including the 2.3 kg Li-Ion batteries
Price: 556 € including the batteries

But I’m afraid it is too bulky for our Strida’s

[Blackstridaaustria]

Thanks Bietrume,
intrigued friction drive researchers will know the mottrix system
Well, design and weight are questionable, but it actually fits!

[marsupilamii]

WOW !

I never thought that Mottrix system could fitted to STRIDA!
I’ve seen this kit but it seemed too heavy (which erases one of the benefits of a Strida: its lightness !)
I think it must disrupt the strida on the back side, right?

Otherwise I finally found a person who bought the HIDDEN POWER kit and gives details of his feelings !!! :
endless-sphere.com/forums/viewto … 7&start=15

But I have no more response to my emails or my Facebook posts from HiddenPower… What’s wrong with this company?