3D printed Decoy Battery Cover

[alleny]

My 15yr old son designed and 3D printed a battery cover for my Decoy so it can be more easily transported on my hitch rack.

This little project has become unexpectedly popular and we have been selling them and have filed a provisional patent. The project even made it on the latest episode of the EMBN show! (16:30 into the video) My son is getting a kick out of seeing himself on YouTube.

https://youtu.be/bzJd2BvdNGM

As mentioned in the video, we have just created an Etsy store to streamline sales. Here’s the link if you are interested in purchasing. https://www.etsy.com/.../yt-decoy-e-mtb-dummy-battery...

 

[R120]

Saw this on EMBN and its a great idea - you should look into doing it for other bikes too

 

[alleny]

He could totally do that but he needs the bike for a week or so. No one wants to be without their baby for that long! lol

 

[leftside]

The YT battery cover leaves a gap that allows water to get in. Some of us have sealed this gap by applying neoprene on the inside of the battery:

Decoy Hacks??!!

I use black electrical tape to seal the gaps along the downtube. Gets quite wet here in North Vancouver in the winter. First thing I did was replace the rock hard saddle. Those stock YT saddles have got to be the most uncomfortable in the history of mountain biking. My ass went numb on the...

www.emtbforums.com

I haven't had a single issue with the bike after going through the steps from above.

Does this 3D printed cover fit better than the standard YT one?

 

[alleny]

The YT battery cover leaves a gap that allows water to get in. Some of us have sealed this gap by applying neoprene on the inside of the battery:

Decoy Hacks??!!

I use black electrical tape to seal the gaps along the downtube. Gets quite wet here in North Vancouver in the winter. First thing I did was replace the rock hard saddle. Those stock YT saddles have got to be the most uncomfortable in the history of mountain biking. My ass went numb on the...

www.emtbforums.com

I haven't had a single issue with the bike after going through the steps from above.

Does this 3D printed cover fit better than the standard YT one?

To seal against dirt and water it does not do as good of a job as this neoprene seal (or electrical tape) but that is not what the cover was intended to do.

The 3D printed cover is meant to replace the stock battery to make lifting the bike and transport on a hitch rack easier. The stock battery weights almost 9 lbs. If you remove the stock battery and install this battery cover (which weighs 8oz) in it's place you basically knock 9 lbs off the total weight of your bike.

I had my son make this for me because the weight limit per tray of my 1up hitch rack was 50 lbs. (my Decoy weighs about 53 lbs) With this cover installed, my Decoy now weighs about 44lbs, well under the 50lbs weight limit. It is also so much easier to heave up on the rack. I just carry the heavy stock battery in the car with me on long road trips.

On short trips to nearby trailheads I am lazy and just throw it on there without changing to the battery cover. lol

 

[leftside]

To seal against dirt and water it does not do as good of a job as this neoprene seal (or electrical tape) but that is not what the cover was intended to do.

The 3D printed cover is meant to replace the stock battery to make lifting the bike and transport on a hitch rack easier. The stock battery weights almost 9 lbs. If you remove the stock battery and install this battery cover (which weighs 8oz) in it's place you basically knock 9 lbs off the total weight of your bike.

I had my son make this for me because the weight limit per tray of my 1up hitch rack was 50 lbs. (my Decoy weighs about 53 lbs) With this cover installed, my Decoy now weighs about 44lbs, well under the 50lbs weight limit. It is also so much easier to heave up on the rack. I just carry the heavy stock battery in the car with me on long road trips.

On short trips to nearby trailheads I am lazy and just throw it on there without changing to the battery cover. lol

Excellent. My Decoy is 50lbs. The weight limit on my rack is 80lbs which means I can no longer pick up a buddy and take their analog bike as well on my rack. With this cover and the battery out we should be fine. I’ll order one for sure.

Edit: ordered.

 

[alleny]

Excellent. My Decoy is 50lbs. The weight limit on my rack is 80lbs which means I can no longer pick up a buddy and take their analog bike as well on my rack. With this cover and the battery out we should be fine. I’ll order one for sure.

Edit: ordered.

Great timing. I was on the way out to the post office so I was able to include your order in today's shipment. Tracking number sent to you via Etsy. Thanks for the order!

 

[Dirtnvert]

Sweet!! I want one of these for sure. When my motor was blown i was just riding lift laps for a couple/few months until i secure my warrantee motor replacement. All i could think of was how nice itd be to ditch the unnecessary battery weight for lift laps. I probably would have went for a few trail rides away from the resort too. Without the battery it isnt much heavier than my commencal meta 29 enduro bike and id have storage

 

[alleny]

Sweet!! I want one of these for sure. When my motor was blown i was just riding lift laps for a couple/few months until i secure my warrantee motor replacement. All i could think of was how nice itd be to ditch the unnecessary battery weight for lift laps. I probably would have went for a few trail rides away from the resort too. Without the battery it isnt much heavier than my commencal meta 29 enduro bike and id have storage

Full disclosure, I checked with YT USA and asked if the Decoy could be ridden without the battery installed. Here's his response:

" Sounds like a cool project your son is doing. I wouldn’t recommend riding without the battery, it would be structurally fine but the cables will rattle around which could be an issue. For transport I think it’s a great idea"

Based on this response, the item is sold for transport purposes only.

That being said, I have ridden with the cover installed (without the stock battery) several times and had no issues. I also saw comments or threads somewhere online in the past that were made by "reputable" people (claiming to be design engineers, framebuilders, etc) saying there's no way the battery is part of the structural integrity of the frame.

 

[Dirtnvert]

Full disclosure, I checked with YT USA and asked if the Decoy could be ridden without the battery installed. Here's his response:

" Sounds like a cool project your son is doing. I wouldn’t recommend riding without the battery, it would be structurally fine but the cables will rattle around which could be an issue. For transport I think it’s a great idea"

Based on this response, the item is sold for transport purposes only.

That being said, I have ridden with the cover installed (without the stock battery) several times and had no issues. I also saw comments or threads somewhere online in the past that were made by "reputable" people (claiming to be design engineers, framebuilders, etc) saying there's no way the battery is part of the structural integrity of the frame.

I wouldnt worry about the cables. I guess i might use some duct tape to stabilize them if i thought it was an issue. I agree theres no way the battery is structural. I guess the aluminium tru shaft attachment would add a bit of structure but the screws attaching those to the battery are tiny. If the bike frame was strong or stiff enough on its own those tiny srews would rip out of the battery i would think.
My main concern is how well your cover would handle a rock hit. Ez eniugh to glue a protector on it maybe

 

[YTPablo]

I was talking about this idea whilst out on a ride the other day and wishing I could lose the battery weight for uplift days but have a cover to protect the internals. Well done to you and your son for coming up with a fantastic product and I also think you should be looking at branching out and making more for other ebike brands. I have ordered one and look forward to seeing how my decoy rides without the battery. Thanks from Scotland!