Battery Lock Keys. Yes or No?

[Pigin]

..... failure would be common or expensive.

Hmm, not sure I've got this right but Im saying it in jest. They fail a lot but are cheap as chips to replace. 10p bolt securing a £600+ battery, works like a fuse but in reverse?

I have yet to have a bike without a battery key so I am not talking from a place of knowledge. Yes I'm obviously talking through that alternative orifice.

 

[towzer]

I’d like an easily removable but lockable batttery.

(*integrated battery - I say chaps, you see this bit that’s can go wrong and will deteriorate with age, well we’ve made it as hard as possible to replace)

home - battery inside, bike in garage , theft deterrent, can unplug without going back to garage.
motorhome - lighter bike on rack, battery inside charging, etc
hotel - bike locked in car , battery inside charging, etc
cycling - cafes etc,can’t always keep bike in eyesight , bike always locked, battery - easily nick able if not locked
big day out - spare battery in backpack etc

 

[Doomanic]

I don't really care either way, but IMO it would better if it didn't need the key to fit the battery.

 

[smtkelly]

Hmm, not sure I've got this right but Im saying it in jest. They fail a lot but are cheap as chips to replace. 10p bolt securing a £600+ battery, works like a fuse but in reverse?

Its a sacrificial part added to a more expensive part. Take the battery secured to the frame via a tapped tread in the frame if you strip the thread you will need to tap a larger hole and use a larger bolt or add a coil. This may or may not be possible and couldn't be done more than a hand fill of times. It may also invalidate the warranty.

With the clips you have: the frame with a mounting tab with a untapped oversized hole. The clip slips over this tab and aligns with the hole. you then secure your bolt through one side of the clip through the hole in the tab and into the threaded side of the clip pinching it tight (like a spring washer). If you strip the thread you need only replace the clip.

They use them on car bumpers heat shields etc. When I had the bumper off my car to replace the heat shields there were millions of the buggers to replace. But the alternative would be drilling at tapping all the chassis mounting points.

 

[Tim1023]

I'd welcome a key on the Levo if it made it easier to put the battery in, i.e. with a simple click and turn of the key. Taking the battery out is fine, but it always takes me a few minutes before I can get the damned screw to catch when putting it back in. REALLY annoying.

 

[SquireRides]

WTF shouldn't I leave my bike outside a shop for 5 minutes?

I am insured. I will lock it somewhere relatively safe. I'll use good lock(s).

Anything the bike manufacturers can do to make the bike, or bits of the bike harder to steal or harder to sell on is a bonus. That includes a lockable battery.

Ultimately, i would rather see an electronic solution where the battery and motor rely on a fob, code, or app to occasionally check-in that they aren't stolen. Until then, the more (optional) physical security the better.

 

[Beekeeper]

When the Apple E-bike comes out the battery compartment will be unlocked by fingerprint or facial recognition.

 

[Tim1023]

When the Apple E-bike comes out the battery compartment will be unlocked by fingerprint or facial recognition.

No, it will be glued in so that you have to get one of their "Experts" to swap it for you. For a fee.

 

[DrStupid]

I'm eventually gonna put my trance19 on a diet and eliminate the lock and charge harness. Should be almost 14 Oz total.

 

[Landy Andy]

I wouldn’t mind the key if the key did more than just release the battery, as in if bike only worked with key in place. But just to release battery is a pain.

 

[Beekeeper]

No, it will be glued in so that you have to get one of their "Experts" to swap it for you. For a fee.

but you are forgetting about the benefits of wireless charging an Apple e-bike would have when out and about

 

[Zimmerframe]

When the Apple E-bike comes out the battery compartment will be unlocked by fingerprint or facial recognition.

"Siri, Engage Turbo mode"
"Sorry, the bike is not equipped with a commode"
"Siri, Engage ... Turbo .... mode"
"Engagement email request has been sent to Bro Mo from your contacts, Bro Mo is also listed as Stepmother"
"Siri, for fecks sake"
"Second email with request for sexual encounter sent to contact Bro Mo"

What could go wrong ...

 

[Kernow]

Allen key or key makes little difference to me , however maybe the thieves haven’t yet realised the value of ebike batteries , so if it stops that opportune thief while your ordering a coffee then it’s good
Spare Key just lives in my back pack , , if I could just push a button maybe then it would be easier , or a button with an option to lock
. I do find the trek key a bit fiddly , it seems to need jiggling about before it will turn , is that normal ?

 

[Zimmerframe]

, it seems to need jiggling about before it will turn , is that normal ?

Have you tried taking the pressure off the battery before you turn ?? My shimano key required a multitude of jiggles and that was an external. It was anti-theft even if you had the key but didn't have the correct g-spot technique.

 

[Kernow]

Have you tried taking the pressure off the battery before you turn ?? My shimano key required a multitude of jiggles and that was an external. It was anti-theft even if you had the key but didn't have the correct g-spot technique.

Yes good thinking , I’ve tried that , it feels like when you’ve had a new key cut and it’s not quite locating in the lock tumblers smoothly . I’ll ask the shop when it goes in , just wondered if it was normal

 

[Rob Rides EMTB]

Yes good thinking , I’ve tried that , it feels like when you’ve had a new key cut and it’s not quite locating in the lock tumblers smoothly . I’ll ask the shop when it goes in , just wondered if it was normal

Mine is very similar. 60% of the time it works every time. ?

 

[Landy Andy]

My key also feels like a cheap copy key (which it isn’t) so it doesn’t glide in nicely and fill me with faith that it will work, but so far it has.

 

[Kernow]

Good to know , I’ve got a theory that the lock tumblers get shaken up when riding and the key has to kind of re align them as it slides in . My wife’s hardtail that doesn’t get shaken up so much have is always much easier to open than mine , hmm that sounds a bit wrong ?

 

[Mikerb]

My wife's Cube has a key entry to the battery. For me the issue is not having the key when needed or losing it. not worried about theft because the bike is never left unsupervised anywhere.
I have one key on a key ring and the other key is in a toolbag on the bike together with the usual spares like tube and puncture repair kit etc. It is attached inside the toolbag with a fine chord long enough to reach the lock..........so will not get lost or dropped etc. Overall it would be better if there was no lock but since it has.......
I have a Whyte and a Levo...no locks...and the batteries only come out once every 4/5 months anyway.

 

[Shinn]

My Haibike had a key and a torx nut it was a PITA. I always thought it should be tool less with maybe an option to lock it if one wanted. Maybe a wingnut something or another that won't come loose but is also easy.

 

[04fuxake]

Option 3: what's the difference? You stick an object into a receptacle, turn it, and the battery comes out.

 

[StuckintheSpokes]

I would always have a backpack for the times I would pop in for an ice cream or something else to eat at a coffee shop. The plus is the battery would fit in the shop, and if you stayed a while for a pub lunch or whatever, as long as the bike is in sight you could get them to give you a little more charge, if you bring your charger with you in your backpack. Making it as simple as possible would suit such things. Also taking it off makes locking it up easier, because the frame is thinner, so you can get a D lock to fit on the frame and whatever you attach it to.

Button to pop it loose, then you just pull it out. Having a button that flies it off in one go would cause a few battery accidents.

 

[maker]

I would of liked a button to release with option of key to lock if you wanted to lock it.

After locking mine into position I give a tug to ensure it is secure BUT on a couple of rides it has bounced out, so great idea if the button activates some thing solid and not a crappy bit of plastic on a weedy spring.

 

[Another rider]

The lock just adds complexity that I could do without. I want to be able to remove the battery but an allen key and a simpler mechanism would be fine.
On my old Cube you have to be really careful to make sure the battery is properly locked in or it will come out mid ride. It's happened to me twice and I've spent ages adjusting the lock so that it works reliably.
On my newer Focus with the Bosch powertube I've had problems with the lock sticking. I've not tried it but I think if it did jam completely with the battery in you could get it out by undoing the screws on the battery cover and the adjuster screws at the bottom on the frame so anyone really determined could get the battery out with a few simple tools anyway.
I don't often leave my bikes unattended and when I do I think the real risk is the whole bike being stolen. I've lost a few non-electric bikes that way even though they were pretty well locked up.

 

[MMBB]

Waste of time. And a massive turn off for me. I won't even look at them if they have a key hole in the side of the frame . That goes for power buttons in dumb places also .

 

[olde-mtber]

I have a Trek fs5 powerfly it's my go to form of transportation. I leave it unattended many times as I can't always park it within sight so it's always locked up to a immovable object so if they want the bike or just the battery they are going to have to work for it. It is fully insured so should the worst happen then I'll get a new bike. So one of the many reasons I bought the Trek is the battery is locked in by a key which is on my house key ring so have the key all the time I'm out.

 

[geardoc]

I'm waiting for an aftermarket part that replaces the lock with a simple allen key.

 

[urastus]

No, it will be glued in so that you have to get one of their "Experts" to swap it for you. For a fee.

And for twice the price if it is out of warranty

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Battery troubles with your iPhone aren’t very common, but they do happen.Often, it’s just a case of a faulty battery that’s either causing charging issues or simply draining power too quickly. In any case, where does this leave the iPhone user?Can the batteries be replaced? Of course, they can...

www.techjunkie.com

 

[GrandPaBrogan]

Giant lock mech is 350g - I just found the post:

No for me... and especially more so now knowing how much they weigh.

Hmmm, might be a nice machining project to make one up with just a simple latch... but maybe keep a faux key hole in place. Gotta give the vandals a worthwhile twirling challenge.