FREERIDER FR168W User manual

FR168W
USERS INSTRUCTION
MANUAL
USERS INSTRUCTION
MANUAL

23
FOREWORD
CONTENTS
Please read and follow all instrucons in this Users instrucon Manual before aempng to operate
your power chair for the rst me. If there is anything in this manual that you do not understand, or if
you require addional assistance for seng it up, contact your Authorized Freerider Agent. Please take
a note of warning, cauons and instrucons in the manual on how to use the product safely . Using
your power chair safety also depends upon your good judgment and/or common sense, as well as that
of your Provider, Carer or Health Prefessional.
Safety should read safely !
The symbols below are used throughout this owner’s manual and on the power chair to identify
warnings and important informaon. It is very important for you to read them and understand them
completely.
WARNING! Indicate a potentially hazardous condition/situation. Failure to
follow designated procedures can cause either personal injury, component damage, or
malfuncon. On the product, this icon is represented as a red symbol on a red triangle
with a red border.
MANDATORY! These actions should be performed as specified. Failure to perform
mandatory actions can cause personal injury and/or equipment damage. On the
product, this icon is represented as a white symbol on a red triangle with a red border.
PROHIBITED! These acons are prohibited. These acons should not be performed
at any me or in any circumstances. Performing a prohibited acon can cause personal
injury and/or equipment damage. On the product, this icon is represented as a red
symbol with a red circle and red slash.
1.INTRODUCTION……………………………………………..…………………….….….….….….…...3
2. RULES FOR SAFE USE…………………………………..…………………..….….….….….….…...4
3. GETTING TO KNOW YOUR POWER CHAIR….…………………………….….….….….….12
4. DISASSEMBLY AND ASSEMBLY………………………………………………......................15
5. COMFORT ADJUSTMENTS……………………………...………………………....................21
6. BATTERIES AND CHARGING………………………………………………….......................25
7. CARE AND MAINTENANCE……………………………………………………......................29
8. APPENDIX-SPECIFICATIONS………..……………………………….….............................35
Welcome to Freerider Corporaon. The power chair you have purchased combines state-of-the-art
components with safety, comfort, and styling in mind. We are condent that these design features will
make your daily acvies easier. Once you understand how to safely operate and care for your power
chair, it should give you years of trouble-free operaon and service.
Read and follow all instrucons, warnings, and notes in this manual before aempng to operate your
power chair for the rst me. You must also read all instrucons, warnings, and notes contained in
any supplemental instruconal booklets for the controller, front riggings, and/or seang system that
accompanied your power chair before inial operaon. Your safety depends upon you, as well as your
provider, caretaker, or healthcare professional, in using good judgment.
If there is any informaon in this manual which you do not understand, or if you require addional
assistance for setup or operaon, please contact your Authorized Freerider Agent. Failure to follow the
instrucons in this manual and those located on your power chair can lead to personal injury and/or
damage to the power chair, and may void the warranty.
PURCHASER’S AGREEMENT
By accepting delivery of this product, you promise that you will not change, alter, or modify this
product or remove or render inoperable or unsafe any guards, shields, or other safety features of this
product; fail, refuse, or neglect to install any retrot kits from me to me provided by Freerider to
enhance or preserve the safe use of this product.
SHIPPING AND DELIVERY
Before using your power chair, make sure your delivery is complete as some components may be
individually packaged. If you do not receive a complete delivery, please contact your Authorized
Freerider Agent immediately. Where damage has occurred during transport, either to the packaging or
content, please contact the delivery company responsible.
INFORMATION EXCHANGE
We want to hear your quesons, comments, and suggesons about this manual. We would also like to
hear about the safety and reliability of your new power chair, and about the service you received from
your Authorized Freerider Agent.
INTRODUCTION

45
RULES FOR SAFE USE WEIGHT LIMITATIONS
Your power chair is rated for a maximum weight capacity. Please refer to the specicaons table for
this limit. Keep in mind that the maximum weight capacity includes the combined weight of the user
and any accessories mounted to the power chair.
MANDATORY! Stay within the specied weight capacity of your power chair. Exceeding the
weight capacity voids your warranty. Freerider will not be held responsible for injuries and/or property
damage resulng from failure to observe weight limitaons.
WARNING! Do not carry passengers on your power chair. Carrying passengers on your power
chair may aect the center of gravity, resulng in a p or a fall.
INCLINE INFORMATION
More and more buildings have ramps with specied degrees of inclinaon, designed for easy and safe
access. Some ramps may have turning switchbacks (180-degree turns) that require you to have good
cornering skills on your power chair.
1. Proceed with extreme cauon as you approach the downgrade of a ramp or other cline.
2. Take wide swings with your power chair’s front wheels around any ght corners. If you do that,
the power chair’s rear wheels will follow a wide arc, not cut the corner short, and not bump into or
get hung up on any railing corners.
3. When driving down a ramp, keep the power chair’s speed adjustment, set to the slowest speed
seng to ensure a safely controlled descent.
4. Avoid sudden stops and starts.
When climbing an incline, try to keep your power chair moving. If you must stop, start up again slowly
and then accelerate cauously. When driving down an incline, set your power chair to the slowest
speed seng and drive in the forward direcon only. If your power chair starts to move down the
incline faster than you ancipated or desired, allow it to come to a complete stop by releasing the
joysck, then push the joysck forward slightly to ensure a safely controlled descent.
WARNING! When on any sort of an incline , never place the power chair in freewheel mode
while seated on it or standing next to it.
WARNING! When climbing an incline, do not zigzag or drive at an angle up the face of the
incline. Drive your power chair straight up the incline. This greatly reduces the possibility of a p or a
fall. Always exercise extreme cauon when negoang an incline.
WARNING! You should not travel up or down a potenally hazardous incline (i.e., areas covered
with snow, ice, cut grass, or wet leaves).
WARNING! Never travel down an incline backward. Doing so may cause the power chair to tip.
Always exercise cauon when negoang an incline.
WARNING! If your power chair is equipped with a reclining seatback, do not attempt to
negoate inclines with the seat in a reclined posion. Do not aempt to negoate obstacles with the
seat in a reclined posion unless an aendant is present to help stabilize the chair. Failure to heed
could result in the power chair pping over.
RULES OF SAFE USE
MANDATORY! Do not operate your new power chair for the rst me without completely
reading and understanding this user’s instrucon manual.
Your power chair is a state-of-the-art life-enhancement device designed to increase mobility. Freerider
provides an extensive variety of products to best fit the individual needs of the power chair user.
Please be aware that the nal selecon and purchasing decision regarding the type of power chair to
be used is the responsibility of the power chair user, who is capable of making such a decision, and
his/her healthcare professional (i.e., medical doctor, physical therapist, etc.).
The contents of this manual are based on the expectaon that a mobility device expert has properly
married the power chair to the user and has assisted the prescribing healthcare professional and/or
the Authorized Freerider Agent in the instrucon process for the use of the product.
There are certain situaons, including some medical condions, where the power chair user will need
to pracce operang the power chair in the presence of a trained aendant. A trained aendant can
be dened as a family member or care professional specially trained in assisng a power chair user in
various daily living acvies.
As you begin using your power chair during daily acvies, you will probably encounter situaons in
which you will need some pracce. Simply take your me and you will soon be in full and condent
control as you maneuver through doorways, on and o of elevators, up and down ramps, and over
moderate terrain.
Below are some precautions, tips, and other safety considerations that will help you become
accustomed to operang your power chair safely.
MODIFICATIONS
Your power chair has been designed and engineered to provide maximum mobility and ulity. A wide
range of accessories is available from Freerider to further customize your power chair to beer suit
your needs and/or preferences. However, under no circumstances should you modify, add, remove, or
disable any feature, part, or funcon of your power chair.
WARNING! Do not modify your power chair in any way not authorized by Freerider. Do not use
accessories if they have not been tested or approved for Freerider products.
PRE-RIDER SAFETY CHECK
Get to know the feel of your power chair and its capabilies. Freerider recommends that you perform
a safety check before each use to make sure your power chair operates smoothly and safely.
Perform the following inspecons prior to using your power chair:
1. Check all electrical connecons. Make sure they are ght and not corroded.
2. Check all controller connecons to the power base. Make sure they are secured properly.
3. Check the brakes. See “Care and Maintenance”
4. Check baery charge. See “Baeries and Charging”
NOTE: If you discover a problem, contact your Authorized Freerider Agent for assistance.

67
WARNING! Even though your power chair is capable of climbing slopes greater than those
illustrated in figure 1, do not, under any circumstances, exceed the incline guidelines or any other
specicaons presented in this manual. Doing so could cause instability in your power chair.
Freerider recommends that the maximum slope of an incline you aempt to safely ascend or descend
on your power chair does not exceed 6°. (See gure 1).
Figure 1.Maximum Safe Slope (Ascending and Descending)
WARNING! Any aempt to climb or descend a slope steeper than 6° may put your power chair
in an unstable posion and cause it to p.
FREEWHEEL MODE
Your power chair is equipped with two manual freewheel levers to allow for manual maneuverability
by a trained aendant. For more informaon about how to place your power chair into and out of
freewheel mode, see “GETTING TO KNOW YOUR POWER CHAIR”.
WARNING! Do not use your power chair in freewheel mode without an aendant present.
WARNING! Do not aempt to personally place your power chair in freewheel mode while seated
on it. Ask an aendant for assistance if necessary.
WARNING! Do not place your power chair in freewheel mode while on an incline or decline.
This could cause the chair to roll uncontrollably on its own.
BRAKING INFORMATION
Your power chair is equipped with two powerful brake systems:
1. Regenerative — uses electricity to rapidly slow the vehicle when the joysck returns to the center/
stop posion.
2. Disc Park Brake — acvates mechanically aer regenerave braking slows the vehicle to near stop,
or when power is removed from the system for any reason.
CORNERING INFORMATION
While your power chair is equipped with front an-p wheels and rear caster wheels, excessively high
cornering speeds can sll create the possibility of pping. Factors which aect the possibility of pping
include, but are not limited to: cornering speed, steering angle (how sharply you are turning), uneven
road surfaces, inclined road surfaces, riding from an area of low tracon to an area of high tracon (such
as passing from a grassy area to a paved area — especially at high speed while turning), and abrupt
direconal changes. High cornering speeds are not recommended. If you feel that you may p over in
a corner, reduce your speed and steering angle (i.e., lessen the sharpness of the turn) to prevent your
power chair from pping.
WARNING! When cornering sharply, reduce your speed and maintain a stable center of gravity.
This greatly reduces the possibility of a p or fall.
7ʶ
PUBLIC STREETS AND ROADWAYS
Outdoor Driving Surfaces
Your power chair is designed to provide opmum stability under normal driving condions—dry, level
surfaces composed of concrete, blacktop, or asphalt. However, Freerider recognizes that there will be
mes when you will encounter other surface types. For this reason, your power chair is designed to
perform admirably on packed soil, grass, and gravel. Feel free to use your power chair safely on lawns
and in park areas.
■Avoid driving on uneven terrain and/or so surfaces.
■Avoid tall grass that can entangle the running gear.
■Avoid loosely packed gravel and sand.
■Do not use your power chair in fresh or salt water.
■Do not use your power chair at the edge of a stream, lake, or ocean.
■ If you feel unsure about a driving surface, avoid that surface.
WARNING! You should not operate your power chair on public streets and roadways. Be aware
that it may be dicult for trac to see you when you are seated on your power chair. Obey all local
pedestrian trac rules. Wait unl your path is clear of trac, and then proceed with extreme cauon.
INCLEMENT WEATHER PRECAUTIONS
Exposure of your power chair to inclement weather condions should be avoided whenever possible.
If suddenly caught up in rain, snow, severe cold or heat while operang your power chair, proceed
to shelter at the earliest opportunity. Thoroughly dry your power chair before storing, charging, or
operang your power chair.
PROHIBITED! Operang in rain, snow, salt, mist/spray condions, and on icy/slippery surfaces
can have an adverse eect on the electrical system. Maintain and store your power chair in a dry and
clean condion.
WARNING! Prolonged exposure to hot or cold conditions may affect the temperature of
upholstered and non-upholstered items on the power chair, possibly resulng in skin irritaon. Exercise
cauon when using the power chair in extremely hot or cold condions or when exposing your power
chair to direct sunlight for prolonged periods of me.
STATIONARY OBSTACLES (STEPS,CURBS, etc.)
Proceed with extreme cauon when driving near raised surfaces, unprotected ledges and/or drop-os
(curbs, porches, stairs, etc.). Be sure your power chair is traveling perpendicular to any curb you may
be required to navigate.
To navigate up over a curb or staonary obstacle:
1. Approach the curb or obstacle slowly, and make sure the power chair is traveling perpendicular
to the obstacle. (See gure 2).
2. Increase the forward speed just before the front wheels come in contact with the
3. Reduce the forward speed only aer the rear wheels have cleared the obstacle.
To navigate down a curb or staonary obstacle:
1. Approach the curb or obstacle slowly, and make sure the power chair is traveling perpendicular to
the obstacle. (See gure 2).
2. Reduce the forward speed just before the front wheels come in contact with the obstacle.
3. Increase the forward speed only aer the rear wheels have cleared the obstacle and you are once
again on a level surface.
WARNING! Even though your power chair may be capable of handling greater obstacles,
Freerider recommends that you do not aempt to negoate a curb that has a height greater than 2 in.

89
(5 cm). Doing so could cause instability in your power chair.
WARNING! Do not aempt to proceed backward down any step, curb, or other obstacle. This
may cause the power chair to p.
Figure 2.Correct acon. Figure 3.Incorrect acon.
STAIRS AND ESCALATORS
Power chairs are not designed to travel up or down stairs or escalators. Always use an elevator.
WARNING! Never use your power chair to negoate steps or escalators.
DOORS
1. Determine if the door opens toward or away from you.
2. Drive your power chair gently and slowly forward to push the door open. Or drive your power
chair gently and slowly backward to pull the door open.
ELEVATORS
Modern elevators have a door edge safety mechanism that, when pushed, reopens the elevator
door(s).
1. If you are in the doorway of an elevator when the door(s) begin to close, push on the rubber door
edge or allow the rubber door edge to contact the power chair and the door will reopen.
2. Be careful that pocketbooks, packages, or power chair accessories do not become caught in elevator
doors.
LIFT/ELEVATION PRODUCTS
If you will be transporng your power chair during travel, you may nd it necessary to use a vehicle-
mounted lift system or elevation product to aid in transportation. Freerider recommends that you
closely review the warnings, instructions, specifications, and safety information set forth by the
manufacturer of the li/elevaon product before using that product.
WARNING! Not all li systems/elevaon products are rated for use with an occupied mobility
device. Freerider recommends that you do not remain seated in your power chair when it is being
used in connecon with any type of li system/elevaon product unless:
1. That product is rated for occupied use by the manufacturer.
2. You are able to occupy your mobility device in strict conformity with the warnings, instrucons,
specicaons, and safety guidelines set forth by the manufacturer.
WARNING! Always turn o the power to the controller when you are being transferred via an
CURB
ĺıʶ
CURB
INCLINE
elevaon product. Failure to do so may result in accidental joysck contact, resulng in unintended
movement and personal injury or product damage.
MOTOR VEHICLE TRANSPORT
Freerider recommends that you do not remain seated in your power chair while traveling in a motor
vehicle. The power chair should be stowed in the trunk of a car or in the back of a truck or van with
baeries removed and properly secured. In addion, all removable power chair parts, including the
armrests, seat, front riggings, controller, and shrouds should be removed and/or properly secured
during motor vehicle transport.
WARNING! Do not sit on your power chair while it is in a moving vehicle.
WARNING! Always be sure your power chair and its baeries are properly secured when it
is being transported. Baeries should be secured in an upright posion and protecve caps should
be installed on the battery terminals. Batteries should not be transported with any flammable or
combusble items.
POSITIONING BELTS
Your Authorized Freerider Agent, therapist(s), and other healthcare professionals are responsible for
determining your requirement for a posioning belt in order to operate your power chair safely.
WARNING! If you require a posioning belt to safely operate your power chair, make sure it is
fastened securely in order to reduce the possibility of a fall from the power chair.
WARNING! The posioning belt is not designed for use as a seat belt in a motor vehicle. Nor
is your power chair suitable for use as a seat in any vehicle. Anyone traveling in a vehicle should be
properly belted into seats approved by the vehicle manufacturer.
BATTERIES
In addition to following the warnings below, be sure to comply with all other battery handling
information. For more information about your power chair’s batteries, see “BATTERIES AND
CHARGING”.
MANDATORY! Battery posts, terminals, and related accessories contain lead and lead
compounds. Wear goggles and gloves when handling baeries and wash hands aer handling.
WARNING! Power chair baeries are heavy. See specicaons table. If you are unable to li
that much weight, be sure to get help. Use proper lifting techniques and avoid lifting beyond your
capacity.
WARNING! Always protect the batteries from freezing and never charge a frozen battery.
Charging a frozen baery may result in damage to the baery.
WARNING! Connect the battery harnesses in the proper manner. RED (+) cables must be
connected to posive (+) baery terminals/posts. BLACK (-) cables must be connected to negave (-)
baery terminals/posts. Protecve caps should be installed over all baery terminals. Replace cables
immediately if damaged.