This is my Stealth Bomber

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biknut

Well-Known Member
Sep 28, 2010
6,653
475
83
Dallas
I'm no ebike expert & this is pretty basic stuff so you're prolly familiar, but I've both a basic commuter & a "busy" 21sp hybrid & it seems to me the most effective method of extending maximum range is twofold, being never exceed about 3/4 throttle & consistency - pick a speed & stick to it w/as little throttle movement as possible.

It's admittedly a safety issue so I can't actually recommend it, but I've found that setting the digital cruise control to 75-80% of my max potential speed (flat ground) on my ebike commuter and just leaving it alone works wonders, you'll not have this issue but when my speed drops to my available pedal speed range I just begin assisting to maintain - thereby reducing the maximum amp draw from my packs. I'm not as good without the CC but I'm learning to fake it pretty well w/the hybrid, I can sympathize with the busy gear thing on that'un... on the other hand it's great for maximizing efficiency in assorted conditions (hills, textured terrain, headwind, etc).

It's the "spikes" in usage that seem to hurt reserve the most, not just off the line or hills but even just for a sec to to regain from deviated cruise speed after a shift or w/e, add all those little over-corrections up over the duration of the trip and they could be a couple few miles of easy cruisin'... pretty much any time you can take the edge off throttle application & it's amp spike helps a ton, soft easy shifting & smooth cruising seems to be the way to get the farthest, not dissimilar to trying to get mileage out of a V8 w/a four barrel, don't let those secondaries open lol

Only real problem is not geeking out the ebike stuff so much I end up in the ditch :p
Thanks BA. I consider this advise very valuable. Nothing you've said disagrees with my very limited experience so far.

Since the first second, my throttle application has been very clumsy, and continues to be. It's going to take practice to become consistently smooth with the throttle. I'm still in the process of figuring out the best gear shifting technique, but it seems like there's not much point going below 7th gear. I can't shift fast enough the keep up till about 7 th. Anything below 5 th is to low for powered riding. This gearbox feels very wide ratio to me. There's a big difference from 7th to 9th.

Knowing how bad I'm riding right now, I'm pretty sure if I master your advise I can get to 45 miles per charge and above.
 

Easy Rider

Santa Cruz Scooter Works
Jan 15, 2008
2,145
7
38
Nor*Cal
Biknut, I love those tires your using. In your pictures it doesn't look like there isn't a lip on the edges and that low profile look makes the bike look like a beast! Can you do me a favor and measure how wide your tires are on the rim and also the width of your rims? I'm working on a downhill bike to put my Boxer stuff on it because the Boxer's going back to it's roots and becoming a gasser for the races.
I know you'll be getting your money's worth on your bike. I ride every Saturday starting at 5:30am with my buddy and we always do more than 40 miles... and it never gets old!
You should carry a back up battery on your rack. That way you can truely see how far a full charge can really go. Plus it beats pedaling the bike home. :bike2:
Thanks
 
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biknut

Well-Known Member
Sep 28, 2010
6,653
475
83
Dallas
Biknut, I love those tires your using. In your pictures it doesn't look like there isn't a lip on the edges and that low profile look makes the bike look like a beast! Can you do me a favor and measure how wide your tires are on the rim and also the width of your rims? I'm working on a downhill bike to put my Boxer stuff on it because the Boxer's going back to it's roots and becoming a gasser for the races.
I know you'll be getting your money's worth on your bike. I ride every Saturday starting at 5:30am with my buddy and we always do more than 40 miles... and it never gets old!
You should carry a back up battery on your rack. That way you can truely see how far a full charge can really go. Plus it beats pedaling the bike home. :bike2:
Thanks
ER, the rim is 29mm wide (inside width), and the tire is about 2.4" wide on it. The same tires on Stunner with 2" wide rims are 2.7" wide. I don't think it would be a good idea to try putting these tires on a rim that's narrower than this one.

I wish these rims were 2" wide. And BTW these tires are great tires.
 
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biknut

Well-Known Member
Sep 28, 2010
6,653
475
83
Dallas
On todays agenda, I'm going to try to run the battery down, charge it back up, and then go on a local bicycle ride tonight. I don't know what condition my butt will be in by then though lol.
 

biknut

Well-Known Member
Sep 28, 2010
6,653
475
83
Dallas
I ran the battery down to bms lock out again. It was showing 18.2 ah this time, and I got to 44.8 miles.

The first 11 miles were last night, and I was showing off for my friends part of the time so some power was wasted.

Today I was mindful about trying to employ BAs advise about throttle control, and it seemed to help. There's still a lot of room for improvement in my throttle handling. All this riding was on side streets, and there was a lot of starting and stopping.

I think that with careful throttle control right off the charger, and not as much starting and stopping, 50 mile range really is going to be possible, and 40 plus will be easy.
 

Mike B

New Member
Mar 23, 2011
2,256
7
0
Central CA
That's from biknut. Credit where credit is due - :)

That seat design is for serious biking where you are standing on the pedals and unloading your butt. It's more like a leg guide and something to center the legs rather than sit on.
 

biknut

Well-Known Member
Sep 28, 2010
6,653
475
83
Dallas
That's from biknut. Credit where credit is due - :)

That seat design is for serious biking where you are standing on the pedals and unloading your butt. It's more like a leg guide and something to center the legs rather than sit on.
I just called REI, and they said my seat won't be there till Thursday. I'm going to have to tie a pillow on my seat till then.

If I don't like the new seat, at least it only cost $23.
 

fasteddy

Well-Known Member
Feb 13, 2009
7,470
4,954
113
British Columbia Canada
When I first saw your bike I looked at the seat and thought to myself that the makers had to be joking when they used that seat but it did look good on the bike. Being a gentleman on the plus sized side of life the seat is the first thing I look at on a bike.

I hope the new seat works out better.

Steve.
 

Easy Rider

Santa Cruz Scooter Works
Jan 15, 2008
2,145
7
38
Nor*Cal
ER, the rim is 29mm wide (inside width), and the tire is about 2.4" wide on it. The same tires on Stunner with 2" wide rims are 2.7" wide. I don't think it would be a good idea to try putting these tires on a rim that's narrower than this one.

I wish these rims were 2" wide. And BTW these tires are great tires.
The rims I'm using are 2.5" wide. I wanted to make sure the openings were wide enough.
 

paul

Well-Known Member
Dec 23, 2007
5,547
44
48
67
Kalamazoo, MI
best way i have found to get the most out of your battery is assist it starting and up hills. pedaling assisting on flat ground or downhills does very little so save your energy for the hills and starts. i have done some experimenting, i have no gauges to tell me amp usage however with over 6,000 miles on the bike i really don't need them.
on battery breaking in i am not to sure however i usually charge a couple times a day minimum 5 days a week and have been over a year now. my battery gets the same millage and speeds it did when i first started. the lifepo4 battery's are expensive but worth every penny
one last thing is you got the motorized bicycle to have fun, i know how to get the most out of my batteries however unless i am planning a long ride i don't worry about it and get out and have fun. that's what motorized bicycles are all about
 

2door

Moderator
Staff member
Sep 15, 2008
16,302
175
63
Littleton, Colorado
That offer still stands for me building a seat for that bike, Biknut. I guarantee it will be comfy. 3" of motorcycle foam and you can ride until the battery dies and not suffer butt fatigue.


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:)

Tom