Author Topic: Mileage update....  (Read 11418 times)

Gavin

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Mileage update....
« on: February 12, 2012, 11:30:12 PM »


Received the Enertia with 450 miles on it...so as of tonight I've put on 1,500 miles...yea!


For an electric commuter bike that isn't too bad...my commute is 50 miles a week and I'm riding about 150.

Gavin

FreepZ

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Re: Mileage update....
« Reply #1 on: February 13, 2012, 03:16:45 PM »
Congratulations Gavin!
Do you have any new insights after 1500 miles?
Richard #935 #595 #44

Gavin

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Re: Mileage update....
« Reply #2 on: February 13, 2012, 05:36:36 PM »
Just that I really need the Plus :)

Still has great balance. Still super easy to ride. Still has that slot car acceleration.

I will say I am looking forward to the O-chain...this chain gets loose very fast.

Seat lock could be a bit more "solid".

But more range is my main desire at this point...of course when I get the Plus I will be wanting the Enertia Super Plus ;)


Truthfully, I can't wait for the day we have 150-200 miles in range standard, 300 plus as an up grade.
Maybe in 3 or 4 years?

Gavin

protomech

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Re: Mileage update....
« Reply #3 on: February 13, 2012, 06:32:59 PM »
300+ mile at what speed, of course.

The EPA UDDS city driving test gives the Zero S ZF9 114 miles, you'd need a 21 kwh battery in the same weight to pull 300 miles. We'd need battery packs roughly twice as dense to do that. 5-8 years is probably reasonable. Note that you'd need to ride for about 10-15 hours to fully deplete a pack this size in only city riding, or approximately 1.5 hours on the freeway @ 70 mph.

300 miles at 70 mph needs around 55 kwh - about the capacity of the Tesla Roadster pack, or about 7x as dense as the current packs. This could be cut down by a factor of 2 by streamlining and changing rider ergonomics. Even so, this is a long ways off.
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Gavin

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Re: Mileage update....
« Reply #4 on: February 13, 2012, 06:41:00 PM »

But I want it nnnoooooowwwwwwww....

;)

yeah, all the good stuff will be around when I'm too old to ride.

Gavin

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Re: Mileage update....
« Reply #5 on: February 13, 2012, 06:43:50 PM »
as for timeframe...I do the "double every three years"....

Enertia 2009---40 miles...

Enertia Plus 2012---80 miles

Enertia Plus Plus 2015---160 miles.

Enertia Plus Monkey Butt 2018---320 miles.



At least that is my hope....

Heck get Li Air going and 2018 we have 1000 miles range...Enertia Iron Butt 2018.

Gavin

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Re: Mileage update....
« Reply #6 on: February 22, 2012, 10:23:24 AM »
The odometer now sits at 2150...so 1700 miles are mine all mine...

about 2 weeks and I should be at 2450, or 2000 miles by me...yeah.

Just think how fast I can get to 2000 when I get a Plus :)


Gavin

protomech

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Re: Mileage update....
« Reply #7 on: February 22, 2012, 12:30:55 PM »
How often are you finding that you have to lube the chain on the Enertia?

If the weather in NM is anything like AL, you've had a good mix of warm days and cold days recently. How much do you find that your range and battery consumption vary as the temperature changes? Have you been keeping logs (or notes) of the ranges you're seeing as you ride?
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Gavin

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Re: Mileage update....
« Reply #8 on: February 22, 2012, 07:25:37 PM »
How often are you finding that you have to lube the chain on the Enertia?

If the weather in NM is anything like AL, you've had a good mix of warm days and cold days recently. How much do you find that your range and battery consumption vary as the temperature changes? Have you been keeping logs (or notes) of the ranges you're seeing as you ride?


Good questions. Lets see if I can supply some answers without Brammo taking my ride away :)

1) Let me start by saying that when Brammo sent me the Enertia they had no strings attached. I did not need to record anything or keep track of miles and all that. Their only request, "Have some fun and enjoy the bike, and if you feel like it, please feel free to write about your experience." The only other thing was when I asked if it was ok to put lots of miles on it or did they want me to limit my riding....their reply, "Go for the record."

But I did start out keeping track of every mile I rode and what battery amount was used....for about the first month...after that I stopped as a) nobody was asking me for that information and b) it was pretty clear what to expect from the battery by that point...which leads me to...

2) One good point of this LONG TERM testing....I have done the same ride everyday for many many many days. My commute to work is 5.2 miles each way. If I leave the house with a full charge I will get to work almost every time at 85% battery remaining.

11 degrees (the coldest I've ridden the Enertia) and I get to work at 85%. 35 degrees (this morning) and I get to work at 85%. And heading home (usually in the 40s or 50s) and my usage is almost always around 16 to 18%---slightly uphill and I tend to ride a bit faster. So I would say that temp doesn't seem to be much of an influence on battery.

Two caveats. 1) I haven't done any real riding in hot temperatures. Mid 60's is about the highest I've driven in. 2) I did go home at lunch today, charged and came back to work. 65 degrees. Got to work at 87%...so a bit better...but it might be that I was driving slower or it might be that 65 degrees does give that 2% more.

Which leads into...

3) Speed. That is the real factor that changes battery consumption. On the snowy and icy morning last week I got to work with 89% battery left. It was 30 degrees but I got much better battery efficiency. How? Well I was riding about 10 mph slower than usual.

I really don't do much "city" riding....it is mostly suburban style riding...even though I live in town. The city streets I ride are mostly 35 to 40 mph. And I usually get about 32-34 miles on a full charge at those speeds. I do ride "aggressively" in that I do not like cars around me and I leave them behind at any light. I can get from 0 to 40mph SO much faster than any car during my commute. Not even close. And believe you me, with New Mexico drivers you want to be far in front of them :)

The few times I have driven our downtown area I have found that I am using the battery at a rate that should get me 40 miles range or maybe more. But 25 mph and stop and go is not my usual riding style....at all.


4) Logs. At first I did take iPhone photos of the "dash" after every ride. No more. Ask Brammofan...The battery consumption is amazingly linear during the first 60% of the battery**. On my commute I can pretty much see what street I'm at and tell you what my battery charge will be at...each and everyday it is the same. Again, no hot weather trials, but 11 degrees or 40 degrees and I hit work right at 15% usage.

5) Ok, this is where I get in trouble....Lubing the chain. I see myself as an average consumer testing the Enertia vs a true Brammo tester...and vs either a gear head or fanatic that likes to get nice and greasy and tinker with the bike. I get on the bike and ride. I get off the bike and charge. I get back on the bike and ride.

I've, sad to admit, cleaned and lubed the chain....TWICE...sorry. Once after some mud riding, once after some snow riding. The upside is that New Mexico has mostly BEAUTIFUL weather. So the chain does not seem to need as much maintenance to function well. The downside is that the chain really does stretch quite a bit and very fast if you are not oiling it up every 200 miles or so. I can't wait to try an O-Chain to see how much better it is...but I can say I did need to tighten the chain at about 1000 miles...and I am almost to the point of having to tighten it again. With better care I might not have had to, but again...I am testing like the average rider and the average rider isn't going to oil the chain every 200 miles...at least not THIS average rider :)

(and suddenly I get an email from Brammo....Gavin, give back the bike.... :( sad face)

Lastly....about that ** I put up in number 4. The battery usage is very linear...VERY...until you get to 40%...then it just wanders around a bit...It is one area I hope to see improved over time. It is hard to explain, just understand that the computer doesn't read the charge nearly as well and will give some "confusing" range numbers...I tend to remember where I was before I hit 40% and how far I should have and ignore the fast dropping range numbers...Not ideal, but you learn to live with it....

Gavin



« Last Edit: February 23, 2012, 12:16:49 AM by Gavin »

protomech

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Re: Mileage update....
« Reply #9 on: February 22, 2012, 07:38:44 PM »
Here's a little secret: I didn't lube the chain in my GS500 until a couple thousand miles into ownership.

Here's another little secret: I probably will "forget" to do that with the Empulse as well.
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Gavin

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Re: Mileage update....
« Reply #10 on: February 22, 2012, 08:19:11 PM »
Addendum...

Today was the first time I've driven both to and from work in 60 plus degrees...

10.4 miles...5.2 at 65 degrees, 5.2 at 60 degrees.

When all I do is ride to work and back, my battery is usually at 68%. Today it was 71%. So a bit of an improvement over 30 degree riding. 3% is about a mile of driving...so maybe 3-4 miles of extra riding at 65 degrees vs freezing.

I will say it was damn nice riding today...I could have driven shirtless in this weather :).

Of course nobody wants that.

Gavin
« Last Edit: February 23, 2012, 12:14:50 AM by Gavin »

Gavin

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Re: Mileage update....
« Reply #11 on: February 23, 2012, 10:33:53 AM »
OMG....46 degrees for my ride to work...lovely...I had to go back inside to remove my sweater before the commute.

14% used...so perhaps a bit extra range over 32 degrees...but could be range of error...

I can't wait to see what it will do in 80 degree weather....strike that...I really expect to have my Plus by the time we hit 80 degrees :)

Gavin

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Re: Mileage update....
« Reply #12 on: March 10, 2012, 04:25:49 PM »
Forgot to add this yesterday...

Past this number now, but had to stop on a ride home yesterday to take a photo of this milestone. :)

2450 miles...2000 are by me :)

Gavin


« Last Edit: March 10, 2012, 05:23:57 PM by Gavin »

Gavin

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Re: Mileage update....
« Reply #13 on: March 10, 2012, 07:15:35 PM »
and yes I know to many people 2000 miles isn't a lot...heck, I would put 1000 miles on my big scooter every time I took a four day weekend and visited my daughter at college in Phoenix....

But for an electric commuter bike, being driven though WINTER (light snow today)....well I think it is pretty impressive....there have been weeks at a time when I see no other motorcycle riders but me and a similarly crazy friend :)

Gavin

protomech

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Re: Mileage update....
« Reply #14 on: March 10, 2012, 07:25:40 PM »
I'm really pleased to have done 800 miles on my bike in the last 3 months : P In relatively nice weather too.. except for the tornadoes.
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