My question: at what temp should I skip riding in and take the truck? You know me, I'll ride at negative 5 fahrenheit, but that---thankfully--is dang rare here. Still, we do get a few single digit mornings every winter. does Brammo want testing data, or would they prefer I pretend to be sane and take a heated, enclosed vehicle instead?
Gavin
If it were me, I would make the decision to ride IF:
1. I knew I could keep the SOC above 30% over the full day of riding.
2. I knew I had options to charge when the bike is sitting and not being ridden, which keeps the heaters active AND benefits #1.
3. I knew I had alternative routes to riding on a busy freeway I could take if the SOC does get low or one of my charging options does not work.
4. I was crazy enough to ride in below freezing temperatures!
If it was not possible to charge, I would leave the bike on in Park mode as 00049 does for 30 mins - 1 hour prior to riding. The heaters consume 300 W, so over an hour, that's 300 Watt-hours, which is roughly 3% of the pack's total capacity. If they reach the target temperature, they'll also shut off and stop drawing current. A small price to pay for warm batts.
Last piece of advice... Make sure you've got the right gear for the ride. A cold rider often makes mistakes. Also consider some all-weather tires if you're going to be riding in cold or wet weather a lot. IMO - The factory-fitted Avons are great when it's warm and conditions are optimal, but very dicey when things get cold and wet...
