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
