Saratoga Dave
Well-Known Member
That Explore really is a great looking bike. Like that shroud over the crank... really good color on the bike too.
Giant 2020 ebikes?
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Browneye
Well-Known Member
I've had that rear rack for a number of years, was on two previous bikes. Only that top-bag goes on it, it's not used for panniers or cargo. It's plenty sturdy, but surely if I was going to put more than ten pounds or so on it I would get one with proper supports back to the axle points. It's pretty slick though, innocuous, out of the way, and has a splash guard in it. I want to add a taillight.
I do like the color much better than the 2020 black. I would have accepted it if that's all they had, but as soon as I saw the '19 photo at the dealer, and he said it was the last one and it had to ship from New York, but he'd give me a killer out the door price, I said SOLD.
I didn't think I wanted to spend that much money on a bike, but now riding it and looking at what else is out there, I might have chosen differently. Overall very happy with it though.
Our last trip out we covered about 25 miles, which is double what we normally do - we're old
- but I was ready for more and had 60% battery capacity left.And the smartphone app is really cool, like it a lot. I've got it figured out and configured to where it is easy to use and works really well. You do need to have some kind of power source for your phone though as it's a power and resource hog. I've added a small charge-brick in that rear bag and a lightening cable up to the phone mount. A little macgyver'd but it works really well. The ROAM phone mount is really nice - cheap to, they're like $15 or something.
I really didn't think I would like the saddle but it's surprisingly comfortable. The 2020 versions seems a little more extreme, more like a mtb seat.
I got to try my first 'dropper seat' while testing riding emtb's - pretty cool, I had never heard of those. Great for getting to 'attack-stance' on a mountain bike.
Mtl_Biker
Active Member
You made me laugh with your "we're old" comment. I'm old too!I've had that rear rack for a number of years, was on two previous bikes. Only that top-bag goes on it, it's not used for panniers or cargo. It's plenty sturdy, but surely if I was going to put more than ten pounds or so on it I would get one with proper supports back to the axle points. It's pretty slick though, innocuous, out of the way, and has a splash guard in it. I want to add a taillight.
I do like the color much better than the 2020 black. I would have accepted it if that's all they had, but as soon as I saw the '19 photo at the dealer, and he said it was the last one and it had to ship from New York, but he'd give me a killer out the door price, I said SOLD.
I didn't think I wanted to spend that much money on a bike, but now riding it and looking at what else is out there, I might have chosen differently. Overall very happy with it though.
Our last trip out we covered about 25 miles, which is double what we normally do - we're old
And the smartphone app is really cool, like it a lot. I've got it figured out and configured to where it is easy to use and works really well. You do need to have some kind of power source for your phone though as it's a power and resource hog. I've added a small charge-brick in that rear bag and a lightening cable up to the phone mount. A little macgyver'd but it works really well. The ROAM phone mount is really nice - cheap to, they're like $15 or something.
I really didn't think I would like the saddle but it's surprisingly comfortable. The 2020 versions seems a little more extreme, more like a mtb seat.
I got to try my first 'dropper seat' while testing riding emtb's - pretty cool, I had never heard of those. Great for getting to 'attack-stance' on a mountain bike.
Funny that you had your bike shipped across country for you... I did the same to get my 2019 Explore E+1 GTS... it was the last one in all of Canada and I had it shipped from Edmonton to me in Montreal. Cost a small fortune, but I got the bike I wanted. And I didn't get any price break either... but luckily Edmonton has no Provincial sales tax so the 9.5% Quebec tax I saved covered the shipping. So pretty much the same as if I'd bought it locally. And my local Giant dealer (dedicated Giant dealer) is happy to support me and he knows I would have bought from him if it had been possible.
I've got a Kinekt suspension seat post on mine and I love it.
Happy riding! (You lucky guy being in California... here in Montreal it's snowing at the moment.)
U mind refreshing My Memory : What is it they do to make these faster ?Not from the factory.
When the warranty is up...then all bets are off.
Mtl_Biker
Active Member
There are gadgets you can buy that bypass the standard speed limitation of these bikes. Some of them are external and fool the bike's computer into thinking you're going slower than you really are, but these also cause the bike's speedometer and odometer to give wrong readings. Other gadgets plug into the bike's electronics, also bypassing the speed limit. And they keep the speedometer and odometer values accurate.
Search SpeedBox2 and BikeSpeed RS for example.
Browneye
Well-Known Member
EDIT: Ah, MtlBiker beat me to it, but here's a more detailed explanation.
There are a number of different ways to unlock the yamaha mid-drive. As built they are limited to about 19mph, I think it's 25kph.
There is a speed sensor either on the chain stay with a spoke magnet, or now I'm told some of the newest yamaha bikes have a sensor in the rear hub - anyway it is a speed limiter - the motor shuts off assist past that speed to meet Class2 ebike limits. For Europe it's even lower, like 20kph I think, or 15mph. 19 is bad enough - pretty easy to hit, 15 is just ridiculous.
Anyway, all of the ways to modify it involve tricking the motor controller into think you're not going as fast as you really are. So it can be modifying the sensor it'self, covering it with a 'badassbox' or speedbox - a device that mounts over the sensor, which sends a signal every other magnet pass - so it thinks you're going half as fast. The problem with this is that your displays also rely on this speed sensor for data so now it's in half. Or utilizing a re-programming of the controller of sorts.
Some of the more sophisticated hacks plug into the sensor input for the motor controller, and while it also tricks the speed, it maintains the data output for the display so it stays correct. A popular one is the BikeSpeedRS out of Germany - it plugs into the sensor input on the motor and 'reprograms' your controller - unlocks speed limit and keeps your display settings.
A really simple way to trick it is to remove the sensor and mount it on the other side of the chain stay and put the/a magnet on the crank arm. This serves the same purpose of tricking it for your speed since your crank doesn't spin as fast as your wheel. I tried one of these with this hack and whoa, the thing is a rocket - you can pedal it to 30mph. There is no speed limit then - so as fast as you can pedal it, the motor will just keep assisting faster and faster. I call this the crank-sensor hack. And it really works!
Of course all these mods void your warranty as the motor and drivetrain weren't really designed for unlimited assist. And it burns battery like nobody's business. It's like uncorking your car with a ECU reprogram or a 'chip' as they call it. I know, my Chevy Colorado with a 4cyl has been chipped and it goes like a scared rabbit! I also chipped my Duramax I had and that thing would eat those import tuner-cars for breakfast. LOL
The speed sensor is required for the system to work, so you can't just remove or disable it - it will shut down your controller and motor if it looks for the speed sensor and gets no signal.
Here's a thread on discussion of this that might interest you: https://electricbikereview.com/forums/threads/class-1-vs-3.30378/
I decided I like my readout being correct, I don't need to ride that fast, and especially the wife doesn't ride that fast so there's not much point for me either. But oh boy, they are fast. I kept braking for corners and when I got back from my short test the brake rotors were so hot they would burn your fingers. It was then I thought, 'gee, this is silly, and I would lose my warranty', so I kept mine stock. And besides the sensor is attached with a center-pin security torx so you need a special tool to remove it. As with all motor-mods it obviously voids any factory warranty. It's also illegal in some countries or locales since it's no longer complying with ebike assist classifications or motor vehicle laws.
Some of the members here regularly ride at low to mid-twenties so a C3 bike suits them. For California, bike path regulations where C1 and 2 are legal C3 is not, so you're either breaking the rules or not riding the trails. Right now there isn't much enforcement if at all, but surely if someone runs over a pedestrian at 25mph there will be. And surely someone will ruin it for everybody else - that's why we have rules and laws in the first place, right?
There are a number of different ways to unlock the yamaha mid-drive. As built they are limited to about 19mph, I think it's 25kph.
There is a speed sensor either on the chain stay with a spoke magnet, or now I'm told some of the newest yamaha bikes have a sensor in the rear hub - anyway it is a speed limiter - the motor shuts off assist past that speed to meet Class2 ebike limits. For Europe it's even lower, like 20kph I think, or 15mph. 19 is bad enough - pretty easy to hit, 15 is just ridiculous.
Anyway, all of the ways to modify it involve tricking the motor controller into think you're not going as fast as you really are. So it can be modifying the sensor it'self, covering it with a 'badassbox' or speedbox - a device that mounts over the sensor, which sends a signal every other magnet pass - so it thinks you're going half as fast. The problem with this is that your displays also rely on this speed sensor for data so now it's in half. Or utilizing a re-programming of the controller of sorts.
Some of the more sophisticated hacks plug into the sensor input for the motor controller, and while it also tricks the speed, it maintains the data output for the display so it stays correct. A popular one is the BikeSpeedRS out of Germany - it plugs into the sensor input on the motor and 'reprograms' your controller - unlocks speed limit and keeps your display settings.
A really simple way to trick it is to remove the sensor and mount it on the other side of the chain stay and put the/a magnet on the crank arm. This serves the same purpose of tricking it for your speed since your crank doesn't spin as fast as your wheel. I tried one of these with this hack and whoa, the thing is a rocket - you can pedal it to 30mph. There is no speed limit then - so as fast as you can pedal it, the motor will just keep assisting faster and faster. I call this the crank-sensor hack. And it really works!
Of course all these mods void your warranty as the motor and drivetrain weren't really designed for unlimited assist. And it burns battery like nobody's business. It's like uncorking your car with a ECU reprogram or a 'chip' as they call it. I know, my Chevy Colorado with a 4cyl has been chipped and it goes like a scared rabbit! I also chipped my Duramax I had and that thing would eat those import tuner-cars for breakfast. LOL
The speed sensor is required for the system to work, so you can't just remove or disable it - it will shut down your controller and motor if it looks for the speed sensor and gets no signal.
Here's a thread on discussion of this that might interest you: https://electricbikereview.com/forums/threads/class-1-vs-3.30378/
I decided I like my readout being correct, I don't need to ride that fast, and especially the wife doesn't ride that fast so there's not much point for me either. But oh boy, they are fast. I kept braking for corners and when I got back from my short test the brake rotors were so hot they would burn your fingers. It was then I thought, 'gee, this is silly, and I would lose my warranty', so I kept mine stock. And besides the sensor is attached with a center-pin security torx so you need a special tool to remove it. As with all motor-mods it obviously voids any factory warranty. It's also illegal in some countries or locales since it's no longer complying with ebike assist classifications or motor vehicle laws.
Some of the members here regularly ride at low to mid-twenties so a C3 bike suits them. For California, bike path regulations where C1 and 2 are legal C3 is not, so you're either breaking the rules or not riding the trails. Right now there isn't much enforcement if at all, but surely if someone runs over a pedestrian at 25mph there will be. And surely someone will ruin it for everybody else - that's why we have rules and laws in the first place, right?
Last edited:
steve mercier
Well-Known Member
I would suggest that it is already ruined for everybody else especially those Euro Ebikers who are limited to 25 kmh. They cannot even keep pace with acoustic cyclists.
It's like Bump Stock Regulations : You can do the same thing with a rubber band : Govt is trying to pass a bill now that would limit the legal number of times you're allowed to pull the Trigger ?? LOL They are idiots
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