Are you using a hub motor with a throttle on it? When you're riding, do you mostly pedal or do you rely more on the throttle to give you a boost? I also want to know is the controller built right into the motor?
Past tense, I no longer have this motor, but it was really a mix. On flat terrain, I rode without any power, but while climbing, I had a trigger throttle that provided variable assist/ However, it was a low power motor, so there were not many increments to the amount of assist! I would say that it was like having three levels-- almost nothing, something, and maximum for that motor, only there were no click stops or detents in the trigger-style thumb throttle. A little pressure would give you a little power, add a tiny bit more, nothing happens, add a little more, you have medium assist, keep adding pressure, and eventually it will provide max assist.
The controller was located in the housing for the battery, which fit into the water bottle screws. I know this because the controller failed and was replaced under warranty, and that was the part they sent me.
It's an odd kind of assistance compared to mid drive. You can go about 17-18 MPH with no pedaling at all, but... when does the motor actually stop helping you when you are pedaling? I could never determine that-- if you think about it, the answer is ephemeral. If I was going 25 MPH with max assist, did it feel like I was giving less effort than I would have been without a motor? Yes, it did, but who knows?
I'd have to dig up my oldest posts to figure out what the range was. I think 12 miles was typical with lots of steep hills, sometimes I did better than that, but sometimes I'd do worse. Once, I was just on flat terrain going around the reservoir, and the battery died at 10 or 11 miles. I think there was more wind that day than I realized. There was a lot I liked about the kit, but range anxiety was severe.
It did seem crazy that I could go up just about any hill-- I'd say over 15% for sure, probably more than that-- in granny gear, though it took a lot of effort, and I did have to lean forward to avoid the front wheel spinning in the most extreme situations. And again, sometimes the two-wheel drive was amazing for handling.
This gets into the issue of mid-drive torque vs. hub drive torque. I will tell you that it was easier to pedal than my 40nm 46-pound FS mid-drive emtb, but far, far less versatile. At one point, when I tested it, I figured out that putting in maximum effort, I could climb about 5-8% faster on the hub drive, but my overall times were far quicker on the mid-drive. A lot of this didn't have that much to do with the motor, it was that the emtb is way more stable going downhill, and as a result, I would descend much, much faster, with 39 MPH being not unusual and max speeds in the low 40s. Max was 43 MPH; the 40 lb hub drive, with only stem and seat post suspension, would have been terrifying at the speed. The emtb felt like a motorcycle, just glued to the road.
Here is my review of the kit:
IMPORTANT UPDATE: As of 12/18/22, less than two years after purchase, this kit has failed twice, and I can no long recommend it. Please see updates at the bottom of this review. I may provide a third update if Clean Republic addresses the problems adequately, but I now have a bad feeling at...
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