What does Bluetooth do?

[PolarBear123]

Hello everyone,

I've bought a Yamaha eBike, the Cross Core version. It's great, but I'm curious about what one of its features does. It has several Bluetooth profiles. How do I connect to this bike over Bluetooth? Then, which app should I use? And what do the profiles mean?

Thank you very much!

 

[StmbtDave]

I’m also waiting for an answer. I asked my dealer and he said it’s for diagnostics. I call BS. They can use the USB port for diagnostics. I get the impression that it will pair with a cardio or tracking app but I can’t find one with the Yamaha name.

 

[StmbtDave]

There is nothing in my worthless manual regarding the Bluetooth function. Here’s a shot of the page regarding Bluetooth. A totally blank page...

 

[StmbtDave]

Your Google Foo must be better than mine. The only results I get are for tuner apps to remove the 20 mph limit.

 

[Catbiscuits]

Google, yamaha bicycle bluetooth app, Shazam.

I can’t find any Yamaha bicycle Bluetooth apps either, and the only app named Shazam is for identifying music.

 

[Catbiscuits]

Oy vey, you took me literally. Shazam, as in what a magician chants while waving his magic wand. Mea culpa!

Third hit by Google, Yamaha eBike app

Yamaha Powerdrive

E-Bike Tuning

www.ebiketuning.com

That’s a collection of tuning apps. We are still looking for info on what the Bluetooth on the bike does.

 

[Catbiscuits]

Ok, all those really unhelpful posts aside, I did figure it out. My manual (which is otherwise garbage, filled with ludicrous mentions of a front derailleur even though the cover has Wabash emblazoned in it) does not have a blank page, rather it mentions CSCP and CPP as being available and those obscure terms were translated as

Bluetooth can be set to CSCP (Cycling Speed and Cadence Profile) or CPP (Cycling Power Profile) for use with an app like Strava

At http://www.bikeroar.com/articles/yamaha-wabash-gravel-adventure-e-bike-launch-and-first-ride-review

Now what the difference is between the two, I haven’t figured out yet. If I have a chance tomorrow I’ll play with strava to see what sensors it detects. If you use Strava, please use the ebike setting, not the bike setting as that is unfair competition to acoustic bike riders and gives ebikes a bad name.

 

[Catbiscuits]

Sorry if I wasn’t clear, but I figured it out. Had assumed my crappy manual was as crappy as the other one, but it actually contained some info amidst the awfulness that led to success. See above.

 

[PolarBear123]

Hey thanks, you've really helped me!

 

[StmbtDave]

Thanks Cat. It certainly had me stumped and I had given up. Although I don't use Strava now, I may in the future. Whether it's worthwhile to transfer the data, that's another question.

 

[Catbiscuits]

I tried it with Strava today. I set Bluetooth to CPP (Cycling Power Profile). Although Strava didn’t say it “saw” the sensor and there was no indication on the main e-bike activity screen, when I stopped the ride it appears that my power was recorded. Not a reason to buy the bike but a nice touch, even if cryptic.

 

[PolarBear123]

I tried it with Strava today. I set Bluetooth to CPP (Cycling Power Profile). Although Strava didn’t say it “saw” the sensor and there was no indication on the main e-bike activity screen, when I stopped the ride it appears that my power was recorded. Not a reason to buy the bike but a nice touch, even if cryptic.

Sounds good. Which phone do you use, and have you changed any settings on the bike? Because I can't find the bike on my Bluetooth devices lists in Settings (iOS 12, iPhone 5s). Any way to make the bike discoverable?
Thanks!

 

[Johnny]

I tried it with Strava today. I set Bluetooth to CPP (Cycling Power Profile). Although Strava didn’t say it “saw” the sensor and there was no indication on the main e-bike activity screen, when I stopped the ride it appears that my power was recorded. Not a reason to buy the bike but a nice touch, even if cryptic.

Do you mind elaborating on this a little more? The bluetooth can be paired with the phone but there is no app or anything. So if we set the bluetooth to cpp, pair it with the phone does Strava simply record the power?

 

[Catbiscuits]

Sorry to have missed this. I’ll have to investigate.

 

[tomjasz]

That’s a collection of tuning apps. We are still looking for info on what the Bluetooth on the bike does.

BT is just a communication technology/protocol. Tuning the motor is possible using the apps in my posted link.
What else do you need?

Many of the apps, use BT to communicate and optimize settings.

 

[Catbiscuits]

BT is just a communication technology/protocol. Tuning the motor is possible using the apps in my posted link.
What else do you need?

Many of the apps, use BT to communicate and optimize settings.

As far as I can tell, that's only if you have modules to alter the speed. We were talking about bluetooth for the bike, not bluetooth for some third party item.

 

[Catbiscuits]

Do you mind elaborating on this a little more? The bluetooth can be paired with the phone but there is no app or anything. So if we set the bluetooth to cpp, pair it with the phone does Strava simply record the power?

Well! I haven't gone for a long bike ride using Strava on my e-bike in a while and lo and behold, Strava discontinued the ability to pair sensors with the app back in October. WTH? Why on earth do they think that is a good idea.

Strava App Sensor Pairing Is Now Dead: My Last Workout Taking Out The Trash

As of today, the Strava app will no longer allow you to pair to sensors like heart rate straps or cycling cadence sensors. Instead, Strava is now actively recommending you download other apps instead of using Strava’s own app. Well,

www.dcrainmaker.com

 

[tomjasz]

BLE (Bluetooth low energy technology)
Switches the profiles and turns off the wireless func- tion.

I don't see where this is so hard to sort. From an emotion Yamaha link.

https://winora-group.com/manuals/2018/13_YAMAHA%20-%20PW-X/System-Betriebsanleitung%20Yamaha%20PW-X%20LCD%202017_en_web.pdf

"
7 BLE (Bluetooth low energy technology)
You can set the profile to use the wireless function with Bluetooth low energy technology, or you can select not to use the wireless function.
When “CSCP” is selected, the Cycling Speed and Ca- dence Profile will be available.
When “CPP” is selected, the Cycling Power Profile will be available.
When “OFF” is selected, the wireless function will be inac- tive.
TIP
• Set the profile according to the wireless communication equipment that communicates via Bluetooth low energy technology.

• For the output power level of each profile, see “SPECI- FICATIONS”.
• Even if the power is turned off, the setting will be kept. When the power is turned on the next time, the last used setting will be selected.

1. Select “CSCP”, “CPP”, or “OFF” by using the assist mode switches (up & down).
2. When you press the function select switch at the de- sired item display, the setting will be kept and the main riding display will be shown.

To main riding display


Selection of “CSCP”, “CPP”, or “OFF”
[L] [L][M]
[L][M] [M]

 

[christob]

No Yamaha here, but I'll chime in that my (rear hub motor) bike's current controller (sent by the manufacturer last year to replace the original which died) can be configured & tuned via Bluetooth connectivity through a dedicated developers app. (The old controller, it seems, didn't have Bluetooth capabilities.) This isn't a feature the bike manufacture hints about in their sales materials at all, as far as I can tell -- I suspect they see it solely as one of their in-shop tools used during the initial assembly/build process, and not something they intended to ever be an end-user-accessible "tuning" app -- Having used the app now once, it is VERY easy to imagine seriously messing up key settings and introducing the potential for damage if you didn't know precisely what you were doing!

But the Level 1 Assist setting that was preconfigured by them, had been increased on this new one... Apparently after determining their customers generally wanted a bit more assist from Level 1 than my prior controller's configuration recipe provided. The new Level 1 felt like old Level 2 + a fraction. It was just WAY too much assist for me at Level 1 -- I had grown accustomed to riding almost exclusively in Level 1 to get more exercise out of my rides, and to go longer between charges by using less assist. They agreed to help me reset the configuration back to the "original" specs for all 5 Assist Levels, reverting to the percentage-output levels of my old controller. The Bluetooth connectivity enabled me to do that from home. I suspect for a controller without Bluetooth, I'd have had to send the controller back to the shop for them to retune it for me? Dunno...

That retuning took place after they directed me to the appropriate, obscure app to install on my phone, sent me a User ID & password to log in (into what exactly, I'm not really sure) -- at which point I could "see" my bike's controller in that app, connect to it in real time/live update mode, view an overwhelming number of data elements in a baffling number of nested menus, etc., and make the precise necessary Assist Level Power Output Percentage changes (with guidance from the bike crew on how to read and interpret just those things in the app -- it was not at all user-intuitive to me, and I'm grateful they walked me through it!)

 

[Ebiker01]

Next Level of the tech. is the Purpletooth connection.
In secret testing for now.