Stealth Electric Bikes Owner’s Manual
17
RIDING EFFICIENTLY
Both the Stealth Bomber and Stealth Fighter have the versatility to take you to places that you might not usually go.
Being a hybrid, Stealth owners have a lot of flexibility in how they manage their power consumption for any given ride
through different combinations of the pedals and the throttle. On long distance rides, getting home while there’s still a
little charge in the battery is important.
Following a handful of basic guidelines will help you improve your efficiency, extend your range significantly and
make the most of your battery charge cycle.
Interpretation of the display, riding technique, throttle and braking control, stop/starts, terrain and top speed are all
factors that can almost double your range if done properly.
Your display is the most important tool when it comes to maximising efficiency
. On the bottom left hand corner
of the main screen is your instantaneous Watt reading. The general idea is to keep the Watts as low as possible at all
times. By twisting the throttle, you should be able to see the Watts climb and then drop away in synch with the level of
acceleration that you feel. By making small adjustments to the throttle position, you should be able to see the Watts
fluctuate.
Pedal more…. Even if only in short bursts
. Choose a gear that is in synch with the speed of the bike and stand on
those pedals. Not only will you accelerate faster, you’ll reduce the load on the electrical system and get the workout
that you need.
As most of us know, good technique not only helps us go faster, but also use less energy … especially in the
dirt
. Our extensive testing has shown that two riders of equal ability, on the same model of bike, on the same trail,
traveling at the same speeds can differ in their power consumption by up to 10%, based purely on how they ride. Just
like a mountain bike, the secret to using as little energy as possible is to keep it smooth and keep it flowing. Use the
brakes and throttle less, carry your speed and let gravity do as much of the work as possible. (There is limitless
material on the web about riding techniques and body position etc.) Make good use of the gears and get some pedal
strokes in at every opportunity. Short bursts of high intensity pedalling when accelerating out of a corner or climbing
hills can make a significant difference.
Throttle control is vital in improving efficiency
. As a basic rule of thumb, the more that you twist the throttle, the
more power you will use. This theory can be backed up by simply watching the display as you change the throttle
position. By suddenly twisting the throttle, power consumption will temporarily spike and over the duration of a long
ride, a heavy right hand will shorten your ride time. Gently rolling the throttle on avoids huge power draw and can
represent that few extra per cent that you need to get you home. When climbing a hill, backing off the throttle slightly
can make a huge difference in to your Watts reading while only making an incremental change to your speed. By
adding some pedal strokes in the correct gear, you should see the Watts drop even further.
A lot of energy is wasted during braking. Judging your speed and approaching corners correctly will help to minimise
the reliance on the hydraulic brakes and allow you to maintain speed out of a corner. This translates to less throttle
and less wasted power as you exit the corner.
Regen braking is your battery’s best friend
. Wherever possible, regen should be used. Using the regen on long
downhills and for slowing down in general will recover some of the bikes kinetic energy and feed it back in to your
