Copyright 2002, Nova Cruz Products, Inc. All rights reserved.
Revision of July 25, 2002
Nova Cruz and Voloci are trademarks of Nova Cruz Products, Inc.
Your motorbike is equipped with a state-of-charge indicator made up of five LEDs
mounted just below your handlebars on the motorbike frame. The number of LEDs
illuminated is approximately proportional to the remaining energy in the batteries
(see battery monitor section for details). When only the one
red
LED is illuminated
you should have 2-3 miles (3-5 km) of range left and should recharge your batteries
as soon as possible.
Note that you can restore a few miles/kilometers worth of energy in 15-30 minutes of
charge time, should you actually fully deplete your batteries while away from your
normal charging station. (Of course, you need to bring your charger with you to take
advantage of this rapid recharging feature.)
The figure below illustrates how speed and rider weight influence range. Note that
your range will be greatest at low speeds, while your range is lowest at the top speed
of the motorbike. Also note that this range is for the single battery pack. Double the
range if you are carrying a double battery pack.
Voloci Range
10
15
20
25
30
35
5
10
15
20
25
30
Speed (mph)
Range (miles)
60 kg 132 lb
75 kg 165 lb
90 kg 198 lb
Again, the factors that most influence motorbike range are the
weight
of the rider
(heavier riders require more energy to move a given distance than lighter riders), the
speed
at which you ride (the faster you ride, the more energy you use for a given
distance traveled), and the
terrain
over which you ride (traveling over hilly terrain
requires much more energy than traveling over flat terrain).
Economy/Performance Mode
Your motorbike is equipped with a switch that allows you to select “economy” or
“performance” mode. The essential difference between these modes is the amount of
electrical current that the controller will allow to be delivered to the motor. In
economy mode, the current is limited to about 60 percent of the system capability.
This will diminish the acceleration, hill climbing, and top speed of the motorbike, but
will also limit the rate at which energy is drawn from the batteries.
Using the motorbike in performance mode does not automatically mean you will
achieve less range. A disciplined rider with a good feel for the machine can limit the
power demanded from the batteries when climbing hills, accelerating from a stop, or
when cruising at top speed. However, when in performance mode, these limits are not
applied automatically.
The switch for economy and performance mode is located on the left-hand side of the
handlebar and is labeled as shown below.
Batteries and Charging
Your motorbike contains a removable Nickel Metal Hydride (NiMH) battery pack.
WARNING
:
the batteries on your motorbike contain a tremendous
amount of energy when charged. Shorting the contacts of the batteries
can result in sparks and the flow of high current. Use caution when
transporting and storing the batteries to avoid touching the electrical
contacts with metal, liquids, or other conductive materials.
Charging
Fully charging a single NiMH battery pack takes about 3 hours. Your battery charger
is a “smart charger” and performs a pre-programmed cycle on each charge. You will
not damage your batteries by leaving them plugged into the charger for a day or two.
However, if you expect to leave your motorbike idle for more than a day, you should
disconnect the charger.
NiMH battery packs are immune to any so-called memory effect. You should
recharge your batteries at every convenient opportunity and not wait until the
batteries are fully depleted before recharging. In fact, you will get the maximum life
from your batteries if you recharge them after every use.
All batteries including NiMH get warm when rapidly discharged. When the NiMH
batteries are warm, they may not charge immediately. This is because your smart
charger senses battery temperature and does not charge the batteries until they have
cooled down. If you ride your Voloci hard for more than 5 to 10 miles, there is a
chance that you will have to wait until the battery cools down before it can be
charged. NiMH battery chargers monitor battery temperature to measure level of
charge so the charger will not charge the battery if it is warm. If this occurs just plug
the charger in and the charger will flash yellow while it waits for the battery to cool
