the mountains who drives with nothing but full throttle can drop the bike power to 65% in
as little as 10 km. Full power consumes energy at a horrific rate, no matter what the
source of the energy is- gasoline, diesel, or electric.
STRONG ACCELERATION REDUCES THE RANGE
EXTRA LOAD REDUCES THE RANGE
HILLY TERRAIN REDUCES THE RANGE
NON STEADY THROTTLE REDUCES THE RANGE
Additionally, on those bikes that have the three power setting switch, you have very
direct control of your range by how you “shift” the motor. Failing to take advantage of
this power reduction feature is the equivalent to driving your car around stuck in low
gear.
The ranges listed for our bikes in our specifications are based on flat land running at
near steady throttle at the speeds listed with one rider of 165 lbs., no extra cargo.
When you first purchase your ZEV, drive conservatively until you get a better feel of the
range in your driving environment.
Your ZEV will give warning signs of reduced available energy.
First
– Pay attention to the power gauge on the right side of your instrument
panel. When the needle reaches or drops below the top single line and into the
broad bar area, you are approaching “empty”. Note – that the reading of this
gauge is done when the bike is accelerated by a throttle roll on, not when it is
coasting or driving at steady speed.
Second
– The bike will give you a physical warning. When you strongly
accelerate with a low battery you may experience the warning signal of a “cut
out” of power. What you feel is a sharp drop in power. Simply rolling the throttle
back to zero and back on will restore the power. But that sudden drop was a
warning that the battery does not have enough energy left to maintain all out
maximum power. Drive accordingly. Once you feel this cut out, you will know
you must drive more conservatively with less strong acceleration or maximum
speed.
WARNING. DO NOT RUN THE BIKE UNTIL IT DIES. WHEN YOU FEEL IT
GETTING WEAK FROM THE LOW BATTERY, GET TO A CHARGER, OR PARK IT.
IF YOU TRICK THE CONTROLLER BY PUSHING WITH YOUR FEET TO GET THE
BIKE ROLLING OR CONTINUE TO GRIND ALONG IN LOW GEAR UNTIL THE BIKE
STOPS YOU RUN THE RISK OF RUINING THE BATTERY AND THE CONTROLLER.
