New Altitude Powerplay.... overheat warning question

[brownpow]

Hi folks- Just bought an Altitude Powerplay C90, and really trying to love this bike........ but very disappointed in the motor so far. My typical daily ride has a reasonably steep and sustained climb of 2,400 vert feet to start. On my prior ebike (gen3 Levo) I could ride this loop twice, on full turbo no problem and pretty much drain the battery (5k vert). On the powerplay I'm getting motor overheat warnings quite often. I know I need a firmware update but after reading about it here, that update doesn't seem to address the engine heat, only adjusts when the warning fires. Here's what I'm finding:

(outdoor temp has been around 75F all week, and I've been diligent to keep my cadence >80 RPMs at all times):

1. The first time I had boost +1 and 100% power, and after about 2,200 sustained vertical feet of climbing i got the overheat warning.
2. Then I tried boost +2 and 75% power and got a overheat error after about 1,900 vert of sustained climbing.
3. Today I tried boost +2 100% power and got the warning at after only 1,500 sustained vert of climbing. The engine temp got to 86 degrees C (!!) and I had to let the bike cool down for 15 mins to resume normal power.

I'm astounded this motor can't handle full power for more than 1500 vert of sustained climbing. If this is correct, or by design, then this bike doesn't even come close to being competitive w/ other full power e-enduro bikes. Hoping my experience is unique and can be fixed !!

Struggling to understand the point of citing the Dyname 4.0 as most powerful emtb motor, if that power isn't usable in what I consider a daily use situation. In order to keep up w/ my friends on Levos or Bullits I need to ride at least in boost +1 and 75% or more power (I'm reasonably fit but not elite athlete fit).

Anyone else in my situation? thx!

 

[brownpow]

update: I got the firmware updated over the weekend. I took the bike out today and here's what I found:

• In Boost 0, 100% power I was able to make it up the first 2,400 vert climb w/ no warning. I checked the diagnostics and the motor temp was 77 degrees (but the new firmware won't trip the message until 80)
• The downhill took 17 minutes, I didn't check the motor temp prior to starting my next climb
• On the second climb I tripped the overheat warning at 1,700 vert, so I stepped down to 50% power to finish the climb (+400 more vert), descended and rode home w/out issue.

so my conclusion: apparently where I live, I cannot drain the battery at Boost 0 / 100% power. This is soooooooooo disapointing. I'm surprised noone else is seeing this. I ride with a crew of Levos, Bullits, and Repeaters and none of those bikes ever need to 'power down' on any part of this ride. I've reached out to Rocky Mtn but no response yet. Since I live in the PNW I'd assume that the Powerplay could handle this situation. I've gone from a RM fan to not.....

 

[Robstyle]

Yeah it's just a thing they do. I got told to turn boost level down and make sure my cadence was right.
In the end the fix was to buy a bosch bike lol.

 

[Major Clod]

I'm wondering if an alloy model would be less susceptible to overheating? I'd have to imagine the alloy frame would at least dissipate some heat away from the motor better than the carbon could?

 

[Robstyle]

I've not ridden a carbon to confirm, but the heating is very localised at the motor. There's not an effective pathway for the heat to distribute to the frame.
In short the motor gets super hot, everything around it is cool.

 

[mildbill]

I have found it to be pretty ambient-temp / ambient-conditions specific (I am in the Bay Area). I ride (Altitude A50) the same route pretty often - 1300' up, 1m45s to 2m DH, 600' up and then on to a longer DH section, always in mode 4 - on a sunny / still / dry day where the trail tread has been baking in the sun I will flip a code (no firmware update) by the top of lap 2 but only hit 76c or 77c. Throw in some fog / breeze / lower temps and it is no problem.

I think the key question is - when it goes to "limp mode" - are you then unable to keep up? I generally only notice the power cut when I look down and see that it has thrown the code. And I would say that when not coding the Dyname is decidedly faster than the homies (small sample size, lots of other variables).

Not a fanboi, but been trying to pay attention.

 

[daju]

Interesting posts--thanks
Not sure what op means by boost +2? boost 0?
I enjoy riding in "ludicrous" (boost +4?) and have never had overheating issues..---have an alloy instinct
I ride with Levos, Santa Cruz, Orbea---no one can keep up.
I have found RM support to be poor.

 

[cabbynate]

Interesting posts--thanks
Not sure what op means by boost +2? boost 0?
I enjoy riding in "ludicrous" (boost +4?) and have never had overheating issues..---have an alloy instinct
I ride with Levos, Santa Cruz, Orbea---no one can keep up.
I have found RM support to be poor.

If you have the Dyname 4 motor system you need to make a custom power mode. It will give you the option to use Boost+1,2 or no Boost. I ride in boost+2 and ludicrous mode 70% of my rides and have yet to experience a overheat warning. I don't climb much maby 1500 feet so that may be why. I have a 2022 A30 coil. I live in Southern Nevada so not riding in the 107 degrees temperatures. I'm not that die hard after I damaged my knee.