This can’t be right...... can it ?

[Sapientiea]

Which Basil battery cover did you get? Can you post some pictures of how you set it up?

Hi I have got the Basil Integrated battery cover (Basil Integrated Battery Cover Universal - Integrated Battery Cover - Black)
Redoing the kitchen at the moment so no time to snap pics this weekend. Will do a.s.a.p.

The velcro part will be wrapping around the top part of the downtube where the battery is. Since the shockmount is in the way of closing the velcro completely you just cut out the part so it fits around. Super easy

 

[E_S_Blofeld]

Just thought I'd post an update. Took the bike to the YT Mill the other week once they opened again. The team were very helpful, and I had the bike back the same day. They checked the bike over and plugged it in to look at software/battery condition etc. They've updated the firmware, and also noticed the previous owner had fitted a Burgtec 34T chainring instead of the factory fitted Shimano 36T. They, therefore, changed settings to factor in the smaller chainring. Apparently, the smaller chainring will drain the battery because the motor will be delivering power incorrectly. The plan now is to see if things improve in terms of range. Did a quick ride on the weekend. 15 miles around the same terrain/loop as the rides I listed above (594m gain 3 degrees temp). Arrived home with 50% battery which would indicate a total range of circa 30 miles (an improvement over the rides I mentioned above) Ideally this week I'll try and do exactly the same route as one of the rides above and see how it compares.​

 

[E_S_Blofeld]

Also never heard a word back from YT in Germany after emailing them weeks ago. Hopeless.

Good job YT Mill UK are on the ball.

 

[E_S_Blofeld]

So now the weather is better I went out on a ride with a friend who's also got a YT Decoy to see how the two bikes performed on the same route, same day, same conditions, same 100% battery at start. She is considerably lighter than me, but aside from weight there was no other differences.

The ride was a gentle pace 18.16 mile loop with 389m elevation gain over a mixture of majority dried paths with a small amount of light sand trails.
Weather: Sunny and 21 degrees C
Both rode in Eco for 90% of the ride.
Results below:
My remaining range at the end of the ride = 27 miles (range at start stand 65 miles).
Her remaining range at the end of the ride = 55 miles (range at start stand 65 miles).

Thoughts appreciated. Given circumstances were the same (bar weight) does it seem right to half that much of a difference between remaining battery / range at the end of the ride. Can weight really make that much of a difference or is there something wrong with my battery / motor? Many thanks.

 

[#lazy]

Try the same ride on her bike then you’ll know if it’s your bike or you !

 

[E_S_Blofeld]

Thanks. Yes, that was going to men next plan. Also considered borrowing her battery (both YT) and see how it gets on over the same ride. May help tell me if it's the battery or the motor/bike that's the issue.

 

[Mikerb]

Other factors include tyres and tyre pressures, and cadence.

 

[E_S_Blofeld]

Other factors include tyres and tyre pressures, and cadence.

Thanks yes, agreed. Correct we will have ridden at a different cadence and no doubt tyre pressure too, but overall it was a pretty good test to see what the battery use was on my bike compared to another YT. Although not an exact test it still gives an indication on the difference in battery use over the same ride on the same day. It does seem a large difference in the amount of battery remaining at the enmd of the ride for the same bikes on the same ride, do you agree or not?

 

[Mikerb]

Maybe try some different riding tactics on your next ride. Personally I rarely use ECO..........flat tarmac ( which I avoid like the plague!) would be a bout the only time I would use that mode; offroad I always use trail and boost when needed. My experience of battery consumption is that momentum is king and it is more difficult to maintain momentum offroad in ECO so you are always asking for power. I focus on having little resistance on the cranks using high cadence and lower gears to achieve that, so that whilst Trail mode has the potential to call for more watts most of the time it is not having to work hard. The relative noise from the motor is a giveaway. My range is affected quite considerably when I use lower tyre pressures ( 18f/20r psi) compared to when I choose to go harder ( 24f/26r) and even what I wear makes a difference......light armour compared to a full set.....especially on harder going terrain. When I use 2.3 Eliminator tyres my range is better than when I use my 2.4 Michelin Wild Enduro tyres.
Every motor has different characteristics. The above is my experience of the Brose in the Levo. On my Bosch CX powered bike it responds best with an even higher average cadence than the Brose motor. On that bike I virtually only ever use the EMTB mode.

 

[E_S_Blofeld]

Thanks for all of that Mikerb, appreciated it. I'll try riding in Trail more and see how that impacts things. Worth a go. Tyre wise I'm riding the standard spec OEM Maxis Minion DHF 2.3" at around 28psi.

Rode today for 30km and arrived home with 25%. One thing I have noticed is the temperature makes a huge difference to the battery. But overall still a bit disappointed with the range I've been achieving.