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Ebike: Bafang add-on behavior and user's manual?
I've got almost no experience with e-bikes, but a good (if somewhat
distant) friend had a Bafang mid-drive unit installed on her favorite bike. She's an avid and experienced cyclist. In years past she's ridden across the U.S. at least three times (and walked it twice!) and she's toured in several other countries, but she's getting older and wants to keep doing rides with friends. I believe the model she had installed is a Bafang 215. After some trial rides, she's afraid to use it, and asked me to test ride it and offer advice. Unfortunately, I had limited time to do this yesterday. But fussing with it for perhaps 20 minutes I was pretty skeptical about the thing. Obviously, it adds a lot of weight, and will probably make it impossible for her to heft it into the bed of her pickup for transport. But there seemed to be rideability problems. Most disconcerting was a tendency to suddenly surge. When coasting, if I twitched the cranks forward a bit (applying no torque) the motor would suddenly drive the bike forward. IIRC this was worst in a high assist setting, but present even at low assist. This occurred at times when I was trying to maneuver slowly, such as at low speed, snaking my way between obstacles, and was pretty disconcerting. It also seemed to delay disengaging at times, driving forward for half a second or so while I hit the brakes. Perhaps there's a setting to minimize that? The handlebar-mounted display screen has at least 20 different setting categories. But she didn't get a user's manual, and I don't find one for that model at Bafang USA or at bafang-e.com Bafang USA's chat was no help (maybe since I'm not the owner?) and bafang-e has not yet replied to an email. (BTW, she says her computer is down, and she's not the type to rush to get it fixed.) Another somewhat scary Bafang feature is a manual throttle lever. Pushing this turns it into a motorcycle - or legally, I suppose, a Type II ebike. But the acceleration is pretty startling, and could be a problem if it's done accidentally. (I bumped the lever while straddling the bike and it did a wheelstand while ramming my back with the saddle nose.) She really loves the custom touring bike on which this unit is now installed. Any experience or good advice from those here? -- - Frank Krygowski |
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