Riding Efficiently - Stealth bomber Owner's Manual

STEALTH ELECTRIC BIKES 2013 OWNER'S MANUAL

RIDING EFFICIENTLY

Both the Stealth Bomber and Stealth Fighter have the versatility to take you to places that you might not usually go. Being a
hybrid, Stealth owners have a lot of flexibility in how they manage their power consumption for any given ride through
different combinations of the pedals and the throttle. On long distance rides, getting home while there's still a little charge
in the battery is important.
Following a handful of basic guidelines will help you improve your efficiency, extend your range significantly and make the
most of your battery charge cycle.
Interpretation of the display, riding technique, throttle and braking control, stop/starts, terrain and top speed are all factors
that can almost double your range if done properly.
Your display is the most important tool when it comes to maximising efficiency. On the bottom left hand corner of the
main screen is your instantaneous Watt reading. The general idea is to keep the Watts as low as possible at all times. By
twisting the throttle, you should be able to see the Watts climb and then drop away in synch with the level of acceleration
that you feel. By making small adjustments to the throttle position, you should be able to see the Watts fluctuate.
Pedal more.... Even if only in short bursts. Choose a gear that is in synch with the speed of the bike and stand on those
pedals. Not only will you accelerate faster, you'll reduce the load on the electrical system and get the workout that you
need.
As most of us know, good technique not only helps us go faster, but also use less energy ... especially in the dirt. Our
extensive testing has shown that two riders of equal ability, on the same model of bike, on the same trail, traveling at the
same speeds can differ in their power consumption by up to 10%, based purely on how they ride. Just like a mountain bike,
the secret to using as little energy as possible is to keep it smooth and keep it flowing. Use the brakes and throttle less,
carry your speed and let gravity do as much of the work as possible. (There is limitless material on the web about riding
techniques and body position etc.) Make good use of the gears and get some pedal strokes in at every opportunity. Short
bursts of high intensity pedalling when accelerating out of a corner or climbing hills can make a significant difference.
Throttle control is vital in improving efficiency. As a basic rule of thumb, the more that you twist the throttle, the more
power you will use. This theory can be backed up by simply watching the display as you change the throttle position. By
suddenly twisting the throttle, power consumption will temporarily spike and over the duration of a long ride, a heavy right
hand will shorten your ride time. Gently rolling the throttle on avoids huge power draw and can represent that few extra
per cent that you need to get you home. When climbing a hill, backing off the throttle slightly can make a huge difference in
to your Watts reading while only making an incremental change to your speed. By adding some pedal strokes in the correct
gear, you should see the Watts drop even further.
A lot of energy is wasted during braking. Judging your speed and approaching corners correctly will help to minimise the
reliance on the hydraulic brakes and allow you to maintain speed out of a corner. This translates to less throttle and less
wasted power as you exit the corner.
Regen braking is your battery's best friend. Wherever possible, regen should be used. Using the regen on long downhills
and for slowing down in general will recover some of the bikes kinetic energy and feed it back in to your battery. In a
normal hydraulic braking system this kinetic energy is dissipated as heat via friction and leads to premature wear of your
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