the battery of my first Vectrix lived 2 years and close to 16'000km before it died. My dealer would have replaced the battery for free, but he also offered a good trade-in price for bike, if I ordered the new Vectix Li+. That was a no-brainer. Last week I got my brand new Vectrix! Basically the same bike, but with a LiFe battery and a BMS to take good care of it. Range has increased quite a bit, I usually get around 100km before I have to plug it in again (no freeway). Vectrix lives!
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Welcome to the forum!
Most interesting to get a first hand report like this, please keep it up!
This information may be used entirely at your own risk.
There is always a way if there is no other way!
First vectrix LI+ owner here!
congrats!
Please, keep us posted about how the li performs!
Hi, congratulations for your new Vectrix.
I'm also waiting for a new Li+ in Spain!!!!
I will update you!
I was just wondering the other day if anyone had the Li version yet. Great to hear from you. It will also be great to hear your comparisons between the old and the new. Is the weight difference noticeable? Is it "easier to charge"? (i.e. no need to follow a "drain the pack" regimen etc.)
Happy riding!
John H. Founder of Current Motor Company - opinions on this site belong to me; not to my employer
Remember: " 'lectric for local. diesel for distance" - JTH, Amp Bros || "No Gas.
60 mile/100km range would be dream come true! So your making me real happy, If you don't mind me asking what did you get for the old vectrix on the trade in?
Congratulations on the upgrade! I would like to know what the range is at an average speed of 50 miles per hour!(about 85 Kph)-How long does it take a discharged battery to charge? Are there any user selectable charging options? What were the financial details of the purchase/upgrade, price vs trade-in, etc?--Thanks, Bob Curry.
Robert M. Curry
hi guys
here some answers: RANGE: compared to my old NiMH Vectrix (when it was new), the Li+ seems to give me about 70% more range. I usually drive a mix of city (50kmh) and country roads (80kmh) and the battery is empty after about 100km. On a testdrive, when I hardly ever drove more than 60kmh, I got 121.9km. The dealer recommended to completely empty the battery the first 5 times. The Li+ measures each individual cell and when the battery warning light comes on, you also see the lowest and highest cell voltage on the display. CHARGING: due to the higher capacity of the battery, it takes slightly longer. Interesting new info is the lowest/highest cell voltage. PRICE: everything is more expensive here in Switzerland. With the trade-in my dealer gave me, the old Vectrix had cost me about the same per km as the 250cc Honda scooter I used to drive. I hope the LI+ will prove to be even more economical. I'll know after a few years...
Just installed the optional mainstand. It's not cheap and it adds weight. But even though my old Vectrix never fell from it's sidestand, it sits so much better on the mainstand. Sometimes I have to park it on a slight incline or on grass.
Charly,
Congratulations with the new bike!
Sorry for the hassle but it would be great if you could answer a few more questions:-)
Thanks (I am sure more questions will follow, as you are the first known LI+ owner!)
Once you go EV, Gas is history!
hi kingcharles
glad to answer questions: 1) YES, the noise level is down quite a bit! There are still fans, but the sound is different and quieter. 2-3) it's been several months since I rode a NiMH Vectrix, performance and handling seem to be pretty much the same. 4) I usually get the battery warning light when trying to accelerate beyond 60kmh on a empty battery. The max speed will go down a bit, 60 or less, especially when going uphill. The dealer told me, that when the LiFe battery is empty and the volts drop, I should better be close to home or somewhere I can plug in to recharge. I havn't tried to prove him wrong. 5) I calculate cost per km for my vehicles, meaning I add up ALL the costs: price I bought the vehicle for minus what I got when I sold it, interest, gas or electricity bills, maintenance, repairs, insurance, tax, rent for parking, etc, etc ... everything. Divided by km driven.
Congratulations!
Are you planning on posting some pictures? Video?
I'm jealous... but soon I will have Li-ion too!
Now I just need a "Li+" decal to put on my bike ;-)
whose lithium battery ? how much AH each cell ?
sorry, I have no other info than what is published. Don't plan to have a look into the battery compartment (yet). Official data is 42Ah, 5.4kWh.
Hey Charly,
How goes the Li+? Stop riding for a minute and post some pictures! ;-)
Well this is nice to hear. Did a Lithium upgrade for the existing bikes ever happen? I've been gone for a while.
Doh!!! Never mind, just found the thread.
Congratulations, please keep us posted.
I'm also interested to know if you have to do any battery management or is it simply plug and play like it should be. Do you have to run the battery down to a full discharge every so many miles or anything like that? Also, are they damaged by the heat as much as the NIMH batteries were? Can you ride the bike down to empty then immediately begin the full charge or is there a recommended waiting period?
I really like my NIMH Vectrix, but managing the battery is a bit painful sometimes.
Thanks for the information.
JJ
had the Li+ now for a month and a half and clocked 1500km. Vectrix gave me the "same old" manual. Hardly any info on battery management. As mentioned before, the dealer recommended to do 5 "deep cycles" initially. So I drove till the battery warning light came on before recharging. This gave me an average range of 110km, but I drove quite slow.
I usually recharge the battery only when it's less than half full, mostly when it's down to a couple of bars on the right display. Sometimes it takes me a week to get there. I do observe the info displayed, use common sense, but the bike is supposed to be "idiot proof", plug and play. I had no problems or error messages so far.
Yesterday I did a testrun, checking how far I would get at 100kmh. I did 51km at this speed and another 30km averaging 60kmh to get home again. The right display still showed one bar at the end, the "est. range" was 6km or so. But driving on the freeway for more than 10km is the exception for me.
A picture was requested, the Li+ looks just the same as any other Vectrix (except for the small sticker).
87km of range with over half the trip at 100kmh. Awseome. Vectrix you might just sell me my second Vectrix.
Hi Charly
You are no longer alone in Switzerland with your Vectrix LI+.
Yesterday I got mine, and I like it (only 50 km until today).
I will also report my experience.
Greetings from Switzerland, Thomas