It's mid-January, and with the continuing mild weather spells and the excellent wind-blocking capabilities of the scooter body, my C124 has been used more days than not so far. Just an ordinary winter jacket, ear band below the shorty helmet, long underwear and ski gloves work fine down to 18F (-8C) for most city-speed trips. The only improvement would be a windshield that is about 4 inches taller. If I could find the proper plastic material (some kind of polycarbonate) I could make my own. So, except for a few of the coldest days, as long as there is no snow or ice on the road of forecast, I ride. The only thing to look out for are loose road-salt patches on curves.
The bugs finally seem to be all shaken out of my C124 with no mechanical or electrical problems since late October. Performance is not noticeable affected by colder weather. Acceleration seems to be as good but top speed is a bit lower - down from near 65 mph in hot weather to a bit less than 55 mph in temperatures a few degrees below freezing. Since I see no freeway use, the reduced top speed is perfectly tolerable.
So, I have just three remaining items on the "punch list":
1. I'm looking forward to the improved rider information panel.
2. I hope a bit more charging current and a more efficient charging protocol is on the way. I still have one of those chargers with the fan-runs-all-the time workarounds.
3. While the motor temperature limits have been tweaked from the over-conservative limits in the earlier bikes, temperature issues may still return with hard riding in hot weather.
John, can you give us an update on these items? Thanks.
Hi Paul,
Glad to hear that your bike is working well and still being used in this colder weather. Here's a status on your three items:
1. The basics of the secondary display are done. However, our resources are currently focused on getting our new production partners up and running - so, it's blocked at the moment.
2. We've switched to a new fanless charger with good results so far. The new charger requires a complete teardown of the rear end and welding operations on the frame. So, it's a "back to base" deal. We will need to schedule something with our test pilots (and we'll probably fit the new dash instruments at that point in time). As long as chargers are functioning this is a lower priority right now.
3. The motor temperature mostly results from inefficiency in the motor because of winding errors in the stator. We're working with our supplier on QC and we may also switch to a different winding pattern that is fundamentally more error proof - but that takes more research and more testing yet.
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.
John,
I'm pretty motivated to avoid having the scooter hauled back to Ann Arbor. Perhaps, when I am ready for the charger upgrade, CMC can send me the needed weld-on hardware and charger. I have a nearby shop that can do the welding.