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Messages - jimk1963

#1
RadRover / Re: Day One - Rad Rover 6 Plus Step-thru's
September 15, 2021, 08:34:27 PM
Quote from: Mori55 on August 31, 2021, 05:43:16 AM
I'm glad your happy with it , I was worried at first since I have one on order.
   It would be nice if there is a hidden menu to up the speed a little.
   How was your battery life ?

Battery life seems excellent.
#2
RadRover / Re: Day One - Rad Rover 6 Plus Step-thru's
August 30, 2021, 08:27:02 PM
Son John, a two-year, two Rad bike owner, came down for a visit and we took out the two RR6+'s. Wanted the opinion of someone more experienced with these bikes to opine on power. His conclusion: power is substantial, at least as good and seemingly better than his bikes (Rad Wagon, Rad City), as well as other e-bikes he's ridden. He noted that (a) the RR is very heavy (74 lbs) and (b) the 4" fat tires generate a lot of friction. Considering those factors, the bike does very well up hills. He also noted how "smooth" the motor is and how enjoyable the overall ride is. I've also been riding for the past two weeks, amd have learned to better align my gearing with the uphill climbs and to be more patient with the motor in general. After a few 30-45 minute rides I'm much more satisfied now that I can take the bike anywhere. I am still disappointed in the lack of Class 3 conversion, as I'm finding that coming out of a steep downhill run the bike wants to pull back if I start pedaling while doing more than 20 MPH. Just a little higher would be so much better. Lastly, I spoke with Rad techs, no one would budge from the party line - no info on a hidden menu. "Look online for the information in forums."
#3
RadRover / Re: Day One - Rad Rover 6 Plus Step-thru's
August 23, 2021, 07:54:56 PM
Haven't spoken with tech support yet, life gets in the way. When I have something I'll share it here.
#4
RadRover / Re: Day One - Rad Rover 6 Plus Step-thru's
August 22, 2021, 06:01:35 PM
Mori, I tested both throttle-only and pedal assist. My only comparison is a BlackRock e-bike rented in Maui as described earlier. Have ridden my son's Rad City but only in flattish areas soon real hill climbing experience. With the BlackRocks, even if we tried throttle-only to test the power, those bikes climbed significantly better than this RR 6+.

I took it out for another spin today, after a minor mod to the front disc brakes which were rubbing on the inside. On moderate hills, say 5-7%, I'm pedaling in 2nd gear at PA5 and hitting about 8 MPH or so with the motor pegged at 750W. If I step up to 3rd gear, the PA is already maxed out so it becomes a traditional workout to climb.

In speaking with my son, who's been riding e-bikes for 2+ yrs, he thinks what I'm reporting is about "normal" for Rad bikes (he has two), but not encouraged with the hill climbing observations. Once more experienced riders begin to chime in, perhaps they can identify subtleties I'm missing. All I know is I've ridden a few e-bikes, this one feels meh with regards to uphill power.
#5
General Chat / Re: RadRover 6 Plus!
August 22, 2021, 10:54:08 AM
Quote from: JimInPT on August 22, 2021, 10:35:59 AM
Quote from: jimk1963 on August 21, 2021, 02:30:34 PM
In San Diego, just picked up two RadRover 6 Plus Step-thru, charcoal.

So after getting it home, I can confirm that pressing Headlight + Down button, or HL + Up button, or Down + Up button, or Pwr + either Down or Up buttons, doesn't open any hidden menu. Crap. So either Rad did lock down the power or there's yet another hidden menu somewhere, just waiting for someone to figure it out and post it.

You may be the first normal, non-reviewer, owner in the wild and it would be a great public service if you'd (start a seperate thread, maybe?) post your impressions and even a review as you get some miles on it to educate us.  In particular, I'd like to know what it's like living with two displays instead of one.

Thanks!

Hi Jim, I posted a Day One impressions thread, will update it as I do more riding. The two displays are just fine, my only complaint there is that the handlebar is too crowded, for example where am I going to mount a mirror... much less other items.
#6
RadRover / Re: RadRover 6 Plus
August 21, 2021, 06:01:30 PM
Quote from: bikemoto on August 04, 2021, 10:54:03 AM
I have a RadRover 5. I did the Bolton upgrade on the controller, Bafang motor and hydraulic brake calipers. The controller comes with a 35A controller and upgraded color display. The motor, rated at 750w had more torque for hills.

Has anyone seen the new RadRover 6 Plus?  The $2000 bike seems to be configured with similar specs as the Bolton upgrades. The other difference is the integrated fitting battery.

Picked up 2 RR 6+ Step-thru's today at the Imperial Beach store (San Diego). They had two assembled charcoal bikes on the showroom floor and more boxed units in the back. These are "sneak preview" bikes that for whatever reason, no one at RPB (sales or tech support) even knew were in the store. Frustrating lack of communication.

Anyway, posted a Day One thread, I was really disappointed in the power, especially up hills. And it appears they completely eliminated the ability to bump up the power using a hidden menu. So far, not impressed at all.
#7
RadRover / Re: RadRover 6 Plus Shipments?
August 21, 2021, 05:32:13 PM
If you're anywhere near San Diego, the Imperial Beach store has these in stock now for their grand opening. Purchased two charcoal step-thru's today. Just posted a Day-One review on another thread.
#8
RadRover / Day One - Rad Rover 6 Plus Step-thru's
August 21, 2021, 05:30:53 PM
Imperial Beach store (San Diego) had their "grand opening" today, even though they've been open for a month or more. Received an email yesterday that they had RR 6+ Step-thru's in stock, huh? After failing to get clarity from Tech Support or the actual store (no one answers the phone), drove down this morning and sure enough, they had both assembled and boxed bikes ready to go. Purchased 2 charcoal bikes and have had them for a few hours now. First impressions:

1) Appears RPB disabled the hidden menu speed option (>20 MPH). Tried Headlight + Down button, HL + Up button, Down + Up button, Pwr + Down/Up, Pwr+HL, none opened any hidden menu. Crap. So either Rad did lock down the power or there's yet another hidden menu somewhere, just waiting for someone to figure it out and post it.

2) I'm 220 lbs, and took the bike on a 7 mile ride with 7% hills. Very disappointed in the power. With throttle only, slows down to 5 MPH, barely enough to keep from tipping over. The new motor is supposed to "kill it" up the hills, I have no idea what they're talking about. This thing is a dog. We were just on vacation in Hawaii, where we rented BlackRock e-bikes for a day. Those bikes took us up similar hills, with a lot more wind in our faces, much faster than this RR 6 Plus.

3) Watching reviews of this bike, the reviewers are climbing 10%+ grade hills at 8-12 MPH. Granted, those guys are skinny compared to my 220lb frame, but still... I can't help but wonder if these "early" bikes we just bought have controllers that aren't fully tuned yet.

4) Other than than the terrible power, everything else about the bikes is really nice. Disc brakes have great stopping power, very comfy ride, a little noisy with the fat tires but I'll go for more quiet ones after we wear these out.

Next, plan to contact the showroom and discuss, and/or tech support by phone. Only concern with TS is like I said, they don't even know the bikes are being sold yet so it may be hard to get anything other than the party line out of them. If someone can't address the power issue, I'll likely return at least one of these. My wife is half my size and less of a daredevil so the bike may be just fine for her.
#9
In San Diego, just picked up two RadRover 6 Plus Step-thru, charcoal. Initially, ordered from the website -  Sept 30 estimated ship date. Yesterday, received an email from RPB that they had bikes in stock in SD. Called tech support to confirm - they also said no bikes prior to Sept 30. Next, tried the Imperial Beach store directly. No one answers the phone there, just goes straight to VM which no one responds to if you leave a message. So I just drove down there this morning to see for myself. And there they were, two fully assembled RasRovers and I was told they had boxed versions as well, my choice.I alerted sales staff that their tech support doesn't even know these bikes are in stock at the store, they just shrugged and said "corporate communications isn't the best". Ugh.

I'll post some initial findings today, definitely a mixed bag.
#10
General Chat / Re: RadRover 6 Plus!
August 21, 2021, 02:30:34 PM
In San Diego, just picked up two RadRover 6 Plus Step-thru, charcoal. Ordering from the website - says they ship Sept 30. Call tech support - they also say Sept 30. I alerted sales staff that no one knows these bikes are in stock at the store, they just shrugged and said "corporate communications isn't the best". No one answers the phone at the SD location either, nor returns voicemail, so I just drove down there to see for myself. And there they were, two fully assembled RasRovers and I was told they had boxed versions as well, my choice.

So after getting it home, I can confirm that pressing Headlight + Down button, or HL + Up button, or Down + Up button, or Pwr + either Down or Up buttons, doesn't open any hidden menu. Crap. So either Rad did lock down the power or there's yet another hidden menu somewhere, just waiting for someone to figure it out and post it.
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