Trike Ride Normally This "Lurchy"?

[RicoWarner24]

Hi there -

New trike owner and love it but wondering if it is operating normally. Maybe just me not knowing how eBikes work...?

What I expected: choose level from 1-5 and get smooth additional power to supplement my pedaling, up to the speed cutoff for that level's max speed. Then, after cutoff, additional speed just from my pedaling.

What I have: no perceived additional support to my pedaling, regardless of level chosen. ...Unless I nearly turn throttle all the way...then, after about 3sec delay it lurches in and starts accelerating me toward 14mph.

When I let off the throttle even a tiny bit, it totally cuts out and it starts me coasting back down to the speed of me fully powering the bike with my pedaling.

So, I *can* use the bike, but it is not a smooth ride. It is lurchy that way with me going back and forth between fully pedal-powered and lurching toward 14mph for a short stretch, only to coast back down.

Is this normal performance, or how to fix it? The bike shop who assembled it has issues, and so I don't feel comfortable going back to it.

Thanks in advance for any troubleshooting info, if needed.

[John Rose]

14 Miles per hour is top speed for the RadTrike, right?

It's just a long shot, but maybe your right brake handle is misadjusted and activating the motor cutoff switch without you actually touching the brake handle. Twisting the throttle all the way up might be jostling (opening) that cutoff switch somehow, allowing the controller to send full power to the motor.

Just a wild-ass guess.

For trouble-shooting it would help if your trike had a meter that indicates the power consumption in Watts, but I don't think it does.

[RicoWarner24]

Hmmm. Well seeming impossible to determine if this is the normal rider experience or a problem. Surprised no one responded. Have tried calling, but no one in technical support has actually used the product, apparently.

If this is normal operation, it needs another generation of refinement.

Hi there -

New trike owner and love it but wondering if it is operating normally. Maybe just me not knowing how eBikes work...?

What I expected: choose level from 1-5 and get smooth additional power to supplement my pedaling, up to the speed cutoff for that level's max speed. Then, after cutoff, additional speed just from my pedaling.

What I have: no perceived additional support to my pedaling, regardless of level chosen. ...Unless I nearly turn throttle all the way...then, after about 3sec delay it lurches in and starts accelerating me toward 14mph.

When I let off the throttle even a tiny bit, it totally cuts out and it starts me coasting back down to the speed of me fully powering the bike with my pedaling.

So, I *can* use the bike, but it is not a smooth ride. It is lurchy that way with me going back and forth between fully pedal-powered and lurching toward 14mph for a short stretch, only to coast back down.

Is this normal performance, or how to fix it? The bike shop who assembled it has issues, and so I don't feel comfortable going back to it.

Thanks in advance for any troubleshooting info, if needed.

[DickB]

It's not normal. You should contact Rad support for troubleshooting, as the problem could be due to any number of things.

[John Rose]

Hmmm. Well seeming impossible to determine if this is the normal rider experience or a problem. Surprised no one responded.

What? Am I invisible? - https://www.radowners.com/index.php?topic=10056.msg25897#msg25897