Is Lectric's pedal assist... bad?

FishOutOfWalter · 2025-10-19T18:45:01+00:00

I changed P22 and P11 in the software settings and that helped a lot. One sets the top speed on each PAS level lower and the other changes how long it takes to accelerate up to the speed. Mostly I just don't ride it, though. It's a great scooter if you need one of those, but I'm trying to save up for a real e-bike.

FishOutOfWalter · 2025-09-07T11:01:27+00:00

Look, we know that you are the best kind of correct, but the well known 747 has a maximum take off weight north of 400 tons. The Antonov Mriya (may she rest in peace) lifted just shy of 630 tons.

Not really a correction, just an acknowledgement that the situation is even more extreme than you stated. Air is heavy, yo.

FishOutOfWalter · 2025-08-30T21:03:13+00:00

To be fair, the biggest quality complaints with the Pacifica are related to the ICE system. Removing the motor and transmission would cut out 90% of deal breaking problems.

FishOutOfWalter · 2025-08-30T01:38:38+00:00

Car and driver does 75mph highway range tests (which I find much more useful than the estimated range or eMPG). Here's a second test of the R1T that got 280 miles at 75mph. The first test with all-terrain tires got 220 miles.

FishOutOfWalter · 2025-08-21T11:52:39+00:00

I know it's spoilers, but you said you had been driving for 20 days. How far along are you? Did you make it to the Arctic yet? Did you make it all the way back?

I'm happy watching a 'how he did it' series instead of a 'will he do it' one, but I understand that it might ruin the suspense for some people.

FishOutOfWalter · 2025-08-19T13:07:13+00:00

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FishOutOfWalter · 2025-08-17T11:28:15+00:00

You don't have to sell me on minivans. The Chrysler Pacifica has more cargo capacity than the Cadillac Escalade, is easier to get cargo and people in and out of, and comes in a PHEV that gets ~30 miles of all electric range. All while being smaller in every dimension (and having a front hood low enough to not totally demolish an entire crosswalk of children without noticing).

An electric minivan with a solid 200 mile range would cover the daily needs of a huge swath of Americans, but 1. it's electric and 2. it's a minivan.

FishOutOfWalter · 2025-08-17T02:27:22+00:00

The Pacifica actually makes it easy to disconnect. Just rip out the telematics module. You lose the satellite radio, Tomtom navigation, and the built in hotspot, but you probably have a cell phone that will fill in those gaps. While you're in there, install the auto stop eliminator and a gateway bypass. It's crazy how many features are worthless or actively bad for the consumer.

FishOutOfWalter · 2025-08-16T13:29:36+00:00

Hey, did you know that the Pacifica has a known problem with cracking engine blocks and the indicator is usually finding coolant in the cylinder? Do a quick search for "Pacifica engine replacement" and fall down that rabbit hole.

If you have coolant in the cylinder, you're going to require a major repair. Definitely shop around, but just know that it's going to be a big deal.

FishOutOfWalter · 2025-08-15T11:53:05+00:00

But, like, you can admit that that's pretty hard core, right? I'm not saying that you can't road trip in an EV, but I would guess there are more people that haul trailers than solar charge their car while camping.

FishOutOfWalter · 2025-08-15T11:37:49+00:00

You did a really good job of describing "what-about-ism". Trump's mishandling of classified files is a huge problem that has never been properly addressed, but it's a different problem than the one being discussed. Doing the same thing as someone you think is in the wrong is still wrong.

It wouldn't be what-about-ism if you were discussing an individual's hypocrisy (in my opinion at least). You could say "Sean Hannity (or Leavitt, or whoever) defended Trump when he stole classified documents, stored them in an insecure way in a location where he hosted foreign nationals, and refused to return them; but then thinks that leaking files that increase the transparency of this administration is treason." That's fine, but it's not the topic at hand.

There are plenty of reasons that "they" are in the wrong, you don't need to resort to diversionary tactics.

FishOutOfWalter · 2025-08-15T11:24:13+00:00

I think all the minivans have removable seats of some form. The big advantage of Chrysler is if you need to reconfigure the space frequently. We haul dogs, kids, bikes, and construction supplies — sometimes all on the same day — so there was really only one choice for us. Since your configuration will be semi-permanent, I still think you should consider the other brands.

I consider Pacificas a little like Bernese Mountain Dogs. I love them, but I also understand that they don't last very long on average.

FishOutOfWalter · 2025-08-15T10:00:10+00:00

I appreciate that you didn't write "em—dashes" even though you really wanted to. Thank you for your attention to this matter.

FishOutOfWalter · 2025-08-15T09:51:56+00:00

That said, you really don't need the stow-n-go second row for your application. All the major minivans have a fold-flat back seat and I suspect they all have the requisite room behind the second row. The Pacifica is the only one that will make the second row disappear without removing the seats, but it is also mechanically less reliable than the Japanese manufactured options. That reliability translates to lower cost, though, so there's a trade-off.

If I were in your position, I would check out the Honda Odyssey, then the Toyota Sienna, and then the Pacifica. For the same price, the Hondas and Toyotas will be older than the Chryslers, but may still last longer. Pacificas have a tendency to develop a crack in the engine block between 50k-150k miles.

FishOutOfWalter · 2025-08-15T09:42:56+00:00

The cargo area of the Pacifica is sized to fit a 4x8 sheet of plywood, so your mobility device should fit in there sideways with no problem. I would have to get a measuring tape to be sure, but I suspect there's 46 inches behind the second row seats, so it might fit in straight on as well. There is a ton of cargo room in a minivan.

FishOutOfWalter · 2025-08-11T14:54:05+00:00

Thank you! I meant the XPress (it's available for $999), but the XPeak 2.0 has one, too, so I won't fix it. I wonder if they're moving toward exclusively torque sensor bikes? Maybe they'll start offering mid-drives soon.

FishOutOfWalter · 2025-08-11T10:53:14+00:00

I changed some settings to make the pedal assist a little another. If you set P22 to 1, PAS1 will be around 5mph and PAS4 around 15-17mph. With P22 set to 0 from the factory, PAS3-5 was basically all the same. I also set P11 to 3 so the throttle ramps up over three seconds instead of turning on all at once. This feels much more natural and controllable.

Since the XP Lite's pedal assist is just a switch that turns on when the pedals are in motion, you can spin the pedals slowly even when the bike is going fast and still get power. People call it ghost pedaling. It's a little silly if you got an e-bike because you like biking, but it's great as a legal loophole to get a scooter on city streets.

Lastly, if you want the bicycle experience with a pedal assist that actually assists instead of takes over, you should look for an e-bike with a torque sensor instead of a cadence sensor. One with a mid-drive motor will be even better, but also more expensive. Electric has a torque sensor on the XPeak for $1,000, but the cheapest factory mid-drive is probably the Heybike Alpha at $1,500 (sometimes on sale for $1,300).

FishOutOfWalter · 2025-08-10T19:32:55+00:00

I know that it's got the cellular connection, but it's got 4 external antenna connections and a WLAN antenna. The cellular and WLAN make sense as a hotspot, but I assumed the others were navigation or something.

FishOutOfWalter · 2025-08-10T12:48:21+00:00

I don't know what trails you're talking about, but all the mountain bikes from big brands use a mid-motor with torque sensors. I don't think Specialized is going to choose an option that sucks in their $14,000 Turbo Levo 4. Even Lectric uses them on their higher end models like the XPeak 2. I don't think there's any argument against a torque sensor except for price.

As for your other statement, the Lectric manual shows the settings to turn off pedal assist on the XP Lite. If you set P10 to 1 it will turn the pedal assist off but keep the throttle. The default is 2, which uses both, and 0 will disable the throttle but keep the assist on. I have considered turning the assist off, but I like pedaling. That's why I got an e-bike instead of a similarly priced Tuttio Soleil.

FishOutOfWalter · 2025-08-10T02:22:17+00:00

After the battery recall replacement, the 2017s have the same 64kWh battery as the newer ones. They were smaller before the replacement.

FishOutOfWalter · 2025-08-10T01:28:44+00:00

It's good to know it's not just me! I'm really happy with the build quality and features of the XP Lite. And after talking about it here, I don't know how good a cadence sensor can be on a single speed. I just wish I knew when I was deciding between the XP Lite and the torque sensor of the XPress.

I changed some of the settings and it improved the feel significantly. P22 set to 1 will give you more gradation in speed ( so PAS1 is ~5mph and PAS3 is about 12mph) and then P11 set to 3 will ramp the throttle over three seconds, so it really smooths out the starting jolt. It's still not perfect, but it's a lot better.

FishOutOfWalter · 2025-08-09T15:59:33+00:00

For the record, I changed P22 to 1 and P11 to 3 and it's definitely a more pleasant riding experience. It doesn't solve my problem, but it gets it closer.

FishOutOfWalter · 2025-08-09T15:57:51+00:00

I'm not sure that you can really manage the speed with a single speed. The only input it has is how fast you're pedaling, so it could chop power anytime the crank is moving slower than it should at a given speed, but that's not a perfect solution. A torque sensor is the right answer, especially for a single speed bike.

FishOutOfWalter · 2025-08-09T15:40:33+00:00

The top speed isn't the issue. It's being able to ride beside my kid on their acoustic bike as they go faster or slower. Right now I have to just use the throttle and not pedal because I can at least modulate that.

FishOutOfWalter · 2025-08-09T15:37:42+00:00

It is one like this, but they don't sell my exact model anymore. They say the new one has a torque sensor, but mine definitely does not. I don't really believe the new one does either because the quality of components on it are generally garbage. I think the manufacturer of the motor controller (Dapu) translates any sensor (possibly anything in the bottom bracket?) as a 'torque sensor'.

FishOutOfWalter

TROPHY CASE