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[Crissa]

So after five thousand miles, I have gotten into a groove with some features.  And one I've been using more is the Mode button.  When I first started riding, I mostly used Eco.  Then I started using Custom, changing the braking and throttle power to my needs with weather and skill.  But the mode button was kinda... Not helping?

It only works with the throttle slack for two seconds, so it's a little laggy.  But... There are times this is useful.  See, it always goes through the modes in the same cycle.

		Eco	Custom	Sport
Throttle	Power	Low	Middle	High
Throttle	Regen	High	Low	Middle
Brake	Regen	Middle	High	Low

Then I realized that how I had been riding... Could make this useful.  See, while going down a long hill, I could flick through them - since I wasn't using throttle - and slip through three levels of throttle regen.  Not just three levels of throttle power!  Same for braking, if I were to encounter different surfaces like when I go over the hill, suddenly I go from sunny to foggy, or dry to snow.

Anyhow, being able to flick through them low-middle-high is kinda cool and useful.

-Crissa

[victor6.7y]

Wow, This is a really smart way!

I had the same experiance. I did not know what to do with my custom mode.
Maybe use it as a cruise control thingy but due to the 2 sec rest I found it dangarous.

[JaimeC]

Yeah, I ignore "Sport Mode" entirely and just toggle between "Eco" and "Custom."  My "Custom" is full throttle (capped at 80 mph to reduce any potential speeding penalty) and full regen.  I stay in "Custom" mode most of the time unless I'm hitting the highway.

On the highway I switch to "Eco" to act as a "Poor Man's Cruise Control."  Despite our local roads having a 55mph speed limit, the fact of the matter is unless you are doing 70 you are likely to get run off the road.  Once I'm in "Eco" I get over into the HOV lane as quickly as I can and just hold the throttle open until I reach my exit.  Once off the highway it's one flick of the mode button back into "Custom."  I prefer my custom settings over Eco mode on surface street as I can accelerate more quickly from stop lights and stop signs, and accelerate more quickly into openings in traffic.  I rarely exceed 55 mph on surface streets but I do like having the extra speed capacity in reserve if needed.

I don't get why "Sport" mode even exists in the state it is currently programmed.  I don't understand why you WOULDN'T want full regen available at any time.  Zero's "100% regen" is NOTHING like what I experienced on the BMW eScooter.  Putting that thing in "full regen" was like slamming on the rear brake.  Zero's full regen is NOTHING like that.  And if you need to coast, you just don't roll the throttle off completely to the stop.  "Regen" only kicks in when you do that.  If you don't roll it to the stop, regen never kicks in.

I don't know if that holds true for the Gen3 bikes (SR/F and SR/S) but it is certainly true for the Gen2 bikes like my 2018 S model.

[DonTom]

I don't understand why you WOULDN'T want full regen available at any time.  Zero's "100% regen" is NOTHING like what I experienced on the BMW eScooter.  Putting that thing in "full regen" was like slamming on the rear brake. 

All the mode switch does is to provide limits. So may as well use custom mode with EVERYTHING set to max and then adjust the throttle to get what you want.

But . . .

I like to be able to just fully reduce the throttle or pedal (my Tesla) and get the coasting that I usually want.  I now keep my Tesla in the "mild" REGEN mode and I like it MUCH better than trying to use the pedal to accomplish the same. I find the same on my bikes, but I do realize all this  can also be done at the throttle with everything at max,  but it is not the same feel, IMO, as you have to adjust just right, instead of just letting go of the throttle completely.

-Don-  Auburn, CA

[Crissa]

Sport mode is designed exactly like you'd want maximum control in braking, to act like a sport bike for trail breaking.

If you have high regen on braking, trail braking is less effective and accurate. 

I know why it exists.  Although I rarely use it, that higher throttle regen is handy going down hills or maneuvering on the freeway in traffic.  It's also satisfying to me to have a mode that has just a little more power ^-^

High regen can also lock the rear wheel much more easily, and it creates less smooth braking.  This is especially noticeable on hills.  Having less regen on the throttle give you a smoother transition towards neutral rolling, too.  Hills have varying steepness, so some want more or less braking to maintain a steady speed, and it's better to use regen than brakes for range.

Smooth is better in poor traction, with a passenger, and for range.  So we have to balance those needs while we ride.

-Crissa

[TheRan]

If it's not raining I'm in sport mode (would prefer more throttle off regen), if it's raining or I'm going off road I'll put it in custom with 60% torque and something like 40-50% coasting regen (think it's whatever the default value is) and 100% brake regen. Pretty much never use eco, maybe if I was riding off road and it had been raining but even then the least amount of regen the better.

[umrath]

I have set up Custom exactly the way I drive my car:
max power
max regen

I see no benefit in changing anything while riding unless it's raining or the like. In that case I manually adjust the mode and that's it.
If I want to coast, then I can still do that by not fully closing the throttle.
Power is fully under my control anyway.

So, I fail to see any benefit of flicking through the modes.

[princec]

On the SR/F there's the added complications of an extra parameter, the traction control level. I leave mine in Street traction, whatever that is. Apparently it's also supposed to stop regen from locking the wheel in slippery conditions.

I was out in the rain on it the other day and tried Rain mode (defaults), but really it just felt odd and I switched it back to my custom mode (100% Throttle, 100% Power, 75mph max, 50% regen, Street traction) and I just ride with a very gentle throttle. I have noticed however that with an accidental slip of the hand you can send the Zero shooting forwards on a correspondingly massive burst of torque - adjusting hand on throttle for a bunched glove palm, or going over a particularly gnarly bump - and I wonder that the Rain mode's throttle filtering might reduce the need for the traction control to leap in and save me.

Cas

[JaimeC]

Crissa,

Although it is easy to lock the rear wheel using full regen on the BMW eScooter, the only way I could see that happening on my S model is if I were riding on black ice, oil, or an antifreeze slick.  I don't even see it happening on sand.  Zero's "full regen" doesn't really slow the bike as much as I'd like.  I get more engine braking out of my K1200LT than I do with the Zero on full regen. 

[reini]

On the SR/F there's the added complications of an extra parameter, the traction control level. I leave mine in Street traction, whatever that is. Apparently it's also supposed to stop regen from locking the wheel in slippery conditions.

AFAIK only the Energicas do that (it is called eABS there). I've tested it involuntarily and it works really well!

[princec]

I believe it's part of the Bosch IMU unit on the SR/F too.

Cas

[Crissa]

Although it is easy to lock the rear wheel using full regen on the BMW eScooter, the only way I could see that happening on my S model is if I were riding on black ice...

I have had it happen multiple times.  Almost always on hills.  Mostly in rain.  Remember, I ride on grades steeper than 10% every time I ride.

I agree it's not the strongest regen, but it has happened.

-Crissa

[reini]

I believe it's part of the Bosch IMU unit on the SR/F too.

https://www.energicamotor.com/technology/ has it listed separately from the Bosch ABS system.

[Crissa]

The IMU is a different component than the ABS, isn't it?

-Crissa

[reini]

The IMU is a different component than the ABS, isn't it?

Right, the IMU is providing the measurements for traction control, ABS is a separate system. eABS is likely only using the IMU data, but not necessarily part of the Bosch system. Since this is pure speculation on my end, I'll stop now