Originally Posted by
vermontcathy
Again, it's all relative. Almost every time I'm heading home (heading south), I get out there and think, "Dang it, wind out of the south AGAIN??" Yes, it makes me use the motor more, which for me means that I have to use it sooner and more frequently on slight uphills. But unless the wind is over 18mph or so, I stand by my statement that people should be able to downshift and just chug along on the flats w/o the motor. For reference, yesterday our highest sustained wind was 12mph, highest gust 18mph. Average windspeed was 4.4, but the wind tends to be strongest in the afternoon, when I was riding home.
Maybe for you and with GUSTS of wind under 18 mph, I be likely to agree. However, GUSTS of wind at barely 18 mph is almost a dead calm in many places.
So, you're suggesting that people should only ride a few miles, even though the motor still seems to have plenty of power, because there is no way of knowing when you have depleted it 75%??
When, exactly, are you suggesting people check the voltage? At the end of a ride? After charging? Are you saying that if the voltage after a full charge isn't as high as it used to be, you're hurting the battery? But Currie says the battery will degrade over time even if you are treating it right.
Also, I'm wondering, if you are correct, why doesn't Currie say this in the manual? They have whole sections on how to take good care of the battery (mostly stressing to recharge it immediately) but it never says anything about 75%. I, too, have heard that you don't want to totally drain a SLA battery. But there's a big difference between not TOTALLY draining it and only going half as far as you can because you are afraid of causing damage. I've have my bike about two and a half months, BTW.
You can periodically check the voltage on the batteries, e.g. every few months. For each 12v battery, the voltage should be at LEAST 12.66v (25.32v for 2). Since the Currie pack is 24v, just take a reading of the pack without opening the case. Although less than ideal, this approximate voltage should be accurate enough to gauge the condition of the batteries. Use Google to search for the adverse effect of deep discharging SLA batteries on their life span. "Only time will tell whether your significantly shortening the life of your batteries, but I think the odds are quite high that you are." The following website has good information:
http://www.steveduncan.net/html/caring_for_slas.html
Good luck