Power Control
A half-grip twist throttle on the left side of the handlebar controls power to the motor. Like on a motorcycle, twisting the throttle provides fine control proportional to the amount of power assist. For safety, the throttle spring returns to zero assist (no power) when released. The half-grip allows the rider to comfortably maintain throttle position while riding (index finger and thumb grip the throttle, while the other fingers hold the stationary part of the handlebar half-grip). For comfort and upper-body cushioning, the palms should rest on the rubber lip at the rear of the ergonomic grips.
The motor drives the front wheel of the bicycle, and the pedals drive the rear wheel. The two drive systems (battery-power at the front and rider-power at the rear) are independent, so either can be used alone or both can be used simultaneously…that is, you can power the bike by pedaling only, just like a conventional bike, or you can power the bike by motor only (using the throttle) without pedaling, or you can pedal & use the throttle for assistance at the same time.
People often ask how powerful it is. Well, it is not a Harley, but it will get you up any hill you are likely to encounter. With 350W power output at the wheel, our motor is like having a strong cyclist of negligible weight with you on your bike. For comparison, the power of a typical cyclist during continuous riding is about 150W (1/5th of a horsepower). A fit cyclist can maintain 350W for about 10 minutes and up to 600W for a few seconds.
With e-bikes the issue of motor power rating often comes up. Please understand that there is no standard way to rate power for an e-bike motor as an isolated entity. You can see the exact same motor listed as 250 watts, 500 watts, and 1000 watts by different vendors. So, “Watt” ratings for e-bike motors are pointless for choosing or comparing e-bikes. Motor controller settings and battery output govern the power output, and almost any motor can be driven to very high powers (where heat dissipation becomes an important issue). Our rating of 350 W is a system rating not a motor rating. It is measured power at the road surface as determined by dynamometer testing (see Full Technical Article 15).