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[JefRo]

This is my first post to this forum after lurking about for a few months. I just rode home a new 2013 DS after a long wait since last Oct. I almost settled on a 2012 DS but the lackluster acceleration at low speeds was a deal-breaker for me.

I have been riding adventure bikes of just about every brand for over 20 years and spend most of my riding on forest service roads or trails, of which the front-range and other parts of Colorado are abundant with. The need for lots of torque right off the line and at low speeds is a requirement off road, since much "steering" is done with the rear wheel and traversing tight switchbacks, like those found in the San Juan mountains where steep, low speed gradients are common. I am sure the FX would fit the bill nicely, but its' limited range would preclude some rides without trailering to trailheads. I would guess, judging from the low speed performance on the street, that the '13DS is going to fit the bill perfectly for most shorter dual sport rides.

I am, in fact, quite surprised by the incredible acceleration offered by this bike. There should be no problems matching the long accelerating "power slides" of my BMW HP-2 and KTM 950 on dirt. However this can not be tested until after our Spring thaw. A viewing of the draft copy of the owners manual shows a 25 tooth front sprocket verses the 28 tooth for the "S" model as standard equipment, which would help account for the brisk acceleration and low speed torque.

I would expect a significant increase in overall range and a potentially higher top speed with this bike, relative to those in lower elevations, due to the much lower air resistance drag offered
by our local 6300 feet elevation. One overlooked advantage of EV's is the lack of power deficits due to elevation, since ICE engines ( normally aspirated) suffer an across the board loss of about 25% horsepower at this elevation, and EV's none! Go to the high country and everything gets anemic in a hurry on ICE bikes.

One of my questions, of which there are many which will be asked in upcoming posts, is the parameter settings with the bluetooth drive setup. By maxing out all of the settings for ECO,
the responsiveness and power feels the same as SPORT. Has this been the experience of other 2013 riders? If the setting for ECO MAX TORQUE defaults to the SPORT value, then it will be possible to have SPORT power with maximum REGEN. Driving becomes simple by only needing to use the throttle for most driving situations since REGEN is sufficient for most non-panic slowdowns. This is the way I have been driving my 2012 Volt for the last year. By selecting "LOW" for maximum REGEN, and "SPORT" for maximum throttle responsiveness, driving becomes totally engaging.

The '13DS is quite a machine. Congratulations, Zero!   

[jazclrint]

Great write up.  Thank you.

[trikester]

One of my questions, of which there are many which will be asked in upcoming posts, is the parameter settings with the bluetooth drive setup. By maxing out all of the settings for ECO,
the responsiveness and power feels the same as SPORT. Has this been the experience of other 2013 riders? If the setting for ECO MAX TORQUE defaults to the SPORT value, then it will be possible to have SPORT power with maximum REGEN. Driving becomes simple by only needing to use the throttle for most driving situations since REGEN is sufficient for most non-panic slowdowns. This is the way I have been driving my 2012 Volt for the last year. By selecting "LOW" for maximum REGEN, and "SPORT" for maximum throttle responsiveness, driving becomes totally engaging.

My experience so far with my '13 FX would agree with what you are saying here. I maxed everything in ECO except I set the non-brake light regen at 50% since I can pull my handlebar switch to put on the brake light to go to max regen. That gives me a couple of choices for coasting deceleration.

Trikester

[BrianTRice@gmail.com]

I also just picked up a 13DS in Seattle, and am an adventure rider, having owned an 07 and now 12 V-Strom 650, as well as a dual sport 250.


I'm down near the coast so won't get much use out of the DS at altitude without a friend's truck, but your point about high altitude makes a lot of sense - maybe I can see about a trip up Mount Rainier or Helens on it (given the right charging station or trailering).