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[domingo3]

  We all know that our range is highly dependent on speed.  When looking at a new route, I've found it pretty challenging - near impossible - to find what the speed limits of the roads are using mapping software.  It will give a time and distance, so an average speed, but it matters a lot if part of it is 25 MPH and part is 80 MPH, or all is 55 MPH. 
  On an FXS with just the onboard charger, I'm really just evaluating if I can make a round trip and/or make a trip with one lengthy charging stop at a destination.  I feel pretty uncomfortable/unsafe going under the speed limit because that's the only way I'll make it if all the surrounding traffic is flying around to avoid me.  Is this even a concern for others?  If so, how do you plan out these kinds of trips?

[ashnazg]

My first guideline is I avoid highways.  I'll take a longer windy route if it means I can keep it around 45mph.  If I have to get there in a hurry, I'll take my car.

[heroto]

A tailwind sure helps the range. But I wonder if you meant "winding" rather than "windy".

[dukecola]

My first guideline is I avoid highways.  I'll take a longer windy route if it means I can keep it around 45mph.  If I have to get there in a hurry, I'll take my car.

I agree. By selecting avoid highways, I know the speed will be 55 or less. Most state routes are not 55, usually 45 most parts with a few spurts of 55.

[cpallenjr]

A tailwind sure helps the range. But I wonder if you meant "winding" rather than "windy".

I read that as the verb wynd - ee (best I could do with the phonetics)
 

[Curt]

My FX gets typically 60 mi, plus 3000 ft vertical, if ridden conservatively. I ended up exploring the roads in all directions from home over the course of only 5 or 6 joyrides, as it's really not that big an area to cover. That helped me develop a sense of how how local terrain impacts the range. It boils down to maybe four classes of travel: freeways 55-65 mph, expressways 45-55, mountain roads 25-50 with elevation change, and city roads 0-40. Once you understand how these classes affect your range, you can guesstimate pretty accurately what you're in for by looking at a map. I might get 70 mi on a road like El Camino Real.

Three times now I've planned out trips and arrived with 5% left. Talk about risk and range anxiety. When things started looking iffy, I got real conservative, and so far have not had to beg for an A/C outlet or call out a trailer. Each time has been pretty much exactly 60 mi + 3000 ft vertical. Once I continued riding circles around the neighborhood until it went flat (at 62mi it jumped from 3% to 0%).

I also do mental calculations along the way, such as "It's down to 75% after 16 mi, so that took 1/4 capacity, it's on track to do 64 mi." Or "Last time I got to this destination with 65% but this time in ECO mode I got here with 75%, so I can enjoy getting more aggressive."

Finally, the freeway is always a definite no-no when pushing the range. Coming down from a mountain is generally free (but regen will net only a fraction of 1%).

[BrianTRice@gmail.com]

The travel guide on the wiki covers this.

I also have a spreadsheet helping determine the best travel speed to cover distance per day.

Unfortunately it depends on both airspeed via headwinds and the actual charging rate encountered at your next destination.

This is generally unsatisfactory without a quality fairing. But at least ensure a windscreen tuned to efficiency, and use rounded or teardrop luggage.

[ashnazg]

A tailwind sure helps the range. But I wonder if you meant "winding" rather than "windy".

Heh, yes... I was saying "windy" as rhyming with "winding", but the latter is the proper word