Comfort Bar Grips

[coops]

I've fitted marathon plus size 38C front & rear now, and after a quick run I find little or no difference in shock absorption from the Kendas when run at the same pressures of 45lbs front & 50lbs rear: in fact they may give slightly more cushioning despite the width being around 5 or 6mm less (I've reused the original inner tubes for now, which may contribute to the cushioning).

I'm very happy with their smooth & easy rolling and the assurance of their high flat-resistance, and the slimmer, lower profile suits the Torq .

Its a bit early to tell, but they do feel faster than the Kendas even at the same pressures so I'm hoping for some increase in range or speed overall too .

All in all a very worthwhile upgrade/replacement for the stock Kendas on the Torq and I add my name to the list of those who recommend them .

Stuart.

 

[coops]

I finally finished the job with the throttle mod; needs some tidying up & finishing touches but essentially its done

I ended up cutting the thottle to 40mm and trimming the comfort grips by a similar amount to you, Ian, and also reduced the spring tension and rotation before motor kicks in: it works quite well and I think it'll be easier and more comfortable than before once I've adjusted to it; control is already much better .

The mod also lends itself to a "crampbuster " style addition, to further reduce strain at least until one adjusts .

Stuart.

 

[mercman696]

ouch

i have just replaced the grips on my torq with some that are more padded.

One final twist to get the new grip on the throttle one lined up correctly resulted in a quiet "click" noise and now i find that the throttle is permanently on - by twisting the other direction there is a small area of no power, followed by the power coming on again. Is the throttle broken and needing replacement or is it fixable?

Any help gratefully accepted !

thanks

 

[Ian]

Throttle Repair

Is the throttle broken and needing replacement or is it fixable?

It sounds likely that a rotation stop has broken, this should be repairable with a decent adhesive such as epoxy resin.

In order to dismantle the throttle it must be removed from the handlebar.

Start by carefully cutting away the shrunk on sleeving from the connector in the cable, then disconnect the connector by releasing the locking tab in the centre and gently pull the plug and socket apart. Then loosen the allen grub screw just forward of the light switch and slide the throttle off the handlebar.

It should now be possible to pull the twisting and fixed parts apart, this might be easier if the throttle is put partly back on the handlebar and the grub screw tightened, but ensure its only just on the handlebar as if the bar penetrates by any more than 1" it will prevent the internal locking tabs from releasing.

With the twisting portion separated it should be possible to see what has broken. The return spring will probably fall out when the parts are separated, so you'll need to work out how it fits. There will be a curved magnet about 1" long set into a recess in the inner end of the twisting portion, this is a critical component so make sure it's secure (mine was loose and fell out!). It is the position of that magnet relative to a sensor hidden in the fixed portion that signals the throttle position to the controller.

The broken parts can be glued back together with epoxy resin, with such repairs I like to build up a large fillet of adhesive around the repair to add strength, but ensure this doesn't get in the way of moving parts.

 

[Ian]

I have today ridden my Torq for 46 miles including some fair hills (2900' total) and some pretty rough terrain including the odd boulder strewn trail and have suffered absolutely no wrist, hand or arm discomfort (although the right knee is another story). After much experimentation I've optimised the M+ tyre pressures at 55 front and 70 rear which for me gives a pretty smooth ride.

Incidentally, the ride was completed on a single charge of a NiMh battery which was by no means flat at the end despite little pedalling for the last 3 miles due to the knee problem. However there was considerable pedalling on the mainly uphill outward leg, spurred on by the realisation that I had started a journey that was asking a lot from a single battery and I wasn't carrying a spare.

Tomorrow I may try to get a further 4 miles from the battery, just to make it a nice round 50. Would that be a record I wonder? Certainly if it were a manufacturers range claim few would believe it, myself included.

 

[flecc]

It's restricted isn't it Ian? Difficult to believe a derestricted could do that.
.

 

[Ian]

Yes, I nearly always use it in restricted mode Flecc, and with miserly use of the throttle. The better weather of late has resulted in more cycling and a consequent improvement in my fitness which I'm sure has a lot to do with it.

 

[flecc]

Yes, you've done much better than the eastern half of the South East for weather in the last few days. We had one very sunny day yesterday, but it only struggled out for a short spell this afternoon, otherwise uniformly grey.

Still, the forecast is for four fine days now, hope they're right.

 

[one armed bandit]

comfort grips on quando?

is the technique of fitting these grips the same on a quando?

steve

 

[Ian]

Welcome to the forum Steve.

I would guess that the throttle assembly used on the Quando is the same as the Torq and most other Ezee models. If that is the case then the technique will be the same. Flecc, being a former Quando owner, will no doubt be able to confirm.

 

[flecc]

Yes, they're identical Steve. The whole of the electrics on the Quando are the same as the Torq, in effect you've got a small wheeled Torq.
.

 

[one armed bandit]

grips on quando

thanks Ian and Flecc

 

[JamesC]

I also weakened the throttle return spring and added a plastic block to the anticlockwise stop to eliminate the several degrees of movement before anything happens.

Thanks for the details of the throttle mod here and on Flecc's site.

Having removed the throttle assembly, how does it come apart to get at the return spring and the stop ? I have not yet removed the rubber, so perhaps that's the way in !!

Any advice welcome.

James

 

[flecc]

It's a bit fiddly James.

If you peer inside the throttle sleeve from the outer end, you'll see that there's an inner section of four "claws" that latch into a groove on the outer sleeve. It's necessary to force that apart. A thin bladed screwdriver used gently might lift and ease the tension on each claw section, but ultimately a degree of force must be used to pull the two apart to gain access.

It doesn't matter about the rubber grip, but it's much easier to get that off when it's on the bike. Pushing screwdrivers between the rubber and plastic sleeve might split the sleeve if it's not supported by the bar tubing.
.

 

[JamesC]

Thanks Flecc - I see it now.

James

 

[Ian]

If experimenting with the spring or stop some tape can be wrapped around the claws to prevent them latching back into place every time you temporarily reassemble the unit.

 

[JamesC]

If experimenting with the spring or stop some tape can be wrapped around the claws to prevent them latching back into place every time you temporarily reassemble the unit.

Excellent idea - I ended up with 4 fresh holes and 4 refits !!

To get the assembly apart in the first place, I found "paper clips" (reshaped) worked quite well. Gently lever each tongue clear of the groove with a small screw driver, sliding a paper clip into the gap beside the screw driver. With 3 clips in and the screw driver on the 4th plastic tongue, the assembly separates without force.

Then your idea makes experimentation a breeze.

James

 

[lum]

Can I ask where discomfort is being felt by people that own a Torq?

I have had two weeks of doing 70-80 miles and have had to stop riding as my right wrist is killing. Most of that distance was under my own steam (only using motor for hills that I can't keep bike speed above 12mph - trying to get fitter) so its not that I am hitting bumps at 20+mph.

My Torq came with the right handlebar slightly bent down further than the left and I am thinking I might be holding my weight on the right arm more than my left. Or could it be because I hold my weight with the right so I can throttle with the left?

Anyway that is why I am asking the question where people are feeling discomfort to try and work out what I can do to solve the problem. I need to get back out on the bike as I am having withdrawals.

Cheers

 

[flecc]

All the complaints I've seen are with wrists lum. That's where I feel the shocks, but it hasn't troubled me much. I've found that just rotating the bar extension to bring the handlebars up so that the riding position is more upright with less weight on the arms has been sufficient. As you see above, others want padded grips as well.

I think it's important to get most of the body's weight supported through to the saddle rather than the handlebars though.
.

 

[Ian]

In my own case the reason for fitting the grips was to try to cushion the road vibration and shocks coming through the bars which I believe were contributing towards wrist pains. The grips do this quite well by spreading the load over a larger portion of the hand, presumably the hand is then better able to absorb the shocks before they are transmitted to the wrist. They are supposedly designed by a doctor to divert load from a certain sensitive nerve in the hand. While this sounds like sales hype there is no doubt that they are more comfortable than the standard grips and I haven't experienced severe wrist pains since fitting them.