Anybody ride the new Reign or other 2nd gen PW-X?

DrStupid

E*POWAH Elite World Champion
Patreon
Jul 10, 2019
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Just wondering if anybody here has a direct compare between the PW-X and PW-X2?

Myself, I'm most interested in the higher cadence support from the newly configured motor.

As I ride more, I find I am enjoying higher cadence, and at my preferred cadence, the Shimano e8000 equipped bikes feels stronger than my Giant Trance e+. I'm curious if anybody else has experienced this, and if the new configuration yamaha improves the system enough to be worth an upgrade? I like power.
 

ryturn

Well-known member
Sep 12, 2019
123
149
Australia
pictures / reviews of the 2020 Trance e pro seem to be scarce ? most of Giants publicity is on the the Reign e . Love to see real life shots of the 2020 Trance e meant to be in store in Australia this week .
 

Wernher

Active member
May 30, 2019
180
181
Cape St Francis
Cadence is exactly the same as the current motor. It's only one the Yamaha version that the cadence has been upped as the Giant version already sorted the higher cadence. Unfortunately the new bikes haven't been made available yet so I don't see any worthwhile testing. The only thing that seems to be really different is the new sensors that will pick up your angle and apparently adjust your power accordingly. I'm not exactly sure how that will work out and even if I'm going to like it as I like having control over the power settings. I also can't figure out from the write-ups if its going to work like the Shimano and Bosch trail mode or if it's only for hill starts, so we'll have to wait a bit for more information to come out. I'm riding my brother's bike with a Shimano motor quite frequently and perhaps the reason why you feel that your support is lower than on the Shimano is the fact that in trail mode the Shimano will give you anything up to max power depending on how you tune it. I suggest you try riding in a slightly higher support mode. Also take note that the Synchdrive Pro will only support up to 110 rpm cadence in the bottom two support levels but 120 rpm in the top three modes. I set my bottom three modes at their lowest level, fourth one down and left 5 at max. I found I never require more that the third level of support but easily get by in most cases in only the first two levels. I'm most interested in the new larger battery and depending on what the new motor brings to the party maybe the new motor but to be honest I think it's not going to be a matter of more power but rather a matter of less switching between modes. We'll have to see when it becomes available for testing ?
 

Wernher

Active member
May 30, 2019
180
181
Cape St Francis
Sorry for the spelling mistakes on my previous post. The spelling checker on my phone messes it up completely. I fixed it so just refresh if it doesn't make any sense.
 

Zimmerframe

MUPPET
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Jun 12, 2019
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Brittany, France
I think @MrTeno2U and @Beekeeper need to get together for a group ride and a photo session ! :)

most of the time

Mwost ! Mwost ! Awl of le tim. MER ! MER ! MERD !

The only thing that seems to be really different is the new sensors that will pick up your angle and apparently adjust your power accordingly. I'm not exactly sure how that will work out and even if I'm going to like it as I like having control over the power settings.

It's interesting that they added the sensor, The Shimano unit on Trail seems to work out what it needs to without an angle sensor and just uses software, though I suspect the Bosch and the Shimano E8000 units are more configurable/programmable/"intelligent" and have much higher spec processors/computers/tech on board than the Yam and the Brose.

PW-X2 riders should be easily identifiable on the trail by their trademark Wheely/Wheelspin combination as the angle sensor suddenly compensates for the 45 degree plus incline ! :)
 

Beekeeper

🍯Honey Monster🍯
Aug 6, 2019
1,745
2,194
Surrey hills
I think @MrTeno2U and @Beekeeper need to get together for a group ride and a photo session ! :)



Mwost ! Mwost ! Awl of le tim. MER ! MER ! MERD !



It's interesting that they added the sensor, The Shimano unit on Trail seems to work out what it needs to without an angle sensor and just uses software, though I suspect the Bosch and the Shimano E8000 units are more configurable/programmable/"intelligent" and have much higher spec processors/computers/tech on board than the Yam and the Brose.

PW-X2 riders should be easily identifiable on the trail by their trademark Wheely/Wheelspin combination as the angle sensor suddenly compensates for the 45 degree plus incline ! :)

Hey Zimmer,
I’m pretty sure you
I think @MrTeno2U and @Beekeeper need to get together for a group ride and a photo session ! :)



Mwost ! Mwost ! Awl of le tim. MER ! MER ! MERD !



It's interesting that they added the sensor, The Shimano unit on Trail seems to work out what it needs to without an angle sensor and just uses software, though I suspect the Bosch and the Shimano E8000 units are more configurable/programmable/"intelligent" and have much higher spec processors/computers/tech on board than the Yam and the Brose.

PW-X2 riders should be easily identifiable on the trail by their trademark Wheely/Wheelspin combination as the angle sensor suddenly compensates for the 45 degree plus incline ! :)

BC820675-A0D1-4470-8993-5E010979698E.jpeg
Hey Zimmer,
I’m sure you have a far superior bike to me but I bet my lock is better ?
 

DrStupid

E*POWAH Elite World Champion
Patreon
Jul 10, 2019
1,464
2,128
Pleasureville Ky
I think @MrTeno2U and @Beekeeper need to get together for a group ride and a photo session ! :)



Mwost ! Mwost ! Awl of le tim. MER ! MER ! MERD !



It's interesting that they added the sensor, The Shimano unit on Trail seems to work out what it needs to without an angle sensor and just uses software, though I suspect the Bosch and the Shimano E8000 units are more configurable/programmable/"intelligent" and have much higher spec processors/computers/tech on board than the Yam and the Brose.

PW-X2 riders should be easily identifiable on the trail by their trademark Wheely/Wheelspin combination as the angle sensor suddenly compensates for the 45 degree plus incline ! :)

I wonder what does happen when trying to ride a wheelie with the angleometer?
 

DrStupid

E*POWAH Elite World Champion
Patreon
Jul 10, 2019
1,464
2,128
Pleasureville Ky
Cadence is exactly the same as the current motor. It's only one the Yamaha version that the cadence has been upped as the Giant version already sorted the higher cadence. Unfortunately the new bikes haven't been made available yet so I don't see any worthwhile testing. The only thing that seems to be really different is the new sensors that will pick up your angle and apparently adjust your power accordingly. I'm not exactly sure how that will work out and even if I'm going to like it as I like having control over the power settings. I also can't figure out from the write-ups if its going to work like the Shimano and Bosch trail mode or if it's only for hill starts, so we'll have to wait a bit for more information to come out. I'm riding my brother's bike with a Shimano motor quite frequently and perhaps the reason why you feel that your support is lower than on the Shimano is the fact that in trail mode the Shimano will give you anything up to max power depending on how you tune it. I suggest you try riding in a slightly higher support mode. Also take note that the Synchdrive Pro will only support up to 110 rpm cadence in the bottom two support levels but 120 rpm in the top three modes. I set my bottom three modes at their lowest level, fourth one down and left 5 at max. I found I never require more that the third level of support but easily get by in most cases in only the first two levels. I'm most interested in the new larger battery and depending on what the new motor brings to the party maybe the new motor but to be honest I think it's not going to be a matter of more power but rather a matter of less switching between modes. We'll have to see when it becomes available for testing ?
I'm pretty much settled on using level 5 on the Gaints and Boost on the shimano all the time. I've edited both to give me everything they can. I like power I guess! Lol. The shimanos feel stronger for sure.
 

DrStupid

E*POWAH Elite World Champion
Patreon
Jul 10, 2019
1,464
2,128
Pleasureville Ky
I played with mine to have 500% assistance and upped the power to 550 watts on the e8000 and all seemed well... I think someone tried 600w and blew the motor.
Deregulated? No wonder you crash so hard?
I have adjusted the assist to max within the standard parameter set, and maybe I've messed that up somehow.
 

Zimmerframe

MUPPET
Subscriber
Jun 12, 2019
13,771
20,455
Brittany, France
Deregulated? No wonder you crash so hard?
I have adjusted the assist to max within the standard parameter set, and maybe I've messed that up somehow.

Only tried it for a week just out of curiosity to see how the motor performed. Wasn't actually vastly different. In terms of numbers it was on average 1% faster on climbs like that, the power did feel like it kicked in a bit harder though.

Statistically, it didn't make any difference to my crash ratio per ride - but then 100% is 100% :)
 

DrStupid

E*POWAH Elite World Champion
Patreon
Jul 10, 2019
1,464
2,128
Pleasureville Ky
Yesterday I spent some time comparing the E8000 to the Gaint/Yamaha. Either my Yamaha has a problem??? or the Shimanos are just that much stronger accelerating from a dead stop on flat ground. Its odd, in that, I only feel it (yamaha is weak/shimano is strong) when peddling away from a dead stop on relatively flat surfaces. There seems to be big dip in the power curve of the Giant/Yamaha right when the shimano is surging.

Bumping up against top assisted speed the yamaha is actually better.

Running super fast cadence below top assisted speed the shimano is better.

Starting out from a dead stop on a steep hillside, the Giant/Yamaha is still better.

Familiarity breeds contempt so they say, I ride the Trance an awful lot, and I might be nitpicking a bit.
 

Wernher

Active member
May 30, 2019
180
181
Cape St Francis
My brother has Shimano and i have Giant (Yamaha). The Yamaha has a soft start that works very nice for her changes. Power feels exactly the same although how they start and engage is different. Shimano has trail mode that can give you up to max power of you need it, Yamaha doesn't. If you're okay the Shimano is for you. Then again I honestly never feel the Giant leaves me more on power and if I have to I can up my level. In South Africa we have assistance to 32 km/h which is better than the 25 in Europe and I honestly don't need more speed. I pedal up too 35 km/h and downhill is super fast. Considering that I prefer single trail and technical natural trails that is ample. All you get with derestriction is higher battery drain and then you might as well ride a motorbike. So I'm very happy with the standard support. The Reign with the new motor might work more like two mode, so I'd like to try it, but I can't see that it will have anything so earth shattering new that if upgrade to it. There's one thing is like to improve and that's the tuning in the app. At the moment it is very restrictive in what you can do. I'd like infinitely variable adjustment and maybe also the option to put max support in any mode. For instance, I would consider making the third mode boost because you don't really need three modes.
 

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