Crestline x DJI - RS 181 SPECTRE Edition

AlumiPro said:
Just go get that bike all dirty and you’ll forget all about the crank gaps.
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Yea, I can’t wait. Ran into an unexpected issue today while transferring Maven Ultimate brakes from current go to emtb (Spesh Turbo Levo), found out rear brake hose isn‘t long enough. Sharp cable routing on Spectre requires more length.
 
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slickrock said:
Was this feature in the original firmware? It's really insane that DJI is so fine-grain in it's product design as to specifically address hub slack, an aspect of motor performance we are just no starting to contend with in recent anti-pedal kickback tech suchs a O-chain and Sidekick. Whether DJI is successful here remains to be seen, if not causing more problems than solving. Yet another thing to geek on about.
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The features and adjustability of this system is insane!
Mine was set up with the Freehub Pre-Engagement AND Quick Start turned ON! I was not aware of it, and Im convinced this is why on my first ride I was so shocked how little input I had to apply and how it felt a bit uncontrollable when the assisted power came on. These features could also account for me burning through the battery so fast and possibly making the motor shatter/rattle more. I’m thinking even when you’re coasting/freewheeling down rough downhill runs would have been triggering these two functions to engage. It’s truly shocking how little force these two functions require on the pedals, I think your feet bouncing on the pedals would engage them. And I’m clipped-in, so I would think there is even more feedback.
I’m really looking forward to my next several rides with these two functions off.
The Anakin will gather some dust while I get ride time in on the RS181 to figure out all these crazy DJI settings. 🤫
 
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BikingBad said:
Yea, I can’t wait. Ran into an unexpected issue today while transferring Maven Ultimate brakes from current go to emtb (Spesh Turbo Levo), found out rear brake hose isn‘t long enough. Sharp cable routing on Spectre requires more length.
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Rear brakes are over rated my friend. Take the plunge 🫣
 
Hi. Im new here. Building up #34 (RH4). I have a question about the read brake hose routing and hope to gain some insight.

How did you route the rear brake hose? The opening is directly behind the power plug wires. It’s a pretty tight fit. Should I route the brake hose towards the rear and around to the RHS tube in tube, split the two power cords and route in between, or route around the front (seems like a very tight bend)? What worked best foe you?

Thanks for all the shared knowledge to date. I used Alumipro’s heat shrink/cable guide method for protecting the rear mech/motor cable connection. Brilliant.
 
xnor05 said:
Hi. Im new here. Building up #34 (RH4). I have a question about the read brake hose routing and hope to gain some insight.

How did you route the rear brake hose? The opening is directly behind the power plug wires. It’s a pretty tight fit. Should I route the brake hose towards the rear and around to the RHS tube in tube, split the two power cords and route in between, or route around the front (seems like a very tight bend)? What worked best foe you?

Thanks for all the shared knowledge to date. I used Alumipro’s heat shrink/cable guide method for protecting the rear mech/motor cable connection. Brilliant.
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Hope this helps.
 
xnor05 said:
Thanks BB! Can’t believe I missed this video before now. This is a huge help.

Luckily I installed the dropper housing/cable correctly and w/o removing the battery.
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I was able to install the dropper cable without removing the battery as well. I started at the seat post and worked my way to the bars.
 
AlumiPro said:
I was able to install the dropper cable without removing the battery as well. I started at the seat post and worked my way to the bars.
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Why wouldnt you just pull the battery out? it should be like 5 screws and a full 2 minutes of time. then you have access to the downtube.
 
BikingBad said:
Good to know, thanks, I would’ve never thought about the two cables needing to move independently.

On a separate note, I think the charge port door could’ve been designed better. Not easy to operate and flimsy. It’s better than many others out there but nowhere as good as Amflow’s magnetic charge port door.
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My charge port door was tight and difficult to twist either direction, but more so downward. I put a dab of grease on the shaft and viola!! Moves effortlessly up or down.
 
Rob Rides EMTB said:
We rode in Bellingham and Whistler last year with Troydon and he was definitely on 180/180 the
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Rob Rides EMTB said:
We rode in Bellingham and Whistler last year with Troydon and he was definitely on 180/180 there
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Pretty sure that Troydon prefers and rides full travel 180/180. My guess is that Mark is the one that prefers the lower travel settings. 🤷🏼‍♂️
 
Jedman5c said:
My charge port door was tight and difficult to twist either direction, but more so downward. I put a dab of grease on the shaft and viola!! Moves effortlessly up or down.
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Cool, thx for the tip. Another way to make it easier to operate is to replace with lighter spring, that is, if it can be changed out.
 
John_likes_bikes said:
FWIW, I just took delivery from UPS. Test fitted the spider to get some leverage and it does not rotate backwards easily. It's like the second bike and honestly like my ep801. If yours rotates backwards easily I'd say there's something up with the motor for sure and the sounds you're hearing are the clutch engaging/disengaging from chain slap. I'll have time this evening to check if the class 3 speed limit is active.
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Does one of your crank arms have the rubber boot on it? If so, remove it and the cranks will spin backwards freely. Ask me how I know?
 
Jedman5c said:
Does one of your crank arms have the rubber boot on it? If so, remove it and the cranks will spin backwards freely. Ask me how I know?
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XO emtb cranks spin fine, it was the chainring I was referring to. I saw a few posts with the boots rubbing, nothing like that on a SRAM.
 
I'm nearly certainly the 161mm travel setting doesn't lower the BB, it only limits the end of the travel so I don't really see a benefit running it lower than 181. If you put a shorter fork to match the shorter rear, even a 170 fork it changes the geometry in a not really beneficial way.
 
John_likes_bikes said:
I'm nearly certainly the 161mm travel setting doesn't lower the BB, it only limits the end of the travel so I don't really see a benefit running it lower than 181. If you put a shorter fork to match the shorter rear, even a 170 fork it changes the geometry in a not really beneficial way.
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if you want to lower the BB in the 161mm mode, install a 2mm offset bushing on the lower eyelet (I have not confirmed if this is feasible yet with the shocks roller bushing assembly). The 2mm offset essentially lowers the rear end (or sags the bike) by about 5.6mm over stock BB height. Using a 160/170mm fork also helps lower the BB a bit more putting the BB around the 347-350 range. You can also replace the RS’s roller bearings with standard M8x30 shock hardware which will 100% allow you to run an offset bushing.
 
MTB_MIKE said:
if you want to lower the BB in the 161mm mode, install a 2mm offset bushing on the lower eyelet (I have not confirmed if this is feasible yet with the shocks roller bushing assembly). The 2mm offset essentially lowers the rear end (or sags the bike) by about 5.6mm over stock BB height. Using a 160/170mm fork also helps lower the BB a bit more putting the BB around the 347-350 range. You can also replace the RS’s roller bearings with standard M8x30 shock hardware which will 100% allow you to run an offset bushing.
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I wasn't aware of offset bushings, that's an interesting piece of hardware. On a side note, Cresty providing the shock bearing instead of a bushing really makes me happy. That's a little thing the big guys cut to save a little profit.

I was mostly referring to OE spec not lowering the bb. If we're talking about replacing parts you could use a shorter eye to eye shock with the OE spec stroke in the 161 setting. If your math is right you could easily avoid frame contact and get 161 travel. Then with a shorter travel fork you could maintain the HTA, again, if you do the math right. This is all based on my thinking that the 161 setting limits the end of rear wheel travel or I'm totally messed up in my non-engineer head. This hasn't been confirmed and my email asking Troydon wasn't answered.
 
I'm with the Swedish guy and find anything sub 350mm BB height unbearably low.
 
According to trailhead website, Rockshox Vivid Ultimate Shock on Spectre comes with 1 volume reducer token installed. it seems the recommended pressure for 30% sag is without a volume reducer token so take that into consideration.
 
So I knew this DJI experimental setting was turned on(Extreme Attitude Protection) but I didn’t think it would almost kill me!
I went up a very steep lava rock face, as I was half way up, body positioned over the bars, confident I was going to make it, the motor locked up and the screen said the motor had locked up due to a 45deg incline angle!! This almost sent myself and the bike falling over and sliding down the solid lava slab. Luckily my saddle wasn’t fully extended and I was able to rapidly release from my pedals and step off, this is all happening on a supposedly 45deg angle! This could have been very ugly, all due to an experimental setting I left on. My ride report showed a max 31% angle, either way it was f*cking steep and slick and really sucked having the motor lock up mid ship with no warning. If you’re into steep climbing please turn this setting off.
On a positive note, this same ride I had the Freehub Pre-Engagement setting and Quick Start setting turned off for the first time, and wow the motor rattle was reduced quite a bit! Much quieter. I could also feel the Sidekick hub engagement float. Where before the DJI Freehub Pre-Engagement setting was definitely doing its job and absorbing all that hub pawl float in the SideKick. I also wasn’t getting the VPP kickback I was before…..now that the SideKick is doing what it’s intended to do.
Now that I’ve got my RS181’s skirt lifted and felt her out a bit, I’m very impressed. I’ve now got the DJI settings more dialed, the correct dropper length, suspension fine tuned, motor rattle reduced…..she rips! It feels lighter and more balanced than any other full power emtb I’ve ridden. I don’t know why but it is very easy to fling around compared to my previous emtbs (Crestline, S-Works) and my RS181 has the longest wheelbase over my previous emtbs. Maybe it’s because Ive been eating my Wheaties?

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AlumiPro said:
So I knew this DJI experimental setting was turned on(Extreme Altitude Protection) but I didn’t think it would almost kill me!
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I had the Avinox motor before they added these new features in a firmware update. So I went through and checked all the new features, after reading the release notes, after every firmware update. And this was one I turned off right up front, for the exact reason you found out.
AlumiPro said:
I’ve now got the DJI settings more dialed, the correct dropper length, suspension fine tuned,
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I knew I was riding a very different EMTB when I got the Avinox System. So coming from a software background, I spent a lot of time setting up and testing the bike, before using the higher modes. I also now have my bike dialed in, both from a motor and suspension setup, and am feeling all the same satisfied feelings as yourself.
 
The Extreme Attitude Protection (was something lost in translation when they came up with this name?) is the one feature that seems like it came form someone who doesn't do a lot of slightly intense riding. I appreciate the thought from Avinox but it doesn't seem practical to most.
 
John_likes_bikes said:
The Extreme Attitude Protection (was something lost in translation when they came up with this name?) is the one feature that seems like it came form someone who doesn't do a lot of slightly intense riding. I appreciate the thought from Avinox but it doesn't seem practical to most.
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Makes it impossible to wheelie too! That setting is not good...
 
Zimmerframe said:
But they could add auto wheelie hold to perfectly adjust the power and let anyone enjoy that infinity wheelie 🤣
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I’m waiting for the Avinox Rider Robot (TM) that’s surely close to release, then I can just not ride the bike at all and watch the livestream footage from the comfort of my sofa.

I can leave it outside the house doing infinity wheelies until the battery is down to 50% for storage too…
 
AlumiPro said:
Just noticed extra bash guards are available to order…..Order placed. I’ve bashed mine a few times and it’s holding up much better than my previous Crestline. Better material and better design for sure, but I always like to have a backup to throw on if need be.
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Cool! Until there’s more robust solution, I’m using high density foam tape.

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