Coasting/Regen/e-brake, and dual motor behavior

[Gluteus Maximus]

Greetings, I'm new to electric. I have a "Leoout" GT88. It's dual 1400W peak motors, no-name dual 28A controllers with minimal specs on the label, LT01 controller with a P-setting for regen intensity, and I'm wondering if what I'm experiencing is normal. What happens is, particularly going downhill, I can just let off the throttle and it will slow significantly. I can actually slow down on a steep grade without touching the brakes, as though regen is active. I know something like the Cycle Analyst can map the low end of the throttle to do regen, but I don't think that's happening here. Applying the brake signal doesn't give a perceptible change in braking (maybe on a steep hill) whether it's in single or dual motor mode, and adjusting regen levels doesn't make a noticeable difference. I have to keep the throttle engaged just to coast. Is this typical of most controllers? What is happening? The scooter has to be doing regen, right? There can't be that much drag from the coils passing the magnets, can there? Because the only alternative is dumping the energy into a power resistor, like a freight train. I have to concentrate on the road so I can't monitor the voltage readout while this is happening. I haven't thought to go down the hill on a freshly charged battery to see if it does the same thing.

The eco/normal button also gives no perceptible difference in performance, I'm not sure what it's supposed to have an effect on. [edit: going over the scooter's marketing material, it says the eco button limits the speed to 15mph] The speed is limited by the 1/2/3 power modes on the controller.

Also, when the front motor is engaged, I don't get smooth acceleration like with the rear motor, it really kicks. I've very carefully moved the throttle through the hall-effect sensor's dead zone, and as soon as it sees voltage it just kicks in with full torque for a split second. It makes for a very unnerving experience.

I don't expect there's anything I can do to change these behaviors, I was just wondering if that's typical of generic controllers, and maybe if anyone knows the details of what is actually happening.

Thanks!

 

[E-HP]

What you are describing sounds like slide regen. I had my last controller setup that way, and I actually liked it. It forced me to hone my throttle control skills (I put a button on my bars that applied 50w of throttle which was enough to coast forever and give my wrist a break). Anyway, most controllers won’t have it, unless there is a parameter for it in the settings so I’d check there.
The kicking could also be controller related, depending on what type of throttle control is being used or maybe it’s just more noticeable with the front motor. You could mod your throttle to get rid of the dead zone, so maybe that would help.

 

[Gluteus Maximus]

What you are describing sounds like slide regen. I had my last controller setup that way, and I actually liked it. It forced me to hone my throttle control skills (I put a button on my bars that applied 50w of throttle which was enough to coast forever and give my wrist a break). Anyway, most controllers won’t have it, unless there is a parameter for it in the settings so I’d check there.
The kicking could also be controller related, depending on what type of throttle control is being used or maybe it’s just more noticeable with the front motor. You could mod your throttle to get rid of the dead zone, so maybe that would help.

I think you're right, it just seem like an odd thing to find on a cheap scooter. I was thinking I'd like a left throttle for braking, but this is actually better. Once my half-twist comes I won't have the instability of the trigger to contend with, and I think I'll be pretty happy with the way it works. I'm going to get a battery monitor/coulomb meter at some point anyway, and that'll confirm what's going on.
I may swap the front and rear controllers to see if that fixes the kick. In reviews I've watched, the front motor often skids on startup when it's engaged, so I guess in hindsight it seems pretty common, and like you said, it's more noticeable in the front- due to the distribution of weight, and acceleration lifting the front wheel up.
I'm super happy with this scooter. It's nice to have the extra power to keep up with traffic when needed, and it actually cuts considerable time off of running errands compared to driving, though I've been without my own car for the last 4 years, so having transportation at my disposal is huge. I wish I would have thought of it years ago...
Thanks!