I took the bike out for a quick ride around the neighborhood today so that I could answer your questions =)
I noticed no unusual behavior using the highest assist level on the flats. It will be a while until I get a chance to test the range. It's really cold now.
My impression of the torque sensor is that the programming needs to be adjusted. I feel that the power comes on too strong too early, and it does not increase as much as I would like it to when I pedal harder. I really hope I can get a hold of the software to see if I can adjust these settings. I still haven't taken it on the trails yet though. I should also mention that I was in "Sport" mode. I still have no idea how "Sport" and "Eco" differ. I'll have to look into it sometime. I'll have to try using the torque sensor in "Eco" mode to see if it feels different.
Another interesting thing I noticed today is that the motor causes the rear suspension to jack when power is applied. In other words, the rear end goes up. It is my understanding that this is due to the high pivot location. When the pivot is above the chainring, tension on the chain will pull the rear wheel toward the ground. Most mountain bikes are designed so that pedaling forces have minimal influence on the suspension (to reduce pedal bob).
I wonder if Frey should consider finding a way to put the pivot lower, at the same height as the top of the chainring. I haven't ridden enough to know if this will affect my riding, but I just thought I'd mention it. I only noticed it because I was looking at the suspension while I was accelerating. This effect didn't bother me.
But honestly, I would prefer a simple single pivot rear suspension (maybe a Horst Link/FSR design) if it makes it easier to optimize the suspension. If you look at any mountain bike, you'll see that the main pivot is usually located where the top of a 32T chainring would be.
Aside from that, I really like the way the bike handles. The frame-mounted battery puts the weight of the battery low, and it doesn't move around, so the bike feels very solid and stable. The brakes are very powerful. They feel much more powerful than my Shimano M8000 XTs.
These are still very initial impressions. I really need to spend a few hours on the trails to really know how I like it.
oleaiz said:
Any news from lucky owner of Frey AM1000? Test behaviour of bike on torque sensor and pedaling assist? Range on battery? All other impression?