GoPro

[ben]

BIG, BIG, BIG GRIN!!!

https://www.arcimoto.com/venue/gopro-hq/

finally had a chance to test drive an FUV, not once but twice

long story short,... happened to find an eMail notice that the FUV was making the rounds,... so this morning made the commute up to North County from my home which is really close to downtown San Diego,... basically it was a 34 mile trip but traffic sucked all the way,... having said that the drive up was well worth it because I had a chance to go for a test drive

first impression "yellow" is much more polished that the SRK I saw down at the convention center

http://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/busi...story.html

in current trim they mentioned the empty weight is about 1300 lbs, that is because it was used for roof crush testing,... so the plan from what I gather is to use slightly thinner steel tubing which will reduce the weight but still provide adequate crash cage protection

would have liked the seat pan about an 1" or 2" forward, just because it would have been a bit more comfortable BUT was told the seat is where it is because w/ in the geometry of steel tube frame, its the best location just in case ya get into some kind of crash

for many, many, many years now my daily driver is an old 123 series merceded diesel "euro version" meaning it does not have a passanger side mirror, anyway kept it because its vary reliable, vary maneuverable AND had excellent driver visibility,... basically when I drive I actually turn my head because I consider it better than wondering about a "mirror" blind spot

WRT "yellow" notice some other drivers commented on wanting bigger mirrors, personally the FUV is pretty open, so I never looked at the driver mirrors during my two short test drives, because even w/ the two sets of seat belts, it was vary easy to see traffic

not sure if "yellow" is the "sport" or "comfy" setup in terms of throttle response, etc., but it just worked,... deliberately tried to see if wide open throttle would slip the front tires, it was vary quick and smooth but no tire slipping,... as far as feathering the throttle when I tried to park in reverse, things were nice and easy,... basically very polished

as far as slow speed handeling, I know a little throttle (in forward or reverse) helps lots in maneuvering, and I didn't find any difficulty steering at low speeds

the one thing I thought could be improved is the parking brake,... instead of two parking break switches (for engaging and disengaging), personally wonder if a "left foot well" parking brake might work out better,... (disclosure guess that is my bias because my mercedes 300cd has a left foot brake)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YjDTQ2lnJz8

or put a "red" led in the engaging switch and a "green" led in the disengaging parking brake switch,...

As I mentioned I had the second and last test drives today,... the first test drive was media,... forgot to ask what her name was, BUT the web site she was working for is

https://www.autorentalnews.com

so keep your eyes open for a report,... oh, FWIW the reason arcimoto is in this part of the world along w/ the media reporter doing a test drive is proximity to 

www.hihula.com

[Kepesk]

That's a great review! I'm someone who has mentioned that the mirrors are a little small, but you're right, just looking around is super easy. My only other complaint has been the lack of turn signal sounds, but considering the thing has built in speakers, I would be surprised if they didn't add that in by production.

The thing is so super fun in every other way that these complaints are almost not worth mentioning.

It's great to hear that they're doing so much work on safety, right down to the best seating position to avoid injury. I love it.

Thanks for the review!

[ben]

That's a great review!  I'm someone who has mentioned that the mirrors are a little small, but you're right, just looking around is super easy.  My only other complaint has been the lack of turn signal sounds, but considering the thing has built in speakers, I would be surprised if they didn't add that in by production.

The thing is so super fun in every other way that these complaints are almost not worth mentioning.

It's great to hear that they're doing so much work on safety, right down to the best seating position to avoid injury.  I love it.

Thanks for the review!

FWIW "pictures" of the event

https://www.autorentalnews.com/307232/ar...?grid=true

one other thought I had, because the FUV has bluetooth speakers thought it would be kind of funny to have various old school motorcycle .mp3 "soundtracks" on hand to play during a test drive,... for example to set the mood when starting off

https://www.soundsnap.com/search/audio/h...dson+start

[Rickb]

Better fun yet the SoundRacer App.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Y-2SXK4oGVA

[thomriddle]

Better get used to the quiet sound of EVs. Engine noise is going to eventually go the way of the buggy whip.

[Rickb]

Better get used to the quiet sound of EVs. Engine noise is going to eventually go the way of the buggy whip.

I hope it’s because everybody is driving the affordable FUV!  I like the quiet ride, but it would be a blast to switch on the SoundRacer Harley sound when approaching pedestrians while cruising through high traffic areas. ?

[AnimalCage]

I really like the jet turbine sound on the Harley Livewire. That would work for the FUV.

[shome]

I want the person I pass to hear me laughing. Quiet is good.

[CreativeGuy]

BIG, BIG, BIG GRIN!!!

https://www.arcimoto.com/venue/gopro-hq/

finally had a chance to test drive an FUV, not once but twice

long story short,... happened to find an eMail notice that the FUV was making the rounds,... so this morning made the commute up to North County from my home which is really close to downtown San Diego,... basically it was a 34 mile trip but traffic sucked all the way,... having said that the drive up was well worth it because I had a chance to go for a test drive

first impression "yellow" is much more polished that the SRK I saw down at the convention center

Hi Ben,
Great review.  BTW, that was my FUV "Yellow" that you were driving.  I loaned it to AM since I was away on a trip.  And I was excited that it got to venture around my old "North County" stomping grounds. (I was one of the original owners of the 101 Diner in Encinitas)  And it was cool seeing Yellow parked next to the Batmobile at Comic Con.


Having put over 1,000 mile on our FUV, I've made many of the same observations as you.  As one of the Signature Series owners, AM tracks all sorts of data and telemetry on the vehicle. (This is one reason we are not getting the full projected range is because of the battery draining telemetry equipment installed.  ( That and a couple extra hundred pounds of steel)
I report regularly to AM with issues that come up and my impressions of the driving experience.  This is all part of the "fine tuning" process as AM moves towards their final production units.  I have admittedly driven Yellow a bit harder than perhaps a conservative EV driver might.  Given that many of the first units produced will be in a rental market, they will probably be driven pretty hard also.  And I have gotten the front wheels to spin in a quick acceleration. What's really remarkable, and something you might not have experienced in a short test drive, is the higher speed acceleration.  As we know, most EV motors all have great low end torque.  The new motors that AM is using also have incredible higher speed torque. So when you are driving around 45mph or more and "give it the gas", it really quickly ramps up the speed.  This is great for those defensive driving situations at higher speeds when you really need to get out of someones way or need to pass quickly.

I have also noted to AM, the need for some kind of indicator lighting  for all the switches. (Seat Heat, Handlebar heat and parking brake)  The switches are internally lit but nearly impossible to see if they are on. (other than a warm bum and hands)  I suggested a row of LEDs above the switched to indicate they are active. (or inactive as in the case of the parking brake)  And I suggested that a red LED that would stay on or flash when the parking brake is engaged. Even after the vehicle is turned off.  That way it would offer a slight sense of security giving the impression that there is some sort of security system installed and working.


cheers

[Rickb]

I appreciate you sharing your daily and long term driving experiences. Thanks for being the earliest of adopters. Extremely important everyday use data for the ‘fine tuning’ process required for a production ready FUV.