Ampler Curt 2019-2021 User manual
Ampler Manual
Curt | Stout | Stellar
2019-2021
3 What’s in the box?
Finding the frame number
You will find the frame number in your Bike Passport as well as on the
right side of the bike at the rear dropout.
We use it to match our data when you send us an enquiry. We always
need it when you have questions about your Ampler bike or when
ordering spare parts.
The bike will arrive at your doorstep in a big cardboard box.
Inside this you will find:
• Your new Ampler bike
• Bike passport
• 4 mm hex key
• 6 mm hex key
• Pedals with reflectors
• Charger
• Bicycle bell
• One reflector each for front and rear, with Curt additionally four
spoke reflectors
• Optional: ABUS Bordo lock with holder and keys, additional charger,
trailer adapter
Stout and Stellar are equipped
with reflective tyre sidewalls
and therefore do not require
spoke reflectors.
4
• 4 mm hex key
• 6 mm hex key
• Pedals
You need
Adjust the handlebar
Setup
1. Loosen the two stem clamping screws on the side with the 4 mm
hex key.
2. Now straighten the handlebars. Do not tighten the bolts yet.
3. When you move the bike back and forth with the front brake
applied, you may feel the cover between the frame and the headset
move.
4. To fix this, gently tighten the top bolt of the stem cap until the
cover stops moving.
CAUTION! Be careful not to overtighten the bolts on Curt. The maxi-
mum torque for the stem clamp bolts is 6 nm, the torque for the
stem cap should not exceed 2 nm.
90°
5. Take the 4 mm hex key and carefully tighten the same side bolts
that you loosened in the beginning. Turn your handlebar left and
right and make sure it moves smoothly. If it feels a little too tight,
loosen the side bolts and the cap screw only slightly.
CAUTION!
5 Setup
Attach the pedals 1. The pedals are marked R (right) and L (left). This refers to the
direction of travel. The R pedal goes on the side of the chain and
the L pedal on the side where the chain is not.
2. First turn the pedals a few turns by hand. If this does not work, it
is possible that you have mixed up the sides or have set it at an
angle.
3. When the first threads are in, insert the hex key through the thread
in the crank arm and hand-tighten the pedals.
Resistance should only be felt at the end of the thread.
If the pedal is difficult to turn from the beginning, check whether you
screwed it in crookedly.
LR
left right
1. Clamp the white front reflector below the front light.
2. Attach the red rear reflector to the bracket. Wrap the bracket
around the seat post and secure it with the screw.
3. On Curt: Attach two orange reflectors on the front wheel and two
on the rear wheel, in a 180° angle towards each other. To do this,
remove the plastic clasp, Pick a spoke, place the reflector on the
spoke and push the clasp in again. Fasten it with a screwdriver.
Attach the reflectors
6 Setup
The bike has made a long journey before reaching you, double-check
the following things:
1. Check the wheels. Spin the wheels and see if they run freely.
2. Check the tyres pressure and make sure the tyres are full before
your first ride. Learn more about the correct tyre pessure on page
10 of this manual.
3. Test the brakes. Spin the front wheel and the rear wheel separately.
Apply the brake levers separately and make sure the brakes are
working correctly.
4. Check the drivetrain. Pedal by hand and check if the chain or the
belt drive runs freely. If your model has gearing, shift through them.
5. Check your bike visually. Does everything seem alright?
Remember to check your bike regularly and read the maintenance
instructions
Final check before your first ride
Take the 4 mm hex key and adjust the perfect seat height
1. Place the bike in a way that allows you to support yourself against
a wall when sitting on it.
2. Put one pedal in its lowest position.
3. Hop on and try to reach the pedal with your heel.
4. You have the perfect seat height when you are able to place your
heel on the pedal with an almost fully stretched leg. Do not lower
the seatpost below the minimum insertion length marked on the
post.
5. Tighten your seat bolts.
And you are good to go!
Adjust the seat height
7 Using the power buon
Just press the power button once on the power panel, located on the
left side of the bike.
Turning the bike on
Charging your Ampler
State of charge
The battery level is between 40%-90% when you receive it. You can
either plug in the charger and make the battery full, but you can also
grab it out of the box and go.
IMPORTANT! First make sure that the charging port on the bike, as
well as the plug of the charger, is clean, dry and free from metallic
objects.
Charging the bike is like charging a laptop. Just connect the bike with
a standard wall power outlet (110–240 V AC) and hook the magnetic
charger plug to the charging socket located on the power panel and
let it charge. Once the LED on the charger turns from red to green it
has been fully charged. It takes about 2.5 hours from empty to full.
Ampler charger will automatically stop charging when the battery is
full. There is no risk of overcharging the battery when you forget to
unplug it. Pease read the “Charger safety instructions”
74–50% 49–10% 9–0%
100–75%
bike is OFF 1x short press bike is ON
IMPORTANT!
The power button also acts as a battery charge monitor. The LED
colours change according to the state of charge.
8
The bike has two standardized assist modes:
• Normal (1) – 25 km/h, 250 W, 100%
(max assist speed, motor power, assist level)
• Boost (2) – 25 km/h, 250 W, 150%
(max assist speed, motor power, assist level)
To switch between the assist modes, hold the power button down for
3 seconds and release it as soon as the buon turns orange.
After releasing the button, it will blink ONCE if it changes to Normal
Mode (assist mode 1) or TWICE if
it changes to Boost Mode (assist mode 2).
You can change and customise the assist modes with the Ampler
Bikes app.
Using the power buon
Changing the assist modes
To turn the lights ON and OFF, hold the power button for 1–2 seconds.
You can also control the lights from your Ampler mobile app.
The bike will remember the last setting, so the lights will be ON when
you leave them on next time you power the bike.
Turning the lights on and off
bike is ON press + hold front + rear lights
switch ON/OFF
release
bike is ON press + hold release LED blinks 1x assist mode 1
press + hold release LED blinks 2x assist mode 2bike is ON
9
To fully customise your riding experience please download the Ampler
Bikes app available for Android and iOS.
You can download the app for IOS from the App store, for Android
(Android 4.4 onwards) in play store.
Download the app, stay close to your bike, switch on the Bluetooth,
pair your smartphone with your bike and log in. The Ampler smart-
phone application lets you fully customise your riding experience with
the Ampler e-bike. Here’s some of the examples you can do:
1. Download the Ampler app
2. Register with your Facebook account or e-mail
3. Pair your bike with your phone over a Bluetooth connection
Ampler Bikes App
To connect with the app
Stay informed about your
bike’s electronics
Adjust the motor power and
max. assist speed
You have the option to change the motor
parameters from the smartphone:
• motor power increase or decrease your
acceleration
• max assist speed–the speed at which
the electric assist stops helping you
• assist level– how much the motor as-
sists you in proportion to your input
Or switch the lights on/off or to “lights
only” mode.
• Check your battery range
• Receive updates about your bike’s
electronics
• Get the latest Firmware
• Contact Ampler for troubleshooting and
servicing
10 Maintenance instructions
Just cleaning the bike regularly contributes a lot to a long life of your
e-bike, and you can do a few things yourself without much technical
knowledge. Here we have put together a few tips to help you enjoy
your e-bike for a long time.
The first important check-up should be done in a bicycle repair shop
aer 500 kilometres. We then recommend having your Ampler e-bike
checked thoroughly in a bicycle workshop every 3,000 kilometres or at
a minimum once a year. Any bicycle repair shop can carry out such an
inspection, or you can make an appointment at our showrooms or
service partners by contacting us.
One of the most important things is keeping your bike clean. Preven-
ting dirt to settle will help the moving parts running smoothly and
noise-free.
• If you ride through the mud, you can let your bike dry and then
brush off the dirt with a big, soft bristle brush.
• Give your bike a nice cleaning every once in a while with water and
soap — the power panel and motor housing is waterproof.
• The power panel can be cleaned with some contact spray and an
old toothbrush. Do not use anything metallic near the charging port!
• Do not use pressure washers as it will remove the “good” grease on
the bike.
• Clean your chain before oiling it.
The right tyre pressure guarantees low rolling resistance and also a
better response between the torque sensor and the motor, and has a
significant impact on preventing punctures.
In general, the indication on the sidewall of the tyre is the maximum
value, and you can still go down a little with the tyre pressure, but
never beyond.
The graph below shows a suggestion between comfort and speed. You
should check the tyre pressure before every ride or at least once a
week. We recommend buying a floor pump with a pressure gauge
which clearly shows the tyre pressure.
Keep your bike clean
Check the tyres
11
Check the chain tension– the links can stretch after a while. You can
check this with a chain tester or ask your local bike shop.
• To check the belt tension, download the Carbon Drive app from the
manufacturer Gates and follow the instructions in it.
• If the chain feels a little dry, clean it with a rag and then add some
chain lubricant. Spin the crank around backwards a couple of times
to spread the lubricant evenly.
• A carbon belt drive does not need any oil, it however needs to be
cleaned after riding in dirty conditions with water, soap and an old
toothbrush.
• Avoid using the lubricant on brake pads, rotors or rims. Spray is not
recommended, use liquid oil.
The hydraulic disc brakes require a so-called “braking-in period”. This
helps the brake pads develop its full braking performance and redu-
ces noise while braking.
How to do it:
• Within the first 10 km of riding your bike, look for a dry, smooth,
safe street to ride. Get comfortable with how the brake functions
and how the bike reacts during it — and then pull the brakes really
hard with both levers. CAUTION! Brace yourself and please stay safe
in the saddle doing it.
• The developing heat on the pad will now wear the pad down enough
to prevent “glazing”. Dirt will not collect on the pads as easily, this
improves braking power and reduces noise in the future.
Repeat this process a total of about ten times over the next few days.
• Check the brakes regularly–they should be cleaned and adjusted.
• Over time the disc brakes get less efficient at breaking. To stay safe,
get your brakes inspected, serviced and changed if necessary by a
professional workshop.
• Squeezing your brakes down should feel solid and consistent –the
lever should not touch the handlebar. If you feel that your brakes
aren’t effective, get a professional to check them out.
• Take a good look at the brake pads on your bike every few weeks to
see how they are holding up. There shouldn’t be any dirt or oil on
the pads. Often times, the brakes will make a howling noise if
there’s oil on them.
• Check the brake hoses for wear and tear– if you can see that the
house is crumbling or broken in any place, get it checked immedia-
tely by a professional.
Maintenance instructions
Check your brakes
Check the chain or belt
Braking-in period
CAUTION!
IMPORTANT!
12
• After first couple of weeks check the bolts and nuts. If there is too
much play in the bolts, tighten them up a little bit and see if you can
identify the cause of the looseness. Don’t tighten the bolts too far.
• Re-tighten the bolts on the handlebar if needed.
• Check the crank bolts (8 mm hex key, not included), tighten them if
needed.
Re-tighten the pedals, using the key that came with the bike.
• Re-tighten the bottom bracket eccentric bolts.
IMPORTANT! If you do not use your Ampler e-bike regularly, you have
to charge the baery every 5 to 6 weeks. Otherwise the battery can
be damaged.
• The battery prefers to be stored at a capacity of 40% - 80%.
• Store it in a dry place, especially in winter. This does not have to be
a specially heated room, but we recommend that you do not store
it in places with a temperature below 0° C. Direct sunlight should
also be avoided.
• The charging process should always take place in a dry and not too
cold environment, but always above at least 0° C. The charger
should ideally be stored in your living area.
• It is advisable to give your Ampler e-bike some time to warm up
after a ride in the cold before charging the battery.
• By the way: The battery and motor power cannot fully develop in
the cold. So don't worry about a shorter range on cold winter days,
this is due to the cold and is common with lithium-ion batteries. In
summer, your Ampler e-bike will regain its full performance.
Maintaining your Ampler bike is just like maintaining
a regular bicycle and all professional bike shops can carry out the
maintenance of our bikes.
The first professional check-up should take place aer the first 500
kilometres – this will ensure that everything is working as it should.
After that, have the bike service regularly every 3000 km.
If you ride often and don’t count the riding distance, make sure to
take it to a professional bike shop for maintenance at least twice
every season, ideally even three times
• Before the start of the season
• Mid-way through
• At the end of the season.
This way, all the important aspects like brake oil levels, and the
condition of brake pads and tyres get checked, and the internal parts
like the crank set and wheel hubs get cleaned thoroughly.
To see which components should be serviced, how and when, take a
look at our inspection list here.
Maintenance instructions
Professional maintenance
schedule
Battery care
Keep the bolts tight
IMPORTANT!
13
Ampler hardware (the battery, controller and sensors) are inserted
into the down tube. This keeps the bike clean, the weight down, and
the components safe from outside elements such as the rain and cold
temperature.
The hardware doesn’t need any special maintenance. However, we
recommend to keep your bike Firmware up to date and calibrate your
bike sensors from time to time. This will help to keep your bike in a
good shape for longer time.
Software restart clears up your bikes memory and starts it fresh. It
helps to resolve any problems connected to the hardware, and any
communication problems between the bike and the mobile app.
To reset your bike
1. Hold down the power button for 10 seconds. This will reset and
turn off your bike.
2. Turn on the bike again from the power button.
Ampler bikes are pedelecs and they have sensors regulating the
motor, measuring the speed of pedalling and your own input power.
Therefore, the bike is easy to use and the motor power is controlled
according to your own pedaling force. This creates a safe and smooth
riding experience.
We recommend to calibrate your bike’s torque sensor every 3–6
months, or in case the bike feels over- or underpowered. Torque
sensor calibration is done via the Ampler app:
1. Adjust the left crank forward, parallel to the ground.
2. Connect the Ampler app with your bike via Bluetooth
3. Open ‘Vehicle’ setting from the menu
4. Click on ‘torque sensor calibration’
5. The LED blinks in orange
6. The LED will turn green once the calibration is successful
Re-adjusting the sensor signal helps to improve your bike’s responsi-
veness and power to its original figures.
Software restart
Electric system support
Torque sensor calibration
14
Factory calibration will adjust all your bike's sensors and align the
functionality of all electronic components. Use this calibration only if
any of the electronic components have been replaced or only if
recommended by Ampler support.
CAUTION! During the factory calibration, the motor starts on its own
and thus the rear wheel will start spinning. It is necessary for you to
li the rear wheel off the ground during the whole process to prevent
damages or injury.
Please follow these steps:
1. Place the left crank horizontally with ground facing in the front
direction.
2. Turn the bike off (the LED around the button is off).
3. Place the bike so that the motor can spin freely in the air. You can
slightly lift it up.
4. Hold down the button (approx. 10 seconds) until it turns GREEN
instead of RED. As soon as the LED turns GREEN, release the
button and make sure the wheel is lifted!
5. The LED starts blinking orange and the bike is processing a cali-
bration of the torque sensor and motor sensors. In a few mo-
ments, the motor starts spinning for around 15 seconds. When the
motor stops, the LED should blink GREEN after about 5 seconds
and then automatically turn off.
6. Check if the motor support is working again
Now the motor and torque sensor are calibrated and assist modes are
set to default, you might need to adjust them again through the app.
Turn the bike on again and you are ready to use your Ampler!
Here is how you check, if you need a firmware update and how to do
it:
Every Ampler has a motor controller – the so-called brain of your bike
that provides all of the functions for your bike, directing every other
part of the electronics system.
To get the best experience with Ampler, you should always keep your
bike's firmware up to date. This update can be done via your Ampler
app using your smartphone, the update usually consists of two parts.
The two parts are almost identical, and you’ll need to do them in a
row, so please take about 10-15 minutes to make sure you have
enough time for both updates and if necessary, some time to
troubleshoot.
To start, make sure:
• To download the latest app version for your phone
• You and your phone are near the bike
• You have internet connection on your phone, preferably stable WiFi
• Your phone’s battery is not running low
• The battery level of the Ampler bike is more than 25%
Electric system support
Firmware update
Factory calibration
CAUTION!
15
Step 1 - Connecting
Open the Ampler app and connect the app with your bike.
Step 2 - Firmware Check
Tap on the menu (three stripes in the left corner of the screen), select
“Vehicle” and then open your vehicle view by tapping on the picture of
your bike. In the bottom part of the screen you’ll see the information
about your bike’s firmware version:
If your bike’s firmware is up-to-date, then you don’t need to take any
actions. In the future, if a newer firmware version becomes available,
the app will notify you.
If a green “Update Firmware” button is visible it means that your bike’s
firmware needs to be updated and you can continue with step 3.
Step 3 - Start Update
Make sure that you are close to your bike and that you have a good
internet connection. Tap on the “Update” button. You’ll now see the
overview of updating details, including a small instruction. Read the
instruction carefully and tap on “Update” again.
Step 4 - Update No. 1
The app is now updating your bike’s firmware. You’ll see updating
progress and the status of the update on the screen. The first upda-
ting process will take about a minute. When the update is finished,
you’ll receive a notification that the update was successful.
Step 5 - Check Connection again
Switch the Bluetooth off and on again after a successful update. Wait
10-15 seconds and check whether the app can be connected to the
bike. If so, continue with the second update in step 6.
If the app does not connect automatically, see "Troubleshooting"
below.
Step 6 - Update No. 2 & Completion
As the firmware update consists of two parts, you’ll now need to do
the second part of the update. To do so, follow the same steps men-
tioned above again
Troubleshooting - Update not successful
If an update is not successful, cancelled or for any other reason not
finished, wait approximately 10 minutes and try again. If both updates
are not finished, the bike will automatically retrieve back to the old
firmware version and you’ll be able to start updating again after that.
Contact us, preferably via the app, if you have any problems.
Electric system support
16
The charger is designed for indoor use only. Do not expose it to rain,
snow or expose the device to elevated temperatures.
Only use the original Ampler charger designated for your Ampler
e-bike. Do not use this charger for other batteries. Also, do not use
other battery chargers for your Ampler e-bike.
Store the charger in a cool and dry place. Always check that the
magnetic charging plug and connector are clean. Any electrically
conducting particles at the connection can damage the charger or the
electrical system of the e-bike.
During charging, the charger can become moderately hot. Always
place the charger in a well-ventilated place and keep it away from
combustible materials.
Children should be supervised by an adult when using the product.
This charger must not be disposed with domestic waste and should
be disposed at an authorized place for recycling electrical appliances.
Charger safety instructions
CAUTION!
17
Installing the trailer adapter
1. Remove the nut from the left side of the rear drop-out. Do not
remove the black washer from the rear dropout - keep it on the
axle.
2. Attach the adapter to the axle. Use a 19 mm wrench and make sure
that the adapter is properly secured.
3. Remove the topmost bolt on the adapter with a 13 mm wrench,
leave the two silver washers on top of the adapter.
4. Finally, use the bolt to fasten the trailer hitch onto the adapter.
Our Ampler trailer adapter is compatible with most Thule, Burley and
Croozer trailers. It adapts our M12 thread to an M10.
Alao note the instructions provided by the trailer manufacturer
18 Further information
Our support portal has a lot more information for you. Here you can
learn how to care for your Ampler, as well as tips on operation and
troubleshooting.
If you want to talk with other Ampler cyclists, join our Facebook
group!
If you need help or want to report a warranty claim, contact our
customer service.
Please also read our terms and conditions, especially the warranty
and return policy.
The Ampler team thanks you for your trust and wishes you a safe ride!
This manual suits for next models
2
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