Re: Good motor practices
 

A few links worth looking at:

Here's a link to some details of how CIM motor's heat up when loaded to their maximum mechanical power.

Here's a link to some measurements my lab made of CIM motor starting current. Special thanks to Russ Ether for his help with that testing. Here's another link to his white paper on how several FRC legal speed controllers limit the CIM motor's starting current.

Here's the link to Al Skierkiewicz's thread (mentioned above) on failure of a CIM motor due to extended, hard practice driving. Don't try this at home, or if you do then plan to replace the motors before your next competition.

Re: Good motor practices
 

Older CIM motors had a hobbed gear on their shaft. The last year I saw them was 2002. In 2003 they switched to key way. That might explain what you saw.