heavy,expensive...but doable...
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speed pedelics are they as fun as it sounds?
- Thread starter Cuddles
- Start date
Cuddles
Well-known member
It´s in the slim design - it looks like a bicycle and you use it like one as you need to pedal.
it´s a bicycle that goes faster more easily. I guess it depends on the perspective
You can also get off and push it on the pavement if you really need to, so it´s more flexible than a motorbike.Also, it´s more environmentally friendly and I don´t have to give any money to Putin when buying petrol as far as I can tell
No parking charges in most cases. Motorbikes and bicycles are not suppose to take up valuable parking spaces meant for cars so, it should be okay most of the time.
Cuddles
Well-known member
how heavy is it - roughly?
10 lbs? it depends on the capacity...e-bikes are generally fairly heavy to begin with unless you spend an arm and a leg...something else to consider,bike thieves love stealing e-bikes,all that locks do is slow them down
Cuddles
Well-known member
this one looks kinda nice but it´s not a fast one:
radpowerbikes.eu
RadRunner 2
RadRunner 2 Electric Utility Bike
Our moped-style electric bike is designed to ride like an utility urban scooter. 300+ accessory combinations help carry everything including your best friend.
radpowerbikes.eu
Cuddles
Well-known member
I was thinking of getting motorbike lessons anyway. That is, if I can get the cash together but things are still looking bad
For his defense; he wrote "electric motorbike".Also, it´s more environmentally friendly and I don´t have to give any money to Putin when buying petrol as far as I can tell
@Cuddles
You are from the netherlands!?
+1
Cuddles
Well-known member
right, I guess I overlooked it
No, I´m not in Holland, must be nice though
My mums firend is on holiday there right now. Btw she´s doing a bike tour with a group on their e-bikes
My first try was a local bike shop. Just around a small lot though. So what I really learned was how fast they pick up speed, and need stopping again.
Avoid front wheel motors. Just the bob of me peddling was causing it to spin when I built one. Gravel pulling away. Any excuse. I did about 50 miles and stripped it. That thing surging in while on a wet corner would of lost skin every time. Rear wheel skids are fine, but front wheel skids are a wash out.
Direct drive rear motors cause drag when the battery is flat. You have to pedal it round and the magnets are good. Generally direct drive is cheap rubbish, and anything remotely worth having will be a geared hub. That doesn't mean you get gears. Simply that is uses a reduction ratio internally. Often 5:1 to increase torque. While bothering to design a proper motor they invariably fit a freewheel assembly in there also. So you can out pedal the motor, without dragging it around.
Mid drive is where the money starts to mount up. That's a motor at the pedals, using the bikes gears. If you have any serious hills, this is a better bet than any hub motor.
The 250w rating of the 25kmh models as what an amateur sports cyclist can keep going at. Though you still have the speed limiter they don't. That gives an idea of a mid drives climbing power.
Nearly all 250w 25kmh bikes can be unlocked, but check before buying. A locked bike will assist fully to about 10mph, then slowly turn the power down as you go faster. So there is no power assist at all by 25kmh (15.5mph). This means, if you don't try, if won't take you to 25. Maybe 12-13mph. Which can leave you wondering why you bothered. While unlocked, 250w will carry you to about 18mph. The happy place for most riders, regardless of if they could go faster. I can't stress enough how many drivers will be caught out by how fast you are going. Maybe 1 in 10.
That's 1 in 10 won't be surprised.
Avoid front wheel motors. Just the bob of me peddling was causing it to spin when I built one. Gravel pulling away. Any excuse. I did about 50 miles and stripped it. That thing surging in while on a wet corner would of lost skin every time. Rear wheel skids are fine, but front wheel skids are a wash out.
Direct drive rear motors cause drag when the battery is flat. You have to pedal it round and the magnets are good. Generally direct drive is cheap rubbish, and anything remotely worth having will be a geared hub. That doesn't mean you get gears. Simply that is uses a reduction ratio internally. Often 5:1 to increase torque. While bothering to design a proper motor they invariably fit a freewheel assembly in there also. So you can out pedal the motor, without dragging it around.
Mid drive is where the money starts to mount up. That's a motor at the pedals, using the bikes gears. If you have any serious hills, this is a better bet than any hub motor.
The 250w rating of the 25kmh models as what an amateur sports cyclist can keep going at. Though you still have the speed limiter they don't. That gives an idea of a mid drives climbing power.
Nearly all 250w 25kmh bikes can be unlocked, but check before buying. A locked bike will assist fully to about 10mph, then slowly turn the power down as you go faster. So there is no power assist at all by 25kmh (15.5mph). This means, if you don't try, if won't take you to 25. Maybe 12-13mph. Which can leave you wondering why you bothered. While unlocked, 250w will carry you to about 18mph. The happy place for most riders, regardless of if they could go faster. I can't stress enough how many drivers will be caught out by how fast you are going. Maybe 1 in 10.
That's 1 in 10 won't be surprised.
down in Florida, many ride what are known as "liquor cycles". enough horse-power to get you killed, but not enough that you need a license...which is why so many alcoholics & elderly buy them. they aren't going any further than grocery or package store...
Ca++
Well-known member
A 50cc sports bike, such as the TZR, has a 1800w peak output. That's 2.4hp and a peak torque of almost 3nm.
I'm feeding a 4kg hub motor with 30 amps at 48v, which is pretty standard stuff. That's 1500w and it's torque is about 100nm.
That 100nm is available from stationary. As the motor speed increases, it becomes harder to get that 30amps into it (back emf). Approaching 30mph my 48v struggles to push 15 amps through it. I'm down to 750w at this point, which won't get you to 30mph unless you are tucking in and well polished. This is the opposite with the 50cc who got a weak start but has it's peak power at high revs. A restricted TZR for the 50cc learner regs of many countries, offers 1000w peak.
There is a good calculator at ebikes.ca iirc. You can plug in the motor part number, and battery. It will return range and speed estimates. You can set in gradients and weights and it may give estimates in terms of time until overheat. My bike motor is 500w. At full throttle on the flat, that 750w will overheat it in 20 minutes. Which is how long my unreasonably small battery pack lasts at full throttle. I can crawl 40 miles on that pack though.
Legal bikes run the same compromises. The basic regs give a 250w motor size limit. A motor sized at 250w must take 250w for 1 hour. Nothing in the regs says you can't give it more than 250w, but a 250w motor won't last an hour. Typically a 250w bike will use a 36v battery and 10-15 amp controller. Giving 350-500w if you make it slog it out up a hill. Which could fry the motor.
Only flat ground suits the DD (direct drive) cheap ass motors, generally seen in fwd conversion kits. A geared hub motor is the standard for commercial bikes, and alright for normal use. If you have any hills to climb. Especially one's that carry on for a few minutes. Get the crank drive bikes that use the bikes gears. Most speed pedelecs will likely have a crank drive, or as they are also named, a mid motor. Bosch are pretty good, but unlocking the software restrictions is getting harder. Self builds tend to use bafang brand, which are very flexible.
I'm feeding a 4kg hub motor with 30 amps at 48v, which is pretty standard stuff. That's 1500w and it's torque is about 100nm.
That 100nm is available from stationary. As the motor speed increases, it becomes harder to get that 30amps into it (back emf). Approaching 30mph my 48v struggles to push 15 amps through it. I'm down to 750w at this point, which won't get you to 30mph unless you are tucking in and well polished. This is the opposite with the 50cc who got a weak start but has it's peak power at high revs. A restricted TZR for the 50cc learner regs of many countries, offers 1000w peak.
There is a good calculator at ebikes.ca iirc. You can plug in the motor part number, and battery. It will return range and speed estimates. You can set in gradients and weights and it may give estimates in terms of time until overheat. My bike motor is 500w. At full throttle on the flat, that 750w will overheat it in 20 minutes. Which is how long my unreasonably small battery pack lasts at full throttle. I can crawl 40 miles on that pack though.
Legal bikes run the same compromises. The basic regs give a 250w motor size limit. A motor sized at 250w must take 250w for 1 hour. Nothing in the regs says you can't give it more than 250w, but a 250w motor won't last an hour. Typically a 250w bike will use a 36v battery and 10-15 amp controller. Giving 350-500w if you make it slog it out up a hill. Which could fry the motor.
Only flat ground suits the DD (direct drive) cheap ass motors, generally seen in fwd conversion kits. A geared hub motor is the standard for commercial bikes, and alright for normal use. If you have any hills to climb. Especially one's that carry on for a few minutes. Get the crank drive bikes that use the bikes gears. Most speed pedelecs will likely have a crank drive, or as they are also named, a mid motor. Bosch are pretty good, but unlocking the software restrictions is getting harder. Self builds tend to use bafang brand, which are very flexible.
Switcher56
Comfortably numb!
Yup!
4.8km there, 4.8km back. Charge once a week. Truck for other LD ventures/chores.
Ca++
Well-known member
Every self builder knows https://bmsbattery.com/ as a major supplier.
https://www.greenbikekit.com/ is a close runner up.
In the Americas https://ebikes.ca/ has a few other choices
The best forum by far, except for IC, is ES https://endless-sphere.com
That's all the self builder need know. Except for one safety issue. People with a modeling background often bring the knowledge of how they deal with batteries. They forget they have to charge them outside in fire proof bags when attending competitions. Almost half the people building their own bike are not interested in the cost of building a pack suited to an EV, and instead scale up a modelling pack. Most years, someone on ES burns the house to the ground. Even the proper batteries are a no fly item. Sea shipping only. The actual difference between modelling packs and EV packs is just a 20$ circuit board that quietly manages the pack out of sight or mind. Start building a monster, and that 20$ could become 200$. It's the idea you can do without buying one and use a 20$ model charger that keeps the dream alive, and the houses burning. No manufacturer would dream of selling a pack without a BMS. However, no nursery sells plants in solo cups. Yet people still teach others to do it.
https://www.greenbikekit.com/ is a close runner up.
In the Americas https://ebikes.ca/ has a few other choices
The best forum by far, except for IC, is ES https://endless-sphere.com
That's all the self builder need know. Except for one safety issue. People with a modeling background often bring the knowledge of how they deal with batteries. They forget they have to charge them outside in fire proof bags when attending competitions. Almost half the people building their own bike are not interested in the cost of building a pack suited to an EV, and instead scale up a modelling pack. Most years, someone on ES burns the house to the ground. Even the proper batteries are a no fly item. Sea shipping only. The actual difference between modelling packs and EV packs is just a 20$ circuit board that quietly manages the pack out of sight or mind. Start building a monster, and that 20$ could become 200$. It's the idea you can do without buying one and use a 20$ model charger that keeps the dream alive, and the houses burning. No manufacturer would dream of selling a pack without a BMS. However, no nursery sells plants in solo cups. Yet people still teach others to do it.
is there a lot of interest in custom bikes there? i imagine old rigid-frame Triumphs and BSAs or Nortons tooling around on back roads.I was thinking of getting motorbike lessons anyway. That is, if I can get the cash together but things are still looking bad
Cuddles
Well-known member
Whenever i google bikes here the same names keep coming up. yamaha,suzuki, honda, kawasaki, bmw ad ktm. but the first ones are mentioned most often.is there a lot of interest in custom bikes there? i imagine old rigid-frame Triumphs and BSAs or Nortons tooling around on back roads.
I´m new to bikes but I´ve realized that it´s not so easy finding a bike for a girl my size because I´m not tall or that heavy
I think it´s different in america. There´s much more choice available in just about everything ...
Not even sure they have a bike here which suits my other personal needs. I may have to rethink my criteria, lol. But buying a bike, assuming it´ll ever happen, is a long way off anyway.
I´m more worried about paying the bills etc.
Ca++
Well-known member
What can you ride with your car license? Some countries give entitlement to small bikes, after passing a car test.
You probably don't want a big bike. Watch 250 racing. See if you expect to go that fast. A 50cc is a typical EU learner size, and something like the speed pedelec. My car license lets me run about on one without L plates. I can ride a 125 with learner plate. I think I'm expected to pass a test within a year though, or it's back to a 50.
Lambretta? That's some retro cool. Gives a step through frame, and a wind screen if you want one. Either way it's helmet hair anyway.
You probably don't want a big bike. Watch 250 racing. See if you expect to go that fast. A 50cc is a typical EU learner size, and something like the speed pedelec. My car license lets me run about on one without L plates. I can ride a 125 with learner plate. I think I'm expected to pass a test within a year though, or it's back to a 50.
Lambretta? That's some retro cool. Gives a step through frame, and a wind screen if you want one. Either way it's helmet hair anyway.
Brother Nature
Well-known member
You can get some really cool looking small capacity motorcycles in the UK, on a learners license. They'll have to be Japanese, but at least you know they'll be reliable. For example, the below is my first bike, it's originally a Suzuki vl250 Intruder, but I bobbed it out to look cooler. It's a 250, but they also have a 125cc version in the UK that looks the same (originally). It takes a bit of getting used to, but once you're comfortable in the open air with some speed, you'll be blasting through the motorway queues at 130 laughing at all the sad caged dorks, going nowhere in their SUV's that cost as much as a house. Power output is small, something like 12.5hp and while not as healthy as a bicycle, looks a lot cooler and drivers will hear you a little better than on a soundless bike. It's also quite samall, my last misses learned to ride in it and it fit her perfectly, she's about 5"2', I'm 6"4' and look like a monkey clutching a rugby ball when I'm on it. Not sure how it is there, but over here there is weirdly a lot of hatred towards bicycle riders and even as a biker, I give a lot of credit to the guys riding their bikes in the city on a daily, I'm constantly surprised their balls don't get caught in the gears, but perhaps that's why they all wear spandex. Spandex is also a pre-req for bicycleriding here so if you're not confident wearing next to nothing riding through a line of oversized, Sunday driving SUV's, you won't fit in. Unc's got the legs of a superhuman and probably the heart of a 30 year old, you certainly don't get that on a motorcycle lol.
Unc's got the legs of a superhuman and probably the heart of a 30 year old, you certainly don't get that on a motorcycle lol.
Cuddles
Well-known member
over here you can go on a moped or anything that does up to 45 km/h if you have a regular drivers license already. Anything faster and you need a bike license BUT : if you are licensed to drive a car then you can take lessons and get a permit and then you´re allowed to go on a 125 ccm which means you´re allowed onto the motorway.You can get some really cool looking small capacity motorcycles in the UK, on a learners license. They'll have to be Japanese, but at least you know they'll be reliable. For example, the below is my first bike, it's originally a Suzuki vl250 Intruder, but I bobbed it out to look cooler. It's a 250, but they also have a 125cc version in the UK that looks the same (originally). It takes a bit of getting used to, but once you're comfortable in the open air with some speed, you'll be blasting through the motorway queues at 130 laughing at all the sad caged dorks, going nowhere in their SUV's that cost as much as a house. Power output is small, something like 12.5hp and while not as healthy as a bicycle, looks a lot cooler and drivers will hear you a little better than on a soundless bike. It's also quite samall, my last misses learned to ride in it and it fit her perfectly, she's about 5"2', I'm 6"4' and look like a monkey clutching a rugby ball when I'm on it. Not sure how it is there, but over here there is weirdly a lot of hatred towards bicycle riders and even as a biker, I give a lot of credit to the guys riding their bikes in the city on a daily, I'm constantly surprised their balls don't get caught in the gears, but perhaps that's why they all wear spandex. Spandex is also a pre-req for bicycleriding here so if you're not confident wearing next to nothing riding through a line of oversized, Sunday driving SUV's, you won't fit in.
View attachment 18729572
Might as well take it one step further and take the tests I guess.
My problem is that I´m afraid I won´t remember all the theoretical stuff and fail .
I´m better at practical stuff. I´d feel kinda stupid going around on a little tuck-tuck bikey. But then again, it´s better than nothing at all I guess
Another thing I´m worried about is covid. I´d be in a room with a bunch of other people who may or may not be infected. Most of them will be kids getting their drivers license and more and more of them are getting infected.
Infection rates have been rising again this year anyway because the government has screwed up and said we don´t need to wear masks anymore.
bloody idiots!
Cuddles
Well-known member
no, I don´t want a big bike. way too big for me! AND I´d look totally daft on one too . I want something fast enough , light and easy to maneuver and handle and comfy to sit on. Now if it also looks sexy and vintage like the ones you often see in america on the telly, now THAT would be my dream come true!
