Recent content by Ken M

Thanks for the feedback. One of the shortfalls for an IGH based on compound planet gears is the under-drive ratios which tend to be of dubious value on commuting ebikes, especially higher power ebikes. We will have less gears but non will be below a 1:1 direct drive ratio so the final drive...

Hi, I'm involved with a rear IGH project that will be a 3-speed 400% range with a torque rating over 350nm and no under-drive ratios (1;1, 1:2 & 1;4). I'm guessing you don't use any of your under-drive ratios for 90% of your riding given the power of the Bafang Ultra so wanted to get your...

Going down just a 5% grade any rider can easily hit 40mph. Going down a 10% grade you don't even have to pedal to hit 50mph. There is so much that is ignore in the ebike debate. Below 20mph the NHTSA doesn't even car about max power which explains why the federal ebike definition only...

I think the financial pain of owning and always driving a car is becoming a larger and larger burden for most of us. An ebike can save everyone $1000s a year for anyone that commits to using it for most short trips from the home. Once someone is comfortable doing that they will inevitably start...

That is a nice design but what you inevitably end up with is an ebike that costs as much as a low end car that may even need to be parked as a car due to increased footprint vs a traditional bike. In the summer an enclosed bike can be very hot inside and in the winter condensation can be a...

There is a lot of riding data that indicates that the vast majority of riders do achieve speeds in the 25-30mph range when going down hill. Now I know some will claim that is meaningless but it shows that most riders do in fact feel safe at those speeds and it's probably why the class 3...

While there is an overload of data presented some of it is telling. Most people still consider bikes/ebikes as recreation and fitness oriented and not for transportation. The idea that most people don't want to ride over 2 miles tells me that few really understand how effective ebikes are.

They should be a 100% bike / ebike advocacy organization but the 3-class legislation they promoted was primarily to harmonize a system with Europe which as intended to ensure ebikes remained a recreation/leisure/fitness product and not the most effective urban mobility solution they could be...

This is a post on ebike regulations so I have been out of context.

Listen, I have nothing to do with all the new ebikes coming out with Class switching capability. I did predict it would happen but that does not make it my fault. Maybe you can explain what the performance difference is between a LSEB as defined by HR727 and a multi-mode ebike. My guess...

So you think that the 3-class state legislation is working? There are any new "multi-mode" (basically switchable to any class and even off-road whenever the rider chooses) which make it impossible to enforce any trail rule that only class 1 allowed (not that anyone is even trying to enforce the...

Multi-mode is a software capability to switch from Class 1 to Class 2 to Class 3 anytime you want. The idea is that when a rider is on a road side bike lane that allows Class 3 they switch the ebike to that mode. The problem lies in enforcement because most riders are just going to leave the...

Have you noticed that many of the new models have multi-mode programming. 3-class is NOT working. The CPSC still owns what defines a compliant Low Speed Electric Bicycle that is legal for sale in all 50 states. We can discuss the regulations but I do care about the future of ebikes which...

It's not really a limit. If you read and understand the federal definition in HR727 you would understand it actually a motor rating which is actually very nebulous. Most engineers understand this but few others do (especially the lawyers that tell others that it's a power limit). The federal...

Multi-mode capability was inevitably going to be necessity once one company realized that they are compliant to the federal definition in HR727 while everyone believes that an ebike has to be compliant to the 3-class regulations at the state level to be ridden legally. The fact is that an...