E Tracker

[biknut]

Here's another nice electric bike. I'm liking the trend toward higher powered eBikes. This one is claimed to go 36 mph, and from what I've heard can back up the claim. This is an American company. Recently Small Planet eBikes informed me they're offering these bikes for sale right here in Dallas. The owner told me it will do 40 mph.

http://vintageelectricbikes.com

 

[George S.]

The website shows the problem. The high power version is $100 more than the low power version. But the high power version is listed as 'off road'.

Here's the definition of Moped in Texas:

http://moped2.org/laws/Texas.htm

You could say 50cc is about 5 HP, which is about 4,000 watts. You could try to make these bikes into mopeds, but the 30 mph limit probably wouldn't work. You'd be 'more legal'.

If you wait a couple of years, real electric motorcycles that will be sold as motorcyles, complete with registrations and licenses, will show up. I don't see ebike people trying to change the laws to make 4,000 watt ebikes legal on the street. And I don't see a big company like Currie or BH coming into the market with a 4,000 watt ebike, just saying it is 'off road'.

If I had a 17 year old, I would want her to take the motorcycle training course. That's pretty much the way they handle it, these days. If that is the license requirement, I'm OK with that.

It is going to hurt the US. There is no way we will produce these super fancy drive bikes in big numbers, like a Haibike. We could make a bike with more power, but where would it go? Could you allow it on bike paths? Would people ride them in traffic? And why aren't we just waiting for a low priced motorcycle or scooter.

 

[biknut]

George, that bike doesn't look very off road does it lol? I think my bike looks more off road bike than that one. But my bike is totally legal in Texas, because it's limited to the legal limits. I don't see any reason why that one, or any other can't be easily limited in the same way. What sets the higher power electric bicycle apart is the ability to adjust the power limit. There's actually no way to prevent that from happening. Electronics is like that. Of course riding on the street above the legal limit would be illegal, but in that case you ride it legally by making sure you're not over the legal limit. Kind of like buzzed driving, don't drive over the limit.

It's no different than my Harley Road King. I made a lot of changes to my Road King that if you look at the fine print in the Harley catalog plainly state, are not EPA compliant, "these parts are for off road use only". Harley is making millions each year selling those parts to Road King owners, but do you really believe anyone actually rides his Road King off road?

We live in a time when the government is run by corporations that only care about the bottom line. In this particular case it's one of the few advantages I see for a Corptocracy.