Throttle or no throttle. That is the question

[Taylor57]

But in actuality none of their bikes a limited to 250 watts and most are at least 500w or even more. The vagueness of the wording of that law has been discussed on here many times.....but I do agree that if a system was only capable of 250w it wouldn't be worth the weight and complexity to have aboard.

I wouldn't own an eBike without a throttle for the total of perhaps one mile in every thousand that I find it useful for.

Just today while out hunting Chanterelles my much younger buddy on his Giant stopped on an incline and struggled to get going again as he was in too high a gear while I blipped the throttle and started pedaling easily after he got it figured out. Plus a couple of spots that I needed to use it as a walk assist was handy.

View attachment 103007

Where were you hunting the mushrooms?

 

[6zfshdb]

I ride a class 2 throttle equipped bike and have had serious discussions with a few class 2 throttle "haters". Once you weed out all the erroneous complains, like they go too fast or throttled bikes do wheelies and tear up the trail surface, IMO, there is really only one legitimate argument. Class 1 riders are afraid reckless class 2 bikes will get ALL e-bikes banned from roads & trails.

Whether it be class 1 or class 2, all riders share the same responsibility to promote a positive public e-bike image. An idiot on a class 1 bike is just as capable of destroying that image as someone on a class 2 bike.

 

[Van Haren]

On the bike trails in the forest parks in Wisconsin it's the mountain bikers (pedals only) that are the very dangerous ones. They do the wheelies, tear up the trails and fly off hill tops. They've also hit deer and people.
MoPeds (gas or electric) are illegal on those trails and the paved trails in the city.

 

[hoggdoc]

The finest "PAS" is a fully functional throttle. On my Nakto the throttle went through the "PAS" controller and increased speed in those steps. A slight touch was instant full 8mph and a wheelie.

Is there no programming to change the throttle to operate independent of the PAS. My Himiway allows your to select how the throttle works, I have mine to work alongside the PAS but not be limited by the PAS settings. It works great when you want/need a little extra power or when starting off. The throttle can be modulated pretty well but wish the twist grip spring was a little lighter.

 

[hoggdoc]

That's true on the trails where I ride but when I asked if it was OK to ride the trails as long as I unplugged it first they said that was fine.

I'm curious, has anyone stopped you to inquire what class your e-bike is? I don't think many have put in that position. Maybe the best thing to do is ride responsibly and no one will stop you.

 

[reed scott]

They can take my throttle when they pry it from my cold dead finger.

 

[fooferdoggie]

They can take my throttle when they pry it from my cold dead finger.

is that after you crash going 50mph?? He died with his finger on the throttle will read the headlines.

 

[AHicks]

is that after you crash going 50mph?? He died with his finger on the throttle will read the headlines.

If I die/crash doing 50 mph I can pretty much guarantee anyone concerned my finger was NOT on the throttle!!!!

 

[JRA]

In all these throttle threads, and I dare say in the minds of many of those that oppose throttles, there is the underlying conception that having a throttle will somehow make an eBike that has one faster. However due to the limitations of v x Amps it really doesn't matter if you are in PAS mode or throttle mode because in the end you are more restricted to the high gear ratio of your drive train, more so even on mid drive bikes.

From my experience standard gearing such as 42/11 will start to feel hamsterish at around 25mph yet engaging the throttle alone at that speed will either stabilize or slow a bit depending on how many watts you have to tap into. Certainly having 4 or more thousand watts will keep you going and even faster but your pedaling will become ineffective and for my sake of argument not that many people that are trying to ride eBikes legally aren't running that many watts and on a different class of machine.

I certainly have seen folks just tooling along the side of the road not even trying to pedal and the scooter type two wheelers that are becoming popular are not what I would call efficient for pedaling or at least wouldn't be for me and by no means have gear ratio's high enough to be able to pedal at the 30 plus mph speeds they advertise. But for legal type bikes having a throttle does nothing to add to a higher speed potential of the bike.

What has bugged me since day one with the California Class laws is that in the Class 2 column they say throttle use but give no credit for the fact that pretty much all of them have pedals and most with some sort of PAS just like the Class 1 bikes and are allowed the same access, as per the PFB graph, as Class 1 yet somehow that has evolved into restricted access for the Class 2 bikes in practice. But that is another subject that has been flogged repeatedly on here......

 

[Van Haren]

Is there no programming to change the throttle to operate independent of the PAS. My Himiway allows your to select how the throttle works, I have mine to work alongside the PAS but not be limited by the PAS settings. It works great when you want/need a little extra power or when starting off. The throttle can be modulated pretty well but wish the twist grip spring was a little lighter.

My throttle is connected to the PAS. A slight twist and it's instant 8mph. If it's set for 4 steps. It will notch through 8/9/10/11mph. If set for 5 steps the slight movement from half twist instantly goes to 17mph with a slight wheelie.
This is even with the pedal sensor disconnected. The PAS and THROTTLE are directly connected.
I found the bike isn't safe over 9mph with the saddle bags loaded or one of the trailers connected. Above 11mph is very unsafe. It's too flimsy, brakes are inadequate and the fork is almost upright. Also I can't get a full face helmet that's light enough. Nobody cares about smashing there face. Believe me it's not fun.
The only ones warning me about e-bikes are non-riders. The two policemen were just interested in how they ride. The police just got 4 of them and I have only seen one other e-bike on the streets. Just smart arses want to see a wheelie.
I just received an e-mail that my derelict is now back at TREK in California for replacement.

 

[ChezCheese:)]

That's true on the trails where I ride but when I asked if it was OK to ride the trails as long as I unplugged it first they said that was fine.

But are you actually going to do that?

 

[Van Haren]

Mine has far more power and speed with the PAS unplugged on the original Nakto. On the replacement it's even worse. It is of newer design with the LEVER throttle mounted on the RIGHT side (along with the gear shift). The throttle is still controlled by the PAS. Even with the PAS shut off. It now start out softer but goes to 11mph continuous, 22mph with PAS set at 2 and I don't want to find out what it would do at 5.
So yes, even with the PAS disconnected, it will not be good.

 

[Gordon71]

But are you actually going to do that?

Always.

 

[Lily7]

The Euro bike makers have no throttles because they are illegal in Europe. Their lobbyists helped implement the USA Class 1, and CLass 3 systems which are pedal assist only. Class 2 is of course both pedal and throttle. Current importers of chinese bikes have been re-defining class 3 as throttle to 20 mph, PAS to 28 mph, which is not really true to the definition, but what do I care. All my bikes have throttles,

I think most people would like to have a throttle and use it as desired.

Do you have any bikes that do not have Bluetooth that have a throttle?