Why an E-Bike and Not a G-Bike??

[6zfshdb]

A lot of good points have been posted so far. My original question though referred to a G-bike which could be developed to meet the 3 class system. Nothing like it exists today. If so, in theory, they should be exempt from license & registration requirements like E-bikes are now.

Sure fossil fuels are on their way out and I'm all for pushing electric technology. I fear it will be a long time before batteries are as energy dense as gasoline though.

 

[PDXzap]

A decade ago the laws regarding a motor on a bicycle were way more lax. A motor under 50cc and the bicycle was still considered a bicycle in most places but now it seems many and maybe most consider it a moped and make you register it as such.
I think with the right R&D a gasser could easily be a real winner.
As far as economy goes, with existing tech I doubt an ebike could ever come close to a gasser as far as purchase price and "fuel" operating cost. Factor in maintenance and repair/replace and the gasser looks even better.
There are still a lot of "shade tree" mechanics around that can fix an engine and tune a carburetor. How many people are out there that can diagnose if your controller has a blown fet, a cold solder joint, or any of the other multiple problems that can creep up when the drive system stops functioning.

 

[dAz63]

And places like Australia simply ban gas/petrol engines on bicycles all together, someone caught riding one can be charged with driving an unregistered motor vehicle and not having insurance, and if they are unlicensed as well the fines can run into the thousands.

We used to have legal limited power engines on bicycles in the form of the Sach in wheel engines, but we had too many morons hooking up weed trimmer engines to bicycles and those cheap engine kits from eBay easily exceed the power rating allowed and the bicycles could do 60kph along the roads, combine that with frames, tyres and brakes that can't handle the power or able to stop, think cheap Kmart bike with steel rims and caliper brakes, so instead of trying to find a solution they simply just banned them outright.

 

[harryS]

I doubt that this the zenith or Golden Age of E-bikes. I think that remains in the future. Battery technology will keep improving along with many other inventions which are currently left only to your imagination. This is only the infancy of Ebikes. How about a battery the size of a thimble that can run everything on your bike including 100 % crash protection? How about a continent wide infrastructure supporting this mode of transportation? I do not think I will live long enough to see the Golden Age but the best is yet to come.

Golden age as far as legal stuff. Aside from NYC, no one stops me from riding a 30W to 3000W bike anywhere as long as it looks like a bike and not a motor scooter.

My son bought this in 2014 for 50 bucks. I was able to start it, but he never could. We never took it far enough that a cop might see it. I think fell within the cracks and wasn't powerful enough to be called a moped.

 

[ebikemom]

I'd like a W-bike that runs on water! <3 There's somebody out there working on a water-powered battery! More power to them!!!

 

[indianajo]

I'd like a W-bike that runs on water! <3 There's somebody out there working on a water-powered battery! More power to them!!!

Would work fine, as long as it was raining 15" per hour. I was in one of those storms once. It was hard to see to drive. Car got water in engine oil, transmission fluid, rear axle lube, brake lines. I had to change everything. Water was over the drive tunnel. That car still runs.

 

[Alex M]

Please don't misunderstand. I am fully supportive of the E-bike concept and I ask these questions out of curiosity, not animosity. I sometimes wonder if the same principle could have been achieved with small quiet gas powered "G-bikes".

Motorized bicycles have been around for over a century. As a young boy, I remember my grandfather riding around on his bike equipped with a Smith Motor Wheel. It was surprisingly quiet and couldn't be heard more that a few yards away.

The question is - where to draw the line in terms of speed, noise, and quality. In 3rd world countries small-wheel G-bikes are ridden by 14-17 year olds, and, trust me, you WON'T like being anywhere near them. First I thought it was a leaf-blower (in a desert town, right?) - then 2 kids pulled up and ONTO the low cement porch in front of the store. Alarmingly loud. Though, cheap Chinese ATV are not any better.

Then comes a maintenance of a gas motor. Those kids of course didn't give it more thought than they would to aging and dying but I remember stress (and cost!) of annual winterizing/summerizing of a small outboard motor on my canoe, and a mandatory freshwater run after a sea trip. The main reason to get rid of it, though, was the stress of actual use. We are supposed to enjoy our toys. When your only thought for 30-40 minutes is: "When this darn brain-drilling contraption will already cross the bay and shut up?" - this is not an enjoyment. Trolling motor is not same fast, but it makes me happier because it's silent and needs no maintenance.

Other than hobbyists/DIY types, people don't repair their e-motors and hardly do any servicing/maintenance on them. Hubs can be replaced together with wheel, cheap online these days. Mids - well, you should've known what you were getting into, so pay the piper/dealer or get your hands dirty. Doesn't happen more often than once in a few years, though.

 

[tomjasz]

There are, or were, high quality 2 stroke kits with decent mufflers but I don’t see them anymore. Every one I saw this past spring didn’t make it though the summer. Some guy did a review on YouTube and my comments got immediately jumped on. I shut up and figured they have $150 to burn and it’s a good lesson. Cheap crap is cheap crap.

 

[DouglasB]

Not nearly as reliable as electric.

 

[Stefan Mikes]

Of course G-bikes exist. Take the Derny bikes that take part in six-day and Keirin track bicycle races. First time I saw a Derny I could not stop laughing.

 

[McCorby]

I try to not make all encompassing statements... try. I should've just offered my experience. I have seen many 2 stroke gasser bikes. I am a little surprised to hear of the 4 stroke options. It took a long time for motocross and outboard boat motors to get to that point and the results have been great for performance, but extreme weight and size gains. I have a 125 HP Mercury 4 stroke and it is the size and weight of a 200 HP 2 stroke. The 4 stroke are very quiet and efficient.

2 cycle technology has come a long way. Their exhaust emissions and fuel consumption can be as low or lower than a 4 cycle but still retain the advantages of a traditional 2 cycle, such as weight and power output.