X Class 52 versus D Class
- Thread starter aloharich
- Start date
PedalUma
Well-Known Member
- Region
- USA
- City
- Petaluma, CA
Hi Rich,
This one is not legal. Unless you only use it on your farm or ranch. Or if you get motorcycle insurance and a license plate from the DMV. In no case is it allowed in a bike lane, bike path, or park. In California it is a $243 fine and a point on your driving record to ride this motorcycle in a bike lane. I do not know about your state. Check local laws. This one is twice legal power limit for a bike.
Thanks, I'm in CA. Although I frequently see big gangs of kids all over town easily passing me when I'm in my car doing 25 mph. Is this regulation enforced anywhere? I imagine it should and needs to be, I just haven't seen any indication all hell isn't breaking lose around the town I'm in. (So Cal)
Given all the crap the cops here have to deal with in our town/city, I'd imagine they only care about these is if you burn through a red light , and drinking a bottle of whiskey and riding, or are stupid enough to pass them going faster than 20
There are literally a pack of 12 kids on these ebikes every day, storming through our neighborhood, blasting through stop signs, and yes, a few throw rocks at people. The posts on Nextdoor say the cops won't/can't do anything about it until someone gets hurt.
PedalUma
Well-Known Member
- Region
- USA
- City
- Petaluma, CA
I would like to add three things into the conversational mix.
Someone will get hurt. https://bayareabicyclelaw.com/safety-laws/e-bikes/
There will be a backlash lumping all electric bikes together. Responsible with Unlawful.
Just for fun, look at yesterday's thread that has Lasagna Tray in its title.
Someone will get hurt. https://bayareabicyclelaw.com/safety-laws/e-bikes/
There will be a backlash lumping all electric bikes together. Responsible with Unlawful.
Just for fun, look at yesterday's thread that has Lasagna Tray in its title.
They can't be registered with the DVM because they don't have a vehicle ID on the bikes. No plates can be put on the ebike without an ID number.
Any overall comparison of the bikes? I'm fairly new to ebikes, but would like one for somewhat hilly terrain, mostly commute, getting around on, running errands and occasionally carrying a passenger.
We had a Rad Runner borrowed for a while and it just felt pretty anemic.
We had a Rad Runner borrowed for a while and it just felt pretty anemic.
PedalUma
Well-Known Member
- Region
- USA
- City
- Petaluma, CA
Then look into mid-drive bikes. They do sustained climbs, unlike hub-motors. And they have a balanced feel. I made one yesterday that is 31.5 pounds. The center of gravity is 84mm above the hubs, low and centered. The 'throttle' is inside the pedals with a torque sensor monitoring pedal pressure at 1,000 times per second. Just push down your foot like on a car to go. Mid-drives are 20% more efficient so lighter batteries can be used and the range increased with better acceleration and handling. Good bikes have a 50/50 weight distribution up to a 40/60. Junky bikes are heavy at one end. Good bikes out perform the ones from stores at $9400 and do not look 'electric' with ugly wires. You can see a little wire from the battery if you zoom closely.
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The funny thing is, they technically are legal as shipped. The laws are ambiguous in that they simply state that your motor must be under 750w - having two motors each at 750w isn't a violation of it. It also comes speed limited to 20mph and I would venture a lot of the people who get it keep that on. In my state that makes it a class 2, and perfectly legal to ride on any bike lane, trail, or path in the state. The problem is always from irresponsible drivers, but it's not like this bike is the sole perpetrator of that; you can derestrict almost every ebike with a digital display out there.
These bikes have ludicrous amounts of torque, far more than any mid-drive system out there that make them especially capable on hills. If you keep the speed limiter on them you could comfortably use these for fun acceleration and hill climbs easily.
PedalUma
Well-Known Member
- Region
- USA
- City
- Petaluma, CA
We do weekly group rides. The hub motors get anemic and shut down on sustained climbs. I guess it depends on the hills in your neighborhood and who you like to ride with. A primative mid-drive shut down after a sustained climb yesterday. The newer ones are much better. The image is of the advanced mid-drives we took out today. One of the bikes has a 1920 lugged frame design with internal brakes.
Climbing Bald Mountain, CA by bike - cycling data and info
Bald Mountain - the hardest bike climb in Sonoma County. View route map, streetviews, images, slideshows, videos and more for this cycling route to the top of Bald Mountain, CA, USA. All the info (difficulty, distance, altitude gained, elevation, average grade) you'll need to climb Bald Mountain...
pjammcycling.com
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Oh yeah definitely, I think at the end of the day it depends on whether it's the right motor for the job regardless of hub versus mid. If your motor is running past nominal wattage climbing a super long hill it'll probably start fading, or if you're getting too much voltage sag from the current draw later on in a ride.We do weekly group rides. The hub motors get anemic and shut down on sustained climbs. I guess it depends on the hills in your neighborhood and who you like to ride with. A primative mid-drive shut down after a sustained climb yesterday. The newer ones are much better. The image is of the advanced mid-drives we took out today. One of the bikes has a 1920 lugged frame design with internal brakes.
Climbing Bald Mountain, CA by bike - cycling data and info
Bald Mountain - the hardest bike climb in Sonoma County. View route map, streetviews, images, slideshows, videos and more for this cycling route to the top of Bald Mountain, CA, USA. All the info (difficulty, distance, altitude gained, elevation, average grade) you'll need to climb Bald Mountain...
The latest bafang hubs are pushing 80 to 90 nm direct to the wheel, but if you try and put it up against a bafang ultra (I think you have the rockstar, right?) the mid drive will end up being a good bit more efficient if in the right gear. But with double motors, I think the limiting factor on these d-class is actually traction as there's not near enough weight on the front wheel to handle the torque applied. Lots of spinning wheels on the people I've seen climbing on these, but they do still seem to be doing a respectable job on the climb.
Would love to see someone do a direct comparison between something like that, a high-end rear hub versus mid on challenging longer runs. All the videos out there just seem to focus on initial speed.
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