just got pulled over by the fuzz. how many watts is a 50cc

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TheE

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Jun 26, 2009
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You can't really compare gas motors to electric ones like that, different power curves and rating systems. 200W would be roughly a 1/4 HP gas motor. You won't be going very fast =p

Worry about the top speed.
 
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stv1jzgte

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Feb 11, 2009
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You can't really compare gas motors to electric ones like that, different power curves and rating systems. 200W would be roughly a 1/4 HP gas motor. You won't be going very fast =p

Worry about the top speed.
Yep 200 watts is a little under 1/4 hp thats why they did it so all petrol motored bike would be illegal!

1 hp = 745watts
so a 1 hp bike puts out 750watt peak and a 750watt bike puts out 1 hp
At that output there 100% compareable
 

Sydneysider

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Mar 20, 2009
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So in short there illegal to ride, so i keep low and quiet an safe and my eyes open!
actually theyre not totally illegal.. if you modify the CDI circuitry and weaken the spark at the spark plug theyre ok with the law, whats illegal are pocket and mini bikes as stated on rta's website:

Motorised scooters, mini bikes, motorised devices

These bikes only attract police thats why its best to keep a low profile out there when riding for example not chucking wheelies in public, etc and I do what you do see em start pedalin! :D
 
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TheE

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Jun 26, 2009
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Yep 200 watts is a little under 1/4 hp thats why they did it so all petrol motored bike would be illegal!

1 hp = 745watts
so a 1 hp bike puts out 750watt peak and a 750watt bike puts out 1 hp
At that output there 100% compareable
Sure, but electric bikes have a small advantage: They produce more torque the slower they go (due to load)! That means you don't need a big-arsed rear sprocket in order to get your bike moving from a slow speed like you do with a gas motor. I even see some electric bikes with a reduction gear.
 

stv1jzgte

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Feb 11, 2009
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actually theyre not totally illegal.. if you modify the CDI circuitry and weaken the spark at the spark plug, theyre ok with the law but the bikes only attract police thats why its best to keep a low profile out there when riding for example not chucking wheelies in public, etc and I do what you do see em start pedalin! :D

Gee thats a tuff one. Sorta like a p plater saying 'no really officer the turbo doesnt work honestly' or 'no sir only 6 sparkplug are in the v8 so its only a 6cyl'
though if you did that and had proof of the output after ??
 

Sydneysider

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Mar 20, 2009
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whats not to say they wont confiscate your bike then and there and test it on the dyno after knocking over a pedestrian or running a red light?
 
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stv1jzgte

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I totally agree with that but i dunno if these things will run as you suggest, it would be an even worse spluttering mess.
Still you would be hard pressed in a court of law professing there legality, regardless except that there illegal your bad just like the rest of us you know it.
 

Sydneysider

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Mar 20, 2009
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yep youre right they are a spluttering mess! I hope they increase the legal power output here, 200-250watts is nothing at all, but I doubt it. I count my blessings I can still ride these here, theyre so cool to ride, who needs a car or motorbike? I can actually sometimes get places much quicker than a car or even sometimes a motorbike, especially near the city at rush hour ;)
 

Sydneysider

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cheers mate.. dont know why theyre so stingy with that, its not like we're riding super powerful machines like Suzuki Hayabusa bikes or anything. But anyway Im kind of thankful that we can still ride them here auflg
 
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restapukin

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Jul 22, 2009
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many aussies have been amused for years concerning the redneck/latitude phenomenem

goes like this - some say goes like this in the U.S. as well as Australia

The nearer a state gets to the equator the more redneck the local mindset seems to be...

reflected in legislation, actual law enforcement, rates of juvenile incarceration, popularity and influence of right wing shock jocks, tabloid journalism standards etc...

...but we've just seen another oil shock, and rising fuel prices are coming in a big way, so people could become a lot more sympathetic towards the economical commuter ...

where's my crystal ball now I need it?...??
 

MikeJ

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May 3, 2009
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I have to agree with stv1jzgte's philosophy.... If you are speeding, you are gambling you will not be pulled over. So don't get angry if you speed and get pulled over; you violated the law. I have been seen by a dozen or so state troopers, city police, and county sheriff deputies during my rides. I want them to see me, in my full helmet, bright yellow riding jacket, and doing well UNDER the posted speed limit. They simply pass me by and ignore me.

However, if you get an overly-ambitious law officer behind you, you get my sympathy.

MikeJ
 

MB-Monkey

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Nov 19, 2008
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Here in Nevada its anything 50cc and under. No drivers license or registration needed.
Be very careful the laws have changed here in las vegas NV under 50cc no reg needed however a drivers lics is required. also the "motorized bicycle" must be equipped the same as a motorcycle according to the new guildlines posted online
Nevada Regulations on Motorcycles, Mopeds and Off-Highway Vehicles

Mopeds

A moped is a vehicle which looks and handles essentially like a bicycle and is propelled by a small engine which produces not more than 2 gross brake horsepower, has a displacement of not more than 50 cubic centimeters and is capable of a maximum speed of not more than 30 miles per hour on a flat surface with not more than 1 percent grade in any direction when the motor is engaged. (NRS 486.038)

You must have a Class C or higher driver license to drive a moped or motorized bicycle on a public street. You do not need a Class M license. Mopeds do not require insurance or vehicle registration. If the moped produces more than 2 gross brake horsepower, or has a displacement of more than 50 cubic centimeters (50 cc), or is capable of exceeding thirty miles per hour (30 mph) on a flat grade, it is considered a motorcycle and you must have a Class M license, registration and insurance.

Mopeds must have the same safety equipment (lights, mirrors, etc.) as a motorcycle in order to be driven on any public street. See the Motorcycle Equipment Tip Sheet. Other vehicles with a small engine are considered off-road motor vehicles and may not be operated on public streets.
http://www.dmvnv.com/pdfforms/equipreqmc.pdf

Any motorized vehicle which does not have the normal safety equipment such as lights and mirrors or is not built to federal vehicle standards is an off-road vehicle and is restricted to off-road use only. This includes all-terrain vehicles, pocket bikes, motorized scooters and snowmobiles.

Nevada does not title or register off-road vehicles for on-road use. If a vehicle was manufactured and designated for “off-road” or “non-road” use only, it may not be registered for use on Nevada public streets or highways.

If a vehicle is designated for off-road or non-road use it may not be converted for on-road use. The designation for off-road use is usually indicated in ownership documents, the owners manual or by a U.S. DOT label attached to the frame of the vehicle.

There are no driver license or minimum age requirements for off-road vehicles. You may not drive them on any public street. City and county governments may designate small portions of public streets for access to or from off-road areas only. (NRS Chapter 490)
 

Dan

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May 25, 2008
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Just thunking out loud here, but could some sort of resister be placed and actuated to reduce the watts when needed and also via a switch, be allowed to function normally? running the wire from the cdi, then to a switch hidden under the seat say. Then to the plug? Really just spitballing here and dunno if it would effect the timing or final umph.

Be interesting to see if some one could do it. If it could work, ask local DMV or police for some thing in writing saying so. Or restrict the watts, ask to be tested then return it to it's original state?

Just trying to help a Brodder out. I am sure no one wants to be intensionally less then honest but just never get why one municipality has no problem with these things and the next think they are signs of the apocalypse. Here, (CT U.S.) cops and troopers smile and wave or just ignore me. I always offer them a spin. They always decline.

It was said, but really, it is the perfect time to try and make these things legal. Start a petition?

"Save the planet. Down with OPEC and terrorists! Help get poor folks to work! Shoot a commie 4 Mommy. Save the polar bear, nuke a whale. Drink all your milk as you never know where the vitamins are. More Vegemite, less cars. Love thy neighbor but don't get caught. Never give up the ship, unless it is insured"
 
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restapukin

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Jul 22, 2009
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Damn, there's a rulereaker an' no mistake.

Nevada .... that's pretty much down south, innit?

And yet the regulations couldn't be plainer, & provide exactly the style of commonsense liberal regulation that we would like to see more of.

curiouser and curiouser

Scotchmo's the guy for electronics, Dan. I think there is a fairly (very) simple component that will attenuate the spark more and more as revs rise. Exactly the kind of device you were postulating in fact. Cheap.
 

xlite

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Jun 18, 2009
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There seems to be a fundimental misunderstanding on how engines work. Reducing spark does not control motor horsepower in any significant way. Kinda like some think gas flow can also be used to regulate RPMs too.

Only AIR flow influences power output. A mechanical governor does this to limit power on 2 and 4 stroke engines.
 

Dan

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May 25, 2008
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Just asking here. If the watt limit is 200, it is measured at the plug out put?

Funny side note about the fed US law. Must have an auto tranny and no more then 2 gears. Going by that, China girls having a manual clutch...... But gets a pass every where due to the under 50cc thing. Even when over. Dunno, I seldom do.
 

BIO

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Sep 8, 2009
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Just because the power output is stated in watts does not mean it's electrical power.

wiki "In terms of mechanical energy, one watt is the rate at which work is done when an object is moved at a speed of one meter per second against a force of one newton."

"A human climbing a flight of stairs is doing work at a rate of about 200watts. A typical automobile engine produces mechanical energy at a rate of 25000watts (approximately 33.5 horsepower) while cruising."

200 watts is just over a 1/4 horsepower.
... or rougly what it takes to pull the skin off of custard.