I don't see the tires as expensive.
Bike - $700
Motor Kit - $400
Battery - $600
Tires - $50
So the tires are are $25 each. But they are nice and round and smooth and you can pump them over 100 psi if you want. You don't get that with $12 tires.
Very valid points it's true, I s'pose it's down to personal preference as I tend to run no more than 40-50psi of a max 65psi (redneck shock absorption) & the awkwardness of trying to find the Hookworms in the size I prefer - I could easily be wrong (didn't look very hard) but it seems they're not readily available in 26x2.125? Looks like they skip right to 26x2.5 @ roughly $40 each... still a good deal for a quality tire... but I do so love these cheapo semi-slicks lol *shrug*
ba with the weight in the back and the torgue of the electric motor do you need to be careful of it pulling a wheelie excpecially going up a steep hill?
Not really... the HP just isn't there & while electrics are known for their "instant torque" characteristics the 'Pie
seems to have a "soft start" feature, the engagement of the motor from a dead stop isn't the hard hit you'd expect, it comes up quick - but not the wham-instant full power you'd expect from an electric motor. This is most likely deliberate as otherwise there could be problems with drop out wear, from spinning & walking the 'Pie's axle... but I'm guessing here lol
There is ofc the ever present issue of having that much weight on the back of a bike & that's turns - while not "unstable" by any means, it does take some getting used to during hard & fast cuts or wet/sandy turns. One of the reasons I was so anxious to swap out my tires was due to this, I used to have a Continental ComfortContact on the back & while it does have tread lines, they're so light it's effectively a full slick - and early on I dumped during a wet U-turn... some of this was the tire, some of this was the weight & some of it was just my inexperience w/this particular build's handling ofc.
The grip greatly improved even while wet w/the new rubber & now used to the weight it's no longer an issue, I have a habit of pretending I'm on a slalom course when the road is empty/no-one's looking - but it is something to be wary of at first.
& sorry it took me lil while to get back to you guys - but it's for a good reason I swear lol, the weather simply awesome I've been out riding all over the place... this silent ebike thing is
really addictive @.@
...but this also means I can give some feedback on the 48v 15ah LiFePO4 battery pack w/the 'Pie as I finally managed to pooch it out. Running a "worst case scenario" full tilt boogie
all the time (100% throttle), breezy weather on twisty roads & hilly terrain with disabled regenerative braking, with no attempt made to coast, pedal assist or conserve power in any way & some stop n'go downtown riding & a lil bit of dirt trail thrown in for good measure I managed 27.9 miles... & more mixed feelings lol
I am completely satisfied with this range as it's more than enough for my local needs & it's absolutely perfect for it's intended use, the "tribrid" taddy project... but it does bring to light the downside of electrics, it becomes very clear why they're not so popular in a rural area like this one. While I'm conveniently located between a couple of small towns, each roughly 8 miles away (thus 16mi round trip) so I wouldn't normally come even close to my "point of no return" - being limited to no more than roughly 30 miles even commuting w/a recharge point (while at work or w/e) & given the investment, I can see why some would balk at the idea *shrug* I've no problem with it... but I also can see how this setup is somewhat limited, as a commuter or supplementary transport, my 100 mile weekend wanderabouts are still my gasbike's domain heh
Oh right, jus' so ya know - as I suspected the little "battery level" lights on the 'Pie's throttle are
completely useless lol, it's green till DEAD w/no fade or warning, the entire system just shuts down. Unplugging, waiting a mo' & plugging it back in again resets everything &
now the level indicators will light red & yellow... and you'll get maybe another fifty feet before it all shuts down again, without even the yellow light going out first.
No surprise at all given the battery type & the limitations of such a simple gauge. Fortunately I figured I was using up my luck and was only a coupla miles from home at the time. At least now I know my range and can ride accordingly... I didn't take any vids this time, but other'n downtown & the lil bit of trails it's the same terrain as this vid I made before:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PNhS5FJCqNo
...and I
did actually pick up a speed increase w/the tire swap, 1mph confirmed for a 2
6mph flat ground sustained... or mebbe it was jus' the bearing grease
The pics are a bit deceptive, while not a full wrap around tread like the 'Maxxis Hookworm' for example - they do have more of a round crown than it seems in the pics, the tread descends about as far as I'd ever lean at speed on the roads & best yet, they've slighter better water shedding characteristics - not quite as prone to hydroplaning as the hookworms due to the deeper & closer tread cuts. 
