Check This Out: 125 Mile Range
- Thread starter Fulltimer
- Start date
You do know this is the Electric Bike forum?
Gas is messy, loudand bad for the environment...
sure you saved money, but more of a carbon footprint and in the long run, my electric costs me less.
Cost to refuel for 80miles = .39 for me and $2.89 for you.
Impact on envir for me = 0
I do 20k mile per year on my bike, 20,000 / 250 fill ups per year is 2.50$x250=$650 for the year.
Mine cost 1200 to build - your $500 = 700$-$650 for the first year, mine cost $50 more..
The next year it cost you $650 more than mine.
Gas is messy, loudand bad for the environment...
sure you saved money, but more of a carbon footprint and in the long run, my electric costs me less.
Cost to refuel for 80miles = .39 for me and $2.89 for you.
Impact on envir for me = 0
I do 20k mile per year on my bike, 20,000 / 250 fill ups per year is 2.50$x250=$650 for the year.
Mine cost 1200 to build - your $500 = 700$-$650 for the first year, mine cost $50 more..
The next year it cost you $650 more than mine.
Goat Herder
Gutter Rider
I can peddle 15 miles an hour still most days all day long too.! When I wanna exercise... That's Green
KiM
New Member
Is illegal in Germany where this bike was made, your bike is also illegal in all of Europe where laws are 250watt max power outputfor all motorized bicyles, this bike although ridiculously expensive, is at least legal to ride in its country of manufacture, your smoker is not legal there.
Your bike may also cost less to build initially, but the electrics cost far less to run long term with one moving part in the motor and batteries good for thousands of cycles tires and brake pads area bout it for 'service' to an electric bicycle, i bet you will have to fart around with your china gurl more than once over the course of the year to keep it running which will involve more cost to you on top of fuel/oil and bike maintenance costs, knock e-bikes all you like, but economically in the long term they make sense..
KiM
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biknut
Well-Known Member
I think your electric bicycle is the nicest one in the world, but to try to justify them by cost is pure BS.
I do think the day will come when electric bicycles will be as desirable as gas powered ones but the technology isn't there yet.
Of course if all other kinds of motor bicycles are made illegal then we won't have any other choice.
bikenut said:
speaking as someone who can't Justify spending $10k on an automobile I see no reason to even look at an e-bike in that price range.
But to disqualify the compairason as BS in these days of $3 a gallon gasoline is really short sighted.
Once gas hits $3.50 I will really consider building an electric 3-season comuter. At that price, once you add up insurance,maintaince & daily operating costs, electric vehicles start making more sence.
or is that BS too?
Flame away.
T
Thats a confusing statment.
speaking as someone who can't Justify spending $10k on an automobile I see no reason to even look at an e-bike in that price range.
But to disqualify the compairason as BS in these days of $3 a gallon gasoline is really short sighted.
Once gas hits $3.50 I will really consider building an electric 3-season comuter. At that price, once you add up insurance,maintaince & daily operating costs, electric vehicles start making more sence.
or is that BS too?
Flame away.
T
biknut
Well-Known Member
There is one thing I've seen that makes me think the Ebike landscape could change for the better.
I don't know if anybody is familiar with the top of the line Carrier residential gas furnaces. Carrier has a variable speed blower with a motor controller that seems to me like back engineered alien technology.
There's also another model called the deluxe 2 speed. It has a normal 2 speed motor like what everyone has in their gas furnace. It actually has 3 or 4 speeds that you select 2 of on install. Say 850 rpm and 1,100. The variable speed just has a range between ..........BS ALERT..........When I think about it I don't really know what speeds they run, I just know full speed is about 1,100 rpm. I think they have about 20 something speeds. It takes 3 computers to run one motor. What's important is both motors do the same amount of work.
A high efficient 2 speed, 3/4 hp blower motor running a full load draws about 17 amps.
The variable speed motor pulling the same load only draws about 3.5 amps. That's a mind blowing reduction that blows my little mind. You can't do that, but they're doing it.
A normal 2 speed motor costs me about $95. The variable speed motor with a controller, which you have to buy with the motor costs $700. That's my wholesale cost. If you have to buy one it's $1,400 to you, labor is extra.
That seems like the perfect technology for battery power. Does a lot of work, doesn't use a lot of power.
I know this is the real deal. I acquired a used variable speed blower and took it to my good friend who is recently retired from Texas Instruments. He's very interested in this blower. He told me that about 10 years ago TI was considering making controllers for motor bicycles. He was part of the project. He said they were going to build fancy ones like this Carrier one seems to be. He told me they shelved the project because they didn't think the market was big enough to justify making them.
Now it's driving him crazy not being able to take this one apart to find out how it tics. It's potted so we'd have to destroy it. Now I'm supposed to get a second one for our secret lab.
So I guess this could mean the technology exists right now to make a better Ebike but we're now getting to see any of it yet. This seems like a much bigger deal than better batterys.
The day must not be too far off though.
Another important thing I think we'll all find interesting is the controllers are programable. You'll be able to buy your government approved, 20 mph Ebike and then take it to a performance shop for "Tuning", for off road use only " ". They'll just hook it to a lap top and make enhancements.
I'd pay $5,000 right now for a motor bicycle that looks a good as KiM's, can go 30 mph for 120 miles on a charge, and weighs no more than 80 lbs. That's all I ask.
I don't know if anybody is familiar with the top of the line Carrier residential gas furnaces. Carrier has a variable speed blower with a motor controller that seems to me like back engineered alien technology.
There's also another model called the deluxe 2 speed. It has a normal 2 speed motor like what everyone has in their gas furnace. It actually has 3 or 4 speeds that you select 2 of on install. Say 850 rpm and 1,100. The variable speed just has a range between ..........BS ALERT..........When I think about it I don't really know what speeds they run, I just know full speed is about 1,100 rpm. I think they have about 20 something speeds. It takes 3 computers to run one motor. What's important is both motors do the same amount of work.
A high efficient 2 speed, 3/4 hp blower motor running a full load draws about 17 amps.
The variable speed motor pulling the same load only draws about 3.5 amps. That's a mind blowing reduction that blows my little mind. You can't do that, but they're doing it.
A normal 2 speed motor costs me about $95. The variable speed motor with a controller, which you have to buy with the motor costs $700. That's my wholesale cost. If you have to buy one it's $1,400 to you, labor is extra.
That seems like the perfect technology for battery power. Does a lot of work, doesn't use a lot of power.
I know this is the real deal. I acquired a used variable speed blower and took it to my good friend who is recently retired from Texas Instruments. He's very interested in this blower. He told me that about 10 years ago TI was considering making controllers for motor bicycles. He was part of the project. He said they were going to build fancy ones like this Carrier one seems to be. He told me they shelved the project because they didn't think the market was big enough to justify making them.
Now it's driving him crazy not being able to take this one apart to find out how it tics. It's potted so we'd have to destroy it. Now I'm supposed to get a second one for our secret lab.
So I guess this could mean the technology exists right now to make a better Ebike but we're now getting to see any of it yet. This seems like a much bigger deal than better batterys.
The day must not be too far off though.
Another important thing I think we'll all find interesting is the controllers are programable. You'll be able to buy your government approved, 20 mph Ebike and then take it to a performance shop for "Tuning", for off road use only " ". They'll just hook it to a lap top and make enhancements.
I'd pay $5,000 right now for a motor bicycle that looks a good as KiM's, can go 30 mph for 120 miles on a charge, and weighs no more than 80 lbs. That's all I ask.
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BossCat
New Member
Your right (that technology already exists) but has been and gone! It got canned by GM (General Motors). Faster efficient electric motors and bettery/new battery technology, admittedly it was involved in the car market but had it been given a better chance I think it would have eventually (by now) filtered down to motorbikes etc.
As long as there are companys/goverments making millions out of us because we rely on petrol/gas electric vehicles will always be playing catch up.
I watched a very interesting doc a few months ago. If you ever get the chance to watch it do so....
Who Killed The Electric Car.
YouTube - Who killed the electric car? (1of10)
When the oil eventually runs out someone is going to make a killing on all the electric stuff thats been squrriled away over the years.
Regards
Tom