Gas or Electric Motor?
- Thread starter mojoman288
- Start date
Gas:
+ engine and kits are cheap / fast / goes far / gas is cheap / easy to fix
- Loud / only legal in around 20 states or less / broken engine may required
whole New engine / may have to mix gas and oil / storage of gas or bike
Need to be somewhat mechanically inclined to install and maintain
Electric:
+ may not need to be fixed/ quiet / if its not legal,you can't hear it running
- may cost more / slower / less distance /replace batteries often/ charging
Easier to install and maintain,may even come already on bike
I had both, the gas went faster,cheap,reliable,unlimited range,loud;
the electric was slower,free to power,short distance, but quiet.
If you spend enough on electric parts, you will have better speed and distance,atleast you won't get tickets for a loud muffler. But if its legal in your state,have a place to store bike and gas and you're handy go for a gas kit, if not go for a electric one.
+ engine and kits are cheap / fast / goes far / gas is cheap / easy to fix
- Loud / only legal in around 20 states or less / broken engine may required
whole New engine / may have to mix gas and oil / storage of gas or bike
Need to be somewhat mechanically inclined to install and maintain
Electric:
+ may not need to be fixed/ quiet / if its not legal,you can't hear it running
- may cost more / slower / less distance /replace batteries often/ charging
Easier to install and maintain,may even come already on bike
I had both, the gas went faster,cheap,reliable,unlimited range,loud;
the electric was slower,free to power,short distance, but quiet.
If you spend enough on electric parts, you will have better speed and distance,atleast you won't get tickets for a loud muffler. But if its legal in your state,have a place to store bike and gas and you're handy go for a gas kit, if not go for a electric one.
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The end all is..
Gas = cheap, some states legal, some states you need a DL, some states not allowed.
Electric = expensive, most states legal, couple states need a DL, couple states illegal.
You can spend $200 to get a gas bike to get you 80miles at 20mph per fill up at a gas station (takes about 1min to fill) for around $2
In order to get electric close to that you're going to spend around $1600 and it takes 3hrs to charge at a cost of about .50c (one caveat is one of schwinn's bikes, but in order to get it to be as fast of a recharge for the distance (of about 10 mins) you need to spend over $6000)
If I'm thinking about using a bicycle to go anyplace, the round trip is less than 20 miles. More than that on a bike is too much for my tender butt. Also, from my experience with chainsaws, trimmers and outboard motors - the more important it is for the 2 smoker to start and run well, the less likely it is to do so. That eliminates using gas to commute. Plus I like having my boss's electricity refill the tank. My original ebike with SLAs (15 mile range) came in under $200, so the price differential was not that great for me. To each his own... jd
For me, electric was great. Quiet, clean, just charge it and go. The problem was range. I could only go 25-30 miles on a charge, and my commute is about 35 miles. Then I'd have to lug the big heavy battery into the office, plug it in, then lug it back out to the bike when it was time to go home, and so on. Very tedious.
The gas bike is so much better for me. I top it off in the morning, and it's good to go all day. It makes the whole trip there and back, no problem. If I decide to make a side trip and need fuel, it's no biggie to pull off somewhere and top it off. I carry spare 2 stroke oil along for the ride, so I can fuel up anywhere, just mix right there in the tank if needed. Can't do that as easily on an electric - I'd have to pull off somewhere with a power outlet and hang out for a few hours.
To each their own but having owned both, I prefer my gas bike to the electric. As long as you maintain your engine properly, gas can't be beat for flexibility. If I wanted to, I could hop on my gas bike, take it to any gas station, top it off in less than 5 minutes (for about a dollar or so) and go 70+ miles, right now nonstop. Try that on an electric sometime.
-AZ
The gas bike is so much better for me. I top it off in the morning, and it's good to go all day. It makes the whole trip there and back, no problem. If I decide to make a side trip and need fuel, it's no biggie to pull off somewhere and top it off. I carry spare 2 stroke oil along for the ride, so I can fuel up anywhere, just mix right there in the tank if needed. Can't do that as easily on an electric - I'd have to pull off somewhere with a power outlet and hang out for a few hours.
To each their own but having owned both, I prefer my gas bike to the electric. As long as you maintain your engine properly, gas can't be beat for flexibility. If I wanted to, I could hop on my gas bike, take it to any gas station, top it off in less than 5 minutes (for about a dollar or so) and go 70+ miles, right now nonstop. Try that on an electric sometime.
-AZ
The problem for me was that I lost my license and in Florida you need a DL to ride a moped. (gas bikes are not legal for road use)
I've put in over $1500 on my bike, but max distance is 117 miles. (80miles doing 20mph)
IF I need a charge I can do it in 3hrs from dead battery to full.
I also have set up front and rear lights, directionals, brake lights, amp, speakers, satelitte radio, cb, windshield, volt meters, etc.
I've put in over $1500 on my bike, but max distance is 117 miles. (80miles doing 20mph)
IF I need a charge I can do it in 3hrs from dead battery to full.
I also have set up front and rear lights, directionals, brake lights, amp, speakers, satelitte radio, cb, windshield, volt meters, etc.
Petro assisted bikes are cheaper, faster and have more range, but there are exceptions.
Below is my list of situations where an electric bike may be the better choice, despite the difference in performance. I copied it from another one of my verbose posts.
-In an area that you need to hop on the sidewalk to avoid big trucks (especially on curbed roads, where you can't simply veer off the pavement to make room
-If your route will shortened considerably by taking a multi-use path
-If you must assemble and store your bike indoors in living space
-If you have no place to keep fuel and oil (like most apartments)
-If you need to take your assisted bike with you on public transportation
-If you just really hate the smell of fuel and oil (a lot of girls do)
-If you like to peddle a lot. Internally geared ebike hubs freewheel
-If you want to learn some electric propulsion basics before purchasing
a hybrid car
-If you want to haul the bike inside the back of you suv, wagon or hatchback
-If you need to stow it in a lying down position
-If you want to be able to turn the bike upside down to work on a tire
-If you want to be able to hear your Bluetooth or Ipod while you ride
-If you do not want to store gasoline at home due safety issues (you have small kids)
-If you worry about kids burning their hands on your muffler
Hope this helps
Below is my list of situations where an electric bike may be the better choice, despite the difference in performance. I copied it from another one of my verbose posts.
-In an area that you need to hop on the sidewalk to avoid big trucks (especially on curbed roads, where you can't simply veer off the pavement to make room
-If your route will shortened considerably by taking a multi-use path
-If you must assemble and store your bike indoors in living space
-If you have no place to keep fuel and oil (like most apartments)
-If you need to take your assisted bike with you on public transportation
-If you just really hate the smell of fuel and oil (a lot of girls do)
-If you like to peddle a lot. Internally geared ebike hubs freewheel
-If you want to learn some electric propulsion basics before purchasing
a hybrid car
-If you want to haul the bike inside the back of you suv, wagon or hatchback
-If you need to stow it in a lying down position
-If you want to be able to turn the bike upside down to work on a tire
-If you want to be able to hear your Bluetooth or Ipod while you ride
-If you do not want to store gasoline at home due safety issues (you have small kids)
-If you worry about kids burning their hands on your muffler
Hope this helps