Have electric bikes taken over motor bicycling?

[biknut]

When I first joined this forum in 2010, electric bicycles weren't even on my radar. I even got into heated debates with owners about how impractical I thought they were. 3 years later I was riding an electric bike, never to go back to gas again. But at that time I still didn't notice them being very popular. Then a couple more years went by, and bam, here comes Storm Sondors with decent low priced electric bicycles so cheap you couldn't build your own for less. In the first go round he sold over 5000 bikes seemingly overnight. Next thing you know everyone and their mother was trying to sell a better low cost eBike.

A few years ago that I would occasionally see a china girl riding down the street, but it seems like it's gotten less and less often to the point I haven't seen one in a long time now, while at the same time electric bikes, that I rarely ever saw are becoming more and more popular. Now they even have city rental electric bikes, and electric scooters.

I said I would never go electric, but I did, and the reason is because as far as bicycles are concerned, electric propulsion has become far superior to gas. I wonder how much longer gas bikes will survive?

 

[MotorBicycleRacing]

I said I would never go electric, but I did, and the reason is because as far as bicycles are concerned, electric propulsion has become far superior to gas. I wonder how much longer gas bikes will survive?

I like electric too but gas bikes are gonna be around for a long time.
You never had a really nice gas bike.

Rad Power Bikes is selling a lot of eBikes and has the biggest Facebook group.
They reduced their prices $200 back down to pre tariff prices.

There are only one or two ebikes that race and hundreds of gas bikes.
ebike racing is a joke.

https://www.facebook.com/events/867826960059113/

 

[bairdco]

My opinion on ebike popularity is this.

You can buy an ebike from a reputable dealer, made by a reputable company, with a warranty, factory made parts, available replacement parts, and use your credit card.

A gas bike you build yourself, or get on Craigslist from some guy who thinks vice grips are a universal tool. You get no real warranty, no assurance it'll work, or keep working, lied to about the laws, and the bike itself has a bad image of hooligans on stinky motorcycles, harrassing innocent pedestrians.

(This is a generalized statement. Some people know how to build bikes, some don't.)

And ebikes are environmentally friendly. Even cops ride them. Your gated, suburban community loves them, they're so quiet and cute...

 

[indian22]

I recently put together my first ebike & after a few weeks I've really gotten into riding it. To me it's not an exclusionary matter but rather inclusive choice. I still ride all six of my gas bikes, China G's included and enjoy what I'm on regardless of what's powering the bike. I ride my, self propelled, mountain bikes & love every minute of those rides as well.

Electric is coming on strong & will continue to put more and more people up on two wheels and I think that a very good thing for biking in general. Many of my biking friend's quit riding because of physical problems & some are now back out riding electric assist bikes & that also is a good thing.

I do agree with Bairdco's obvious disgust with the "hooligan's" among us, as they reflect poorly on our pastime/transport.

Plenty of room for all in this hobby & though I'm new to the electric's I find them to be a fun and practical option to my daily rides.

Rick C.

 

[biknut]

I think a big factor in the rise of eBicycles has a lot to do with a freedom of mobility that gas bikes are no longer capable of matching. A lot of people are just now finding that out, and that's what did it for me. The e's can go anywhere a gas bike can go, and just as fast, but when the ride turns down a city multi use trail, which are proliferating all over America, the gas bikes are persona non grata.

 

[biknut]

I like electric too but gas bikes are gonna be around for a long time.
You never had a really nice gas bike.

Rad Power Bikes is selling a lot of eBikes and has the biggest Facebook group.
They reduced their prices $200 back down to pre tariff prices.

There are only one or two ebikes that race and hundreds of gas bikes.
ebike racing is a joke.

https://www.facebook.com/events/867826960059113/

Neal makes a good point too. Rad is a close competitor to Sondors. Both brands are made in china, and sell with similar specs for about the same price, and both have been wildly popular from the first minute they became available. Just these two brands alone are selling thousands of bikes a year, and have a huge following on fb, and the internet.

When you consider all the new brands, that have started since Sondors basically set the eBike world on fire 4 years ago, and don't forget about all the established high end brands, it's easy to see the handwriting on the wall. This is an onslaught and we're watching history in the making.

 

[Tony01]

Take em on public transportation too. Better security. Can lock a hub motor wheel either mechanically by shorting the phase wires or through the controller. My build is getting its own internet connection so I can leave it and be notified if somebody tries to move it, and monitor charging/etc from anywhere.

 

[biknut]

Take em on public transportation too.

Yes, ability to ride on the train is another good example. I like to ride the critical mass bicycle ride. They have one each month in downtown Dallas, which is about 20 miles from my house. I have plenty of range to ride down there, and back, but it takes an hour to ride down there at that time of day. I can hop the train close to my house, and get down there in 25 minutes. Gas bikes aren't allowed on the trains, but they aren't specifically restricted from riding the CM. They're about as welcome as a fart in a space suit though lol. Another problem for gas bikes riding the CM is the extremely slow pace they set. Most gas bikes aren't good at riding 8 to 12 mph for miles, but eBikes could care less. I always enjoy riding the CM whenever I can make it, but I probably wouldn't bother if I didn't have an eBike.

 

[Tony01]

Drunks with DUI's ride eBikes too coz they are the only motorized 2 wheelers in
California that do not require a drivers license.
Drunks in AZ and some other states can ride gas bikes without a license.

Manipulator Sr keep your negativity and social manipulation on Facebook or at least on the other board. You are a cancer to forum discussions, since you do not build anything and only plug your race.

There are not even any potential racers here or on the other mb forum so what a waste of time!

 

[wheelbender6]

I don't see many petro or electric bicycles in my area. Groms and Grom Clones seem to be everywhere on the TX coast. I think it is because e-bikes and petro-bikes are most useful in cities and suburbs, where the speed limits are more suitable.

-I wonder how many motorized bicyclers, electric or petro, move on to motor scooters, Groms or motorcycles.

-I wonder how many many motorized bicyclers, electric or petro, move on to motor scooters, Groms or motorcycles, and then build another motorized bicycle.

-We don't collect stats on that. I would bet that there is a high rate of recidivism back to ebikes and motorized bikes. The more types of motorsports you ride, the more unique the e-bikes and petro-bikes seem to be, IMHO.

 

[biknut]

I wonder how many many motorized bicyclers, electric or petro, move on to motor scooters, Groms or motorcycles, and then build another motorized bicycle.

-We don't collect stats on that. I would bet that there is a high rate of recidivism back to ebikes and motorized bikes. The more types of motorsports you ride, the more unique the e-bikes and petro-bikes seem to be, IMHO.

I'd be willing to bet more people move to eBicycles from motorcycles, than the other way around. I had to get tired of going fast, in order to realize that riding at slower speeds can be just as much fun, and a lot less expensive. That being said, I love racing Ruckus, and Grom's on my Stealth.

I agree with the concept that electric bicycles are mainly a bike to ride in the city. That's where I ride mine, and I know I'm not alone. Many of the people I've met with eBikes have either moved from motorcycles to eBikes, or started riding eBicycles after age, or health issues took the ability to ride away from them, usually years ago. Over and over I hear people say their electric bicycle has given them their mobility back.

 

[MotorBicycleRacing]

I'd be willing to bet more people move to eBicycles from motorcycles, than the other way around. I had to get tired of going fast, in order to realize that riding at slower speeds can be just as much fun, and a lot less expensive. .

eBikes are great in CA because they changed the law to not needing to wear a helmet
if you are over 18 and allow 28 mph now and of course no drivers license or registration
so zero hassle from cops.
Ride on the beach bike & walking path and river trails without upsetting the spandexers
and up fire roads too in the mountains.
Radrover and Sondors are too slow on the streets for me at 25 mph so gotta build an ebike
that goes at least 35 mph to be practical with at least a 50 mile range which the Rad can do
under ideal conditions.
I am not riding motorized bikes in the gutter now with my new 40 mph CVT bike.

Your Stealth is a very expensive ebike so you are not a typical ebike rider.

 

[MotorBicycleRacing]

Manipulator Sr keep your negativity and social manipulation on Facebook or at least on the other board. You are a cancer to forum discussions, since you do not build anything and only plug your race.

Who made you a moderator or did you buy the website from Eric?

I post plenty about all kinds of stuff to help people here besides the biggest
and longest running motorized bike race in the world.
Since when Is building a bike a prerequisite to post here?

 

[biknut]

The laws for eBike speed limits are kind of F-ed up. 20 mph in traffic will get you killed. In Dallas it's considered the drivers duty to run you over, just to teach you a lesson.

On the bright side it seems like the police know this too, and have adopted a realistic approach to enforcement. If you're not breaking any other laws, they seem to not be very interested. That's actually the same way china girls are handled in Texas too.

I wonder if anyone is seeing eBikes being hassled by the man anywhere? Doesn't really seem to be a thing.

 

[biknut]

In Dallas when I'm out and about I rarely see a eBike at large. Maybe 3 times a year, unless I'm riding the critical mass. If 500 bikes show up, there might be 10 eBikes.

What I am seeing a lot more of are electric rental scooters. They're all over downtown, and very popular. People ride them in the critical mass too. I think they're helping the eBike cause indirectly by getting people more aware of the possibility's electric bikes might offer.

 

[Venice Motor Bikes]

Someone posted above that ebikes go as fast as gas bikes.... I totally disagree!!!
The average ebike only goes 20-25MPH & that's how fast the slowest gas bikes will go.
It takes 1000s of dollars to make a ebike fast.

The biggest problems (that i see) with ebikes are the cost & their range of travel... There's no comparison with gas bikes.

The ebike batteries are very expensive & wear out every year or two, & if something else breaks?, it takes a genius to diagnose & repair it.... If a gas bike breaks?, it only costs $100 to replace everything.

I see ebikes as more of a rich mans toy... Gas bikes are definitely here to stay for many more years.

 

[biknut]

Nope, VMB you don't got it. I got to laugh though, because I used to say the same thing on this forum to the eBike guys. It might have been true back then, but it's not now LOL.

Price and range huh

Remember Stunner? I had about $2000 in it total. it topped out 35-40 mph, and had a range of 40-45 miles.

This is one of my personal eBikes. It has about 8000 miles on it. It can be duplicated for about $2000, everything you see. Might even be less now. It's tops out 28 mph. It's range is 35 to 100 miles, but 45 miles is a realistic range. It's as dependable as a rock.

This 48v 30ah battery will take it to 28 mph. Good brand battery's last 5 years or longer. This one is heading into it's 4th summer with seemingly little wear. Replacement cost for the battery is $625 shipped. Higher voltage battery's are available. 52v will go 34 mph, and 60v 40 mph.

But only looking at price, and range isn't even a good guide to cost of ownership. In comparison to a gas bike, eBikes never need repairs, and almost no maintenance. There's no vibration wearing everything out. I can ride all day on a charge, and never worry about a breakdown (only flats). When you consider the time you won't have to spend working on your bike, eBikes start looking pretty attractive compared to gas bikes. I never carry tools.

And this is just the low end stuff.

You might as well make the change VMB, resistance is futile LOL.

 

[indian22]

Pros and cons freely discussed are great elements of our forum and this thread is a good example. I'm impressed with the thinking involved and the passion expressed. This input is quite helpful to me 'cause I'm a veteran gear head, old guy, and the changing landscape of all motor sport, including our hobby, is a bit unsettling; as is the morphing elements of life in general. Living in Indian territory & a very small rural community at that, limits ones perspective of evolving technological developments and good forum aids my old, slow mind better assimilate and acclimate to the ever changing reality of moto biking, now well into it's second century of development. So I'm thankful for all your insights concerning biking regardless of power source: "the good, bad or ugly" as the great American philosopher Dr. Clint Eastwood once opined, "a man's got to know his limitations" and you guys are certainly helping me find plenty of my own.

The discussion of initial cost, operational expense and ongoing maintenance is a dialogue worth continued examination; as these costs along with mileage at commute speed per charge are as I see it integral parts of continued growth of the biking equation.

Finally if all the celestial bodies align and the biking (all) sector explodes: can our many legislative bodies resist the temptation to excessively regulate? Gone with the wind of the elected and the resulting bureaucratic enthusiasm for control. will be the days of flying under the radar and another personal freedom is sacrificed on the alter of the collective good.

Rick C.

 

[Venice Motor Bikes]

Sorry biknut, your bikes that you're comparing are not at all what I'm talking about.

You're comparing a $2000 Felt gas bike (with a stock-ish engine & a small gas tank) to a $2000 ebike....
I'm talking about building a solid 'ordinary' $300 gas bike.

(& by the way, your gas bike still out performs your ebike in every way I was talking about).

You're also not figuring in that if you run out of gas (or a charge) with a gas bike you can pedal to a gas station & simply refill... (with a ebike you're screwed).



There will come a day when electric vehicles out perform internal combustion engines, but that's still many years away.

 

[biknut]

The fastest bike isn't automatically the best one, and when you only have a 50 mile butt, a 100 mile range isn't particularly necessary. I only need a 40 mile range to be happy, and 50 miles is usually more than enough. If I need more range than that, all I have to do is slow down a little. After that I'm happy to get off the thing for a few hours while it charges back up for 25 cents.

Even though all my china girls were 40 mph capable, in real life cruising faster than 30 mph wasn't recommended because vibration destroys the entire bike at high rpm in less then a few thousand miles. Vibration isn't a factor for electrics which makes then tremendously reliable in comparison.

I have to confess though, it took a bike like this to finally drag me away from gas bikes for good. I thought I would need this to be happy on a electric motor bicycle, but I found out later that's not really the case. If that wasn't true they wouldn't be selling bikes like the Sondors, and Rad, and now many other brands by the thousands.

Having said that, yeah I know this bike is more expensive than practical. it's over built, over kill't, and over priced, but no one ever said bikes have to be practical lol. This is a monument to the superiority of electrics, and a glimpse of things to come.