Hi,
Just discovered this forum, and have really enjoyed my reading so far!
While I am relatively new to motorized bicycles, in many ways I am not.
My first two wheeled vehicle (at age 14) was a Velo Solex moped, with a 32cc two stroke engine mounted over the front wheel, driven with a friction wheel:
Fast forward a few decades (ugh!), and I now have the following relevant credentials and experience:
- I am a Journeyman licensed Red Seal Motorcycle Mechanic;
- A former owner of an all electric truck (Chevy S10 conversion), which was my daily driver for 3.5 years:
http://www.evalbum.com/1954
- I am a Certified Motorcycle Riding Instructor;
- I have 35+ years of motorcycle riding experience, having travelled something like 350,000km all over the world on more than 40 different motorcycles;
- I presently own 2 Ducatis and a Triumph motorcycle;
- 13 years experience running my own company as an Energy Management Consultant and contractor. Basically, I help building owners make their buildings operate more efficiently, improving comfort and reducing energy usage (and costs!) - I truly and deeply understand mechanical and electrical efficiency and challenges;
- I have had lifelong interest in anything 'funky' 'unusual', or 'unique' in the world of transportation. A couple of recent project examples are a tilting, recumbent, tadpole trike velomobile, and a front wheel drive recumbent bike...along with a number of very customized motorcycles.
I highly value style, but I definitely place performance first. I am not interested in style that detracts from performance, because it just doesn't have to be that way...
Through owning and modifying my electric truck, and through nearly a decade of lurking on forums like this one:
http://www.endless-sphere.com
I have learned a LOT about design and the million different variables surrounding electric vehicle construction, operation, and modification.
I briefly owned a Stealth Bomber electric bicycle:
http://www.stealthelectricbikes.com/stealth-b-52-bomber/
...which I ended up selling as I found it disappointing in the power department - BUT - it was a great machine, and it has everything to do with where you are coming from and what you are comparing it to. In my own case, my expectations in terms of 'satisfactory performance' are MUCH closer to a motorcycle, than a bicycle.
So now, I have custom ordered a much more powerful e-bike from Don at Sunahme Bikes:
http://www.sunahmebikes.com/#intro
and, contemplating another custom e-bike build for my wife, in some sort of 'vintage cruiser' style...
And it is this last thing that brought me here to this forum.
I look forward to sharing knowledge, and hopefully making new friends!
Doug Green
Just discovered this forum, and have really enjoyed my reading so far!
While I am relatively new to motorized bicycles, in many ways I am not.
My first two wheeled vehicle (at age 14) was a Velo Solex moped, with a 32cc two stroke engine mounted over the front wheel, driven with a friction wheel:
Fast forward a few decades (ugh!), and I now have the following relevant credentials and experience:
- I am a Journeyman licensed Red Seal Motorcycle Mechanic;
- A former owner of an all electric truck (Chevy S10 conversion), which was my daily driver for 3.5 years:
http://www.evalbum.com/1954
- I am a Certified Motorcycle Riding Instructor;
- I have 35+ years of motorcycle riding experience, having travelled something like 350,000km all over the world on more than 40 different motorcycles;
- I presently own 2 Ducatis and a Triumph motorcycle;
- 13 years experience running my own company as an Energy Management Consultant and contractor. Basically, I help building owners make their buildings operate more efficiently, improving comfort and reducing energy usage (and costs!) - I truly and deeply understand mechanical and electrical efficiency and challenges;
- I have had lifelong interest in anything 'funky' 'unusual', or 'unique' in the world of transportation. A couple of recent project examples are a tilting, recumbent, tadpole trike velomobile, and a front wheel drive recumbent bike...along with a number of very customized motorcycles.
I highly value style, but I definitely place performance first. I am not interested in style that detracts from performance, because it just doesn't have to be that way...
Through owning and modifying my electric truck, and through nearly a decade of lurking on forums like this one:
http://www.endless-sphere.com
I have learned a LOT about design and the million different variables surrounding electric vehicle construction, operation, and modification.
I briefly owned a Stealth Bomber electric bicycle:
http://www.stealthelectricbikes.com/stealth-b-52-bomber/
...which I ended up selling as I found it disappointing in the power department - BUT - it was a great machine, and it has everything to do with where you are coming from and what you are comparing it to. In my own case, my expectations in terms of 'satisfactory performance' are MUCH closer to a motorcycle, than a bicycle.
So now, I have custom ordered a much more powerful e-bike from Don at Sunahme Bikes:
http://www.sunahmebikes.com/#intro
and, contemplating another custom e-bike build for my wife, in some sort of 'vintage cruiser' style...
And it is this last thing that brought me here to this forum.
I look forward to sharing knowledge, and hopefully making new friends!
Doug Green
