How hard is pedaling?

I

ilyasemail

New Member
Hi everyone, building a 4-stroke (in frame, not rear) soon using the HuaSheng 49cc engine with EZ gearbox and have a quick question.

How much friction does having the back wheel attached to the motor add, reducing ease of pedaling? That is, when you pedal with the motor off you are turning the chain attached to it. How hard does this make pedaling? I want to be able to ride pretty long distances with the motor off, because I hear police are not always friendly and I do not want to deal with getting a plate and registering. I doubt any officer would care that the engine is attached if I am not using it, though. This may be especially necessary on some bike paths.


Thanks
Ilya
 
If you need to pedal more than a mile, remove the motor chain and put it in a plastic bag until you remount it. That removes all drag from the motor and clutch.
 
ilyasemail said:
Hi everyone, building a 4-stroke (in frame, not rear) soon using the HuaSheng 49cc engine with EZ gearbox and have a quick question.

How much friction does having the back wheel attached to the motor add, reducing ease of pedaling? That is, when you pedal with the motor off you are turning the chain attached to it. How hard does this make pedaling? I want to be able to ride pretty long distances with the motor off, because I hear police are not always friendly and I do not want to deal with getting a plate and registering. I doubt any officer would care that the engine is attached if I am not using it, though. This may be especially necessary on some bike paths.


Thanks
Ilya
Click to expand...

Virtually none if there is a freewheel assembly between rear wheel and motor/gearbox................Don
 
thats what i would say , freewheel the rear drive sprocket , its worth the extra cost ... i mean it is a bicycle , i like them built to where you can pedal them if you need or want to ...usflg
 
The investment in a HD freewheel hub for your bike is worth it. They are solid hubs with better bearings. You won't regret it.
 
the investment in a $19 plate and a coupla hours at the DMV is worth it's weight in gold when you don't have to pedal or live in fear of the cops.
 
My brother has that gearbox and it adds very little drag to pedaling. Much less drag than a 2-stroke with clutch locked. IMO, it's perfectly manageable to pedal around with motor off.

I don't know what part of Cali you're in, but cops usually ignore these bikes as long as they aren't going fast, have lights (at night), and the rider is wearing a helmet.

ilyasemail said:
Hi everyone, building a 4-stroke (in frame, not rear) soon using the HuaSheng 49cc engine with EZ gearbox and have a quick question.

How much friction does having the back wheel attached to the motor add, reducing ease of pedaling? That is, when you pedal with the motor off you are turning the chain attached to it. How hard does this make pedaling? I want to be able to ride pretty long distances with the motor off, because I hear police are not always friendly and I do not want to deal with getting a plate and registering. I doubt any officer would care that the engine is attached if I am not using it, though. This may be especially necessary on some bike paths.


Thanks
Ilya
Click to expand...
 
there is virtually no drag while pedalling with a Q-Matic...
due to the centi-clutch being on the output side of the drive, all that moves is the drive chain and the clutch bell, even the pullies inside the drive remain stationary
 
I once pedaled my EZ bike for over 15 miles [ran out of gas, forgot to check], and as Bill stated, nothing inside the drive moves except the clutch bell on an oil lite bushing, and the chain from the rear wheel. The design works like a freewheel without the actual use of a freewheel [won't have to worry about freewheels breaking under stress]

Have fun,
 
to me it was not about the drag but the added weight of the motor/tranny
that extra weight made it much more tiring to pedal than a bike without a motor IMO

i had an ez and the drag was almost non existant


are you planning on investing a fair amount of money into this and want to build something you are truly happy with?

if your answer is yes then i would first find out how much the assembly weighs (motor and tranny) and then put that much weight on your bike somewhere like on the rear rack or something and then see how you like pedaling with the extra weight

again the drag from the q-matic is almost non existant
 
Upon further inspection, it seems the OP is asking about the 4G, from a MaB supplier with a similiar name to EZ Motorbikes. He is not asking about the Q-matic.

The 4G is just as easy, if not easier, to pedal than the EZM Q-matic, from my experience. I ride one daily, and I really like it. Either way, if you had to, you can pedal these 4-strokes around like regular bikes. Just a tiny bit of extra drag, not to mention extra weight.
 
Thanks Aleman, yes I initially misunderstood which gearbox the kit I was looking at came with because of the company's name.
 
i still suggest getting the plate and at least a permit. if you run into one of the cops that actually does care, you might not have to worry about pedaling, but walking home without it after he impounds it.
 
The question: How hard is pedaling?

The answer: It's as hard as you make it. Pedaling uphill is harder than downhill with a single speed. Just factor in the extra weight that the engine, tranny and such add to the equation and minimal drag as most have suggested above and there you go.

These bikes do have pedals for a reason ya know......it's for when you run out of gas of course!!!!! laff

And some people just like to pedal....I guess? rotfl

dnut
 
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