Here is something i found useful. https://www.dmv.ca.gov/portal/dmv/detail/motorcycles/motorcycles
laws on motorbikes
- Thread starter Wonderman
- Start date
Unfortunately that DMV page is a little outdated (2011). The laws have changed allowing Motorized Bicycles/Mopeds up to 4 horsepower. Also Electric Bicycles are no longer defined by CVC 406(b). You can find the exciting new E-Bike definitions under CVC 312.5 or just click on the Motor Cycle Handbook (PDF) link at the bottom left of the outdated DMV page. The 2016 DMV Mototcycle Handbook outlines these changes in the laws. https://www.dmv.ca.gov/portal/wcm/connect/af13374c-aa57-4f2b-9ac9-aa3fdc419cc9/dl665.pdf?MOD=AJPERES
Another good source is this CHP release https://www.chp.ca.gov/programs-ser...clist-safety/motorcycles-and-similar-vehicles
Another good source is this CHP release https://www.chp.ca.gov/programs-ser...clist-safety/motorcycles-and-similar-vehicles
motoringbike
Member
Unless you are doing wheelies and pissing people off, you should be fine with any setup you wish. A bicycle is a bicycle, however a gasser sticks out more then electric so you cant go where electrics go.
I currently have a 8000 watt (~11HP) motor on a bicycle, but my motor is apart of the rear wheel and is hidden with panneir bags. The good thing with electrics is the instant power you get, there is no power curve. I can ride my bicycle anywhere, on bike pathways, river pathways, in any park I wish, on grass, in fields. I can take my bike inside, stores, businesses.
For longer rides and reduced areas to ride, then a gasser is good too. You could get away with a lot more if you were to have a pusher trailer. Its hard to hide a motor above the Bottom Bracket and Crank.
I currently have a 8000 watt (~11HP) motor on a bicycle, but my motor is apart of the rear wheel and is hidden with panneir bags. The good thing with electrics is the instant power you get, there is no power curve. I can ride my bicycle anywhere, on bike pathways, river pathways, in any park I wish, on grass, in fields. I can take my bike inside, stores, businesses.
For longer rides and reduced areas to ride, then a gasser is good too. You could get away with a lot more if you were to have a pusher trailer. Its hard to hide a motor above the Bottom Bracket and Crank.
motoringbike
Member
It is a MXUS 3000W Version 2 motor and its configured in 4T. I mistakenly posted 8kw, its actually 6kw peak, 3kw continuous. I bought mine straight from the manufacturer in China, called MXUS. You can buy that motor from Kinaye Motorsports out of Washington. He is on the Endless Sphere forum and his user name Teslanv. MXUS now has a V3 motor out now, curved magnets and extra set of halls. Its a group buy on Endless Sphere forum. I dont see any benefits from that setup. The Leaf 1500W motor is also another great motor. Another mention is the QS motor. All these motors are Direct Drive, not Geared. So they last longer and are more silent.
With my setup I run it in a small wheel to get more torque as I dont need or want speed. I want to climb hills. All these motors are made for bicycles and are direct drop in and hook up. Some with these motors, are reaching very high speeds. I have a more tamer BMC V1 geared motor that I am currently rebuilding. Its noise is much louder. People actually turn when they are walking to see whats coming up behind them. A direct drive motor, no one hears
My BMC V1 needs a new cover plate I will buy from EM3EV.com. My end goal with the MXUS motor is to hook it up as a mid-drive so I can use my gears and have even more hill climbing ability.
I ride along pedestrian and bike pathways with a respectable speed. I ride on roadways at faster speeds because its safer with other cars on the road. I ignore "Motorized Vehicles Prohibited" signs and ride with common sense. I can do this because a quick glance at my bike reveals its a normal bicycle with some pannier bags on the rear rack, hiding my motor. Other considerations are the controller and battery locations, which you might want air cooled. But I put my controller ontop of the rear rack and batteries inside the pannier bags. This all works very well. You see other people riding ebikes and they bling them out so much that they look like a motorcycle, or other ebikes look like motorcycles. motoped is one example. If you look at EM3EV.com you will see their frame for sale. That is getting away from the classic bicycle look.
With my setup I run it in a small wheel to get more torque as I dont need or want speed. I want to climb hills. All these motors are made for bicycles and are direct drop in and hook up. Some with these motors, are reaching very high speeds. I have a more tamer BMC V1 geared motor that I am currently rebuilding. Its noise is much louder. People actually turn when they are walking to see whats coming up behind them. A direct drive motor, no one hears
My BMC V1 needs a new cover plate I will buy from EM3EV.com. My end goal with the MXUS motor is to hook it up as a mid-drive so I can use my gears and have even more hill climbing ability.I ride along pedestrian and bike pathways with a respectable speed. I ride on roadways at faster speeds because its safer with other cars on the road. I ignore "Motorized Vehicles Prohibited" signs and ride with common sense. I can do this because a quick glance at my bike reveals its a normal bicycle with some pannier bags on the rear rack, hiding my motor. Other considerations are the controller and battery locations, which you might want air cooled. But I put my controller ontop of the rear rack and batteries inside the pannier bags. This all works very well. You see other people riding ebikes and they bling them out so much that they look like a motorcycle, or other ebikes look like motorcycles. motoped is one example. If you look at EM3EV.com you will see their frame for sale. That is getting away from the classic bicycle look.
TomyJ
New Member
BF, I do not know what to really call my thing, the DMV Ca. says a motorized bicycle without pedals, or, a motorized scooter - which I like better because I can foot scoot to get it going then hit the 350 watts @ 36 volts and I'm gone.
NOW!!! what the **** is 3k watts doing in a bicycle frame? and what Country is he from?
I would like a 1K watt motor (Ca rules) and about 48+ volts of ion for sure, and that would get me anywhere I need to go locally. I am in the long Beach Ca. area.
motoringbike
Member
I am from Canada. The KV of the motor is only about 8.9, and its geared real low so its slow. Some have gone 60mph/100kph on bicycles. To me thats just crazy. I like to climb hills so gearing is critical for me, not speed. I fake pedal a lot when I am climbing hills and people are around. I fake pedal as well just riding normally. I try to actually pedal from a stand still, it saves battery power.
Governments are a lot messed up. They limit our motor size yet let vehicles slide with unlimited HP keeping the speed limits the same. Cops will never test the motor, so a simple holographic sticker with your countries motor limit is sufficient. Or a stamped number on the cover plate.
I had a 350W motor at 36V on a bicycle and it was lame. It was a brushed motor and I burned the brushes within a few rides. I stalled it on a hill, thats a good way to burn any motors windings. I could have replaced the brushes but thats old technology and not worth the hassle. So I just threw the wheel and motor away into the dumpster.
You can buy the stickers and/or holographic stickers on ebay, and just stick it on your motor. A Cycle Analyst is a good option to have as well, it can limit speed. It gives you a lot of info at your finger tips.
and people are around. I fake pedal as well just riding normally. I try to actually pedal from a stand still, it saves battery power. Governments are a lot messed up. They limit our motor size yet let vehicles slide with unlimited HP keeping the speed limits the same. Cops will never test the motor, so a simple holographic sticker with your countries motor limit is sufficient. Or a stamped number on the cover plate.
I had a 350W motor at 36V on a bicycle and it was lame. It was a brushed motor and I burned the brushes within a few rides. I stalled it on a hill, thats a good way to burn any motors windings. I could have replaced the brushes but thats old technology and not worth the hassle. So I just threw the wheel and motor away into the dumpster.
You can buy the stickers and/or holographic stickers on ebay, and just stick it on your motor. A Cycle Analyst is a good option to have as well, it can limit speed. It gives you a lot of info at your finger tips.
I'm running old crystalytes modded by HPC to 6KW but have been watching the evolution of the MXUS waiting for everything to sort out before purchasing.
We're pretty fortunate here in California as the new eBike laws are pretty confusing with the 3 different classes. I think most law enforcement were briefed on the new law when it took effect but because it's so convoluted when they see an ebiker on the road they just assume they're legal as long as they are not riding like an idiot. Since my bike looks more like a motorcycle than a bicycle I ghost pedal a lot so when I'm spotted by a Leo they know it's a bicycle.
That's good advice about the stickers on eBay, I'll have to check that out. Right now I just have a 750 watt sticker on my motor that I made with a label maker but I was thinking about having something made that looked a little more official.
The Cycle Analyst is a great product, I use mine to limit top speed to 30-35mph and to monitor how much battery I have left. Same as you I'm more interested in the torque and climbing ability then speed. Off road single track is what I built my bike for but lately I've been riding more on the street.
We're pretty fortunate here in California as the new eBike laws are pretty confusing with the 3 different classes. I think most law enforcement were briefed on the new law when it took effect but because it's so convoluted when they see an ebiker on the road they just assume they're legal as long as they are not riding like an idiot. Since my bike looks more like a motorcycle than a bicycle I ghost pedal a lot so when I'm spotted by a Leo they know it's a bicycle.
That's good advice about the stickers on eBay, I'll have to check that out. Right now I just have a 750 watt sticker on my motor that I made with a label maker but I was thinking about having something made that looked a little more official.
The Cycle Analyst is a great product, I use mine to limit top speed to 30-35mph and to monitor how much battery I have left. Same as you I'm more interested in the torque and climbing ability then speed. Off road single track is what I built my bike for but lately I've been riding more on the street.
Hey TJ I've got a couple contraptions that fall in that grey area too. Well actually one, an electric powered Trikke that has 3 wheels and you stand up on it. Technically it's not a scooter since it has 3 wheels and I don't want to operate it as an electric motorized bicycle/moped (no pedals, 1000W max) because then it would need a plate and insurance. I claim it's an electric bicycle because by design you can propel it without the motor simply by swaying side to side while alternately putting pressure on the outside floor board with your foot, similar to ice skating. I can make the argument that it has pedals because the Webster dictionary actually defines a pedal as a flat piece of metal, rubber, etc., that you push with your foot to make a machine move. It's a stretch I know, besides i think the vehicle code makes reference to chain operated, but what the hey it worked once already when confronted by Leos while I was riding on a bike path. My other contraption by cvc definition is an electric scooter. It had a hub motor in the 20" rear wheel and a 24" mtb disc brake suspension front end. Bummer is it cruzes at 35-38mph but as a scooter it's technically illegal to operate over 15mph under California law. I've toyed with the idea of adding some type of lever action pedal device, something like the old Honda Kick-n-Go or the Alenax Transbar system (google it) so that it falls under the new electric bicycle law, giving me more flexibility on legal maximum speed. Unfortunately too many projects and too little time at the moment. Besides I've been spotted (not clocked) by Leo riding well over 15mph but was most likely ignored because I wasn't riding stupid and was wearing my helmet. I'm guessing it would just be a ticket one would have to pay but knowing our DMV it probably goes against your driving record as well.
Last edited: