Panasonic Bikes

[AllenG]

It's a crying shame these are not available on this side of the Pacific rim.
I think the Panasonic in line to the chain drive system is the best on the market.
And they are working on better Li batteries.

http://www.panabyc.co.jp/products/electric/index.html

Some images clipped from their web site.

http://www.panabyc.co.jp/products/bikeimage400/BE-EPH67B.jpg
Basically the old Giant Lite/Twist.

http://www.panabyc.co.jp/products/bikeimage400/BE-EPZ01B.jpg
Kinda funky

http://www.panabyc.co.jp/products/ensemble/img/lineup_electric.jpg

http://www.panabyc.co.jp/products/bikeimage400/BE-EPR83G.jpg
Their work trike.

[Lake_Tom]

Cool. Huge number of products.

I imagine that serious carbon emissions regulations would drive the market place toward electric bicycles.

[BroadwayJoe]

Ditto - they're the best eBike I've ever owned and I've had a few. No, they don't power along with a throttle but if you want an eBike that doesn't weigh and feel like a bike with motor/battery they're the way to go.

I lucked into a Japanese market machine that had been brought over for promoting Panasonic/National products. I've since ditched the NiMi pack and added my own lithium battery packs. 10AH @ 24Vdc will give me 20 miles range - easy. Try that with Crystalyte stuff...

The only OEM PITA is that the final cog is geared low to meet Japanese (10-12mph) regulations. Easy enough to install a smaller cog and now I see 15-18mph top speed.

People should be wondering why these bikes aren't here.

[redden]

what range do u get on that bike?

[AllenG]

Using my Giant Lite/Twist (it has a Panasonic drive system) as an example, when it was just the bike I would get up to thirty miles on a charge. Now that it has a Xtracycle rear end it gets up to 28 miles, and when fully loaded (which can be over 200 lbs. of weight) the range can drop as low as 18 miles.

[redden]

where did you get the Panasonic system?

Thanks for answering my questions. I'm trying to educate myself before pulling the trigger.

[AllenG]

where did you get the Panasonic system?

Thanks for answering my questions. I'm trying to educate myself before pulling the trigger.

That's the sad thing. Now it's Japan or you don't. Giant for a short time used the Panasonic system of one of their models, but now have moved to hub motors. I vastly prefer a chain drive.

[Hobartlemagne]

Cool. Huge number of products.

I imagine that serious carbon emissions regulations would drive the market place toward electric bicycles.

The electric bicycle lobby doesn't really have enough funding to entertain members of congress.

[redden]

That's the sad thing. Now it's Japan or you don't. Giant for a short time used the Panasonic system of one of their models, but now have moved to hub motors. I vastly prefer a chain drive.

Could you tell me why you prefer chain drive over hub?