vincent713

Just be careful of the road ragers.

Skyway6

I am considering the a Bionx D500 kit. Stopped by the LBS - a chain of 3 stores one of them specializing in Ebikes. For about the same price i could get a new 50cc scooter. Earlier this year i owned a 500cc motorcycle and a 150cc scooter. Decided the scooter is more practical but limited for longer distance so i sold both and got a 400cc scooter.
Now that the fall / winter is upon us here, is why i am thinking about a 50cc scooter. Most trips would be closer to home so it a pain taking the bigger bike out for that.

But some of the negatives for the 50cc. Yes up front cost is the same as Bionx. But then factor in insurance. maintenance. gas. (insurance and maintenance on 2 bikes was also a factor in me selling both and keeping the one)

Plus since lane filtering is not allowed here you are still stuck in traffic. Where on a bicycle we have excellent separated bike routes here. So for the shorter distance rides the bike is better. Sure the Bionx may be slower in top speed compared to a 50cc scooter but the bionx will flatten hills and be average speed faster than just muscle power.

My main hurdle to the ebike thing is battery. I did have a cheaper ebike kit installed on my bike a few years ago and loved it. The bad was the battery was supposed to be able to go 2000 charge cycles. But only after a few months i started to get power cut outs. Dealer did not know what the cause was until magically when out of warranty he decided a cell or 2 died and would sell me a new battery for like 700bux.

So that is main thing right now. The bionx kit costs alot and batteries are not cheap. If they only last 6 months the over all cost effectiveness would push me towards a 50cc scooter.

350htrr

The BionX is designed for people who want to pedal like a real bike but just want some assistance sometimes. It does have a throttle but the battery just isn't big enough to use it like that (throttle only) for longer than about 15/20miles. As for your battery worries about it lasting, no worries there as long as you don't take it below 80% used up per charge it will last as long as they say that it should, had mine for 3 years and don't notice any loss of battery...

CliffordK

I can imagine. When I was there, Parma was just covered with Mopeds. But, that was in part due to restrictive driving laws. I think kids could drive at 18, but ride a moped at 14 (or so). Anyway, so all the teens gravitated to mopeds.

One could certainly change laws and the tax structure to encourage e-bikes. Quadruple the cost of ownership of cars, and people will look at alternatives.

To me, this is it.

Around here we get a couple of months of really nice bicycling weather, and a long period of generally wet or unpredictable weather.

The E-Bike exposes one to all the elements (like a bike).

Most power assisted bikes I see have riders happily coasting past cyclists that are pedalling and getting good exercise. One of the reasons I like the bike is the exercise aspect. And, I'm reluctant to recommend anybody get an e-bike and bypass the exercise component.

Of course there is also cargo capacity. A car can literally carry a ton of stuff... There are some experimental cargo e-bikes, but most e-bikes are just transporting a single person.

Skyway6

one of the things i like about the BionX is that it is pedal assist instead of twist n go power. I prefer that.(pedal assist) Battery (range) lasts alot longer.
With the pedal assist it is like you are always riding downhill with the wind at your back

When you say do not take it to 80% used up you mean do not run it down to almost no charge left?

for the people calling some bikes mopeds. Are they mopeds or are they scooters? gets confusing when folks use those
words to mean same thing. To me a moped has pedals a scooter does not.

350htrr

I mean taking the battery below 20% charge left in battery can be harmful for longevity of the battery. Mopeds have pedals scooters don't, but nobody actually pedals a moped so I equate e-Bikes with throttle only to a moped, because that is how people ride their E-Bikes, not so with an E-Assist bike...

CliffordK

Mo-Ped.... some countries may have required mopeds to have pedals.

A motorized bike is similar, with electric motorized bikes being a subclass.

I do like the idea of electric assist, but not sure if they appeal more to bicycle riders than E-Bike riders.

cruiserhead

ebikes HAVE caught on in the USA. Most ebike vendors are selling OUT of inventory and ebike makers are experiencing triple digit growth in sales.

vincent713

For a lot of people, riding a non ebike is hard for them to go up a hill so they are reluctant to ride. An ebike is a game changer and going up a hill is now a breeze. Folks often think ebikes are for lazy people that don't like to peddle, this is so not true. I use pedal assist every time I ride and I've NEVER had as much exercise before as I do now with my ebike.

CliffordK

Depending on where one is, a lot of people avoid big hills. But, some people seem to have a lot of problems simply shifting into the right gear.

You are right. If it gets one out on the bike in pedal mode, then... GOOD.

If it is in throttle mode **********

So many of the powered bikes I notice simply use the throttle.

Skyway6

I would be the same, i would use the Bionx bike alot more. There are alot of hills in my area. I call them slow death hills.
A long gradual grade that gets steeper and steeper the farther you go along it. Sure 20 years ago no problem. But i am nearing
58 now in good shape. Hit the gym several times a week. Active job. but by the time the weekend rolls around i do not want to do
much. So in good weather i am out on my Yamaha Majesty. During the week i do use my pedal bike for commuting. But it a short distance.

If i had the Bionx i would use it for short haul close to home trips (like say 20km radius) I live in downtown Vancouver so we are blessed with some
pretty awesome bike routes. That way i would still get exercise - save gas - save insurance but still not burn me out like a non electric would.

way back in 2007 i tried one of those electric scooterized moped things. Pretty useless. sold it after just one month and got a 50cc scooter.

on a Bionx note, how secure is the battery when attached to the bike. Is it easy for someone to tear it off the bike? I have secure parking at home and work but thinking more of an hour or two on busy streets or shopping malls. Is it better to take the battery with you? I have always left my panniers on the bike with no issue. Only once in 20yrs has someone rifled thru the packs.

350htrr

The battery is locked onto the frame or the rear rack, should not be a problem.

vincent713

You can't avoid hills if you live say in San Francisco? Where I live you must go up a hill to get to a main road, this is TOTALLY unavoidable. Ebikes are power assist so EVERYONE is going to use the throttle. It's a matter of how much pedal assist you want to use or how much exercise you want. Even if you use throttle only mode, you're still getting exercise on your cardiovascular. It gets the adrenaline going, blood pumping and flowing which is good for the heart.

350htrr

Beg to differ, in throttle mode only, you DON'T get any exercise that's of any use at all... JMO

vincent713

Would riding an ebike outside in throttle only mode raise your adrenaline, gets your blood pumping and flowing more than you would sitting on your couch watching tv? Re read my post, I said cardiovascular exercise.

Cyclosaurus

You have been badly misinformed as to what cardiovascular exercise is. Not pedaling your bike is no known form of exercise.

350htrr

So if I sat on the couch drinking a few beers and watching little house on the prairie it's nothing, but watching XXX movies I can improve my cardiovascular system?

vincent713

Anything that gets your adrenaline going, blood pumping and flowing has to do with your cardiovascular. Why is this so hard to understand? Has the lithium gotten into you?

vincent713

Yes whacking off is good for your cardiovascular, sitting there just watching tv does nothing.

350htrr

Well, I'm certainly not an expert, but I suspect adrenaline rush is not the same as pedaling the bike... JMO

350htrr

I agree, but that is actual physical work so it does a body good... Just siting on the bike does nothing either...

gregf83 

And people wonder why Americans are getting fatter...

yayforebikes

I think another major play here is the roads. Most US roads that I know are not built around bicycles. They are built around cars. When I bike I'm always worried of getting run over by an idiot who doesn't care about others. When it's illegal to ride a bicycle on a sidewalk and have to choose whether to get a ticket or ride 3 feet of space next to oncoming traffic. I doubt a lot of people will jump to bicycles in general until there are a clear and concise dedicated path for bicycles or physical barriers between cars and bicycles. just my 2 cents.

vincent713

Where I live there is no law stating bicycle cannot ride on sidewalk, so that's where you'll find me most of the time is on the sidewalk. Cops ride by me all the time and they don't bother me. I would never ride on a busy traffic road and risk some dumbass hitting me. There are a lot of bicycle fatality that happens everyday and I do believe a big percentage of people are afraid to ride.

Cyclosaurus

In my experience, you're mostly trading one risk for another. You reduce your chances of getting hit by cars traveling in the same direction by being on the sidewalk, but you increase your chances of getting hit by a car turning at an intersection because drivers almost never think to look for or expect a bike crossing the street at the sidewalk.