Originally Posted by
SClaraPokeman
I agree it's pretty cool looking and probably really good for commuting when you just want to get to work without sweating too much. However, I'm old enough to remember the heyday of mopeds (Puchs, Vespas) which were really popular in late '70s. I had one and really liked it. Originally owning one was just like having a bicycle as pertaining to the vehicle code. With their increasing popularity registration & insurance requirements were enacted which really killed them off (along with lower gas prices). I can see a similar situation arising with electric bikes if they start to get really popular.
I agree, these bikes seem to have found a loophole in that a lot of them now like the Specialized Turbo only assist, they don't propel the bike. My brother in law has the turbo and it will assist him to 28 miles per hour. But since it only assists when he's pedaling, and the motor is 250 watts, it's not considered a motorized bicycle, and no M2 endorsement is needed. But once they get more popular, and the DMV can charge a fee related to it, it will happen. This is California.