Originally Posted by
BigAura
Most recreational non-motorized riders crank 150 watts. Legal eBikes motors can produce up to 750watts (ONE HORSEPOWER). So potentially a lot more than 300%.
eBikes aren't in the same power-class as 55-horsepower Harley motorcycles but they are in same category. They are motor vehicles. sad, sad, sad that they have been erroneously categorized as bicycles.
My ebike motor can put out 750w, too. But I've only gone over 15mph one time, when I first got it to try it out. Cars can go 120+mph so should we ban them because some people might use them irresponsibly? We do the logical thing, we set speed limits and we ticket people who exceed them. Since cities can set their own laws regarding ebikes, they can set limits of 15mph or 20mph on anything but city streets. The proper response is enforcement for the subset of violators, not banning them from use. And, again, WHY do you care if someone is going 24mph human powered (like my adult son) or motor powered? The speed is the same. If it keeps people from driving a car, it's a win.