Thanks for all the information. It gives me much more to think about.

I do not presently own a bike, so I am inclined to buy a finished unit and not piece together a kit. But after looking at the ampedbikes and goldenmotor links, it seems possible to put something together for quite a bit less with a kit.

I am retired, so my interest is more in using it for frequent trips to the grocery store, post office, etc. Obviously I would not be able to charge it up except at home, so I would need to go around 15 miles without charging the battery. I am able to pedal the bike on the straight and level, and I think that would be fun much of the time. Living in Arizona, it would be nice to have more assist on the hot summer days, however. My housing development has an entrance road that rises a couple of hundred of feet in elevation over about a one mile distance. It would therefore be nice to have assist available at the end of my trips.

Anyhow, thanks for all the help!