5 ms·

> They go really, really fast, for sustained periods of time, and yet are as thin and quiet as a pedal bike. Not really? Class 1 and 2 ebikes in the US top out

> They go really, really fast, for sustained periods of time, and yet are as thin and quiet as a pedal bike. Not really? Class 1 and 2 ebikes in the US top out at 20 mph. Ebikes in Europe usually top out at 25 km/h (15.5 mph). Even 20 mph is achievable by a moderately fit person on a road bike for a sustained period of time.

russellbeattie 5y ago
I'm talking about the thousands of Sur-Ron and Segways, Super 73s, etc. which have pedals simply to be technically class 2, yet can hit 70mph. I'm not sure why the downvotes. Oh well.
- Arainach 5y ago
  Pedals don't make you class 2. Class 2 requires bring limited to 20mph. Even Class 3 requires bring limited to 28mph. No ebike is hitting "70mph". The hearing and tires avg l aren't good enough and the battery didn't even deliver enough power.
  - russellbeattie 5y ago
    https://youtu.be/I8Ia6P1dBBI https://youtu.be/I8Ia6P1dBBI Really? It's not that hard to Google this stuff.
    - nybble41 5y ago
      It may be based on a bicycle and have an electric motor, but the vehicle in that video is not a class 1, 2, or 3 e-bike. Due to the speed and motor size (2 kW) most places would classify it as an electric motorcycle and require the corresponding license. The limit to be considered a class 3 e-bike (in the US), the highest e-bike class, is a maximum speed of 28 MPG on level ground with standard passenger + cargo mass before the assist cuts out. (You may be able to exceed that speed with pure pedaling, or on a downhill slope.) Class 1 and 2 are limited to 20 MPH, with only foot-controlled throttle ("pedal assist") or the option of hand-activated throttle, respectively. All three classes are limited to 750 watt or smaller motors. Quite a few places treat class 3s as motorbikes or motorcycles rather than bicycles.
gregors 5y ago
People can are are modifying them. 80 mph Sur Ron https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-udAVx85IFs https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-udAVx85IFs Call it whatever you want, these are motorcycles.
- TulliusCicero 5y ago
  This is stupid. What percentage of ebike riders do you think are actually modding their bikes to go 80 mph? C'mon.
- russellbeattie 5y ago
  Thanks for the support. I really don't think most people realize the power of ebikes. You used to need at least a 50cc engine to get to these speeds, and they were relatively big/heavy vehicles (dirt bikes, Vespas, etc.) and always loud. Not any more. Your bike can look like a regular road bike and easily hit 45mph with a kit from Amazon or eBay. I know because I've done it. And it scared me so much, I had both myself and my 19yo son go take a motorcycle course this summer to get our M1s before we ended up wrapped around a tree or under a truck.

russellbeattie 5y ago

I'm talking about the thousands of Sur-Ron and Segways, Super 73s, etc. which have pedals simply to be technically class 2, yet can hit 70mph. I'm not sure why the downvotes. Oh well.

Arainach 5y ago
Pedals don't make you class 2. Class 2 requires bring limited to 20mph. Even Class 3 requires bring limited to 28mph. No ebike is hitting "70mph". The hearing and tires avg l aren't good enough and the battery didn't even deliver enough power.
- russellbeattie 5y ago
  https://youtu.be/I8Ia6P1dBBI https://youtu.be/I8Ia6P1dBBI Really? It's not that hard to Google this stuff.
  - nybble41 5y ago
    It may be based on a bicycle and have an electric motor, but the vehicle in that video is not a class 1, 2, or 3 e-bike. Due to the speed and motor size (2 kW) most places would classify it as an electric motorcycle and require the corresponding license. The limit to be considered a class 3 e-bike (in the US), the highest e-bike class, is a maximum speed of 28 MPG on level ground with standard passenger + cargo mass before the assist cuts out. (You may be able to exceed that speed with pure pedaling, or on a downhill slope.) Class 1 and 2 are limited to 20 MPH, with only foot-controlled throttle ("pedal assist") or the option of hand-activated throttle, respectively. All three classes are limited to 750 watt or smaller motors. Quite a few places treat class 3s as motorbikes or motorcycles rather than bicycles.

gregors 5y ago

People can are are modifying them. 80 mph Sur Ron https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-udAVx85IFs https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-udAVx85IFs Call it whatever you want, these are motorcycles.

TulliusCicero 5y ago
This is stupid. What percentage of ebike riders do you think are actually modding their bikes to go 80 mph? C'mon.
russellbeattie 5y ago
Thanks for the support. I really don't think most people realize the power of ebikes. You used to need at least a 50cc engine to get to these speeds, and they were relatively big/heavy vehicles (dirt bikes, Vespas, etc.) and always loud. Not any more. Your bike can look like a regular road bike and easily hit 45mph with a kit from Amazon or eBay. I know because I've done it. And it scared me so much, I had both myself and my 19yo son go take a motorcycle course this summer to get our M1s before we ended up wrapped around a tree or under a truck.