Very rough, incomplete ebike FAQ outline seeks suggestions

Per the e-bike faq discussion,
http://endless-sphere.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=526
I've written an outline.
Question/format suggestion? I'm planning on giving each bold section to a different person, who can write the responses, and if he or she so wishes, append more questions and/or reorganize their section. Each section should logically follow the one before, and lead to the one after.

E-BIKE FAQ
What's e-biking, and why would I want to ride a bike with a motor on it?
o An ebike sounds like a moped with pedals, is e-biking legal?
o How does the addition of a motor affect pedaling? Can I still ride the bike normally?

OK, I'm interested. So what are my options for an ebike?
o Which is better for me, a pre-built e-bike, or a kit that modifies a regular bike?
o Where do I buy these kits and pre-built bikes?
o How much do these kits and bikes normally cost?
o Is the bike I already own or intend to buy a good candidate for conversion with a kit?


What are the basic components particular to an ebike?
o How reliable are these parts?
o Where do I get replacements if something breaks?
o How much power (watts) will I need?
o What does do those numbers used to describe to the motor, controller, and batteries mean?
o What's best for me, a "brushed" motor and controller, or a "brushless" motor and controller?

As far as the kits go, which is better for me, a single-speed hubmotor, or a motor that sends power through the gears and chains?


How do I choose between the kits that drive through the chain and gears?


How do I choose between all the different hubmotors?


What happens when I need to replace the batteries on my ebike?
o How can I tell how much lifespan my batteries have left?
o What's the difference between these different battery types?
o Do I have to buy replacement batteries from the place I bought the kit or pre-built bike?
o Where are the best sources for ebike battery packs?
o What if I want more range? Can I add more batteries?

What if I want more performance out of my ebike than the kit or pre-built bike came with?


What are some good accessories for my ebike?

so u want to write EBIKES FOR DUMMIES?
that could take lots of time.

until it is finished, case studies are a fun way to learn. newbies should read up on the cool bikes here, like yours, until then.

The bike I want comes with SLA's. Does this mean I shouldn't buy it?

Will the extra weight of motor and batteries mean I'll get more flats?

How can I tell I got the wattage motor the bike advertised it had?

How can I tell the Amperage delivery is what was advertised?

How do I make it go faster?

How do I make it burn rubber?


I think that's a good start. Perhaps we can attempt to answer the questions here, then once there's a pretty good bunch of stuff, we can condense it into a sticky post for the reference library.

Once it looks good, I'd be inclined to lock the topic to prevent "noise".
Updates can be handled by the admins on locked topics.

http://www.ypedal.com/FAQ.htm

I put this together for my site.. a BIG work in progress.. but if it helps in any way...

fechter said:

I think that's a good start. Perhaps we can attempt to answer the questions here, then once there's a pretty good bunch of stuff, we can condense it into a sticky post for the reference library.

Click to expand...

ypedal said:

http://www.ypedal.com/FAQ.htm

I put this together for my site.. a BIG work in progress.. but if it helps in any way...

Click to expand...

Since His Fech-ness wants it done by random volunteer submission, people who want to, should add to it however they can. Plagiarizing ypedal's work would make a good start.