Very rough, incomplete ebike FAQ outline seeks suggestions

[xyster]

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?

[Matt Gruber]

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.

[Lessss]

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?

[fechter]

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.

[Ypedal]

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...

[xyster]

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.

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...

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.