What's the point of 1000+W ebikes ?

qwerkus

10 kW
Joined
Jul 22, 2017
Messages
785
I've been doing some reading through this forum, and keep wondering why people would put such strong e-motors on non-cargo bikes. I understand e-bike legislation changes from one country to another, and that in the US, you can build an ebikes thrice as powerful as in europe. Yet for me riding a bike as always been more about the combination of fun and exercise which seem to be lost once the vehicle comes with a big motor. For an instance, I tried a 500W bike last week because of my declining health and the many hills out there, and ended up completely overpowered by the machine, pedaling just in order to keep the PAS system going, but without putting any actual effort in it. Now I'm considering a 220W motor or less, which will give me far more range, and still something to pedal for. Of course, if I had to carry a 300Kg, it would surely be a different story. Speed is also not really a big deal for me: I have to stop every few blocks during my commute anyway. So my question goes to those commuters who don't ride cargos: what's the point of a 1000+W motor ?
 
Yes I agree and turned down my 7,200watt ebike to 4,500 watt and now 3,500 watts on 2nd speed. Much easier to take off. Slow it down and smell the roses.
 
On multilane road with traffic lights and 45 MPH posted speed limits I like to ride 28-30MPH. That speed seems to work out perfectly to about 1000W.

Long, stupidly steep hills? I find 1000W can keep my 230lbs ass hauling up steep grades 12-16MPH and that's not even using my lowest granny gear.

There's also times when I like the option of 1500W bursts. When I need to cross an intersection quicker than anticipated or for whatever reason I might wish to lighten the front wheel for a moment or two?

I also frequently pull a loaded trailer so there's another variation of "cargo" handling bicycles which aren't technically cargo bikes.
 
Ykick said:
I also frequently pull a loaded trailer so there's another variation of "cargo" handling bicycles which aren't technically cargo bikes.
For me, (before I started building bikes/trikes specifically for this purpose) it would be this, and the intersection/acceleration thing (being able to reach my 20MPH max faster than the cars can is important in getting out of their way when I'm stuck in front of them at a light, etc., cuz some of them are already very impatient about having had to stop at all, much less have to be slowed down by anything afterward (especially something small enough to knock off the road out of their way without much risk to themselves or their cars' paintjobs).

Very heavy riders would be another (I'm not there quite yet at only 180lbs :lol:).

Hilly/mountainous areas would be another, where without sufficient power speed can't be maintained, and either traffic becomes a concern, or motor overheating from applying too much power at too low a speed. There's only a few here in the valley, but some of them are long and steep.


There's probably other practical concerns, too, but those are right off the top of my head.
 
Enjoyable safe riding experience.

Everytime you're passed by a car, it's a new opportunity to be killed by drivers even distracted for a moment. On an ebike that feels comfortable and safe to me to commute with, the rate of car passes approaches zero, and the safety and enjoyment and time of the trip are all better than cars could achieve.

On a low power ebike, things feel comparatively pretty sketchy to get through traffic.
 
qwerkus said:
I've been doing some reading through this forum, and keep wondering why people would put such strong e-motors on non-cargo bikes. I understand e-bike legislation changes from one country to another, and that in the US, you can build an ebikes thrice as powerful as in europe. Yet for me riding a bike as always been more about the combination of fun and exercise which seem to be lost once the vehicle comes with a big motor. For an instance, I tried a 500W bike last week because of my declining health and the many hills out there, and ended up completely overpowered by the machine, pedaling just in order to keep the PAS system going, but without putting any actual effort in it. Now I'm considering a 220W motor or less, which will give me far more range, and still something to pedal for. Of course, if I had to carry a 300Kg, it would surely be a different story. Speed is also not really a big deal for me: I have to stop every few blocks during my commute anyway. So my question goes to those commuters who don't ride cargos: what's the point of a 1000+W motor ?

It's all about freedom of choice and personal preference. I prefer to be able to go fast when I want, take off fast when I want, and go slow when I want. We are all different.... I for one am greatly appreciative of the fact that I can choose to do what I want, and not have someone else dictate to me what they think is best. The fact that you have asked this question at all is interesting.
 
My favorite cruising speed is around 17 mph..and that is a decent speed for overall efficiency/ lowered wind drag, etc. With that said, I have built 4 ebikes over the last several years, and 1 was a geared hub motor of 750 watt rating and the other 3 were 1000 watt yescomusas hub motors direct drive and all ran on a 48 volt battery. On my last build, I pushed the 1000 watt motor to a max of 2500 watt bursts as needed.

I recently paid a member on this forum to do a complete custom ebike build for me, and I decided it was time for me to upgrade from 48 volt battery to 60 volt battery and have the ability to pump 4500-5000 watts if needed into the hub motor { which is a 5k nominal motor} . I coulda easily went with a 72 volt battery and 7000+ watt setup, but I don't currently need to do 50+ mph and I think this new ebike build will last me a lifetime in terms of its construction. I doubt I will ever do another ebike build.

FWIW..I weigh around 240 lbs...and my area has very steep roads , so a 750-1000 watt limited D.D. hub motor, definitely gets pushed over its limits in these types of circumstances.
 
The penalty for lugging around a larger capacity system is small for ebikes compared with ICE vehicles. A big motor uses only a small % more energy to do the same work as a smaller motor, so why not have one even if only for emergencies?
 
What's the point of building low power ebikes? They sell some that are good, and looking better than the one that you built. :wink:

We build powerful bikes, because we can. We ride fast bikes because it is safer in the trafic, to have better performance than other vehicles around. Mostly, we do it because we want to stop burning gas without performance penalty. If I was going to take one hour to travel with an ebike the course that I was doing in 25 minutes with a motorcycle, I would rather do it on a plain pedal bike and do it in one hour and ten minutes. But, if I can do it as fast or even faster with my ebike, the gasser is now obsolete.
 
what is the point in a 1000hp car or even a 250hp car saying that even a 100hp car can do 100mph easy but why have a car when you can ride a bike and only need a 250cc with less than 50hp to go 100mph easy but most people average 30mph in there car even with motorway miles and going over 70mph i guess a 1500w ebike that can average 20mph is only 33% slower than a car but cost way less .....

my brother does 1000 + miles a month most on motorways and he averages only 32mph ! there has been lots of times i can get to places before he can in his car and i can only go 15.5mph under power
 
qwerkus said:
... Speed is also not really a big deal for me: I have to stop every few blocks during my commute anyway. So my question goes to those commuters who don't ride cargos: what's the point of a 1000+W motor ?

I'm 2 weeks in to my first e-bike, here is my take so far. I'm a big guy and live in Seattle which has a lot of very steep hills on my commute downtown. I put an Ezee 250R rear geared hub motor on a 7 year old REI 29er Mountain bike. I need to tweak the settings on the PAS, but 80% of the time I'm at 200W assist (it's set up for 0, 200, 400w,....) while pedaling w/ a decent effort. Here is why I think more power is better (1) stop and go in the city: hitting the throttle to take off or get through an intersection is incredibly valuable, adds a lot of safety, and saves shifting down on the front chain ring. I often see 1000-1300W for 3-5 seconds to get going. Can't imagine not having that power in the city, would just be unsafe. (2) If you play w/ the motor simulators at Grin, you notice that if you don't keep the speed up, the efficiency drops off a lot. That is, on a steep hill if you don't have enough torque to keep you over 11-12 mi/hr, you might be putting in 1000W of electrical power, but you are only getting 3-400 W of mechanical work out, the rest turns into heat which is not good for the motor. So you need to think about the toughest hill you want to climb: If it's a short hill and you can pedal hard to keep the speed over 12 mph great. If it's a long hill and you'll run out of stamina, you need a motor big enough to keep you and the bike going >12 mph for the length of the climb. If you and the motor can't keep the bike over 12 mph, and it's a 5-10 minute hill, you are on your own (or have to live w/ very little assist) as the heat build up could damage the motor. (3) I've planned my commute so I only have 2 blocks of very steep hills, 10-15% grade, at a time, the motor at 1300 W + me pedaling can handle that, but by the end of the second block, I'm fading, slowing, and the motor is losing efficiency. As I ride more and strength builds it will probably get better, but the OP wrote about failing health, so I say get the power, then configuring the system to give you lots of low power PAS levels to dial in the assist just right. Use a few high power PAS levels (I prefer to just dial up the throttle) for safety and hill climbing.
 
liveforphysics said:
Everytime you're passed by a car, it's a new opportunity to be killed by drivers even distracted for a moment. On an ebike that feels comfortable and safe to me to commute with, the rate of car passes approaches zero, and the safety and enjoyment and time of the trip are all better than cars could achieve.

On a low power ebike, things feel comparatively pretty sketchy to get through traffic.

I'm my casual observation, no speed is ever fast enough to prevent motorists becoming impatient and trying to pass unsafely, until you're going way too fast for your safety and that of others.

I used to commute to work by way of a downhill that allowed me to reach 55mph on a pedal bike. It was a 35mph posted street. Even when I was going 55, drivers felt the need to pass me (and then freak out when they got to their turn at 70mph). I learned that I can't let others' desire to drive at unsafe speeds guide my own behavior.
 
MadRhino said:
We build powerful bikes, because we can.

You do so illegally. Electric bicycles are allowed almost everywhere, and electric motorcycles too.
But that doesn't make them the same thing.

Building and riding an electric motorcycle under the pretense that it's an electric bicycle is not only illegal, but also unfair to those bicyclists and motorcyclists who abide by the law.
 
I respect your choice in riding technique my friend.

In my own limited life experiences, including losing friends to being rear ended on motorcycles and cars, I prefer to split traffic and flow forward through it when possible to safely do it.

Unlimited working techniques to get form A to B on 2 wheels. It's great to find something that suits your individual riding safety comfort zone.
 
I agree with OP. I enjoy the freedom of a bicycle to park where I want and mainly go where I want, and to be free of admin, licences, etc. It brings me out in the fresh air and gives me light exercise if I want or a serious work-out. I also have motorcycles. I think 22 mph max speed is the sweet spot for a bicycle. Above that, I think a moped makes more sense, and if you want more than 30 mph, a normal motorcycle (electric or gas). I've done the high-power bicycle thing (5.5KW) just out of curiosity, and for a while settled on around 500w, but now I don't need that power and don't anymore see the point. It doesn't bother me that other people want to have any amount of power. That's their choice and it has no impact on me. It all helps build the knowledge base and push the boundaries of what's possible and what's allowed so that people have more choice.
 
Chalo said:
...
Building and riding an electric motorcycle under the pretense that it's an electric bicycle is not only illegal, but also unfair to those bicyclists and motorcyclists who abide by the law.

Unfair? What is unfair is killing people and nature of this planet using an obscene amount of resource for transportation. What is unfair is using the street like anyone smaller doesn't deserve to live. As for the law, when it is applied to to citizens who are committing no crime, it is the most unfair invention of men.
 
Id say many build high power e bikes simply for the fun of it. The first 750w bike is fun, the next 1000w one is funner, and so on.

But I found out on the racetrack, that at some point you are really abusing a bike tire, and that is not safe. A bit of low tire pressure, and next thing you know the whole tire is melting. That is a situation a bit beyond the street riders needs. But I do say this, if you build a flyweight electric motorcycle with pedals, put some motorcycle, scooter, or moped tires on it. Above 30-35 mph, you really are putting a lot of trust in a small amount of rubber.

Many make the point of being able to keep up with traffic, and its valid for sure. I legally can ride 30 mph here and the quicker I get to that speed the better, meaning 1000w. Not meaning so much power you have to tame a wheelie constantly.

On one short section of road near where I am temporarily living, ability to keep up with traffic at 35 mph is MUCH safer. On a slower bike, its a long bit of road worrying about the rear view mirror the whole way. Keeping up, its 2 min, still watching, but in the lane. For about a mile, there is no shoulder, no bike lane, no sidewalk. A safer route is much longer, and not very much safer. For my needs, quick acceleration, cargo hauling, etc, 2000w is plenty. FWIW, 2000w even 3000 is legal here. (but not on most bike trails though) Once I'm back in my home, the route is far safer, in the burbs, and 1000w will again be plenty for the run to groceries. Stuck in the center of town for now, I need speed. All the good bike infrastructure in town is on the periphery of the city. Once I get out of downtown, I slow to 20 mph like normal, and ride safe routes.

What is very dangerous IMO, is the guy who rode a bike some as a kid, never owned a motorcycle before, and then goes and builds a 40-50 mph e bike. They don't have the motorcycle savvy and riding skills of Live for Physics, or Mad Rhino. But its rare that this kind of guy kills anybody, except himself.
 
Thanks a lot for your honest replies guys - greatly appreciated. Again: not judging here, anyone should be free to build the bike that fits him (and that is safe for the street). Just curious, and eager to learn. The idea that "if you need the power you have it readily" seems an interesting one (to me), especially considering I also hawl a trailer from time to time. Also it would probably be worth investigating the assumption that under-driving a more powerful motor would prove ultimately more economical than pushing a smaller one to the max. From what I gather, the oversized motor would probably last longer, as would over sized gears, but since motor are most efficient a one given rpm, wouldn't that small gain in maintenance be lost to overall lower efficiency (and hence higher power consumption) ?
 
Do the math yourself. How much does it cost over a year to charge your battery? Then log your maintenance time and expenses.

We all make compromises, according to our requirements and experience. Nothing is perfect. One may have a different perception of safety than another. For me, changing tires and brake pads every 6 weeks is safer than using motorcycle tires and regen braking. That is because my perception of safety is in tire grip and braking distance, rather than puncture resistance and components life expectation. I am used to performance and the care it does require to keep it safe. Even if I do care about low maintenance when I plan a bike build, adequate performance is the main criteria and daily inspection a long time habit. When you started riding with horses half a century ago, and went through all sort of bikes and motorcycles since, you have learned some lessons by experience and pain, that remain printed in your brain for the rest of your riding career.
 
If someone wants to ride a 250W or a 750W ebike, I don't mind, and I don't mock their choices. If they are happy with their choices, I am happy for them.

Technically, it is only legal to have a 750W ebike in Kansas where I live, and yet...I ride by the police here, waving hello at them on my 1500W ebike. They don't seem to mind, and I like it. Why do I like it? My therapist says its because deep down, I'm a filthy animal. Or at least, he did say that, until buried I buried him in a shallow grave in the desert. I'm really gonna miss that little fella...we had some good times.

That probably makes me a horrible person, and I deserve to be punished. I think I will start punishing myself tonight, starting with my liver...
 
People building and riding a ebike that can do more then 30mph, doesn't bother me . It is people that use and abuse that action on the roadways which bring un-needed attention to the rest of us. It is understandable for a person to want a high performance ebike where they use logic to stay under 30 mph on roadways and stay under the radar of law enforcement, BUT, then decide they want some excitement and hit the dirt trails and have the ability to go over 30mph.

FWIW....there could be some debate on whether a car is more likely to have a accident with a ebike that can only do 15 mph or can do 40 mph. If the driver of the ebike is ALERT, it is possible they would have more ability to avoid a car impact, if they have the extra power/speed to get out of the way of that vehicle, instead of being limited to such a low speed of 15 mph.

The problem with much of the human race is, whenever there are laxed / un-enforced laws on the books, humans always seem to push the envelope. to the point that those laws must now become completely enforced. As states/govts continue to look for more corrupt sources of revenue, I expect a day to come where they require ANY person who uses a ebike, to pay for either tags, insurance , yearly fees. They've even tried this for just normal bicycles in some states.
 
I have a BBSHD running at 52V on one ebike in Canada. I can easily climb very long steep grades at 15 mph or more.
On flat I can reach 55-60 km/h (30-35 mph).
I love the thing even though mid-drive require more care and maintenance.
I left that bike in Canada.

Now in new york, I bought a lower power ebike... 36V battery, 7A controller with burst at 15A (250-500 Watts)
See it here : https://endless-sphere.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=89258
Great stuff.... Top speed is 18-20 mph. I get craazzzy range.
Although the speed is good for reasonable commuting times in a crowded place, I definitly wish I had more torque!
Acceleration can save your ass from being rear ended or side crushed by dangerous drivers. Yellow cab drivers especiually here in NYC...

Yesterday night, I rode the hudson river bike path at night. There was almost nobody. I wish I could have gone faster than 18 mph...
25 mph would have satified my need for a bit of speed.
All in all, being in NYC, I think the best power range for me to choose from on a hub DD would be 500W, maybe 750W if you have a good battery. 350W could also be great. But 250W is a bit too low IMHO.
I might upgrade my controller-battery-motor. They make more powerfull version of the same Arrow eBike I use... Up to 20A and 52V.
1000W and + is awsome.... but prepare to invest for a battery that can handle it without getting damaged.

It's not just the speed, it's the acceleration...

Matador
 
Great discussion. Here where am from, Slovenia, mideast Europe, bikers (no electric) are pretty well respected on roads. Problem with riding at 30mph+ for me, would probably be abusing the power of it. Ae. I fear becoming douchebag.

But must feel great riding 40mph as bike.

And then again I agree having that extra power when needed has to add to safety.

Just got to be smart about it
 
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