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[2Phast2Delirious]

The ethical sleeper doesn't want attention or to get busted. They will hot rod the bike only in situations where it doesn't disrupt social harmony.

It's like the ebiker equivalent of the responsible sports car enjoyer.

I agree. I cruise at 25 to 28 mph on my semi-street legal bikes and I only go up to 35 mph for few seconds at a time. But for my Sleepers, 25 mph is the maximum because I don't want to draw any attention to the fact that I can't prove that it's street-legal. For me, the additional power is mostly there to climb hills or to keep up with unpredictable vehicles and traffic. I can also be a semi-wuss when there's a group of five or more cars in behind of me or on my ass, I normally pull over, wait for the traffic to clear, and then resume riding.


Pedaling is crucial to me. I only take breaks when I release the throttle or when nobody else is nearby, haha.

 

[biknut]

This is a motor bicycle. I used to build these before going electric in 2013. Powering down a trail is asking for trouble, Sometimes I would turn off the motor, and pedal, but even so the stink eye is formidable.

 

[2Phast2Delirious]

This is a motor bicycle. I used to build these before going electric in 2013. Powering down a trail is asking for trouble, Sometimes I would turn off the motor, and pedal, but even so the stink eye is formidable.

This brings back memories! Back in like 2005 ish I built one of these with the cheapest kit that was available, and because I did everything by hand as a teen, it always ran like crap. My friend's quality was far superior and he claims it goes 50mph, but we were only allowed to ride 25mph.

 

[99t4]

Additionally, I personally don't like builds that shout "I'm a DIYer" or "Nerd Alert!" You guys must have a phrase for that; Disorganized wiring, duct tape, exposed batteries, etc.

Terminology for what you describe (Disorganized wiring, duct tape, exposed batteries, etc.) would be Hack or Kludge. If it is temporary one might call it "Test bed."

 

[amberwolf]

Some of us call it "science experiment".

Though it eventually looked much better, in stages

 

[99t4]

Some of us call it "science experiment".

Yes of course. I didn't think of that one.

 

[Ebike Bob]

I was out putting around on my ebike today, and saw this billboard:
View attachment 319057

This is the first time I've seen ebikes being advertised like this locally. It was another sunny day out, and the ebikes and e-other vehicle types, were out in force. This summer, however, I've seen a big increase in DIY bikes; where over the last 3 or 4 years, I may see one or maybe 2 DIY bikes in an entire year, I saw a half dozen today. Even an elderly lady with a trike with a 1000W front hub.

Riding through one neighborhood, I saw an ebike shop, but not the usual bike shop that started selling ebikes, but an actual ebike shop that looks like it converts bikes using kits, and also modifies factory ebikes. I saw a hopped up Super 73 near the entrance, and some definitly custom conversions.
View attachment 319060

View attachment 319059

View attachment 319058

I also noticed that there are some faster bikes and othe EVs out there now; mores signs of DIY. I pace behind them and they usually will hit full throttle when they see me behind them, so I can get an idea of their top speeds. I rode behind a one wheel and the rider had a BIG backpack on. My guess is 20S10P or so in the pack. It could hit a legitimate 33mph or so, pretty impressive. The rider needs to lean pretty far forward to accelerate though, so at a stop, or while letting him trail me from behind, there's no way he could accelerate enough to keep up with me when hitting the throttle. Still impressive though, and he could easily out run the other ebikes out there. His hill climbing as impressive as well.

So, while ebikes in general are increasing in numbers quickly, the DIY ebikes and DIY modded factory bikes are growing almost as fast.

The bell curve may have just crested.

I was out putting around on my ebike today, and saw this billboard:
View attachment 319057

This is the first time I've seen ebikes being advertised like this locally. It was another sunny day out, and the ebikes and e-other vehicle types, were out in force. This summer, however, I've seen a big increase in DIY bikes; where over the last 3 or 4 years, I may see one or maybe 2 DIY bikes in an entire year, I saw a half dozen today. Even an elderly lady with a trike with a 1000W front hub.

Riding through one neighborhood, I saw an ebike shop, but not the usual bike shop that started selling ebikes, but an actual ebike shop that looks like it converts bikes using kits, and also modifies factory ebikes. I saw a hopped up Super 73 near the entrance, and some definitly custom conversions.
View attachment 319060

View attachment 319059

View attachment 319058

I also noticed that there are some faster bikes and othe EVs out there now; mores signs of DIY. I pace behind them and they usually will hit full throttle when they see me behind them, so I can get an idea of their top speeds. I rode behind a one wheel and the rider had a BIG backpack on. My guess is 20S10P or so in the pack. It could hit a legitimate 33mph or so, pretty impressive. The rider needs to lean pretty far forward to accelerate though, so at a stop, or while letting him trail me from behind, there's no way he could accelerate enough to keep up with me when hitting the throttle. Still impressive though, and he could easily out run the other ebikes out there. His hill climbing as impressive as well.

So, while ebikes in general are increasing in numbers quickly, the DIY ebikes and DIY modded factory bikes are growing almost as fast.

The bell curve may have crested.

Dear EV owners, Strata Councils and Ebike sellers:

Dear EV owners, Strata Councils and Ebike sellers: The writing is on the wall. Some strata's have completely banned ebikes and escooters already, probably due to the pressure from insurance companies. Furthermore, one or more home insurance compani…

www.bitchute.com

 

[E-HP]

I saw a first on the bike trail a few days ago. I was too dumbfounded to take a pic though. I was taking a break off to the side of the trail,, when I saw something odd approaching the crosswalk and coming up the slight hill. From across the street, it looked like kids on a go kart, but as it zipped across the crosswalk and up the path, I noticed it was silent. As they approached, I could see it was two boys, probably brothers since they both had the exact same sh*t eatin' grins, ear to ear on their faces. They had their helmets, ages maybe 7 or 8, and it looked like parents on bikes behind them. The thing was big. Not tall, but probably 4' wide, and the steel tubing perimeter frame was about 3 feet wide to accommodate the 2 passenger bench seat. It looked like it had a sheet metal floor pan, tack welded to the frame. When they crossed in front of me, I could see a huge battery pack under their legs, but I couldn't see what kind of batteries it was using.
It wasn't until it passed by that I saw that it was a trike, not an electric go kart, and had what appeared to be one of these out back.

I could tell they goosed it a little further down the path, and quickly put some distance between them and the parents. It seemed torquey. They slowed way down before they got near anymore people.

I googled around to see if I could find anything similar, but only came up with these two, each having some of the elements.

This has sort of the same layout of components, electric, and fairly wide. I'd say their pack was at least 3 of these, maybe 4.

And this one due to the tubular frame. The front tires were the pneumatic ones used for garden carts or trailers, probably around 11". The rear was likely a 12"x3.5" slick/street tread scooter tire.

I'm going to be ready to take a pic next time. I didn't get a good look at how their steering was setup.

 

[E-HP]

A new first, for the bike trails at least. I've seen uniformed ebike cops on the streets around Berkeley, but this is the first one I've seen patrolling the bike trail. I couldn't quite make out the brand, but basically a hardtail mid-drive. She was pedaling when she rode by, but I could see she was just using throttle only when the trail was clear. I decided it would be a good idea not to race her, and to be more aware that there are bikes patrolling the trail. I'm not sure what the jurisdiction is, since she crossed into the next city and kept going.


I did see a full sized patrol SUV driving down the trail last week, so maybe there's something sparking these patrols.