rsilvers said:
Another defense is that the Federal electric-bike law supposedly supersedes state law (not sure this is true). So if your bike has an automatic transmission but no more than 750 watts and cannot go over 20 mph, then the state has to call it a bicycle.
If MA re-wrote their moped law, it seems certain they would cap the speed at 20 mph.
Federal does over-ride state, just look at the pot-head laws. Seems contradictory to me, but everythings done in court. Seems like the small dog gets bent over with sand, and let the big dog slide. Just got to look at tax law and tax cases for that.
I know this thread isn't about legality but I just had to mention that cops are the ones who decide whether your bike is legal or not.
Wrong yet again, the pigs only resposibility is to write up tickets to pay for their fancy air conditioned cars and their job benefits. Its then your resposibility to lose a days work or more to hit up the court room. Then the judges job to see if its legal or not, and the judges are sometimes wrong, just depends on the defendant and how the judge feels.
The number one thing they care about is how you are riding and a close second is how fast you are going.
True to some extent, but again it comes down to do they want to do the paper work.
I would say if you are riding appropriately, there is no reason for pigs to look at you twice. A bicycle is a bicycle, a motorbike is a motorbike. Go one way or go the other way. Follow the law or dont. I did a cursory glance at my laws, its 49cc or 750W in Alberta. Most of the time on a DMV violation, you cant drive no motorized anything, mower, ebike, seadoo, boat, train, airplane.
I would go with the Nuvinci on a mid-drive, but those things are way to expensive. I wouldnt bother, just get a cheaper geared hub.
i hope they made it better this time, but it sound like ony 350 watt motors .. the best is sill rohloff speed hub. to what i know. 
