E-S Stealth Electric Bike Owners

[Artur]

In Germany it doesn't metter if it is has some limitation setteings or not. If bike can ride faster 7km/h without pedalling you need to have insurance and plate number *(but you will not get one for stelth in Europe without technical certification), and with speed over 25 km/h you need to have driving licence for scooter. Still waiting for "happy letter" from the police.

7 km/h, that's screwed up. That's like 4 mph, barely faster than walking speed. What nincompoop thought of that? But even so, if you're pedaling at the time, and they see you going 30 km/h, how do they know if it's the motor or you?

That's actually about the same as here, except the law says 30 km/h (20 mph) under it's own power on level ground. If I'm riding over 30 km/h, as long as I'm pedaling it's impossible to tell if it's the motor, of the rider. 80 km/h might be a different story though.

You don't know the half of it. The EU is completely swamped with committees who pontificate about nonsense regulations. In Britain, it's even worse, as old statutes overlap these. Here is an excerpt from a Wiki entry:

In the United Kingdom, e-bikes are classed as standard bicycles providing the motor's maximum continuous rated power output does not exceed 200 W for bicycles, 250W for bicycle tandems (i.e. two seaters) and 250W for tricycles,[33] and cuts out once the bike reaches 15.5 mph (24.9 km/h). It must also be under 40 kg (88 lb) for a bicycle, or 60 kg for a tricycle.

Riders must be at least 14 years of age, but no driving licence is required.

Despite the more recent EU directive and standard, the UK’s[34] Electrically Assisted Pedal Cycle Regulations 1983 (SI 1983/1168) have not been rescinded and still apply. These require that the motor has an average power output limited to 200 W (250 W for tricycles and tandems), weight limited to 40 kg (60 kg for tricycles and tandems), and a maximum speed when power-assisted of 15 miles per hour (24 km/h). For electric cycles meeting these requirements, the vehicle does not require registration or periodic road worthiness assessment, and operators do not require a licence or insurance. (Operators must be at least 14 years of age.) However, since 2006, when Statutory Instrument 2935 brought EU Directive 2002/24/EC into UK law, vehicles that don't meet the EU definition of an electric cycle have required type approval. This overlap of requirements has certain effects, as described below.

The following features of an EU-definition electric cycle are not legally available in the UK:

upper power outputs between 201 W and 250 W on bicycles
maximum speeds between 15.01 mph and 15.53 mph'
weights above 40 kg for bicycles and 60 kg for tricycles and tandems
The following features of a UK-definition electric cycle make a vehicle subject to type approval:

the application of motor power without use of the pedals
the application of motor power without progressive reduction to zero at 15.53 mph (meaning that at the maximum UK speed of 15 mph some residual supply of power is permitted)
There are no known cases of enforcement of the requirement for type approval. This could be because compliance with type approval is declared when a vehicle is first registered for use on the road, and UK-definition electric cycles are exempt from such registration by the 1983 UK regulations.

Thank f*ck they don't enforce these. Most pedal bikes in London are easy doing 20/25mph anyway.

You are right, those rules killing the progress and evolution of Ebikes, but could be worce..

Today I was talking wich head of safety vehicle certification organization in Munchen, Germany. We have discussed our Vector e-bike and I mind spend 25.000 Euro on making it legal to ride on the streets *(even if you would need scooter driving licence or motorcycle one depending on e-bike max speed). So it is only metter of time and money. There was actually a funny case in Germany with segways, once airport service ordered hundred of segways for airport workers they realise that at thet moment it was out of law operate this type of vehicle in Germany... So what they did was the airport chef called to some politics in parlament and they legalise it... This is how it works... To bad I am not the Minister of transportation, otherwise I would change those stupid limits to normal one..

p.s. 7 km/h is the speed of wheelchair.. that's why you dont need licence for 7 km/h lol

 

[Merlin]

Another thing I like about this stand is, it's far enough back that it doesn't foul the pedals if you roll the bike backwards when it's deployed.

where can i buy this stand?

 

[biknut]

You are right, those rules killing the progress and evolution of Ebikes, but could be worce..

Today I was talking wich head of safety vehicle certification organization in Munchen, Germany. We have discussed our Vector e-bike and I mind spend 25.000 Euro on making it legal to ride on the streets *(even if you would need scooter driving licence or motorcycle one depending on e-bike max speed). So it is only metter of time and money. There was actually a funny case in Germany with segways, once airport service ordered hundred of segways for airport workers they realise that at thet moment it was out of law operate this type of vehicle in Germany... So what they did was the airport chef called to some politics in parlament and they legalise it... This is how it works... To bad I am not the Minister of transportation, otherwise I would change those stupid limits to normal one..

p.s. 7 km/h is the speed of wheelchair.. that's why you dont need licence for 7 km/h lol

That's exactly what I'm talking about. Seems it's the same everywhere, money talks, bs walks.

 

[biknut]

where can i buy this stand?

Any motorcycle shop can usually order parts from Moose Racing. You can also probably find it online. You want the one for a Honda CR80.

 

[ryrideswhat]

I commend you ry, it's good to know the laws we're breaking LOL. Obviously the electric bicycle is an invention of the devil, and must be cracked down upon.

They can get away with that crap when there's not many electric bicycles, but now that electric bicycles are starting to become popular, bs laws like that will have to be changed, or it will cause insurrection, or even worse, someone might not get elected again. That's the key. Here in the u.s. they've tried to pass a lot of draconian laws for motorcycles. Motorcycle rights groups have banded together, and started campaigns both to get people elected, and unelected, and guess what? It works, we've beaten back the worst laws. It hard for them to even get a helmet law passed now without stipulations. Also it's all about the money. When there's big money in electric bicycles, laws will be changed that stand in the way.

I think in time electric bicycles will be even more popular than motorcycles, and there's power in numbers. I'm not against regulations though, just unreasonable ones.

The thing is, the biggest lobby for vehicles at the moment here is the pushbike lobby in London, and they're getting their way. On the one hand that's a great thing- a lot of the infrastructure is being handed over to cyclists- huge cycle lanes, superhighways, the lot. (Google East-West/North-South London Cycle Superhighway. if you're interested). But the problem is, the pushbike lobby don't like speedy vehicles, and who can blame them?

The issue for electric bikes is that they wouldn't be able to effectively use the cycle lanes because we travel a lot faster than most pushbikes- so we would have to travel with traffic, which is riskier for us, and makes us stand out as a vehicle. The e-bike is caught uncomfortably between a motorbike and a pushbike really. Driving a bomber at cycle lane speeds, with the rest of he pushbikes feels like a neutered experience.

The other solution is for the state simply to recognise the stealth and its ilk as mopeds, tax them and shove a plate on them.

 

[ryrideswhat]

Well, I say tax them. 0 emissions 0 tax

 

[ryrideswhat]

First close call today on an otherwise smooth run. Some white van woman who I was driving behind (no windows to see out the back.) Stayed back a good stopping distance, but followed her path around a parked bus. She goes for the overtake, then slams on the brakes when she realises that a car is heading straight for her (she didn't notice that- or me, the stupid cow.) I nearly went into the bak of her van. Good chance to test the brakes though

On which note the back brake has developed a sort of high pitched squeal?

 

[biknut]

On which note the back brake has developed a sort of high pitched squeal?

That's probably normal. The stock pads are kind of noisy, mine were anyway. About a thousand miles ago I replaced my brake rotors, and pads, and my brakes have been a lot quieter ever since.

 

[remf]

First close call today on an otherwise smooth run. Some white van woman who I was driving behind (no windows to see out the back.) Stayed back a good stopping distance, but followed her path around a parked bus. She goes for the overtake, then slams on the brakes when she realises that a car is heading straight for her (she didn't notice that- or me, the stupid cow.) I nearly went into the bak of her van. Good chance to test the brakes though

On which note the back brake has developed a sort of high pitched squeal?

Hey ry, that vid was supercool. I love London.

I agree with everything you said...it is beyond belief that our governments are blind to progress and in our case, science itself.

On your travels be aware that motorists are not expecting you to be travelling much faster than a cyclist. But you are.
Slow down around any traffic within reason and always expect the unexpected. Safety is paramount.

Seeing that your bike is brand new, the squeal is most likely a simple calliper alignment issue. Easily solved by loosening the caliber bolts, pull the brake & tighten the bolts ensuring full contact with the rotor.
When's the next vid?

 

[boars]

Boars

If you can't decide go see the Brisbane dealer they have a Bomber and a Fighter you can test ride.
http://www.o3industries.com.au/stealth_range.html
That will make your decision much easier.

Honestly cruzxia, it didn't really... I found myself confused as they're both great machines!

I really love the range of the bomber and the weight of the fighter... but the power of the bomber is alluring ... just not sure how often I'd get to tap into it however.
Then there was the frugal part of me saying, you only need a fighter!

Ultimately I went with the bomber due to the greater range... but I spent a lot of time there dithering. Kept them back a bit late

o3 were really great to deal with so far however

And so the 6 weeks waiting begins...

 

[Architectonic]

The thing is, the biggest lobby for vehicles at the moment here is the pushbike lobby in London, and they're getting their way. On the one hand that's a great thing- a lot of the infrastructure is being handed over to cyclists- huge cycle lanes, superhighways, the lot. (Google East-West/North-South London Cycle Superhighway. if you're interested).

Are you joking?

The biggest lobby in the UK is for motorcars, followed by public transport. The cyclist lobby is a vocal minority at best. Vocal enough for the authorities to pretend they are doing something, but not vocal enough for the authorities to actually do their job properly and adopt international best practices. The stuff they are building for cycling in London right now is crap.

In the Netherlands, they don't have stupid discussions about separate infrastructure for 'fast' and 'slow' cyclists. They don't build 'shared use paths' that put pedestrians in danger of fast cyclists. They don't build infrastructure to 'slow down' cyclists like they do in the UK. They plan and build for all cyclists - regardless of whether they are lycra wearing bikers riding 45kph or your grandmother riding an ebike. In the Netherlands they build wide cycle tracks: 2.5-3m wide ONE WAY, 4-5m wide two way paths. They build tracks alongside most arterial roads if there is not an equivalent off-road path available.

The rest of us are wayy behind, unfortunately...

 

[Rix]

Sounds like in the US, we have the least restrictive laws. 750wh, 20MPH limit, no weight limit or age limit. Funny story, as some of you know, I am a police officer here in rural Nevada. I live in a community of about 29,000 population. Every cop in the county knows me and know I am the only guy on a Stealth Ebike. So my dad is down here visting me. He went for a ride while I was at work, got pulled over. Not because he was riding a high powered ebike on the street, but because the cop thought it was stolen from me :lol: . Still lauging about that. The phone call I got was funny. Anyway the point of my story is, in the US, cops don't give it crap if a 5+kw ebike is being ridden on the road, even if its illegal per Federal/state statute, the key is riding slow and smart. Pedal and keep your speeds at 20MPH or less, follow the laws that apply to bicycles, save the fast stuff for outside of the city limits and offroad, and the police wont look twice and jamn you up.

 

[ryrideswhat]

The thing is, the biggest lobby for vehicles at the moment here is the pushbike lobby in London, and they're getting their way. On the one hand that's a great thing- a lot of the infrastructure is being handed over to cyclists- huge cycle lanes, superhighways, the lot. (Google East-West/North-South London Cycle Superhighway. if you're interested).

In the Netherlands, they don't have stupid discussions about separate infrastructure for 'fast' and 'slow' cyclists. They don't build 'shared use paths' that put pedestrians in danger of fast cyclists. They don't build infrastructure to 'slow down' cyclists like they do in the UK. They plan and build for all cyclists - regardless of whether they are lycra wearing bikers riding 45kph or your grandmother riding an ebike. In the Netherlands they build wide cycle tracks: 2.5-3m wide ONE WAY, 4-5m wide two way paths. They build tracks alongside most arterial roads if there is not an equivalent off-road path available.

The rest of us are wayy behind, unfortunately...

Totally agree. Unfortunately London doesn't have the road infrastructure, never mind anything else. London is an amalgamation of roads build tightly between buildings that are listed and protected, and were designed to service the horse and cart. It's a nightmare for everyone, not just cyclists. I drive as well, and you'll sometimes turn into a street and find that a car is staring you straight in the face, yet cars are parked either side, the whole stretch of the road. It's barely a one-way road never mind a two-way road.. Yet reversing isn't an option as you have a whole stream of cars behind you, and they can't reverse because they do too!

Add to this the huge underground network that means we can't dig more roads under, the listed buildings and tight space that means we can't expand outward, and the massive amount of traffic sharing, from lorry and buses, to cabs and cars. Not to mention the way our roads are actually 'planned' (more evolved.)

Forget grid systems and turns and crossings that make sense. 3 car lanes suddenly cut down into a 1 lane with no warning, syphon into a roundabout which connects to a arterial road with a zebra crossing bang across it (surprise!! didn't see that mother with a pram crossing when you were focussed on not getting shunted by the other two cars trying to cut in for the roundabout did you!?) - I'm not even being facetious in that last regard, I'm positive that pedestrian crossings without lights are used as human traffic control..

Then there's the various one way, two way, oh just guess which way ways. And how about navigation? Forget 43rd street. How about giving every single road a name. Oh and not just roads. Crescents, lanes, avenues, you name it. Lets make it as hard to navigate as humanly possible..

I don't envy the job stress of the transport planners..

They could be bold and ban all traffic from the centre, give it up to the cyclist and public transport, with licensed cabs, and only allow large commercial vehicles in after dark.

Possibly the best cycle lanes here are 'bus lanes' which we can share. Mostly they're empty between certain hours. Problem is that when a bus does come along they'll often overtake you just to cut you off at a bus stop 10 seconds later, which forces you to go around it, and cut into a busy second lane.

 

[ryrideswhat]

When's the next vid?

I'll get round to it

In the meantime an arty picture of me riding up Regent St

 

[Rix]

When's the next vid?

I'll get round to it

In the meantime an arty picture of me riding up Regent St

I see a new avatar pic here.

 

[Athaneco]

Cool photo , in London.

I have a tech question regarding my bomber. The motor axle thread is gone. What can i do about that ? Can this be rethreaded ? If yes, Where?
Or can i easily remove the whole axle and replace it with a new spare part. In this case is this hard work and a lot of trouble (i.e removal of magnets , motor , etc ) ?
Many thanks in advance

 

[biknut]

Cool photo , in London.

I have a tech question regarding my bomber. The motor axle thread is gone. What can i do about that ? Can this be rethreaded ? If yes, Where?
Or can i easily remove the whole axle and replace it with a new spare part. In this case is this hard work and a lot of trouble (i.e removal of magnets , motor , etc ) ?
Many thanks in advance

I read somewhere in this massive thread that the axle is pressed into the hub, and you can buy a new axle and press it in. Hopefully someone that's actually done it will came along and explain the process.

 

[Allex]

Yup, read here
http://endless-sphere.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=56883#p854705

 

[Rix]

Cool photo , in London.

I have a tech question regarding my bomber. The motor axle thread is gone. What can i do about that ? Can this be rethreaded ? If yes, Where?
Or can i easily remove the whole axle and replace it with a new spare part. In this case is this hard work and a lot of trouble (i.e removal of magnets , motor , etc ) ?
Many thanks in advance

You can email Kenny at Crystalyte and tell him you need a 162mm axle for your 5403. It will cost you around 25 Euros and another 35 Euros for shipping. Or.... send Tench a PM and ask him to make you an axle. He makes some really high quality units, as I have been told my others ES folks that have bought axles from him. Keep in mind, if you have Tench build you an axle with bigger flats, say M16x1.5 instead of the standard m14x1.5 that comes on the 5403, you will need to modify your axle torque blocks to fit the bigger axle. I only bring this up because if you do go with Tench's option, might as well get a bigger axle.

 

[Athaneco]

thanks for your replies. If we assume i have a new axle identical to the damaged one, how do i install it ? i ve read on one post that this is pressed. Is this something that can be done at home with basic tools ?

 

[biknut]

thanks for your replies. If we assume i have a new axle identical to the damaged one, how do i install it ? i ve read on one post that this is pressed. Is this something that can be done at home with basic tools ?

I'm pretty sure you'll need access to a hydraulic press. I bought a 20 ton press at Harbor Freight $250

 

[woot81]

Boars

If you can't decide go see the Brisbane dealer they have a Bomber and a Fighter you can test ride.
http://www.o3industries.com.au/stealth_range.html
That will make your decision much easier.

Honestly cruzxia, it didn't really... I found myself confused as they're both great machines!

I really love the range of the bomber and the weight of the fighter... but the power of the bomber is alluring ... just not sure how often I'd get to tap into it however.
Then there was the frugal part of me saying, you only need a fighter!

Ultimately I went with the bomber due to the greater range... but I spent a lot of time there dithering. Kept them back a bit late

o3 were really great to deal with so far however

And so the 6 weeks waiting begins...

I did a similar thing, was convinced I needed the fighter because of the weight difference and more MTB feel. With the plan to spend 12 months reading on batteries and motors and upgrade to extended the range.
I rang up and went to place my order, but couldnt decide on the colour (I assumed it came later in the build) - shop said think about it overnight as they need to know the colour first up.

I thought about it overnight - I didn't want to be riding the fighter thinking I wonder what the bomber could do here.
In terms of range, well if you can extended the range on the fighter heck imagine what you can do to the bomber.

I then realised I already had a MTB so if I wanted that more MTB feel I would just ride that.

Rang up the next day and ordered the Bomber instead, now just waiting

 

[ryrideswhat]

New Video.

I'll let it do the talking

[youtube]6CBUkHwB9Ao[/youtube]

 

[remf]

Oich.

Jeremy Clarkson is a twat.

 

[Villain]

thanks for your replies. If we assume i have a new axle identical to the damaged one, how do i install it ? i ve read on one post that this is pressed. Is this something that can be done at home with basic tools ?

Yes, if you have a press at home. I have just removed an axle from a bomber motor with a cheap 6 ton press. Wasn't very hard to do. If you are not used to doing this sort of thing, just take it to somebody with a press and they will sort you out fairly quickly. Once you have a suitable spacer to go under the aluminium part of the stator, the whole job will take less than 10 minutes.