Machine X thoughts

[Lowell]

After watching the video on this page http://burro-zvobikes.com/kits.html I'm a lot less impressed. On the video you can hear them mention "65 amps" which is well over 3000W with the batteries they're using. A far cry from the quoted "1000W" motor rating. No more legal then my bike in most states except maybe Missouri. Worlds fastest electric bike? I guess it depends on your interpretation of ebike.

Bonneville is around 4500ft, and there is roughly 4mph to gain from the lower air density. That means the 58mph run is more like 54mph at sea level. I hit that speed almost every time I ride my bike, and mine is certainly quite a bit less aerodynamic.

 

[fechter]

Pack up the bike and head to Utah. Speed week is ususally in September.

They're using two motors that are the same as my scooter motor. I can get 2500w out of one motor.

At our local drag strip, you can race anything during bracket drags. Just pay the entry fee (something like $25) and get an offical time and speed printed on a ticket. If you can hit top speed after accelerating for a 1/4 mile, you could be the new world record holder.

 

[safe]

A far cry from the quoted "1000W" motor rating. No more legal then my bike in most states except maybe Missouri. Worlds fastest electric bike?

The law (once it finally firms up) is going to set 750 watts as the American electric bike standard. We're still in the "wild west" days of this technology, but it's pretty clear to me that the future will cap everything at 750 watts. Canada is already capped at 500 watts. Europe and Australia are capped at 250 watts.

So just like you might buy a Japanese sports car that is sporty to begin with and then add a turbocharger or a supercharger and some new wheels and tires, etc you would do the same with a street legal production electric bike. The motor and bike is sold legal and the law will then allow you to trick it out to a limited degree. There's a limit to how far above the law you can get based on the practical considerations of what a small motor can withstand.

The Machine X is giving us a peak into what I think is the future. The hub motor will remain in existence, but I would guess that some efforts will be made to make it a little harder to trick out. Basically the heat limitation will be the central theme in how they will limit an electric bike. By disallowing large motors (limiting the mass allowable) you constrain what the motor can do. The ability to produce 3000 watts of power in a hub motor will disappear as laws clamp down on them.

It's the most logical path to follow... as you constrain the motor size you put a cap on the power. The trick will be in getting the most out of something very small and light weight.

Heat considerations are really a good way to limit power...