Gas vs. Electric

jmcoon

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I am a retailor of Electric Bicycles and scooters, so obviously I am a bit bias tward electrics, but I'de like to hear what everyone else thinks and why..
 
I am a retailor of Electric Bicycles and scooters, so obviously I am a bit bias tward electrics, but I'de like to hear what everyone else thinks and why..

I build with 2-stroke, 4-stroke and electric in-frame power sources.
I don't do hub motors or over the back wheel engines because I just don't like either, and neither is a better choice than what can be done..
Drive train gearing is my thing, you can get a lot from a small power source with gears and the above are direct drive.

Assuming budget is not the main factor it goes like this for me:

1. What power source will even fit.

There are some darn cool bikes with no room in the center cavity even for a little 2-stroke.
They all however do have room for a mid-mount electric.

2_SpecializedEpicDoneR-1280.jpg


2_HisHersElectrics-HersL-1280.jpg


MongooseFatL.jpg


2. How far and fast does it need to go before refueling/recharging.

If you need to travel 20+ miles on a given average one way ride daily I like 4-stroke.
Oil in the engine not fuel, pull start and auto clutch, and they will run all day long day after day.

To me this is an ideal cool looking and comfortable almost mindless gas machine for real commuting.

2_10GfitoDoneR-1280.jpg


3. What is the owners size and mechanical skill.

And there is the second rub with a custom build...
The ideal bike for a 5' 2" 50 year old woman to commute 3 miles to work may be a 2-stroke, but if she has zero mechanical skill and can't support a heavier 4-stroke she gets that electric girls bike above.

Most any regular American sized adult can ride a 26" with a 2-stroke, and they are the most cost effective from the start, but they are dirty machines that require special care just to fuel.

4. Will it ever need to be anything but upright on its wheel.

Simple, you can turn an electric upside-down if you want to, lay a gas bike even on it's side and you have a mess.

Lots of pluses in the electric world if budget is not a factor, I like 'em, but for long distance hard running 4-stroke is my thing.
2-strokers are hobby bikes to me now.
 
I gotta admit, our pal KCVale makes some good points and posts some great bike photos. Those are really sweet looking builds.

Myself, I like cheap. So I go with cheap 2 strokes on cheap bikes. One day I might want to spend more on quality. And I might buy a bike from a guy like KC when that day comes.

But in the meantime I want to spend about $350 or so on a build. If it gets wrecked or stolen I'm not even gonna care a whole lot. I'll just build another.

I don't know if this really answers your question. But I guess it's one take on the matter.

I'd probably prefer an electric if I didn't have to spend about $1000 to get something that's really up to the task at hand.
 
I'm not into electric. the 3 things you're after are low weight, long range, and low cost and with electric you can only have one or two of those. 2 stroke bikes have it all. you're only sacrificing reliability if you ride like an ass or you bought a lemon.
 
2 stroke bikes have it all. you're only sacrificing reliability...
...and cleanness, ease of starting, ease of re-fueling, ease of operation, and ease of transport.

2-strokers have more Cons than anything short of maybe steam power and you know it.

Sure they have a lot of plusses, you can soop them up, they have excellent power to weight ratio, and very cheap to start with, but it's all the Cons that kill Joe Blow just looking for easy reliable transport.

There is no one perfect machine for everyone, but everyone has one perfect machine for them, those are the motorized bikes I build for a living and fun because it's something different every time ;-}

If the opportunity arises Burte you might want to expand your options with different power systems, you might be surprised with the offers you get from a whole different kind of potential buyer.
 
I prefer gas for the simple reason I'm a large person and live in a mountainous region. An electric simply wouldn't give me much riding time here. Tennessee has a 50 cc limit also so gears is a must for me here.
 
...and cleanness, ease of starting, ease of re-fueling, ease of operation, and ease of transport.

2-strokers have more Cons than anything short of maybe steam power and you know it.

Sure they have a lot of plusses, you can soop them up, they have excellent power to weight ratio, and very cheap to start with, but it's all the Cons that kill Joe Blow just looking for easy reliable transport.

There is no one perfect machine for everyone, but everyone has one perfect machine for them, those are the motorized bikes I build for a living and fun because it's something different every time ;-}

If the opportunity arises Burte you might want to expand your options with different power systems, you might be surprised with the offers you get from a whole different kind of potential buyer.

4 strokes just aren't my thing. I'll do whatever a customer asks for, but my personal bikes are all getting 2 strokes.
 
I am a retailor of Electric Bicycles and scooters, so obviously I am a bit bias tward electrics, but I'de like to hear what everyone else thinks and why..
Out of curiosity I took a gander at your website seeing that
I am getting more interested in ebikes.

You do not give any specs on the batteries which is one of the most important
factors in how well an ebike works.

Correcting the many spelling mistakes would also help your credibility,

How We Got Started
I am the owner of XTBIKES.COM, John Michael Coon.
I am determined to give you the buest, most funtional products for your money, and the mosty plesant and cooperative customer service experiance.

I have had years of experiance in wearhousing, retail operation, customer service, and merchandising. Now I'm startin a new venture feturing products that are growing in deamd all over the country.

It is projected, that we will be opening our first retail dealership by the opening of 2016. I want to provide the most demanded products, backed by the most reliable service, and support.

The product line will be changing frequently, so please visit us often.
 
I prefer gas for the simple reason I'm a large person and live in a mountainous region.
An electric simply wouldn't give me much riding time here.
Tennessee has a 50 cc limit also so gears are a must for me here.
Gears are a must for me too.
All my electrics have gears, even the trikes.

I am not against 2-strokers, they are ideal for many people.
A 2-stroke 3-speed shifter does make for a very nimble and responsive machine, I have this 2-stroke 3-speed in the build bay now.

Fito3-almost.jpg


The Fito came with a 7-speed derailleur, the customer wisely opted for a 3-speed internal so that was swapped in to the wheel, ~$155 with the bike shop lacing it up for me.

It dropped in nice, and it is amazing how long those wheels spin whit just a quick push, the bearings are flawless and the momentum of those 3" Kenda's just keep going, like the Energizer bunny, good thing has dual disc brakes to stop it ;-}
 
Gears are a must for me too.
All my electrics have gears, even the trikes.

I am not against 2-strokers, they are ideal for many people.
A 2-stroke 3-speed shifter does make for a very nimble and responsive machine, I have this 2-stroke 3-speed in the build bay now.

Fito3-almost.jpg


The Fito came with a 7-speed derailleur, the customer wisely opted for a 3-speed internal so that was swapped in to the wheel, ~$155 with the bike shop lacing it up for me.

It dropped in nice, and it is amazing how long those wheels spin whit just a quick push, the bearings are flawless and the momentum of those 3" Kenda's just keep going, like the Energizer bunny, good thing has dual disc brakes to stop it ;-}

You always do great builds KC. I often send people to your forum when they ask about builds especially electrics. However with someone my size and the 20%+ grade hills, lots of them. Even with shifting 2 hours of riding time may be all I could get with an electric. That's why I prefer gas.
 
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