Pedal assist gas powered bicycles?

Sam

New Member
Local time
12:18 PM
Joined
Dec 14, 2010
Messages
8
Location
Houston, TX
Hello all,

I've been reading this forum for a week now. Lot of interesting stuffs.

I would like to learn about Pedal Assisted bicycles powered by small gasoline engines (not battery and electric motor). I see a lot bicycles here powered by small and big engines, but none are designed to assist (no throttle). May be they are here and I missed them. If so, please point me in the right direction.

Also, are there any commercially available products? Again I see so many fine electric pedal assist products (Trek, Schwinn, Sanyo, Panasonic...) but none for small engine. Then again, may be I'm not looking at the right place.

Thanks,
Sam (Houston, TX)
 
Hi Sam, welcome to Motoredbikes. Technically, all these bikes are assisted. And all these are kits where the engine was mated to an existing bike. If you are non- mechanical- you might want to go to a moped or buy a motoredbike all put together.
Keep reading and you will be better at making a call on which type of drive system would be best for you.
Around here, it rains a lot, so I need a positive drive like a chain.
On my bike, I find that I assist the engine occasionally, and the pedals are great for a back up propulsion system.
 
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Welcome Sam!

There are many good builders here that sell finished motored bicycles -
from an engine installed on a stock donor bicycle, to semi custom frame modifications, to total builds from the frame on up.

This newer builder to this forum builds from the ground up, a sells a finished product. I'm not sure if that is what you mean by "commercially available".

www.designlogicbikes.com

Do you have a budget in mind? Then maybe I can point you in the right direction.

Good Luck! :)
 
Thanks professor for the reply.

I'm mechanically inclined. Far from an expert without a doubt, but at least a 4 on a 1-10 scale. I owned more than 10 motorcycles and have been riding them since I was 13 (now 52). I also owned countless number of bicycles (who doesn't?), none motorized.

I had the opportunity to ride several electric bicycles, but none of them were TRUE pedal assist. I think I'm using the term correctly. "Pedal assist" means no power until the rider begins to pedal. And the amount of assisted power is proportional to the torque exerted by the rider. No throttle for sure.

I have yet to try a TRUE pedal assist bicycle. On paper, the newly released Sanyo Eneloop looks great and that is something I think I want. However, "light" electric bicycle such as the Sanyo Eneloop is not cost effective. The entry price is high, and the life of battery is too low (up to 1,000 cycles). I think I prefer the same sort or TRUE pedal assist bicycle, but powered by a small engine such as the Honda GX25.

I'm not looking for speed (no motorized bicycle can even come close to even the ancient Honda Cub motorcycle), I'm perfectly happy with the upper limit 20mph set by the government. It's a bicycle after all.

I've done many centuries (100 or more miles per day) on my regular touring bicycle, but I have to admit that I still fret long uphills and headwinds. In short, I still want a bicycle but with a little bit of un-intrusive help in difficult situations.

So, is there such a thing? The equivalent of a Sanyo Eneloop, but powered by a small gasoline engine?

Thanks.
 
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Welcome Sam!

There are many good builders here that sell finished motored bicycles -
from an engine installed on a stock donor bicycle, to semi custom frame modifications, to total builds from the frame on up.

This newer builder to this forum builds from the ground up, a sells a finished product. I'm not sure if that is what you mean by "commercially available".

www.designlogicbikes.com

Do you have a budget in mind? Then maybe I can point you in the right direction.

Good Luck! :)

Thanks occchopperfl for the reply.

I could not find pictures of the complete designlogicbike, nor could I find the specs of it. Do you have a link?

By "commercially available" I mean a ready to use product such as the Sanyo Eneloop (http://www.amazon.com/Sanyo-Eneloop-Electric-Bicycle-CY-SPA600NA/dp/B0037IW7EY) or Trek (http://www.trekbikes.com/us/en/bikes/electric_bikes/).

Price-wise, I would like to see something around $1,000. But that's not really important. What's important for me is the pedal assist functionality. I don't want a throttle, I don't want to go fast. I just want a little bit of help when I'm struggling up a long hill or when I'm facing strong headwinds or when I'm accelerating to cross an intersection. And I want that help to kick in smoothly and automatically based on the effort (torque) I'm exerting on the pedals.

Do such products (either is ready to use or as a kit) exist?
Thanks
 
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Links to Amazon may include affiliate code. If you click on an Amazon link and make a purchase, this forum may earn a small commission.
Nothing exists like you describe in gas power. Your drive system would need a torque sensor wired to a throttle positioner.
You could go with a small light engine/ one way sprocket/ auto clutch, but the throttle would be controlled by U.
 
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Thanks occchopperfl for the reply.

I could not find pictures of the complete designlogicbike, nor could I find the specs of it. Do you have a link?

By "commercially available" I mean a ready to use product such as the Sanyo Eneloop (http://www.amazon.com/Sanyo-Eneloop-Electric-Bicycle-CY-SPA600NA/dp/B0037IW7EY) or Trek (http://www.trekbikes.com/us/en/bikes/electric_bikes/).

Price-wise, I would like to see something around $1,000. But that's not really important. What's important for me is the pedal assist functionality. I don't want a throttle, I don't want to go fast. I just want a little bit of help when I'm struggling up a long hill or when I'm facing strong headwinds or when I'm accelerating to cross an intersection. And I want that help to kick in smoothly and automatically based on the effort (torque) I'm exerting on the pedals.

Do such products (either is ready to use or as a kit) exist?
Thanks

Hi.
Design Logic site needs updating imho, which ive spoken to lance at design.

No kits avail as u described that I am aware of. I'll post if I come across one.

Good luck again! :)
 
Links to Amazon may include affiliate code. If you click on an Amazon link and make a purchase, this forum may earn a small commission.
That would be a centrifugal clutch, take a look at a rack mount style like the BMP (bike motor parts) stuff on the left hand side of the main screen amid the sponsors.
 
Thanks occchopperfl for the reply.

I could not find pictures of the complete designlogicbike, nor could I find the specs of it. Do you have a link?

By "commercially available" I mean a ready to use product such as the Sanyo Eneloop (http://www.amazon.com/Sanyo-Eneloop-Electric-Bicycle-CY-SPA600NA/dp/B0037IW7EY) or Trek (http://www.trekbikes.com/us/en/bikes/electric_bikes/).

Price-wise, I would like to see something around $1,000. But that's not really important. What's important for me is the pedal assist functionality. I don't want a throttle, I don't want to go fast. I just want a little bit of help when I'm struggling up a long hill or when I'm facing strong headwinds or when I'm accelerating to cross an intersection. And I want that help to kick in smoothly and automatically based on the effort (torque) I'm exerting on the pedals.

Do such products (either is ready to use or as a kit) exist?
Thanks

Hi Sam,

Check out this electric, power assisted bicycle, 45MPH video!
(this may be out of your budget range)

http://techcrunch.com/2011/02/11/segway-2-0-german-bicycle-on-steriods-comes-to-the-us/

:)
 
Links to Amazon may include affiliate code. If you click on an Amazon link and make a purchase, this forum may earn a small commission.
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