Conversion of bicycle to motorcycle with pedals in California

bicyclemichaela

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Dear People:
In California, can a bicycle be converted to an electric motorcycle with pedals legal for the freeway? If not, what section of the CVC or any other law prevents that?
Thanks.
Michael Roth
 
Why can a full suspension downhill bike go down a rocky slope at 45 mph, but a fully suspended electric bike is not safe according to commonsense at 65 mph on asphalt?
 
Why can a full suspension downhill bike go down a rocky slope at 45 mph, but a fully suspended electric bike is not safe according to commonsense at 65 mph on asphalt?
This is a forum, please do not message me with what you are also posting here.
Who said anything about safety?
An electric Motorcycle is a Motorcycle in CA.
There is not a separate catergory for electric Motorcycles.
Look up the CVC codes on Motorcycles in CA and their legal requirements.
Take your fully suspended 65 mph electric bike with pedals to the DMV and
try to register it as a Motorcycle and insure it.

Look up the 3 classes of electric bicycles in CA.
Class 3 electric bicycle is equipped with a motor that provides assistance only when the rider is pedaling, and that ceases to provide assistance when the bicycle reaches a speed of 28 miles per hour. This bicycle is equipped with a speedometer.

Who would even want to ride a fully suspended electric bicycle with pedals at
65 mph on an asphalt Freeway in CA? :D

Why do you want to do this?
Because you don't have a drivers license?
 
I march to the sound of a different drummer. The thing I like about it is: 1) You get exercise while you're commuting in traffic, 2) Good for the environment, 3) Transportation that is non-proprietary. It's not like you have to go to Honda to get a new motor. 4) Easy to update when they come out with the new better batteries that are on the horizon. Sorry about the messaging wrong. I don't know much about using forums. Thanks for the details on the CVC for a motorcycle. I haven't done that yet.
Take care.
Michael
 
fully suspended electric bike is not safe according to commonsense at 65 mph on asphalt?
Can we see a pic of your ebike?
If you want to go about 60 mph on asphalt I have just the ticket for you.
There will be a few fast ebikes racing gas bikes in our big boy Race Class.
No cars on the track and no CHP giving out $500+ tickets and impounding your ebike.
Where are you in CA?
Basic info is here:
https://motoredbikes.com/threads/sa...r-bicycle-racing-at-apex-racing-center.53373/
 
Just an educated guess but IF they let you, you would need to add signals, mirrors, license plates, appropriate and inspected brakes, appropriate and inspected lights and lamps (this includes Low and High beam head lights, front and rear signal lights, license plate lights, red reflector in the rear that can be seen from the rear and rear side, Yellow reflector that can be seen from the front and front side, correct street tires, vehicle inspected and insured, you will also need a motorcycle license. LOL!!!! It is legal to add pedals to your motor cycle and that would make more sense.
 
Just an educated guess but IF they let you, you would need to add signals, mirrors, license plates, appropriate and inspected brakes, appropriate and inspected lights and lamps (this includes Low and High beam head lights, front and rear signal lights, license plate lights, red reflector in the rear that can be seen from the rear and rear side, Yellow reflector that can be seen from the front and front side, correct street tires, vehicle inspected and insured, you will also need a motorcycle license. LOL!!!! It is legal to add pedals to your motor cycle and that would make more sense.
There is no "IF"
All the bikes components including the speed rated tires would have to be DOT rated and the FRAME would need a VIN which is impossible for a bicycle frame that has a serial number.

I am sure that Michael Roth does not have a 65 mph ebike and has no idea of the size and cost of the battery needed to go 65 mph for even short distances.
 
I'm not sure that he said that he had one, but only trying to find out why it was not safe to ride a bike rated for 45mph downhill is not safe to use at 65 on flat paved ground.

Well for starters, it's rated to 45mph, 65 is nearly a 50% increase in wheel rpm above its maximum rating, its like the bad idea behind using a spare above a certain speed, these things aren't designed to stay together beyond a certain speed. If you are taking jumps or hitting obsticles or even making hard turns at 45mph down a hill you are also probably involved in something that is about to almost kill you and wreck your bike. The idea being that the wheels aren't meant to go 45mph while taking a beating, because virtually no wheel on any vehicle takes that treatment well. So the bad stuff is going to be taken at much lower speeds, like hopping a curb at a slow pace instead of at high speed, it's to prevent damage and maintain control.

Anyway MBR is probably on the winning side of the bet, why you would want to ride that at those speeds is beyond me (even holding constant 40-45s is kinda scary, you can't brake nearly as quickly as a car being you have less weight and smaller tires than a car, you lack surface area contact with the road and friction (not to mention half as many brakes) applied by gravity to help you like a car will.)

His bet that you don't know how much power you'll need is likely sound, you are talking about something really really powerful, and then the drivetrain to accept that much power, and the gearing to even effectively hold that speed and everything needed to climb to it.

From what I understand about California you can often get places on a bicycle faster than you can in a car because of all the traffic, so what advantage do you have if the only place you can safely ride that fast is where all the cars are sitting bumper to bumper?
 
It is easy to ride a high powered ebike around LA.
Nobody really cares if you do. It pedals. lol
Corbin has raced this street illegal ebike with us which now has a Brembo double disc
frontend on an upside down fork for the Sat Oct 27th race in Perris.

That is an air shock on the back.

But it will not go 65mph.

38493432_10215687542969004_5081905639358201856_n.jpg
 
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