Gasoline or electric.

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Aug 20, 2009
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Location
Erie, PA.
In the Spring I will be selling my white e-bike. That will give me the funds to start my next motored bike. I love the e-bikes for the smooth, silent, effortless, maintenance-free riding. I dislike the lack of range and heavy weight when I carry it up stairs. I like the gasoline bike's nearly unlimited range(as long as there is a gas station every hundred miles, or so), the lighter weight, and the cheap original price. The electric eventually catches up to gas in cost in the long run as they are so cheap to operate. The other drawback is it is very unsafe and stupid to store or work on a gasoline engined bike in a living space. A real drawback because working in an unheated basement in the Winter just plane sux. Comments? Opinions?
 
Gas

My first bike was electric; it ran 27mph. It had a range of 54 miles with 80lbs of lead batteries.

If I didn't have to carry the bike upstairs everyday, I would've kept it.
 
Definitely gasoline, 2 or 4 stroke. If you get a rear mounted friction or chain drive with a high quality engine, such as the Robin-Suburu EHO35 or the Honda GX35, it will last longer than the $500+ battery pack on an electric, so to me the cost of a high dollar electric will never pay for itself compared to a gasoline engine, as the batteries have a limited lifespan, and cost more than the gasoline engine. Also the range of an electric bike is simply unacceptable if you cannot pedal, which is why I am riding an MB in the first place.


As for where you want to work on it, a bit of background on my situation. I am divorced, with 2 grown daughters, the oldest of which is married. The younger one spends a lot of time with me. She has her own room. But, since I otherwise live by myself, I removed all the furniture from my living room (most of it went to other rooms, while the dining set and a couple of chairs went to Goodwill. I removed the carpet in the living room, and replaced it with 1/8" thick commercial grade VCT (vinyl composition tile), the really tough stuff like they use in stores, hospitals, and some offices, only in a nicer color. There is no furniture in what used to be in the living room. It is now the bike room. I have a Genuine Stella, a Yamaha Vino 125, a Honda Rebel 250, and my MB stored in there, and sometimes bring my Yamaha XT225 and Kawasaki Ninja 500 in there to do work on them. My Goldwing obviously won't fit through the door. I have never had any issues doing this. I only run them in there with them backed up to the front door, and the door open, so the exhaust can go outside. Motorcycles, scooters, and now motorized bikes are my main hobby. I live in the Phoenix AZ area, where summer time temperatures can reach well over 120 in the sun, and 115+ in the shade. It is virtually impossible for someone in my condition (medical issues) to work on anything in temperatures like that. I keep it at 70 degrees F in the summer in the house, so I can work on the bikes where it is nice and cool. I have done this for over 10 years, and never had the slightest problem. All the bikes in my living room, or bike room as it now is, have gas in the tanks, though I do not work with open containers of gasoline inside. If I need to put gas in a bike, or drain gas out, I do take it outside.


But, I am an auto mechanic, and have worked around gas, grease, oil, brake fluid, antifreeze, trans fluid, WD-40, carb cleaner, and a lot of other car/bike chemicals all my life. I come home everyday soaked in the stuff. It has yet to do me any harm. I have seen people put on rubber gloves to put gas in their car, I have taken a bath in it to get all the grease off. Different people are different, and you will have to do what you feel is right. If you feel you can't have a gas powered bike in the house, that is up to you. But they have it all over electric in every aspect except noise. I wish they were quieter.

There is no smoking in my house BTW, I quit over 10 years ago.
 
Small, efficient ICEs for now but electric is the future and it won't be long. Lithium air is about to become a reality.
 
The power for small model airplanes has been taken over by electric motors for many years. The ubiquitous Cox .049 engines of my youth are no longer made and sold as collectors items on eBay. The airplane electrics surpass the old nitro motors in power, reliability and flight time. When the demand for electric powered bicycles is sufficient the technology will meet the demand and smoking, leaky, dirty gas engines will become collectors items too. Buy a BGF motor and stash it in the closet for you grandkids.
 
The power for small model airplanes has been taken over by electric motors for many years. The ubiquitous Cox .049 engines of my youth are no longer made and sold as collectors items on eBay. The airplane electrics surpass the old nitro motors in power, reliability and flight time. When the demand for electric powered bicycles is sufficient the technology will meet the demand and smoking, leaky, dirty gas engines will become collectors items too. Buy a BGF motor and stash it in the closet for you grandkids.

LOL, not in my lifetime.

In the now, my Tanaka engine rarely smokes. I cleaned up its leak, and I just love the way it carries my old butt past the cyclers, past the waiting bus patrons and past gridlocked traffic.

While I'm laying on my deathbed, I will remember what fun I had with my motorized bikes.

I'm glad I terminated my electric bike. That 140-pound bike went 27mph and my 70-pound gas bikes go 45mph.

ICE addict forever!
 
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LOL, not in my lifetime.
In the now...

You're 100% right - "In the now". I have a buddy who's into electric motors and batteries big time. He's always knocking my love of the two-stroke and urging me to get into electric. "Not now" is my answer to him but maybe in our lifetime. Electrics don't yet have the power or range and cost too much. The gas motors currently dominate. For now.
 
I just made 65, so maybe my 30yo son will see your prediction.:D

My e-bike had a 54-mile range, but its lead batteries weight 80 lbs!
 
The power for small model airplanes has been taken over by electric motors for many years. The ubiquitous Cox .049 engines of my youth are no longer made and sold as collectors items on eBay. The airplane electrics surpass the old nitro motors in power, reliability and flight time. When the demand for electric powered bicycles is sufficient the technology will meet the demand and smoking, leaky, dirty gas engines will become collectors items too. Buy a BGF motor and stash it in the closet for you grandkids.

you mean buy a 2 stroke bike engine and put it away for your grandkid's grandkids.
do you realize how long it would take if all gasoline engines were phased out?
everyone seems to think that everything is collectable and will eventually be worth money some day.
something is only worth what someone is willing to pay for it.
if gasoline engines are eventually phased out, that means at that time there will not be any gasoline, so what good would a gasoline engine be without the fuel to run it?
 
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