Undecided - electric or gas?

[dnute2006]

I can tell everyone enjoys their motor assists whether gas or electric, but I believe it sounds like the gas is more favored. The cost of the battery for the BionX is $1000 and man that's high!!!! A person certainly can't just buy a second battery to use for more range. At least, I can't. I rather like the gas motor and using it to get me around without peddling constantly. My husband wants me to be peddling so he is favoring the BionX, so it looks like that's the one I'll be getting. He's figuring that the cost of batteries will go down, but I'm not convinced of that.

Thank you all very much. You've all been a big help!

 

[Mountainman]

That's a plus of the electric. It's sure quiet and I don't think that many people even notice that you have a motor on the bike. The range isn't what I could get with gas because I have to charge up. BionX says they have a range up to 65 miles on the lowest assist, but I'm skeptical of that. I'd say it's more logically half that. That's one of the problems I see is the range. With the gas I can just fill it up and continue on. The BionX is expensive and then you have to get another battery after so many years, but there is also the changing of oil and other things with the gas motor.

I guess you can tell I'm very undecided. Right now I'm wondering about the noise level of the gas, but also, which of them is better for getting this big body up some pretty big hills? When I test rode the BionX this morning there weren't any big hills to try it out on. It did great on the small hills though. I also plan on doing alot of riding in Western NY and I'm thinking that the GEBE is going to be very noticed where the BionX wouldn't. Plus, it's illegal in NY and having it unnoticed is a very good thing. But there are some big hills in NY and PA where I'm from and plan to ride besides Colorado.

I'll take anyones rambling on this. Thanks!!

Wow - I didn't realize that there were claims of 65 miles on an elect bicycle. After riding gas for a while now - I like the power - distance - noise is not bad -- Happy Riding from - Mountainman

 

[dnute2006]

I have another question about the gas, mainly the golden eagle eh035. When I was riding the BionX it gave me "assist" when I pushed hard on the pedals without touching the throttle. Is this what the GEBE does? Or you have to hold down the throttle every time you want to go a little more? I also notice on their website they have the trail gear for climbing. Is that the #11 or the #13? From reading it I'm thinking it's the #11 for the trail gear with the lower-torque. It comes standard with the #12.

 

[Ypedal]

decisions decisions huh.. lol..

Battery tech is advancing, but take it from someone who has spent 1000's of $ testing the options ( received a box of 48 cells last week = 2000 $, no charger included !! and i have to build the packs myself ! )

Electric is just fine for 30 kms, more than that requries bigger batteries, that add weight, that require a bigger motor, that adds weight and requires more battery etc... not impossible but gets expensive. !

My daily driver has 72v 20ah worth of lithium, bike, battery, motor = 85 lbs or so.. it will travel at 40 km/h for 2 hours on a charge ( no pedaling ) but ran me 3700 $. and will charge in 2 hours from empty with the right charger.

The " Right Charger " is what comes next in the battery game, the cells i just got will charge in 30 minutes from empty but it goes something like this :

48v 10ah = 480 watt/hours = 480 watts for 1 hour. 30 minute charge = 960watts of charging power.. that's 8 to 10 amps from a wall socket * rough math.. give or take a bit ..

Even better would be A123 cells, found in DeWalt 36v power tools but once again $$$$$ but can be charged really fast if you have a big enough charger.

I like my electrics, i have all 6 of my rides in the house, no smell, no drips, midnight rides don't wake up the neighbors, no " warm up " or starting problems, no oil or air filter changes..

I'm about to order up a Gebee kit for hands on testing and to quench my curiosity of Gassers..

 

[dnute2006]

Hey Mountainman, I don't believe I'd get even close to 65 miles because it says that is with it done on a flat road with a 150 pound man. Not even close to the conditions I would use it for.

I have to admit that when I was riding the BionX I was pushing the throttle to get more power up the small hills I was doing. I guess more power and/or having it right there when I want it would be quite good. I'm not looking to go 30mph, but I certainly would like to get up to 20mph and that's without having to pedal all the time. I think I might wear out a battery pretty quickly on the electric.

 

[CalgarysFool]

dNute,

A fellow who seems to have a lot of experience (and expense) with electrics just posted a thread, yesterday I think, in this section of the forum.

See here: http://www.motoredbikes.com/showthread.php?t=14723

Hoping that I am not putting words in his mouth, he is switching to gas after finding battery bikes to be both unsatisfactory as well as inordinately costly.

Brenton

 

[Ypedal]

60 miles on a 36v 8ah pack = you pedaling ALOT.... and barely feathering the throttle..

36v x 8ah = 288wh

Most ebikers average 8 to 12 wh/km = 25 to 30 kms for us normal people.

 

[dnute2006]

Thanks for the link Calgarysfool. I see that people say the GEBE has alot less problems than the other motors. I don't have the smarts for doing the work on small engines, or big ones for that matter. I need something that is going to let me ride with just some small upkeep. It sounds like the golden eagle is the way to go if I go gas.

Ypedal, let me know how you like yours when you get it.

 

[Ypedal]

dNute,

A fellow who seems to have a lot of experience (and expense) with electrics just posted a thread, yesterday I think, in this section of the forum.

See here: http://www.motoredbikes.com/showthread.php?t=14723

Hoping that I am not putting words in his mouth, he is switching to gas after finding battery bikes to be both unsatisfactory as well as inordinately costly.

Brenton

Lol.. i'm not switching, but rather exploring the possibilities..

I'll put up my BMX with a crystalyte X5 at 72v 50 amps up against just about any gasser on this forum, ( i bet this is a flame war waiting to happen lol)

The future is electric, but the current situation has room for Fuel ! no doubt about it..

 

[CalgarysFool]

Dohhhh! I did put words in your mouth. Or, keyboard....

Sorry 'bout that.

That said, you're the guy I thought could tell dnute if she could meet her mission with e-power for a reasonable cost.

-Brenton