http://www.dmv.state.pa.us/registration/scooters.shtml
Sadly they don’t appear to be able to be legal to use in the public in Pennsylvania.
They do however, look fun. Anyone tried these?
Not so sure about that. This appears to be a “‘Motorized pedalcycle.’ A motor-driven cycle equipped with operable pedals, a motor rated no more than 1.5 brake horsepower, a cylinder capacity not exceeding 50 cubic centimeters, an automatic transmission, and a maximum design speed of no more than 25 miles per hour or an electric motor-driven cycle equipped with operable pedals and an automatic transmission powered by an electric battery or battery pack-powered electric motor with a maximum design speed of no more than 25 miles per hour.” according to the code linked in the article. Oddly enough, there is no definition of “Motor Scooter.”
Though I don’t own one, and have never ridden one, I’d suggest a helmet (unlike the rider in the photo)! Thinking of the terrain I’d ride it on (urban sidewalks & back roads), the undulating concrete and asphalt at 10-15mph seems like it might hurt when one of those little wheels gets caught in a crack or pothole.
I researched this a few years ago, and found they were really not worth the trouble here in Ohio. In Ohio if they have pedals or the ability to attach pedals while remaining under certain speed and BHP capability limits they are legal to drive on the roads with a speed limit under 35mph as long as they are registered and insured. I think that was the jist of what I found out.
Now that’s assuming that your local police force will even care about it. Technically bicycles aren’t supposed to be used on pedestrian sidewalks at all around here, but you don’t exactly see the cops pulling over every person riding their bike on the sidewalk.
I’ve had the 500 model for about 2 months. Got it used for 200 which was a good deal. This one has more power, and goes further… itching… I could give the other to the wife… thinking…
It’s legal here in california +
It’s half off, I love half off +
It’s almost 300 bucks -
It’s more fun than a juicer!
Regarding the EZ-TRZ Trailz Diamond Frame…caveat emptor!
The reviews on Amazon all seem to say “You get what you pay for”, in a sliding scale of “It was cheap, but I’m happy for the price I paid,” to “I’d never buy this again!”
LOTS of maintenance issues, warranty issues, broken parts, batteries not fully charging. Even when someone loves it, they still talk about the poor build quality and lack of battery life.
http://www.amazon.com/Currie-Technologies-Trailz-Electric-Bicycle/dp/B004QHG17O
I saw the e-750 at Costco marked down to $219 last Friday. They were $269 so $50 off.Can’t justify the cost but would love to try one for a few days.
Most states allow E-bikes, and the Trailz bikes are fine there. They comply with federal guidelines for E-bikes, although those guidelines can be overridden by states. New York (and now, I hear, Connecticut) doesn’t allow them at all, although you can often still get away with riding them responsibly in many locales.
I bought a diamond frame EZIP Trailz from Woot the last time they had them, for $350. It arrived undamaged, 9 weeks old, with a perfect battery pack that has performed great even in the 45 degree temps I’ve been riding it in. (You have to know how to treat SLA battery packs - they fail under abuse.) The only issue it had was the front brake was assembled with one incorrect washer; removing that and readjusting the brake more or less solved that. The front wheel is also slightly out of true, but I got a spoke wrench and will be fixing that myself. It hasn’t stopped me from riding. Think of these bikes as old but proven tech, with build quality that is high for the price, but average on an objective scale. The bike has lots of power, works well, and I’d recommend it to anyone weighing less than 210lbs - they tend to snap rear spokes when fully loaded and/or ridden through potholes. Check out the earlier woot for lots of comments from me. Keep in mind, though, that there will always be some bikes that arrive damaged and/or defective. I just shipped back a $1400 Prodeco bike that was both damaged and had too-stiff forks. This bike is a great buy if your expectations are reasonable.
Looks fun but at only 200 cycles on the battery, might only last a year or two. My work commute is about 6 miles (pretty close really) but at 12 miles per day, charging every other day basically this would last well under a year before needing a new battery.
450 watts should propel a bicycle much faster than 15+ MPH.
The less you use of the full charge each cycle, the more cycles you get. If you can recharge right after each use (recharging the pack at work) you’d be looking at closer to 300-350 cycles. If not and you pedal with the motor, it should still be about 250-300 cycles. 200 cycles is the estimate for what you get if you use 80-90% of the charge each time you ride. There are also two lithium packs available, one much lighter 6.4AH pack that duplicates the range of the OEM SLA pack for about $350, giving you 3X as many cycles, and a 9.6AH pack that doubles the range for about $550 (I’ll be watching for that one on sale after Xmas) and lasts about a thousand cycles.
You’re thinking that the drive runs through the derailleur. It doesn’t: the ratio is fixed because it uses its own two sprockets and chain on the other side of the rear wheel. This is why the top speed is always the same under power. There is a mod that raises the drive gearing by one tooth and brings the speed up to 20MPH. You can also, if you pedal hard enough, get to 20MPH using your own power, although the ratios would have you pedaling very fast to do it*. The bikes is design to give you a lot of power and a reasonable top speed, rather than too little torque and a top speed that most riders don’t need.
- Speaking of ratios: 1st is nice and low for starting off and to let you ride the bike home if you lose assist (although remember that it’s a heavy bike, so any uphill riding without assist will be a real workout). 2nd is a bit too much of a jump up for comfort if not using the motor, but the other ratios are fairly close together and work well.
Here’s a link to the previous discussion, so I don’t have to re-answer everything.
We’re in Pa. and we have 2 of the Trailz bikes that we ride on sidewalks, bike trails, and 2 lane-roadways where sidewalks & trails doesn’t exist… with no problem. For a 4-lane highway we see no bikes as that’s likely illegal. We pedal -and- use the motor to assist going up hills and ride for hours before the battery depletes.
One last note that applies to both the EZIP bikes and the scooters. The manuals tell you to “condition” the battery pack by running it through three “complete” discharge/recharge cycles. This is bunk, and is probably why the packs aren’t rated for more cycles. The packs will condition themselves in normal use, and should never be discharged completely. They should also never be discharged more than is needed, never more than 90% (and even that is too much) and should always be recharged immediately after use. Follow these guidelines (and keep in mind that I’ve gotten ten years’ use out of SLA batteries) and they should, if not defective, be good for 300 to as many as 500 charge cycles. The less you drain the pack per trip, the more cycles you will get from it.
I think Hot Rod uses one of these right?
[youtube=3EIgmj6gp1I][/youtube]
I want to try before I would buy. This is the kind of bike that can help me keep my blood sugar up and continue the onslaught of diabetes to my body. Thanks, e-bikes! 