Video: Toronto cops bust pedal-powered Buick

[Thymeclock]

Originally Posted by Capt. Pinbacker

How fast would you and/or 3 others have to pedal to turn a flywheel in order to charge/or keep charged a bank of batteries comparable to the capacity of, say a prius or volt or even a leaf? In other words, in this case the pedals would not be directly connected to the wheels.


(You can probably deduce what i'm trying to get at here) In effect, we've created a human-powered hybrid.

Overnite and at work plug and solar panels are allowed and encouraged in this case.

But at that point it becomes a motorized vehicle (as opposed to merely being a human powered, sophisticated form of a pedal car). Unless the solar powered electrical system is only providing lighting and audio entertainment...

Once a vehicle has a motor of any sort, it is subject to being regulated and licensed as a motor vehicle.

[Steven Wrigley]

So with a 'unsafe vehicle" charge around, can a fully aeromodded car like the Aerocivic get pulled over for being unsafe? Theres a lot of things to fall off the Aerocivic. Not saying that it would however. After all this is Bassjoos Im talking about!

[Ryland]

Originally Posted by Thymeclock

Once a vehicle has a motor of any sort, it is subject to being regulated and licensed as a motor vehicle.

Not True, at least in the USA, a motorized bicycle is regulated as a bicycle and only as a bicycle as long as the electric motor or gas engine are under a set size and it has a regulated top speed, of course the motor or engine size is small enough that the Buick would move at a walking pace.
The advantage of a fly wheel of course, is that you could store up your energy while at a stop and while braking.

[Thymeclock]

Originally Posted by Ryland

Not True, at least in the USA, a motorized bicycle is regulated as a bicycle and only as a bicycle as long as the electric motor or gas engine are under a set size and it has a regulated top speed, of course the motor or engine size is small enough that the Buick would move at a walking pace.
The advantage of a fly wheel of course, is that you could store up your energy while at a stop and while braking.

Technically you may be correct. However a motorized bicycle has the additional option of being pedal powered, unlike a motorcycle or motor scooter which can only rely on its motor.

[Ryland]

Originally Posted by Thymeclock

Technically you may be correct. However a motorized bicycle has the additional option of being pedal powered, unlike a motorcycle or motor scooter which can only rely on its motor.

Sorry, I forgot to say, part of what makes a motorized bicycle a bicycle is if the powered part of the drive train can be removed without immobilization of the vehicle, in other words it has to be an add on that can be removed, not integrated like in a moped, and of course it has to be pedal powered to be a bicycle.

[Piwoslaw]

Pedal powered Trabant

[MetroMPG]

It's a trend!

Trabant video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IURibSzgqxA