Quote:
Originally Posted by jjackstone
Frank,
Sounds like the pedals are there just for looks. Without the pedals it's probably considered a scooter and would need some sort of licensing. If I remember the laws correctly, the Federal speed for considering it a bicycle is 24 mph. Here in CA, the speed is 20mph. Anything above that can get you a speeding ticket. I've been fortunate enough to have been clocked at no more than 18mph so far.
I always thought it humorous that I can actually legally ride my regular bikes faster than my electric.
JJ
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One solution is to build a bike that can only operate in hybrid mode. Use a HSD transmission so power can be accurately measured. Then have a knob to adjust the "virtual gear ratio" and a knob to adjust the "power split ratio". ("Power split ratio" refers to how hard the batteries can work. For example, it could be set so the batteries can supply as much as 10x the power supplied through the pedals.) It can then be allowed to go faster than 20MPH since it would be a pure hybrid - don't pedal and it will not accelerate at all. You can say it's just a bike with an electronically controlled CVT.
And what would happen if you coast downhill faster than 20MPH? Moreover, would a ticket even be valid if the bike does not have any instrumentation for measuring speed?