Electric moped vs petrol moped

chillian17

Hi all. I'm considering buying a moped/scooter and don't know the first thing about either electric or petrol. Looking for any help/advice on anything in this category!

I'd be mainly using it for commuting (Blanchardstown to Sandyford, probably across the city) and just generally getting around the place.

With regards electric ones, which make(s) would be the best to go with? Where would be the best place(s) to buy? I don't mind getting a second hand one either, doesn't have to be new.

Thanks very much for any help!

ei9go

Maybe you don't really need a moped at all.

Avoid the insurance and road tax

http://www.greenaer.ie/product/momentum-electric-upstart-bike/

I heard these dicussed a couple of weeks ago on the Pat Kenny. You might be able to get a podcast.

SCOL

I have a petrol engine attached to my bike google motorised bicycle.

From a cost point of view a petrol scooter might suit you best but you have to pay tax, insurance, maintenance, fuel.

There are some seriously dodgy electric bicks/scooters sold in Ireland and some seriously bad ones use lead acid batteries, run a mile from these.

Some electric bikes sold in Ireland also sell bikes with horribly cheap underpowered useless hub motors and lead acid batteries. Never buy an electric bike with lead acid batteries.

You can convert a bicycle to electric its about 28 miles from Blanch to the Sandyford and back so that's easily electric bike territory.

Legally you're limited to 250 watts and no throttle allowed so this is your decision what you do.

Dublin is a very bicycle unfriendly city and you might actually be safer on a scooter/motorbike with full body armour and a full motorbike helmet.

You could convert an old bike for about 1000-15000 Euro's and you'll build a far superior bike to the one linked on the greenaer webisite which I wouldn't touch with a bargepole.

To do 28 miles at about 25 mph you'd consume about 30-34 Wh/mile so a 48V battery so you'd need at least a 48V 20 ah battery, that's going to add weight. You'll need to detach it to bring into work to charge, and for safety. You'll get away with a smaller battery if you can charge at work. It should cost just a few cent. 48V 20ah is about 960 watt hrs so under 1 Kwh. 1 Kwh costs on day rate 19 cent some work places get discounts. 19 cent for a 0-100% charge. That's some seriously cheap commuting.

To go faster than 25 mph in Dublin I would not recommend it. Bus lanes as cycle lanes shared by taxis is seriously messed up and should not be allowed.

You can offset some of the cost by not having to pay for tax, insurance, maintenance, fuel.

If you want to go the proper built electric bike route than the Bosch electric bikes are the ones to get and you can get some that do 30 mph but need a license, insurance and cost about 3,100 Euro's.

The legal no license Bosch bikes and all electric bikes have no throttle, so you got to keep pedalling to move, the Bosch is far superior to any hub motor of the same power and can even climb serious hills far better than those nasty cheap Chinese hubs. The Bosch will climb a 30% hill.

Panasonic also make decent chain drive electric bikes, these and the Bosch drive the chain for much better efficiency and hill climbing ability. They all cut off at about 16 mph. In the low power e-bike territory stay away from hub motors.

Check out this thread on electric bicycles it will answer some of the questions and give you more information, and you can ask any questions you want here and I'll answer if I can.

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2057195184

SCOL

There is no tax or insurance required on a (2 stroke petrol )motirised bike
they come as a kit takes about a day to put the engine on. I commute 56Km
( 28Km both ways ) with less that 2 liters of petrol and it takes me about 40minutes.

SCOL

SCOL wrote: »

There is no tax or insurance required on a (2 stroke petrol )motirised bike
they come as a kit takes about a day to put the engine on. I commute 56Km
( 28Km both ways ) with less that 2 liters of petrol and it takes me about 40minutes.

Are you sure there is no tax/ insurance on a petrol driven bike ?

I would say the electric kit is vastly superior, much quieter too and much stealthier.

The electric would be ultra reliable if the right kit is got, and maintenance free.

Slightly more maintenance for the chain driven motors.

SCOL

I have checked it out with the guards and the 49cc petrol engine is exempt.

The electric motor is limited to 25KPM where as the petrol motor is not limited
I get upto about 35-40KMP. I have 200-300 Km on mine at the moment and no problems.

If you wanted to go the electric routh maybe there is a bolt on unit like my petrol
engine Maybe it might be a cheaper option.

Del2005

SCOL wrote: »

I have checked it out with the guards and the 49cc petrol engine is exempt.

The electric motor is limited to 25KPM where as the petrol motor is not limited
I get upto about 35-40KMP. I have 200-300 Km on mine at the moment and no problems.

If you wanted to go the electric routh maybe there is a bolt on unit like my petrol
engine Maybe it might be a cheaper option.

It don't matter what the Gardaí say to you it's what's in here that counts, enjoy the search.

mgbgt1978

SCOL wrote: »

I have checked it out with the guards and the 49cc petrol engine is exempt.

You do know that they get commission for every road traffic offence they succesfully convict where a fine is imposed...they will tell you anything to boost their wages :rolleyes:

SCOL

I don't brake the lights or pass out cars I behave myself so not to cause unwanted attention it's classed as pedded assested. I have not yet been pulled . If there is a check point I'll just switch off the engine and cycle past ( that's the plan anyway )

It's not pedal assist if you can use a throttle, a throttle is forbidden on a pedal assist bicycle.

Pedal assist applied to electric bicycles only.

No more than 250 watts allowed, motor can only engage by pedalling, motor must cut off power at 15 mph. They are the laws. Anything over 15 mph in the E.U requires registering, license and insurance + display of number plate.

Anyway, when I had my high power electric bike, I was running 5kw, and I had it limited to 40 mph. it was wicked fast off the line. Driving a car was never the same again and seemed so boring.

Now I'm on a legal Haibike with Bosch chain drive motor.

I couldn't drive one of those petrol engine converted bikes, I see one or 2 around here and they are just so damn noisy and slow. Sure you may have the advantage of filling up everywhere but if you size your battery for the job you're arse and neck will get sore before the battery runs out.

BTW the Bosch is actually 500 watts and not 250, it gets around the test by clever use of software. And it's vastly more powerful than all the 250 watt hub motors. + using the bike gears means you got torque at all speeds up to 17 mph max. Of course their is a 30 mph Bosch motor also.

Thargor

Where did you get your Haibike Mad Lad? their website is a bit of a mess tbh, so many models, no pricing, no breakdown in differences between different models etc, is there a better vendor for them anywhere? Is there an Irish shop?

Any chance of you making a thread about yours and what you use it for, range etc?

Thargor

Thargor wrote: »

Where did you get your Haibike Mad Lad? their website is a bit of a mess tbh, so many models, no pricing, no breakdown in differences between different models etc, is there a better vendor for them anywhere? Is there an Irish shop?

Any chance of you making a thread about yours and what you use it for, range etc?

I got mine on eBay from Germany. Could work out expensive but I got a good deal on shipping.

Greener.ie have good quality bikes that use the bosch and Panasonic crank drive motors, the bosch being probably the best.

Avoid like the plague nasty Chinese bikes being sold in shops in Ireland that sell for 4 times their price. They are utter junk and nowhere nearly as powerful as the bosch.

I'll find a review I did on another site when I get home tonight if I get time, I plan on going for a cycle, so hopefully the weather stays good.

You can also get 2012 model Haibikes on Ebay, or raleigh bikes with Bosch motor for about 1500 Euro's maybe less and I guarantee these bikes are vastly superior to some of the cheap Chinese junk that's being sold in Irish shops for many times their value.