e-bike price question

[Sparky]

ive tried to do my research on the topic, but i havnt been able to come up with much info that i can really use.

my question is- i want a electric motor, powered by batteries, to push my bicycle around. i dont need to go 40 mph, i dont need to go 100 miles on a charge. those are nice.. but expensive. i just want an assist to pedaling, say around 15mph, range of 10 or so miles.

what would a system like that cost, either buying a kit or building one? less expensive is better.

[macka]

http://www.ebikes.ca/store/store_kits.php

[Sparky]

ouch!!! thats expensive. at that price, and my estimated mileage that i would use it for, it would take well over a year to pay for itself vs. gas in my jeep.

now, i aint trying to start any discussion about oil, cause i know its forbidden here. i realize eco concerns and all that. and i do want to drive less.

but that just aint worth it- maybe 500, but thats about my upper limit.

ive seen those cheapie 50 and 100 dollar motors- do they have oomph and durability to be worth it?

and i notice AZ doesnt seem to like batteries smaller than car-sized. are the smaller packs really that bad? i mean, obviously they dont hold as much power. but are they useable?

im going to go ahead and say it- and i dont want this thread to turn into a debate, we can have that elsewhere- but i want an assist for my chopper, and its either electric or gas. in this thread i want only info for sub-$500 electric options.

[AtomicZombie]

You could always get the motor and put your own kit together....

http://www.ebikes.ca/store/store_motors.php

I only use the bigger batteries 14ah or 34ah because I build my machines to travel at least 1 hour at max speed without pedalling.

The smaller (lunch pail sized) 7ah packs will give you what you want.

Brad

[TheKid]

Just out of curiosity, can hub motors be installed to go forward and reverse?

[airjnke]

Howdy folks;
Sparky, If you are looking for a hub motor Golden motor is probably the least expensive hubs out there.
http://stores.ebay.com/City-e-Cycle-Golden-Front
I know a dude that has run one for over a year & he really likes it. One of the few with actual regen capabilities. Then, like Brad sugested, buy the batteries from one place...
http://www.electricrider.com/batteries/index.htm
and the throttle & controler from another....
http://tncscooters.com/view.php?page=Home
Hope this helps.
Take it EZ;
Dave

[theDude]

at that price, and my estimated mileage that i would use it for, it would take well over a year to pay for itself vs. gas in my jeep.

What about wear and tear on your Jeep? You could get a hub motor kit and battery for the price of a new set of tires on your Jeep. :)

[airjnke]

Just out of curiosity, can hub motors be installed to go forward and reverse?
Kid, yup, it's just a matter of getting the right controller.
Dave

[Sparky]

i like the hubmotors. less work, for sure. and they seem plenty powerful.

... i could use some of these motors and batteries and build my own drive system. looks like i could get by for about $200 with some of these. course, i would have to fab brackets and such, but thats not a big deal.... i have the scooter and chopper book, the plans in there would help me out.

would say, a 500 watt 36V motor with 3 12v 10AH batts do what im looking for? with proper gearing, of course.

btw, im looking at this motor- http://tncscooters.com/product.php?sku=106140 on this site- http://tncscooters.com/partsdb.php?type=ES


and, tdude, you are right on the wear and tear- i didnt think to factor that in. but nah, my tires arent that big. so only about 500 for a set. and they last a few years. :)