48V 35A x5304 vs. 47CC gas!

[set]

So just now, coming off from work, my friend and I decided to have a little race. I have my 48V x5 and he had his 47cc gas bike. After I waited a few minutes for him to warm up his engine, we raced.

All of our races are from a slight roll. He needs to get moving a bit before he pops the clutch in.

First race: He pedals a bit to get speed and I match his speed. We call it and went full throttle without pedaling. Got to the end of the block and I beat him by 2 bike lengths! It was very close!

Second race. Same results. I pull away harder and past him at 25 mph going to 28 mph. :wink:

Last race. He wanted to see how well his gasser would do if we both went all out pedaling. We stay neck and neck until 26 mph when I passed him eventually going 31-32 mph. His little gas engine was screaming really high as it was at it's max rpm. 8)

What sucks is that I can't race him from a dead stop. I knew if that was the case, I'd kill him off the line. Either way I am happy I beat him. I am converting him into electric now. His gasser was REALLY loud and it seemed amplified since we raced at 12AM! The neighbors must have been pissed! His gasser stunk like hell too. Plus it's even more incentive for him to switch since all those fumes are terrible to his health and he's kinda a heath nut (vegetarian) .

Later we tested my bike on the college hills. I was very impressed. The 5304 climbed the hills no problem. It must have been over 15% grade at the steepest parts. As I was climbing the hill, I waved at a pedestrian and then I powered up the hill with my legs hanging off the pedals to the side. He said out loud, "What the frock!?" then my friends said, "It's electric baby!" And the pedestrian laughed. It was funny the looks I get.

My setup is a new gen 5304 with a 35A knuckles controller. 48V 20AH cammy pack (52V while racing). Very fun indeed!

 

[dogman dan]

The one time I paced a gasser, he ran the red light and got about a 1/4 mile head start. It took awhile, but after about a mile I ran him down like a dog and passed him. That was on a BD36 with a ping 36v battery. His top speed was only about 20 mph. Maybe he could go faster and was trying to stay legal, but I doubt it, since he runs red lights. Never saw him again, I know two owners of gassers, one had it running for one day, and the other never did get it to run. They seem to come with crappy carburators.

 

[huskydave]

First time I passed a scooter he almost crashed when he saw me on a bike lol. I get a lot of attention and many thumbs up from motorists. The best part is riding in parks/trails where other vehicles would be banned. I have noticed a few gasser kits around my city but they get dirty looks when they drive by someone. The other bonus I find is with electric power you don't spook wildlife and you get to see some animals upclose before they sprint away.

 

[morph999]

imagine what it'd be like with 60v

 

[needWheels]

I pass scooters all the time while I am in the bike lane and they have to use the road

I just need to find a way to replace my front chainring so I can pedal more at high speed.

 

[OzzyU812]

Sounded like a fun race! Glad the E-bike won!
I bet the gasser cost a lot less dough though.

I have both gas is a DAX 80 66-69cc (unsure of actual cc at the moment) And and Li Po powered E-zip. I have just put together the DAX. Only 30miles on it still in break-in.

Gasser cost $300
e-zip has cost $1000 (i have a bunch of batt's, chargers and optimate 3)
$300 more and I will combine the 2! Motor is going of the e-zip!


Sorry, I don't come around much you guys help is invaluable!

 

[set]

oh yeah, the gasser is much cheaper no doubt. In my state, even these little sub 50 cc engines need to be registered. Isn't that some bs? The state here tries anything they can to nickel and dime us. At one point, they tried to tax by the mile! Anywho my ebike is definitely quieter. WAY WAY quieter than the gasser. Drawing attention is one thing, drawing attention from bored cops is another. I've ridden past many police cars and sometimes, they don't even look at me.

A gasser plus cost of registration, plus hassle from the police, noise, fumes, etc and electricity starts looking more and more appealing. Plus my friend is converting to ebikes so I guess electric wins overall!

 

[fifthmass]

My very first ever motor vehicle was a black motorcycle style Batavus moped in 1981.

It was a 49cc 2-stroke smoker but it got an honest 90mpg. As a 16 year old it was the highest adventure of my life to that point for me to ride it from my home in Westford, MA to my parent's summer place in Meredith, NH. 100 miles with Born to be Wild going thru my head for the whole 4 hour trip on completely unknown secondary highways

It would do 30 mph exactly on the flats wide open. As I recall the handling and brakes were superb and it could climb several 15% grades around Lake Winnepesaukee like nothing. I rode that thing everywhere. Engine died after six months/4,000 miles because of piston ring failure.

While my old moped could blow away my 48v/408 setup right now I prefer the ebikes. Quiet, no regulation, better physical exercise potential, better for the environment, can ride them anywhere bicycles are alowed AND many can beat any moped or 50cc scooter out there.

Crash recovery update: Relaced 408 returned today, new Godzilla strength Surly chomoly fork coming in Thursday. Should be rolling Friday AM!

Regards,
Bill

 

[set]

Fifthmass, glad to hear you are recovering from your accident. Safety should always be a top priority.

Speaking of safety. I forgot to mention the gasser needs to be periodically checked as the nuts and bolts on the motor will loosen over time. The constant vibration of the little engine with shake and rattle the fasteners and cause it to come off! That does not sound safe at all. The only thing I can see comparable to the ebike side is risk of fire and/or electric shock. The risk of fire can be completely avoided with the right battery chemistry and the shock. Well, I guess paying attention should easily cover that.