Live data from Hacker News

Long Range E-Bike (2021)

jacquesmattheij.com

231–240 of 345 posts

Re: Long Range E-Bike (2021)

#231

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That's why you don't touch Lithium Ion packs unless you know what you are doing. I've repaired many Bosch packs before I tried building my own and seeing the guts of professionally designed and robotically assembled packs after they're a few years old is a very sobering exercise in what to do and what definitely not to do. There are a bunch of youtubers that go out of their way to give massively dangerous advice to p…

While you are Not My Engineer and .. are there any bloggers / vloggers that are or at least seem to be giving good advice that you are comfortable passing on?

Found it:

https://www.youtube.com/c/HBPowerwall

I like the simplicity, I don't like some of the wiring choices but I'm not sure if that is to be code compliant in Australia. Enjoy!

Re: Long Range E-Bike (2021)

#232

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I would never take that pack on a train (or any other closed transport). That would be criminal, but then again, I think that that's the case for all e-bikes. I've seen way too many videos of packs going up without a warning and there is a ton of really bad advice out there from well meaning individuals who have absolutely no idea what they are doing. The welds on this pack are very good, I have checked and re-checke…

> I'm not taking any risks with 170 charged 18650s, if I would so much as drop or bump the bike I would discharge the pack and dismantle it. I know it was not your intent, but when people hear this stuff about the fragility of EVs, it really makes them feel safer with a gas motor and a tank of liquid that can take a few dents and whacks without completely exploding.

Full gas tanks are ok-ish, nearly empty ones are really bad.

Re: Long Range E-Bike (2021)

#233

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I agree with having a good helmet, however to be honest my first motorbike ride and car drive at 60kmh were terrifying. Also many people never bicycle even in a 30kmh limites zone because they don’t feel safe. But I don’t want to downplay speed, as you noted it’s probably the key: most motorbike death are because speed or loose of control without involving any other vehicle. Also small cylinders (< 50cc) are almost a…

Suicidal motorbikes are allowed with license and insurance though. Not saying that's optimal for public safety, but that's a big distinction. I think that's the logical line between e-bikes an electric motos: at what power or speed do you want to start requiring some kind of licensing or insurance?

Yeah licensing and plates would be interesting. Although an e-bike is lighter than a scooter and will make less damage to the other person, the driver weight is probably signifiant too.

Not sure how that works in the US but in France (and probably Europe?) everyone supposed to get a "civil responsibility insurance" that will cover many thinks including accidents on non-insured (legal) vehicle.

Re: Long Range E-Bike (2021)

#234
post #222

Earlier quoted context omitted.

False. If you jump in front of a car who has the right of way and is not speeding it's not the driver's fault. The victum in this case is the driver who has done nothing wrong. The perp is the person who broke the law and faces the consequences.

The victim is the one who's injured or dead.

[deleted]

Re: Long Range E-Bike (2021)

#235

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Motorcycle cops can ride faster than any e-bike, and go anywhere a bicycle can.

A car too, but you might kill the suspect [1]. Chasing kids on e-bikes down with motorcycles is asking for deathly accidents to happen. [1] https://www.vrt.be/vrtnws/en/2025/06/03/12-year-old-boy-dies...

Driving what's better described as an electric dirt bike with street tires through pedestrian paths is also asking for dead pedestrians?

Re: Long Range E-Bike (2021)

#236

Sort of a hijack, but it rides on the awesomeness that e-bikes can bring about. They truly are incredible if you have never gotten to ride one. E-bikes with throttles should not be refereed to as e-bikes E-peds, e-motos, electric motorycle, whatever. Just don't call them ebikes. The problem is people (especially kids) getting what are essentially electric motorcycles, thinking they are ebikes, and then causing all so…

Disagree, the wattage of the motor is what's relevant. A 750 watt ebike with pedal assist has more potential to cause harm than a 250 watt "emoto" with a throttle.

The whole throttle vs pedal assist distinction makes way less sense than delineating the difference based on power.

Re: Long Range E-Bike (2021)

#237

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm sypathetic but ... unlike cars, bikes don't have large each to read license plates. People will scream about facial recognition. I'm not trying to take away your freedom. I've just wished they'd enforce traffic laws on cyclists but it's just not going to happen and cyclists know it so they almost all break traffic laws with impunity.

License plates do not seem to prevent dangerous and illegal behavior in cars, why should they help for bikes?

License plates absolutely prevent dangerous and illegal behavior in cars, just not 100% of it.

Re: Long Range E-Bike (2021)

#238

Earlier quoted context omitted.

why is the throttle the issue and not just the 45MPH? would it be better with pedals and people peddling along in some only-would-ever-make-sense-on-an-ebike gear, but still going 45? the problem is recklessnesss and speed, restrict and enforce those things, don't just let the bike makers shift the product 10% and re-create exactly the same issue, but "legally"

> why is the throttle the issue and not just the 45MPH? The bikes with throttles are not legally e-bikes, so the products on the market ignore all of the other e-bike restrictions too. They have much more power and higher top speeds. Even if they were fully limited, pedaling ensure more rider engagement and changes how people ride them. When you have to put some effort, however small, into moving the bike around you…

There are plenty of ebikes with throttles that have less power than ebikes without throttles. E.g. a lectric xpress 500 has 500 watts, there are some pedal assist only bikes with 750 or more watts.

It's power and speed that matters, as you point out, so make regulation built on that. Heck, arguably pedal assist is a throttle, it's just a different mechanism vs a twist handle.

Re: Long Range E-Bike (2021)

#239

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The problem with max speed is that while big legit ebike manufacturers respect it (e.g. you can't buy a Bosch ebike in the UK that will go above 15.5mph), you can easily get Chinese models that don't care, or you can mod other bikes that do fairly easily. I don't know what the solution is tbh.

You can't "easily" modify an electric brushless motor to go faster than its Kv limit, to handle more current than its magnetic saturation limit, or to exceed the limits of back-EMF. 99% of the people whinging about ebikes have no idea what they're talking about. There are people claiming in this very thread that kids are modding their "e-bikes" to go "45mph." The power levels required to push a hybrid bicycle to 45mp…

Well, you can switch from high efficiency to field weakening once you run out of supply voltage to handle full field back EMF as you increase speed.

That can readily double your speed on flat or downhill terrain if normal torque is sized to give good acceleration from standstill.

Re: Long Range E-Bike (2021)

#240

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I don't understand that point. Why do e-bikes become better or more safe when you have to rotate your legs? Its really frustrating and silly that I have to go through the motions (literally) of riding a bicycle if I want to get the priviledge of using a bike lane or going without a license plate. (At least that's the case here in Germany AFAIK). They could go ahead and make "fast electric bikes" and "slow electric bi…

"hinging the decision on whether your legs or your wrist is turning is illogical" No it's not, it's recognizing the psychology between "big push with foot makes go fast" and "pressing button makes go fast". Besides, if the only thing that matters is speed, then logically you'd have to require normal pushbikes to register as well, once cyclists are able to pedal sufficiently fast.

> recognizing the psychology between "big push with foot makes go fast" and "pressing button makes go fast".

And what is the psychological difference? As far as I'm concerned when I'm using torque-sensing pedal assist, I'm just pressing the button with my foot. The distinction between throttle and pedal assist is non existent in my eyes: pedal assist is just pressing the throttle with your foot.

Motor wattage and top speed is what matters.

Post reply on HN