05 Apr, 2009
Posted by: admin In: Electric Bicycle Videos
48V and 15 Horsepower send this Electric Beach Cruiser screaming down the road. The author has appropriately dubbed this an “electric motorcycle”.
Here is a video with the bike in action:
jaspearianpictures posted this video.
Check out the full guide on the construction of this electric beach cruiser on Instructables.
Here is a video to help you understand the benefits of choosing a beach cruiser for your new bicycle. expertvillage created this video.
Beach cruisers have been popular since the 1950’s, when Schwinn cleverly advertised them as fun-filled mobility units that could bring a family closer together. The popularity of beach cruisers is increasing even today, among other bicycle types. It isn’t surprising, because beach cruisers form the perfect mixture of accessibility and practicality. They are roomier and more comfortable than nearly any other bicycle, while still having the form and function to traverse different terrains with ease. Beach cruisers are ideal for a motorized kit because they are sturdier and heavier than other bikes, allowing mounting from a motor kit in a better way than a light racing bike could hope for. In addition, the larger size of the beach cruiser ensures the motor will not get in the way of comfort. Beach cruisers are also more comfortable, allowing the rider to relax and feel more at ease as they are driving their motorized bicycle to their destination.
Check out this video of flunkycarter has on YouTube of his custom electric bicycle. It is a 26″ stretch cruiser. The engine used is a Skyhawk 48 Volt 600 Watt front wheel drive brushless motor. This bike has all the comforts: leather grips, throttle with power indicator, rearview mirrors, horn, iPod mount, speedometer, and a safetly kill switch. Capable of 20+ MPH with average distance of 15+ miles on a single charge.
Electric beach cruisers, or ‘motorized bicycles’, are a growing trend in not only the downtown sectors of many cities but are also gaining increasingly widespread acceptance among suburban areas. From the new world to the third world, electric bicycles are being seen more and more on today’s streets, with beach cruisers taking on the brunt of the growing trend.
An electric bicycle is unlike a motorcycle or a moped because of the fact that, if necessary, pedals are still able to be used to power the vehicle. What makes an electric bicycle run is a small two or four stroke IC engine that applies power through various ways. A motor is sometimes built into the hub of the bicycle that causes either the back or front wheel to turn.
There are various factors that lead people to choose motorized bicycles as their main form of transportation. Fuel prices, in today’s economy, are often a factor. If a person lives a reasonable distance from their place of occupation, they may choose a method of transportation that won’t cost them a sizeable amount of money over the long run. They may choose an electric bicycle over a standard simply because they would prefer to not overexert themselves or risk sweating before their workday begins. The same reason a person may prefer a motorized bicycle is the same reason that some people prefer to pedal the old-fashioned way. Health. Whether it is a hobby or an exercise, many people would rather burn the extra calories used up during pedaling than to let a motor do the job.
A person’s living area will also come into play when it comes to choosing whether to go electric. In an urban area, it solves quite alot of problems to use an electric beach cruiser, so as to avoid parking issues, traffic, and walking. In a more rural area, it may not be feasible to ride a motorized bicycle when any destination is miles and miles away.
Prices for motorized bikes have gone down in recent years, but many people are choosing to instead purchase kits that will turn an ordinary beach cruiser into an electric bicycle with minimum effort and maximum payoff.
Here are the parts that come in the Bionx package. You can go here to purchase units.
Here is a promotional video from the company.