Electric Bikes -N- Scooters Blog

Archive for September, 2010

Back when I was a kid I would have scarcely believed that a company that made radios, record players and tape recorders would be making bicycles.  Imagine my amazement, if you can, when I heard that Panasonic was making bicycles.  Not just bicycles, but electric bicycles.

Panasonic has a line of bicycles called ECO electric bikes that apparently run on NiMH or lithium batteries.  These batteries, which have 24 to 26 volts in battery packs, can give a rider 27 to 31 kilometers (about 16 to 19 miles) of distance while zipping along on a 230 watt DC brushless motor.

Even though these Panasonic E-bikes carry a considerable battery pack as well as a powerful motor, they are fairly light, weighting in at about 44 to 57 lbs.  of course this is a pedal assisted model, so you can go greater distances depending on how much effort you want to put into your ride.  There are also different models depending on how much assist you want from the electric motor.  You can get a light version that has a three shift gear system all the way up to a seven shift system.

These electric bicycles come with all of the accessories that you would find with most regular bicycles, but there is a special caveat connected with this.  Panasonic is making these electric bikes from high quality materials, like steel for the spokes and if you break a couple of them, the replacement parts can be rather expensive.

The price for these bikes is about the same as other ebikes I have reviewed ranging about $1000 U.S. dollars for the bike and $250 if you want replacement batteries.

To find out more about Panasonic’s E-bikes Click Here:

Electric Bikes by Panasonic

One of the cheapest ways to get an electric bicycle, if you can’t afford one, is to buy what is commonly referred to as an electric bicycle conversion kit.  These kits are a very popular alternative to having to look for a business that sells electric bicycles and then have one shipped to you.  Electric bicycles are usually sold across the United States, but when you compare dealers that sell regular bicycles to the ones that sell electric bikes the choices can be pretty sparse.  So, if you can’t find a dealer near you, then you will have to find one on the Internet that sells them, and that means you have to pay for shipping on the entire electric bicycle.

On the other hand, if you already have a bicycle that you like you can easily convert it to an electric one by buying a conversion kit.  And guess what?  You won’t have to pay half of the shipping charges.  One of the more prominent companies that sell these kits over the Internet is a business called AmpedBikes.Com.  AmpedBikes is a company started by a gentleman by the name of Danny Ray.  Like most of us, Danny suffers from a common ailment called “getting older”.

As Danny says,”I’m 38 and not in perfect shape, my body is pretty beat up from being a carpenter for 20 years. I romanticized the memories of all day rides when I was a lot younger, but when it actually came down to it, my body didn’t react the way I remembered it ha-ha…

The hills seemed much steeper than they used to. The wind, which did not bother me as a kid, does now, so I set out to find a solution.”

Danny found gas motored bicycles at first, but found that it they were too loud and he got no exercise at all when he rode them.  He then found electric bikes with electric motors but he knew from experiences with playing around with radio controlled airplanes that brushless motors were the most efficient.

“I went and rode every kit I could get my hands on and the only difference I saw in all of them was the price tag.”

Eventually, Danny wound up taking a trip to China to get a manufacturer to make an electric bike kit that met his standards and specifications. Thus, the online store AmpedBikes.Com was born.

At the store, you can buy three different types of kits.  AmpedBikes sells kits with Lithium battery kits, Sealed Lead Acid battery kits (SLA), and kits without batteries as well as electric bike accessories.  The website has a gallery page that shows you large pictures of the kits and a page that has a very detailed and clear video on how to install them.

All of the kits are engineered as well a designed in the U.S.  The company itself is located here as well and is committed to quality and customer service while placing a 100% guarantee on all of its products.

To see AmpedBikes website, click here: www.AmpedBikes.Com

Here is an AmpedBikes Video: