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What
is a Power Assist Bike?
A power assist bike is fundamentally a conventional bike that uses an electric motor to assist the rider automatically via an electronic sensor system. (See VPAC Controller Explanation) |
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Why e-Moto?
e-Moto power assist bicycles designed from the ground up to be electric bicycles. Most other electric bikes make concessions in design for the sake of using pre-produced conventional bicycle frames. This leads to batteries that hang from the sides of the bike, primitive motor design and loads of extra weight. |
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What are the operating costs of an e-Moto Power Assist Bike?
Thanks to e-Moto's Panasonic Lithium Ion Battery packs and digital chargers, the average cost per complete charge is approx. $0.08. |
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What range can I expect from the bike?
25-miles per charge as a worst-case scenario; utilizing our VPAC torque sensor, real world range can exceed 40-miles. (24v) |
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Why is there not a throttle?
Several Reasons:
1) Using a throttle in lieu of the VPAC torque sensor will decrease the battery's range by over 50%.
2) Most states classify e-bikes with throttles as mopeds or motorcycles. Torque sensors allow the bike to be ridden on bike paths and trails open only to bicycles.
3) The VPAC torque sensor provides a riding experience closest to a normal bike. Power is applied only as an extension of the rider’s actions.
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How fast does it go?
On level ground, the power assist will help propel the bike to a 15-mph cruising speed. You will be able to propel the bike faster using human power. |
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Does the bike have regenerative braking?
No, true regenerative braking takes too
much stability away for a 2-wheeled vehicle. The bike does generate a small amount of current when free-wheeling or riding down hills.
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What type of batteries does e-Moto use?
All e-Moto power assist bicycles come standard with premium Panasonic Lithium Ion Batteries with matching chargers and battery management systems. Panasonic provides the best performing and most reliable power systems for electric bikes available. |
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Why are Panasonic Lithium Ion Batteries Important?
First, lithium battery systems require 3 separate components for operation. The charger, the battery management system, or BMS, (to regulate the charge and discharge of the cells), and the battery cells themselves. Many lithium battery systems are assembled using components from several different suppliers, then repackaged by a middleman, and ultimately sold to the manufacturer of the bikes. UM’s Panasonic Battery systems are compiled of components designed by the same engineers to operate together. This radically increases the performance and reliability of the battery. The reliability of the Panasonic Battery system allows UM to offer and industry leading 12-month warranty on all our batteries. |
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Explain the battery voltages?
e-Moto offers electric bicycles that operate using either 24 or 36-volt motor and controller systems, while using batteries that with voltages ranging from 26 or 37-volts. Due to the design of Lithium battery cells, the ultimate voltage obtained will vary slightly higher than the operating voltage of the motor. |
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How/where can I get my e-Moto bike repaired?
Any local bicycle repair shop is qualified to repair or adjust the e-Moto power assist bicycle. Someone can do diagnosis and repair of the drive system with basic mechanical skills aided by the e-Moto technicians reached on our toll-free number. Basic hand tools and a digital multimeter are required. |
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What is the best configuration for the electric motor—front or rear?
There are two main motor configurations found on the vast majority of electrically assisted bikes-- front mounted hub motor or integrated rear wheel mounted hub motor.
Front Mounted Hub Motor
The front mounted hub motor is the simplest and cheapest engineering solution and is consequently found on many lower priced, lower quality electric bicycles. The main disadvantage of the front wheel hub is the lack of traction when tackling hills or terrain (due to the bulk of the weight over the rear wheel). This can cause the front wheel to lose control and slip under power. The front wheel hub motor can also cause the front wheel to lose traction and spin in wet weather, which could be extremely dangerous.
Rear Wheel Mounted Hub Motor
The rear wheel hub motor is more of an engineering challenge and therefore not found on lesser power assist bikes. However, the main advantages of rear wheel drive are threefold:
• More balanced and superior traction due to the rear bias of weight distribution on all bike types.
• Superior handling in wet weather conditions
• Superior traction control when cycling up gradients
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What is the warranty coverage?
All 26-volt e-Moto power assist bicycles are backed with an industry leading 12-month warranty, which includes the battery. Most electric bicycle warranties range from 30-days to 6-months. |
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Isn’t
riding an electrically assisted bike cheating?
Of course, a conventional bike will generally keep you much fitter, but that of course depends on how much – if at all – it is used. Research form the Transport Research Laboratory in the United Kingdom (Davis and Hartley 1998) has shown that 46% of conventional bikes are only used twice a week, with a further 30% of bikes used for only once a month or less. However, a report from Leeds University (Neil Guthrie 2001) reveals that in a survey of electric bike owners – a third of respondents used their bikes typically at least once a day and 81% used their electric bikes at least once a week. Therefore, an electric bike typically gets used at least twice as often as a conventional bicycle.
Moreover, riding an electric bicycle is more enjoyable in mountainous terrain and in windy conditions and users tend to make better use of them because the motor can provide half the normal effort of cycling taking the sting out of long rides. Therefore, more regular use equals the same amount of physical effort required for a conventional bike due to more regular and longer usage. |
