"E-bike" mopeds more dangerous than motorcycles?
- Thread starter MTVR
- Start date
I'm not concerned about a lack of noise- I'm concerned about the lack of proper safety gear, lack of the vehicle's ability to turn/brake/accelerate as well as competent motorcycles, and the fact that "e-bike" moped operators are not required to demonstrate ANY riding skill at all before being allowed to hit the road.
Motorcycle riders are required to pass a written exam on the rules of the road and such, and then pass a (rudimentary) practical test in a parking lot. They are also required (in many states) to at least wear a helmet certified for motorized travel.
I have taken an informal survey of "e-bike" moped operators at crash scenes, and have yet to meet one that even knows which direction to push the handlebars to make it turn in the intended direction.
al_burpe
Observer
They are bicycles not motorcycles. Of course they can't accelerate as fast as a motorcycle, but neither does a bicycle without electric assist. E-bikes are to be ridden like a bicycle not a motorcycle.
They are not bicycles- bicycles don't have motors. Nor are they motorcycles- motorcycles have no pedals. They are mopeds, because they have a motor AND pedals- that's what the word "moped" means- motor and pedals.
What are you trying to say? All vehicles with two inline wheels are governed by the same principles of operation, and their operators face the same risks on public roads.
Maybe I should ask you (to see if you know) what YOU think is the correct method for effectively and accurately steering a bicycle, moped, or motorcycle. Do you think that you can effectively and accurately steer by pushing the bars in the direction that you intend to turn? By pushing in the opposite direction? By leaning? By weighting the pedals or pegs on one side? By some combination of these things? By some other method? Or do you not know?
Grenadiers
Adventurer
I would never ride my e-bike in city traffic. Ours are for Baja beaches and picking up beer in small villages.
Let's not resort to personal attacks please
Roaddude
Long time off-grid vanlife adventurist
.
In my experience, riding my eBike--a Sondors X--over the last four years all over America, both urban and rural, and interacting with a number of other eBike riders as well as gen pop and riding along with typical bicycles, eBikes are nowhere near as dangerous as motorcycles can be.
For one thing, at least in the US, they come from the mfg governed, by law, to a max of about 25 mph. You can do some after-market 3rd-party ******** to them to make them faster, though they are still not anywhere near as fast as cars or motorcycles. Motorcycles can accelerate extremely quickly, pop wheelies, and dart in and out at high speeds that a moped or eBike just simply cannot do.
I've ridden mine regularly through downtown city streets and surrounding neighborhoods and find myself and other eBike riders being much more in traffic like un-powered bicyclists than motorcycles.
That said, in every mode of transportation there is a majority of responsible drivers/riders as well as a minority of hotdogs/showoffs.
Guess who gets the attention and press as being the example of why that mode is bad?
.
In my experience, riding my eBike--a Sondors X--over the last four years all over America, both urban and rural, and interacting with a number of other eBike riders as well as gen pop and riding along with typical bicycles, eBikes are nowhere near as dangerous as motorcycles can be.
For one thing, at least in the US, they come from the mfg governed, by law, to a max of about 25 mph. You can do some after-market 3rd-party ******** to them to make them faster, though they are still not anywhere near as fast as cars or motorcycles. Motorcycles can accelerate extremely quickly, pop wheelies, and dart in and out at high speeds that a moped or eBike just simply cannot do.
I've ridden mine regularly through downtown city streets and surrounding neighborhoods and find myself and other eBike riders being much more in traffic like un-powered bicyclists than motorcycles.
That said, in every mode of transportation there is a majority of responsible drivers/riders as well as a minority of hotdogs/showoffs.
Guess who gets the attention and press as being the example of why that mode is bad?
.
alanymarce
Well-known member
It's not the fact that they're quiet - that's great, in our noisy cities and even better in our quiet countryside.
It's not the speed - a good rider can go as fast as s/he likes as long as it's safe, as far as I'm concerned. Speed limits are flawed in principle, you can be travelling too fast at almost any speed.
It's lack of judgement, SA, consideration for others, and plain incompetence.
We have cycle lanes... AND cyclists/e-cyclists who still ride on the pavement (by which I mean "sidewalk"). We have cyclists on the highways who are perfectly capable of travelling at over 70 Km/h SAFELY (which is why some of the top cyclists in the world are from Colombia). We have (even worse than e-bikes) motorised bicycles which are ridden at 50+ Km/h in bike lanes, creating hazards for cyclists and e-bikers.
When we figure out how to teach judgement, the world will be a lot safer..
(Rant over).
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