Find out if your bike and equipment meets local laws and regulations to avoid fines.
Countries like the United States, Canada and Australia all have different laws and regulations for the use of electric bikes. Within each state and province there can be even more variations making the it incredibly confusing. Check with your local authorities about conflicting laws and regulations. Electric bicycles have rules that require the use of proper safety gear such as helmets.
In many places electric bikes are not allowed to be ridden on the road as part of traffic. Check into this before you receive a fine. To ride on the road could obstruct traffic and cause an accident. It’s never worth it to break the rules where you live. If you are not able to ride your electric bike with traffic then you will have to seek out an alternative route since many bikes are also not allowed on sidewalks.
According to some places the laws are based on the amount of power that the bike puts out. If the engine runs at 200 watts or more then the bike may not be allowed on the road unless it is registered as a vehicle. This varies from state to state so don’t assume that it’s the same. You need to know for sure because driving without registration is a serious offense. Sometimes the law is based on speed limit or engine size. For example, if your electric bike reaches certain speeds you may be required to have it registered.
Many locations work in quite the opposite way. Many places will only allow electric bikes on sidewalks and biking paths. This can limit where you can use them so keep this in mind when considering the switch to an electric bike. If you can’t use the road then it may be more inconvenient that anything.
It’s important to note that an electric bike is nothing like a scooter or a motorbike. It does not have that kind of engine power or capacity. It is nothing more than a bicycle that has been equipped with electricity to power it. If you decide to make use of an electric bike, always be informed of the laws where you live. It’s not worth the risk or the trouble to go about uninformed. Electric bikes are still a confusing topic so ask officials for all legal information before you ride.
Testimonials From Customers
Gary Martin- Vallejo, CA, USA
I purchased an X-Treme scooter� from Big Ed in Chicago A while ago to take with me on my private airplane for business trips. I only have to charge it about once every few weeks and it just runs GREAT!.. Everyone at the airports I visit asks me how to get one. I also take it with me in my motor home on vacation for those quick runs to the store.
Joseph Downs- Ft.Lauderdale, FL USA
The electric scooter I purchased from you guys has been outstanding. I have had it now for almost 1 year and I use it everyday to commute to work 2 miles from my home. Everyone at the office always comments on how great of a idea I had. I also bought one for my 2 son's and one for my wife. The scooter folds up easily for transportation in my car so I can take it with me everywhere I go.
Some SCOOTER NEWS 2009
Get Green and Extreme With Electric Moped
Jacob Stein
Battery Times
I have a hard time taking anything that includes the words �extreme� and �moped� in it�s name seriously. With that being said, the new X-Treme XM-5000Li Electric Moped is looking like a great way to add a little green to your life. Our friends at Wattcycle are boasting the XM-5000Li as the �first of it�s kind street legal electric powered moped / motorcycle running on lightweight high powered Lithium batteries and a 5000 Watt rear hub motor�. In other words, this DOT certified motor vehicle is a legitimate method of transportation for anyone looking to cut back on their gas consumption and run around town a little more efficiently.
The X-Treme XM-5000Li runs on 21 small light weight Lithium Ion batteries, which are said to be stored low and in the center of the moped to ensure stability. A single, full charge of the moped will leave you around 85 miles to work with before another charge is needed. This may not sound like a whole lot, but you really wouldn�t be using the moped for long distance traveling. The 85 miles per charge would actually give you 2-3 days worth of drive time if you�re just cruising around town. The moped tops out at around 60 mph as well, which is actually pretty decent as far as mopeds go. I�ve personally only owned one moped in my life, and unless I was riding downhill with the wind at my back, 45 mph was about where it topped out.
So while the X-Treme XM-5000Li may not exactly fit under the category of �extreme�, it looks like a solid option for anyone looking to minimize their impact on the earth while saving a few bucks on gas at the same time.
It�s not often that I say something like �Wow� when I look at a scooter or moped. I don�t generally like them. This one is different. The XM-5000Li electric moped has a lot of great features for such a low-priced machine, including a boatload of power. Most mopeds are underpowered little things without much excuse for their existence. Not this one.
The XM-5000Li is all-electric, of course, and has a 5,000 watt rear hub motor, but manages to be very lightweight because of it�s lithium-ion batteries (thus the �Li� in the name), coming in at only 216 pounds total weight. Yet it can carry up to 400 pounds in payload, so two can ride comfortably.
The motor is hub-mounted, so there�s no chain or belt, which is normally the highest-maintenance part on electric scooters of this type. It�s also got ABS braking on both wheels and a maximum range of about 85 miles with a top speed of 60mph. Impressive for such a small machine.
Here�s some more specs:
- 60 Amp/60 Volt/5000 Watts
- Street legal in all 50 states
- 6 month scooter warranty
- 2 year battery warranty
- 1 year motor warranty
Pretty good numbers for something like this. That�s why I said �wow.� I�m not going to claim that this bike will win any design contests for its looks�it�s a moped, after all. I will say that it�s not ugly like most mopeds and doesn�t have the �geek factor� most of them do either. The 21 batteries on this bike are slung low on the frame, offering great stability and a low center of gravity.
Since it�s street-legal in all fifty states, the moped comes with a VIN number on the frame and a license (MCO) for titling in your state. You�ll most likely have to have a motorcycle operator�s license to ride it.
For practicality, the XM-5000Li is pretty good on features too. It�s got a cargo space under the seat that�s about the size of a large sack of groceries and a stable (insulated) kick stand as well. The seat is about 34 inches high and it uses a twist throttle like a motorcycle with an easy-to-read LED dash. The tires are standard moped/motorcycle sized and so are easily found after-market for replacement, if needed. The batteries have a 2-year warranty and will likely last 5-7 years under normal use.
This is a great get-around electric moped with a lot of potential for use in the urban and suburban market. I�m not easily impressed, especially by mopeds and scooters, but this one gets an �A.� Along with it�s little brothers, the XM-3500Li electric moped and the XM-3000 electric moped, the XM-5000Li electric moped is available right now for about $6,000, nationally, through independent distributors as a 2009 model.
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