Shanghai options - Ebike review

[barnone]

Felix,
A little off topic but is your panda a model? She is beautiful.
Back on topic, is the Ruckus clone an electric?

[felix]

in Kunming we have a law that forbids more than one person riding per E-bike

I've heard of that law in both suzhou and shanghai, but never seen it being respected or enforced. Funny that they do in Kunming.

Barnone, the Panda thanks you kindly, and yes she is.

That honda ruckus rip-off on the first page is indeed electric. All these big ebikes that you buy from custom shops were originally designed as petrol scooters. The popular models don't take long get converted to electric. The conversion isn't very difficult, stick some batteries where the petrol tank used to be and replace the engine/swingarm with a simple swingarm and in-wheel electric motor. The chinese ruckus is called a zuma (祖玛) and they have tons of customised versions here. For some reason they love making them longer too!

[richardktm]

Hey Felix, i really like your new wheels very cool for two up around town.. you get some great looking ebikes up there.. we still haven't got past the hideous taxi ebikes and ladies shoppers with a basket on the front down in Shenzhen.
We have a law down here that allows you to have a motorbicycle with an engine up to
35cc?? any other citys have this? I see old chinese pedal bikes with tiny 2stroke motors on, delivering six 20litre water bottles or propane tanks. I'll get some pic's
Meanwhile check out some of these old skool 40's beachbikes and board tracker motorised push bikes it makes me want to build an old chinese delivery bike!
http://motorbicycling.com/
cheers
Rich

[felix]

Not sure about that law up here. It would be nice but i doubt it's allowed. I thought 2 strokes were banned altogether in china?

Nice site. I've thought about building one of those before. The engine kits are easily available on taobao for around 400 kuai, pick up an old postie bike for a couple of hundred and you've got a fun cheap transport. I don't think you'd get away with it for very long here in shanghai though, they must be noisy as shit.

I've written some stuff before about them over here.

[GRF_Hans]

Respect man. What made you decide against LPG, though? I mean I would have too but just wanna know if you considered it. Also, didn't know you live in Shanghai now! Haha...I guess that's old news seeing as it's March, but yea...cool.

[moilami]

Thanks of the scooter review, was good reading and good pictures.

[felix]

Hi Hans, are you saying that LPG scooters don't need plates? I went for the electric scooter because i thought it was the only thing available where you don't have to deal with any legal bullcrap. Can anyone clarify what the deal is with the LPG bikes?

And actually, what is LPG? What do they run on, and what's the difference with normal scooters?


Moilami, thanks! I try to do my part to make this forum useful!

[humanbeing]

... is LPG? ...

Liquefied petroleum gas. Engine = petrol engine BUT moded the carb/ tank

[GRF_Hans]

Yea liquid propane gas. It's what like 95% of the gas scooters in Shanghai are. I think you only need to pay a couple hundred RMB to register them (don't know about foreigners though). They are slow as hell, though, and you hear stories every once in a while about the tank blowing up. But yea, they're dirt cheap. I think you made the better purchase :D

[CantDecide]

Lao Jia Hou,

In Beijing, we have the Beijing chapter of the Mad Dogs motorcycle club ... who have Harleys, mandatory tattoos, patches, etc. I've wondered about starting a Beijing chapter of the Happy Poodles e-scooter club, complete with lick-on tattoos, peel & stick patches, etc. One would need to be rather self-assured with one's identity to join!

If you start that club, I'll join you as a member! Of course... we'll have to pick a meeting location very, very carefully so everyone can get there and still have enough juice to ride home!