Thoughts on wired ebikes?
Posted by Narrow-Librarian-902@reddit | ebikes | View on Reddit | 61 comments
Want to get a wired scout, I’m 6’3 225.
Our local trail is all pavement, no hills, and smooth.
I’d mostly be riding that, and our backroads from time to time for small errands.
Should I go with a different brand, or stick with wired? Thanks for input
deaddiquette@reddit
This sub hates anything that goes over 20 mph, so don't expect much helpful feedback.
Inciteful_Analysis@reddit
No, we hate electric motorcycles exceeding the class 3 ebike limits being ridden illegally on public roads and trails with reckless abandon and fomenting a backlash against ALL PEVs, including ebikes, which threatens our continued use and enjoyment of legitimate ebikes.
ben-boulevard@reddit
I bought the Wired Warrior "for private property use only" as explained on the website. It's great! Since you're tall I would do Warrior over Scout since it has the triangular frame which I've read online somewhere is stronger. Functionally they should be the same.
It is heavy and the weight will throw you off if you've never used an ebike before, but you get used to it after a hundred miles or so. The speed it goes on "private property use only" is unreal, and I was able to get to the 50s with ease. The range will vary but I'm able to get 35-40 miles in one charge on private property averaging 40+ mph.
Regarding your comment though, the simple fact of the matter is anyone who says "electric motorcycles" being "ridden illegally" on public roads is a concern is ignoring the fundamental problem with American society: THE CAR
Cars are responsible for 120 deaths every day in the United States, so if we're going to crack down on these "illegal" ebikes on public roads, we might as well crack down on the car. Cars being bulkier and heavier have far more capacity to cause mass injuries than a relatively tiny cute ebike no matter how fast about 28 mph it is going. The fact of the matter is that the politicians in NYC and NJ are blind to the reality that the CAR is what causes the most deaths on the road.
Besides, you run of the mill cop won't be able to tell the difference between a wired ebike and a slower, lamer ebike. I bet you many don't know the ebike limits in states where they're less aggressive about it.
Inciteful_Analysis@reddit
Comparing absolute fatalities of cars vs e-motos without normalizing for passenger miles is an absurd and pointless exercise. And merits no further response.
Inciteful_Analysis@reddit
Wired sells e-motos, not ebikes. You should go with something legal on public roads and trails rather than supporting a company that is complicit in fomenting anger and restrictions against all ebikes.
nathan-nahtan@reddit
You can change the bike class in the settings. Calm down.
chrispark70@reddit
Wired doesn't make e-bikes. They sell electric motorcycles with pedals.
wpg_Coyote@reddit
This is just outright hatred on the segment. It is not a motorcycle and no motorcyclist will ever think that. They barely consider a Grom a motorcycle and it’ll go faster than this. The idea that this deserves admonishing when a road cyclist on an acoustic bike can roll by at 22-24mph and that’s “fine” is just biased, plain and simple.
chrispark70@reddit
False. None of Wired's bikes are legal on US roads.
Yes, as motorcycles they absolutely suck. People are only buying them to avoid license, registration and insurance.
I have no particular hate for these motorcycles in disguise. But the ignoring of these bikes by authorities is rapidly coming to an end. I cannot even keep up with all the bills and people wanting bills across the US. A woman in California was just charged with murder after her 14year old son was driving one of these e-bikes that is really a motorcycle and crashed into a person. It is the illegal nature and not just his negligent operating of this vehicle that got her charged.
wpg_Coyote@reddit
And that’s also false. The Wired Freedom and Cruiser ship as Class 2 e-bikes and their power is limited. It is up to the USER to put it into unlimited mode, which would be negligent operation for a 14 y/o for sure. Take an acoustic bike down a steep hill at 35mph. Is it illegal? No. It’s it negligent operation? Yep!!
chrispark70@reddit
It doesn't work like that. It is not legal on any street in America, only off-roading.
No, it is not the negligence. it is that it is a bike not legal on the roads. She was made aware of this by the police the first time he was riding it.
There is no such thing as an acoustic bicycle. Total category error. ANY bike can hit 35mph on steep enough hill. That isn't the rule. The rule is the motor cannot exceed 750 watts nominal (this bike does) and cannot assist past 28mph (this bike does or can).
wpg_Coyote@reddit
But plenty of acoustic bikes reach speeds beyond 20mph. And I suggest you consult with state by state ebike laws. The fact that these bikes are CAPABLE of that power level if unlocked is not illegal. They ship as class 2 or 3 e-bikes. As long as they aren’t unlocked, they will only produce legal power and speed levels. Just because your state is restrictive does not mean others are. California allows Class 1/2/3, as do Texas, Georgia, Kansas, Massachusetts, Missouri, Minnesota, Oklahoma, New Mexico, North Dakota and West Virginia. And again, the case you are referencing IS NOT AN EBIKE!! It is an Emoto with 21kw of power and no pedals. Next you’re going to bring up a Stark Varg getting into an accident and saying “goddamn ebikes”
chrispark70@reddit
"The fact that these bikes are CAPABLE of that power level if unlocked is not illegal. "
To the extent this is true (it likely isn't in at least some states already), that change is coming. It already happened in Britain, for example.
Again with acoustic bikes? WTF is an acoustic bike? There is no such thing. Acoustic refers to sound.
21kw vs 5kw, what is the difference? YOU are not planning on using the bike as a class 2 either way. Nobody who wants a 20mph bike will buy a wired.
Dook23@reddit
Acoustic bike is just a slang term for a manual bike. Even Trek itself used the phrase years ago and many people in this subreddit use it. You’ve been on this subreddit long enough to have likely seen it. Hell I had a guy tell me I was wrong for saying manual bike once and corrected me to acoustic 😂
chrispark70@reddit
It already has a name, a bicycle. The item and name has been around 140 years. When you say the term bicycle, everyone knows what you are talking about. You don't need some dumb phrase that makes absolutely no sense. Acoustic has no connection to bicycles and is connected to sound. A bicycle is not a musical instrument.
Dook23@reddit
Look no need to be upset with me. I didn't coin the term and it has been around for years. I was just explaining. I grew up calling them manual bikes. If you simply say bike on this subreddit though people will likely think you are referring to an ebike considering what this subreddit is. But if you used your noggin for something other than to be upset with me you could guess it might have been created because ebikes with a motor make more sound compared to a normal bicycle.
wpg_Coyote@reddit
I liken him to Drax… not very intelligent and does not understand similes or metaphors.
chrispark70@reddit
It's neither. It's a fake name applied to the past by some dummies who wanted to sound cool. The new thing gets the new name, not the old thing.
Dook23@reddit
Trek marketing itself has even used the term. Whether you like it or not is not relevant. People use the term all over here and social media so just let it go. I remember growing up with a very different definition of the word "gay" too but you don't see me complaining about it on reddit. But again I was just explaining it as a slang term that people use which seemed to bother you. Believe it or not I was trying to be helpful but I guess that was my mistake.
chrispark70@reddit
Like I care what some marketing dept at Trek thinks?
I'm pretty sure I've only ever heard the term on Reddit.
Again, I'm not upset by it. I think it is dumb and I making fun of the people using it.
wpg_Coyote@reddit
Dook23@reddit
You might want to rethink that considering you weren't smart enough to use proper grammar
Dook23@reddit
>Again, I'm not upset by it. I think it is dumb and I making fun of the people using it.
You might want to rethink that considering you weren't smart enough to use proper grammar
wpg_Coyote@reddit
lol “like a guitar…” rent free.
chrispark70@reddit
In what way? How is a bicycle a musical instrument? Also, guitar has the same thing. A guitar is what it always was and the new thing is an electric guitar.
The only thing a guitar and a bicycle have in common is they are both human powered. The acoustic description is about the guitar is not about power, it is about sound.
wpg_Coyote@reddit
I love how bothered you are about the differentiated connection made between electric bikes and electric guitars and the names given to their unpowered equivalents. A+, no notes. For the record I enjoy acoustic bikes as well as e-bikes.
Dook23@reddit
😄
chrispark70@reddit
I'm not upset. It's a dumb term. There are e-bikes and bicycles.
I have only ever heard them called push or pedal bikes besides bicycles and even then only in comparison to things like minibikes or pit bikes. There were not enough electric bikes back then to justify that term.
No, that is silly on its face. It has nothing to do with loudness.
It's a dumb term made up by dumb people.,
wpg_Coyote@reddit
Acoustically rent free in your head.
wpg_Coyote@reddit
An acoustic bike is what anyone who likes e-bikes and has a mild sense of humor calls a bike without a motor. (Hint… guitars). And yes, plenty of people don’t want to own 2 different bikes. So the ability to ride legally on the road and go into unlocked mode off-road is there and attractive to lots of people.
chrispark70@reddit
Yes, guitars are musical instruments, hence the acoustic description of non-electric guitars.
Bicycles are bicycles and e-bikes are e-bikes. Bicycles are not acoustic in any sense of the word. It is somehow even dumber than analog bike.
wpg_Coyote@reddit
Yes… and the acoustic sound of you crying over the word acoustic being used in this sense is priceless.
wpg_Coyote@reddit
Did you enjoy building that straw man? Her son was driving a Surron Ultra Bee. It has 2.5x the power that the fastest Wired has. A Surron is not an e-bike, it’s a e-moto. This mother deserves the book thrown at her for buying a 14 y/o that bike. Trying to draw a line between that and an adult buying a wired e-bike is such a stretch. And again, until you have that same vigor for people riding acoustic bikes north of 20 mph, it is bias.
Inciteful_Analysis@reddit
Whether a Surron has more power or not is irrelevant. Wired are also classified as electric motorcycles.
wpg_Coyote@reddit
And as mentioned, a Surron has no place in this discussion.
Inciteful_Analysis@reddit
You brought Surron into the discussion, not me, genius.
wpg_Coyote@reddit
No I didn’t. chrispark70 did when he cited that California woman getting charged because she gave an “ebike” to her son that happened to be a Surron Ultra Bee with 21kw that has no part in this discussion.
Inciteful_Analysis@reddit
He wasn't comparing the power outputs. He noted they are both e-motos and a mother is now facing involuntary manslaughter charges as a result.
A Wired is every bit as illegal and could also result in similar charges.
wpg_Coyote@reddit
Surron is an e-moto. Wired is an e-bike. I hope this helps. In a discussion about something with pedals, introducing something without pedals has no place. I mentioned the power level as a kicker for those that can’t understand relativism.
Inciteful_Analysis@reddit
No, Wired falsely claims to sell ebikes when in fact they are e-motos.
wpg_Coyote@reddit
No, Wired sells shipped as class 2 e-bikes that are capable of much more when unlocked and your feelings are hurt by this somehow.
wpg_Coyote@reddit
And Inciteful_Analysis blocks me like a dunce just because he can’t handle being uneducated on a subject lol.
Inciteful_Analysis@reddit
Doesn't matter that they lock it for show. It matters what the motor is capable of. The law is clear. You are not debating in good faith. Bye.
chrispark70@reddit
They were not charged because it has 2.5 times the power of the wired, which is false anyway, but because it was not a street legal bike. It doesn't matter if that not street legal bike is less street legal than your non street legal bike. It is binary. It is either approved for use on American streets or it is not. ALL of Wired's bikes have more than 750 watts either nominal or capped at 750 which California now requires.
You can argue with me all you want. It's not me you have to convince. It's the cops or your insurance carrier. Your insurance company spends a lot of money to make sure they don't have pay claims. If you damage someone's property or hurt someone and they sue you, YOU are going to owe the money. Your homeowner's will not cover you. Bicycle insurance will not cover you. Your car insurance won't cover you.
If the cops start enforcing the law in your area (and especially if the laws are tightened even more), they ain't gonna listen to the whole "this other bike is worse than mine..." line of argumentation trying to get out of the tickets and confiscation.
If you hurt someone, there is a good chance you will be criminally charged.
If you have a lawyer, I highly recommend you ask him what he and the law thinks of your arguments. Asking him to lay out a worst case scenario for you is a good idea too.
Inciteful_Analysis@reddit
His statement was 100% accurate. Wired products are considered electric motorcycles in nearly every state.
wpg_Coyote@reddit
Except it’s not accurate. Default shipped mode of the Wired Freedom & Cruiser is a Class 2 ebike. Period. Any statement otherwise is inaccurate.
The advertised peak power levels in OFF-ROAD mode (which would be illegal if used on road) are a moot point until unlocked. That behavior is decided upon by the individual. Otherwise, it’s a legal ebike with pedals. If the individual decides to put this into unlocked mode and drive as such on a public road, then they’ll be at risk to be pulled over when behaving as such. Until Wired delivers it to you in unlocked mode can it be classed that way. And the Surron Ultra Bee and any case surrounding it and anything else that doesn’t have PEDALS has no place in this discussion.
Inciteful_Analysis@reddit
No, having a 20mph speed limiter doesn't make it legal when the motor exceeds 750 watts. FFS quit spewing your disinformation that can be debunked in 10 seconds with a simple search.
wpg_Coyote@reddit
Do you know anything about electric motors and e-bikes? When shipped as a legal class 2 ebike, the controller is only allowing enough current through to the hub motor to produce 750w of power. The hub motor will only produce the peak power advertised when the controller puts enough current to produce the peak power noted (and it’ll only do that in off-road mode). Until then, hub motor is only producing 750w because it is only getting enough current to produce 750w. This is no different than LEGAL 72V/84V e-motos (eg EMMO) that have 70A controllers, are capable of producing well more power by have 20mph max speed, 750w max and are classed in the same manner as sub 50cc mopeds.
Inciteful_Analysis@reddit
Whether a motor is legal or not depends on what it is capable of. The Wired Magician is capable of 1500W continuous. It is patently illegal as an ebike. It doesn't matter that it ships as class 2 and output is software/firmware restricted. Quit thinking everyone is stupid.
wpg_Coyote@reddit
Did I mention the Wired Magician? Not once. I said the Wired Freedom and Cruiser.
Inciteful_Analysis@reddit
The Freedom and Cruiser are both rated 1500W continuous. Now what?
The Magician is probably even higher. I misspoke in my last comment and was looking at the Freedom.
wpg_Coyote@reddit
Ugh… quick education for you. A motor that is rated for 1500W Continuous will only DELIVER 1500W CONTINUOUS when the controller gives it enough current to do so. Which is based on the software and the class. Until the you put it into Class 3 or unlocked mode, that motor will not produce 1500W continuous. Again, you don’t know shit about electric bikes and controllers and it shows.
wpg_Coyote@reddit
Ugh… you’re letting your stupid show. Electric bikes are 100% dependent upon the amount of current the software tells the controller to deliver. In class 2 mode, the controller is limited to a given amperage. You have no knowledge in this area and it continues to show
Inciteful_Analysis@reddit
No shit, it can be limited easily in software. It can also be limited by not going full throttle. That's not what the law is based on. The issue here is your denial because you want to pretend your Wired e-moto is legal on public roads and trails when it is not.
Dook23@reddit
Very true, especially from that guy in particular.
bipolarpsych7@reddit
I like Wired for their quality components. My coworker has one and let's me cruise on it from time to time. And my father just bought one for hunting. They're pretty darn nice if you can afford one.
Frosty-Background-89@reddit
I have the 2023 wired cruiser and it’s a great bike. Over 3200 miles. I use it to commute to work 28 miles a day. It’s big, heavy at 90 lbs and feels solid . It’s great in all kinds of weather, wind, rain. My top speed on flat pavement is 34mph, but I mostly keep it 20-25 .i don’t like going faster than that. The motor peaks at 2000 watts. It’s more than enough for hills. Easily 20mph up a hill.
I don’t care what people think of it. (E moto, e-bike) I ditched my car and save a gallon of gas a day to commute to work. Last time I put gas in my car was over two months ago. And I drive one day a week . Other than that , car sits in driveway.
I’m not sure I would buy the new version now. Only because laws are changing and the bike might be “illegal” soon , or at least require registration, license, etc.
Wired customer service has been good and responsive. They answer questions quickly and only thing I’ve had to replace was the rear rack. I ride slow (10-12mph) on shared paths and use a bell around pedestrians. In roads in bike lanes I do around 20-25mph.
grovesancho@reddit
I have the same bike and I am the same height as op. Dad bought it for himself but he has balance issues that prevented him from riding it safely so he gave it to me for for Christmas.
I don't understand all the hate about WIRED. It's been a good bike to me. I leave it in class II, it does 20mph on throttle and a little over 23ph but still under 24mph while pedaling.
I use PAS 1 while in congested or 10 mph limited areas and PAS 2-5 feel like they have the same amount of acceleration probably because the bike is more powerful than is necessary for those speeds at those levels (class 2, PAS 2-5) but at those levels I am obeying local ordinances and get a lot of range, probably close to 40 miles, maybe a little more.
The only thing I changed about it was the saddle (went with cloud 9) and I put on a suspension seatpost (SR Suntour NCX) which seriously saved my spine from compressing, and I bought a Unit1 helmet to surrogate turn signals/indicators, and I have been really happy with the bike, it's durability and performance.
Buddy407@reddit
I bought the Cruiser a couple months back and love it. I can go as long or as far as I want without worrying about battery life. Plenty or torque for the worst of hills here. I bought it for hills and range, not speed. Other than when I was bedding the brakes, I don’t think I’ve ever had it over 25mph. Even slower, now that one of my dogs rides with me on the rear rack. I love it and couldn’t be happier with it.
boncros@reddit
watch some reviews. most don't ride them that often after the initial rush of speed and power. they're not gentle bikes and people around you won't treat them as regular bikes when you're doing 40 down a shared path. they're noisy and tiring to ride. they're very heavy.
PsychologicalTest523@reddit
I mean how far can you really go if it’s wired….