Controversial question/Situation…please don’t be too harsh
Posted by dogswineweekends@reddit | ebikes | View on Reddit | 72 comments
So I am a mom with a 15 year old son, and he got into electric dirt bikes about two years ago when I stupidly , in a moment of weakness, said to him “if you can save the 2600 you can get the bike” never underestimate your children. Anyway he had a Talaria for a while and then graduated to a light bee and then and ultra bee and for the first 20 months had no issues. The police have really started to crack down though and, after doing the research I should have done before, the bike has to go, I don’t want a dead child.
Anyway, I am looking to get him a good pedal assist bike with a good range and motor. I’m so overwhelmed though, there are so many different brands, which is not the case with electric dirt bikes. I want him to be able to ride to his friends house 3 miles away but also still go to ride outs where they ride -20-25 miles. He also likes to ride on the trails but that is of least importance. Can someone help me out? I would love some recommendations in the 1000 range, and also the 2500 range. He is not too happy about having to sell his bike and is fighting me on it, so I may want to start with something cheaper, to make sure he rides it… he’s begging to let me let him downsize back to a yozma pro or something, bit it is still without pedals, and illegal for him to drive. I know the discourse regarding electric dirt bikes I get it I fucked up. I would really appreciate some help though, thee research I’ve done has only confused me more. Thanks.
SexyProcrastinator@reddit
He’s 15 and started off with a Talaria.. don’t even wanna imagine how old he was when he was riding that.
All those bikes are basically mopeds.
dogswineweekends@reddit (OP)
He started with a yozma pro…. But I don’t understand the moped comparison… is that good or bad? I would compare them more to motorcycles. But again that’s for your helpful advice and recommendation.
Downtown1932@reddit
After rising then ultrabee nothings gonna make him be able to accept it if it has to go he’s gonna be choked regardless plus he probably get made fun of by his friends for having it anymore in my opinion but who knows could be wrong
CommercialSignal7301@reddit
The idea behind the term moped is that the only reason that the pedals are on the bike is so it can be classified as a bicycle, rather than a motorcycle.
ReadsTooMuchHistory@reddit
Or "motor-driven cycle" in some places.
CodyXRay@reddit
Get him a truck so he can take the dirtbike to a track or on some trails. Its more fun and safe than riding on the public streets and sidewalks
MaisieDay@reddit
He's 15!!! Get him a normal bike. FFS.
dogswineweekends@reddit (OP)
Not helpful. Ffs in a year he can drive a CAR.
Relative-Display-676@reddit
go to bike shop and get him an emtb from reputable brand.
dogswineweekends@reddit (OP)
What’s an emtb? Electric mountain bike? Do you have e a brand suggestion?
Relative-Display-676@reddit
electric mountain bike. any legacy bike brands have good selection of emtbs.
skamhunter@reddit
Oh my stars, dirt bikes are death machines and dancing will corrupt our youth and everyone's afraid of their shadow. That's why there's a child molester in the white house and no one's doing anything about it Americans have become softer than wax in the sun.
dogswineweekends@reddit (OP)
wtf? Do you think I want to ruin my kids fun??
Inciteful_Analysis@reddit
The best deal in the $1000 range is the Vanpowers Grand Teton Pro for $899 (after coupon code GAGT700). It's a fat tire bike but since he's used to using throttle anyway, that doesn't matter much if you aren't pedaling.
In the $2500 range, consider a hardtail Aventon Ramblas electric mountain bike for $2899. Or Specialized Turbo Como 4.0 IGH for $2999. Or Aventon Level 4 ADV for $2800.
dogswineweekends@reddit (OP)
I’m looking at these both
Mission-Sherbet3848@reddit
GOOD LUCK ON THAT ONE, HE HAS DIRTBIKE KID SYNDROME... IT NEVER GOES AWAY. YOUR FRIENDS HAVE IT T00, NO CHANCE. ONCE YOU FIND BALANCE IT DOESN'T GO AWAY!!!
dogswineweekends@reddit (OP)
Wait I would love to hear more about this bc my husband had a motorcycle that he got rid of when we got married but he keeps telling me Susan you don’t understand, he’s caught the bug, it’s a rush that I can’t explain. But the thing is even at 16 he can’t dude it on the road they do make conversion kits but it’s difficult like at that point why wouldn’t he just get a street legal bike. I’m telling you there’s literally no where off road to ride these things around here I wish there was.
clezuck@reddit
Bike shop owner here...
Go to a bike shop. They will not only have a good selection, but the knowledge, tools and care to get you the proper e-bike for your son. Also, they will work on it. Many shops (us included), will not work on e-bikes that are not from a bike shop. Too many liabilities with it. If you get one from a bike shop, you should be able to get service at a local shop.
E-Motos while cool, are incredibly dangerous and very illegal in almost every state now. We have had numerous accidents/injuries in our tiny little town due to kids riding e-motos and e-bikes. In the end, it's on the parents to keep responsibility with them. Which is why there are parents in California and other states who have been charged because of kids screwing around. Even hitting a veteran who later died.
Thank you for doing the right thing. For the safety of your kid and others.
dogswineweekends@reddit (OP)
Thanks for the advice. It sucks bc he loves that bike, but I told him once he gets a license we can have the conversation about a street legal bike. Thats a year and a half away though so for now it has to go.
LarryCebula@reddit
Also, going to the bike shop will introduce him to male role models who are not mom (and therefore cool) and who are really into mountain biking. And there are probably mountain biking youth clubs in your area.
dogswineweekends@reddit (OP)
True although I am really quite cool, even though my kids don’t realize it
clezuck@reddit
There are tons of really great e-bikes from bike shops.
Reid makes one called an e-Trail 1.0. It's a bike shop level e-bike, so shops should service it. Not crazy money. It's a pedal-assist bike so it's legal everywhere including offroad trails that regular bikes would ride. It's a great bike.
Mondraker, Amflow, Trek, Specialized and many many others have really nice higher dollar ones as well. He'll be able to have a good time on any of these.
Vix014@reddit
Also a big advocate of going to a bike shop. We purchased our son a gem of a bike not too long ago, the owners of the shop spent hours with me going over any/every possible concern or question that I had. They rode with my kid, offered recommendations based on his level of riding, and are local enough that I can bring it by to get fixed when needed. Big fan.
Psychological_Lack96@reddit
Go to a real bike shop. Get him into Mountain Biking.
No-Plantain-3809@reddit
Maybe. But if he's hesitant to get rid of his emoto, it means he likes power. Going from tons of power to no power doesn't seem like a great option. I don't see anything wrong with a lectric or something like that
Psychological_Lack96@reddit
Except that Kids are getting killed and running into old people, killing and injuring them also. It’s a disaster. That’s why Communities are banning and confiscating e bikes across the US.
No-Plantain-3809@reddit
He's 15. If you think they can go on roads with a regular bike, then they can go on roads with a power assisted ebike. I'm 16 and have been using street bikes and ebikes for years. I can't exactly offer parenting advice haha, but I'm certainly with the people against high-speed emotos being in the hands of kids and on roads. Those should stay off-road and on dedicated offroad trails only. As for regular ebikes, I don't see anything wrong with a 15 y/o owning one so long as they have prior experience with commuting on-bike. Just use bike lanes and mandate having a helmet and proper gear.
lamfow@reddit
I wish more people felt this way honestly. Having real "biker" legs honestly helps alot in every day life.
Psychological_Lack96@reddit
Kids have no Guidance. How would they know unless their Ma’s and Pa’s get them there.
CommercialSignal7301@reddit
This
CelticJewelscapes@reddit
The bike is fine for offroad with proper motorcycle gear and supervision. Roads? Nope. Violate that and the bike goes bye bye. Kids as young as 1st grade have been riding Motocross for 50 years. But if we got caught as kids on the street there was hell to pay at home. Great way to learn personal responsibility. Do his friends parents a favor and educate them.
Then if he wants a street legal ebike, get him one appropriate for your jurisdiction.
No-Plantain-3809@reddit
I second this. Keep the dirt bikes off-road. That way your son can still have fun while staying safe.
Time_Bill_9556@reddit
Good luck going from Ultra Bee to pedal bike lol Dang your kid had some awesome bikes tho!!
Zentransit@reddit
I would severely discourage any city treks at all!
Stick to rural pathways, parks, and country trails.
Far too much ebike hatred out there to expose our kids to it!
Recent_Requirement88@reddit
Definitely visit a local bike shop as others have said, and thank you for sharing your story and what must be a difficult situation for you. I recommend Velotric ebikes, their newest models enable the rider to toggle on-the-fly between Class 1,2 and 3, so where he rides, he'll be covered, and Velotric has a dealer network of over 1,600 bike shops across the U.S. if you should need service.
Astraldk@reddit
Can’t he get a dirt bike license at 15? Or just a moped thing. He’s not going to enjoy anything else now.
TJBurkeSalad@reddit
Letric and Aventon are the two brands I see a lot. Before that was Rad, but they are currently lacking support under new ownership.
I commend you for being able to reevaluate your situation and taking steps towards keeping your family safe. You are leading by example, and I hope some of the parents in my town start to take notice too.
dogswineweekends@reddit (OP)
Thanks. I feel like a shit parent for not researching the speed and how dangerous these things are. If you have kids you know how are it is to claw something back after you’ve already given in. But being a parent is about keeping your kids safe not happy. I appreciate the support.
bradland@reddit
FWIW, I grew up riding first bikes. I started on a Suzuki RM50, which is on par with a Light Bee. I just rode exclusively off-road. I was never allowed anywhere near the street.
Have you considered redirecting his energy towards legitimate off-road riding? The skills I learned riding as a kid have made me a much better motorcycle rider as an adult.
TJBurkeSalad@reddit
I just looked up Talaria bikes. They are insane. These are stupid fast and intended for 100% off-road use. Like 0-60mph is seconds fast. They are electric dirt bikes. I don’t see any problem with a 15 year old riding one, but they should be in full moto gear and never on pavement. It’s not a commuter bike, and dirt bikes will never be safe. You are making the right decision.
TJBurkeSalad@reddit
You got this.
I would be making them get a drivers license and moto endorsement before letting them ride it again if they insisted on keeping it.
deck_hand@reddit
I owned a 90cc motorcycle when I was his age, and had friends who owned 125s. Dirt bikes that are about equal to modern electric dirt bikes.
He will be legal to get a driver’s license in less than a year. It’s his bike, not your bike. Tell him the consequences of riding illegally on the road, help him to get the bike to legal places to ride. Let him know that he can get a street legal bike when he turns 16, and help him to understand the proper way to ride it, obeying the laws.
What you have now is a temporary holding pattern. Don’t make it anything more complicated.
MrBloxpeet@reddit
The bonnel 775 mx would literally be perfect for him if hes been on an ultrabee. If you put him down to a class 1-3 ebike he'd be extremely underwhelmed.
Ok_Chemistry99@reddit
I have an awesome e-bike. Voya E3 Giant E-bike. Check this one out, also I’m selling mine, willing to trade. As well.
IAmNotABot111@reddit
Get him an eMTB with an avinox motor.
Or just let him keep it under agreement he can only ride it off road? (OHV trails)
Applecity82@reddit
My son and I have e-bikes and emtb’s. We love the mtb trails. Still ride the e-bikes with my wife and daughters. Do you have mtb trails close for him. That would be my recommendation if you do. If he doesn’t have an easy way to ride, e-bikes are a blast too.
ArmchairPancakeChef@reddit
Never underestimate the ability of a child to manipulate you into letting they do things they know that if you had full knowledge of what their goal was, you would deny. They can be quite devious.
Ohm_Slaw_@reddit
The Surron is 12,500 watts and 56 MPH. A legal bike is 750 watts and 20 MPH. So any bike you get him is going to suck. If he understands he has to let go of his bike then perhaps that will make it better. It's better that he sells the bike than it gets seized. You might point out to him that when (not if, when) the cops pull him over, there are tickets involved. Not only do you have to pay the tickets, you get points on a license you don't even have yet. His insurance will be through the roof.
Buy from a local shop. The Super 73/Cafe Racer style bikes look pretty nice and aren't the cop magnets that the dirt bikes are. Don't get anything that looks like dirt bike, even if it's technically legal. You don't need the heat.
The thing to emphasize is that a real driver's license is coming soon. You need that process to be as smooth as possible. Tickets while riding the Surron are not going to help.
ReadsTooMuchHistory@reddit
Just to put it in perspective, this use case is entirely reasonable for a 15yo on a Schwinn 10-speed. The electric is a bonus (and also some degree of social status and fitting in to today's teen norms/expectations). But any throttle bike is a risk for a young person, and any throttle bike >20mph carries all the risks of a donorcycle (this is the correct spelling of "motorcycle" for anybody in their teens) and really does merit a drivers license plus a special motorcycle training course.
PitifulDisaster3688@reddit
The Lectric jw black long range is a pretty cool budget option. It has a belt drive and throttle, but no gears. $1099
The Aventon Aventure 3 fat tire bike would be a great option. $1999- it’s probably more to his liking
The velotric summit would be the high option at $2099. It’s an suv style bike.
dogswineweekends@reddit (OP)
Thanks I’m researching all these now!
NolanBlake99@reddit
Just help get him a car. (Trade/sell the bike)15 1/2 can get permit, way safer
dogswineweekends@reddit (OP)
He doesn’t want a car and here 16 for permit. 161/2 for license. He wants a bike . Believe me we’ve been down this road.
meta4our@reddit
As a dad, my take is generally it doesn’t matter what the kid wants, it’s up to us as parents to know better.
I’m firmly on team “pedal bike, no power”, but I live in a dense streetcar suburb in Chicago which means everything is flat and walkable/bikeable with decent bike lanes and good sidewalks. Hell, I own an e-bike as my primary “car” since it’s faster getting around than actually driving!
If an e bike is a must for your kid, a lv2 aventon or Lectric is probably a good bet. Make sure it’s serviceable by local bike shop. But I remember myself at 15 and my prefrontal cortex essentially didn’t exist; every time I had anything that went fast, I’d floor it and push it to the max until I crashed or destroyed it. Wrecked my mom’s car, crashed my bike multiple times until I bent a fork, crashed another bike. I am 37 now and have little scars on my arms and face from being an absolute monument to adolescent stupidity. It’s all good now, I’m a PhD engineer with a great job, but if I had access to these hackable e mopeds that are going around now I’m not sure I’d be alive. And as a father to a boy, that’s front and center in my mind.
dogswineweekends@reddit (OP)
That’s part of the reason I don’t trust him in a car . It’s not even an option for 18 months, so maybe I’ll think differently then, but he is a responsible kid. My husband sounds like you were when you were 15-16 and we thank God every day he doesn’t do the things we did as kids. If all this shit was out when we are growing up in the 80 and 90’s… good lord
meta4our@reddit
That’s great and context matters. It sounds like he has a far better head on his shoulders than I did, or perhaps your husband - that can certainly change things. However don’t discount peer pressure, kids getting together and daring each other to do idiotic things. Some really great kids can get wrecked by that, I’ve seen it. When you’re a teen, your peers are a hell of a drug.
Dmanthirtyseven@reddit
Maybe take him to a local bike shop and get something solid.
cold-corn-dog@reddit
Look up the brand Lectric. They have affordable bikes that are reliable. Their customer service is pretty reliable as well. Also, they are currently having a sale (they frequently do).
dogswineweekends@reddit (OP)
Thanks
12VHPWRHELL@reddit
Lectric offers better prices. But if you can swing it go for a velotric instead, they're better built by a decent amount.
not_productive1@reddit
Seconding this. I've got a Lectric Xpress. I've never lacked for power, it's reliable, and most importantly in the face of crackdowns, it looks like a bicycle and ships stickered as a class 2 (can be converted to a class 3 with menu settings). Battery life is pretty good, I regularly take it on 20-ish mile rides on weekends, and I'm a fatass lol.
dogswineweekends@reddit (OP)
Thank you!!
Comfortable-Fly5797@reddit
~$1000 is the minimum to get a decent, safe ebike. Some states have laws restricting kids to class 1 bikes only, so make sure you check your laws on that if you haven't already. Make sure you get a bike that can't be hacked to go faster than 20mph.
How fast do his friends go on the 20 mile rides? Keep in mind the advertised range for ebikes is with the lowest assist setting at moderate speeds.
dogswineweekends@reddit (OP)
Well it’s usually pedal bikes in front, class 1 and 2 and 3 next and then the electric dirt bikes bring up the rear so it’s as fast as the pedal bikes can go. But his whole community of friends and relationships are associated with these bikes and it’s been an ego bruise to have to sell the ultra bee and downsize to a pedal assist. I just care about him being safe and last weekend one of his friends got chased by a cop on his dirt bike and when his friend ran they went higher on the trail and pulled out in front of him while he was going 40 and crashed and needed stitches etc. plus his bike got impounded. His parents can’t get it back bc it isn’t registered etc. That was the last straw for my husband and I
Comfortable-Fly5797@reddit
Makes sense. I really think you should get a bike that is locked as class 1, not unlockable.
ohhim@reddit
If he isn't adverse to riding something that looks and rides like a real bike, some of the stealth models are good options for commuting, don't look out of place on a high school rack, and have much lower theft risks while being easier to maintain with belt drives.
Check out the ride1up roadster (Lots of inexpensive v2s used in my market) or cf racer, aventon soltera (has local bike shop dealers in many markets), babymaker ii, and fiido c21.
TopRepulsive4766@reddit
Why not keep the Surron and just get him an additional street-legal ebike for under 1000USD. That way he could still ride the Surron off-road and have the new ebike for street travel.
dogswineweekends@reddit (OP)
That’s an option… the problem is not many places to off road here… do you have any 1000 suggestions for a street legal e-bike?
ohhim@reddit
If he isn't adverse to riding something that looks and rides like a real bike, some of the stealth models are good options for commuting, don't look out of place on a high school rack, and have much lower theft risks while being easier to maintain with belt drives.
Check out the ride1up roadster (Lots of inexpensive v2s used in my market) or cf racer, aventon soltera (has local bike shop dealers in many markets), babymaker ii, and fiido c21.
TopRepulsive4766@reddit
This one is street legal in most areas I'm sure. https://www.amazon.com/MACFOX-Electric-Bike-Adults-Bicycle/dp/B0F548NT5Q?th=1
It's a little above your price range, but you might consider it. It's well rated.
Gloomy_Conclusion_34@reddit
I ride a Jaison YR20.
If he loves the trails, regardless, I’d look into “Fat Tire E-Bikes” because they handle way better on dirt and sand and what not.
That being said. Mine is great! I love it! I’ve had it for over 1 year now. And I use it to and from work daily.
Used to be 1200$ but they usually go on sale, for the 800-1000$ range.
Good range. With pedal assist, you’re good for 70 miles. And he would be comfortable at 20-28mph and with him being a child, the weight will be no issue. It’s good for 350-400lbs.
But my suggestion would be to look at “Fat Tire E-Bikes” and go with some reviews.
Please make sure to double check your city rules and county rules! Sometimes they are different.
Best of luck to you, and please be safe!
dogswineweekends@reddit (OP)
Thanks so much !