The bike will cruise under it's own power at 31 km/h. You can start from a dead stand still with no pedal assist but I usually pedal with it anyway.
I can cruise on level ground at around 36 km/h if I pedal with it at a sustainable pace but that's about the rpm limit of the motor to provide any assistance, any faster than that is on my own steam. It needs assistance up hills but it seriously relieves the burden of long hill climbs.
I just hooked up the computer so tommorow I'm going to clock the distance to work. I fried my meter a couple months ago so after I pick up a new one I can get some readings on what's happening while I ride.
As far as price goes, it's important to remember that not everyone has the savy nor the facilities to manufacture thier own generator. I work as a machinist and am fully capable of making my own generator but I lack the space and equipment at home. Most of my tools are in storage and I have no garage. I can still get the job done but I can't imagine it being that easy for someone with little experience doing this kind of work.
It's also interesting to note that the more experience one has in manufacturing the more one realizes that some things are just plain cheaper to buy. I doubt many people here could build the same thing for less. Magnets and wire and your over a hundred bucks. At the shop we buy stuff every day that we could easily make ourselves but not for less than we can buy it for.
Sometimes, as many here have done, If you buy the components you need to get a working system going you'll be much farther ahead in your understanding when you go to build from scratch.
Now when I go to build my own version of an electic bike I'll much better understand what I'm up against and in the mean time I have a very working version.
BTW, did I happen to mention my fuel, registration and insurance costs are nothing and the electricity is around 6 cents a day!
Happy trails
Mike
