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[flecc]

Hello Robert, welcome to the site and congratulations on your new torq.

If you look just to the rear of the battery on the frame plate between the battery rear support and mudguard, you'll see the frame number clearly stamped on there.

flecc

[Robert]

Thanks Flecc I found it - in the most obvious of places, as you kindly described

Out again today on the Torq - every time we stop for some sandwiches etc a crowd of interested people seems to gather around this bike. Their interest however tends to wither when they force the price out of me.

I must say the least this Government could do - would be to encourage the use of these machines by helping to reduce their price through removing the VAT charged on them. Or am I asking to much Mr Brown?

Nonetheless an electric bicycle has propelled me onto the B list for celebrities around here - nothing short of remarkable

All the best.

Robert

[flecc]

That's great Robert, I think we all find the same. All those lonely people who join singles groups and other social setups are wasting their time when all they have to do is buy an electric bike and meet the world.
.

[rsscott]

Hi Robert and welcome!

Glad to see you are enjoying your electric bike and the interest it is generating. When I tell people how much my Torq costs most at first baulk at the price as they immediately compare it to a 'Halfords Special' which they can pick up for a £100. Once you explain the cost of the additional technology and also start to compare the price against the money they will save by not using a car etc. then it all starts to make sense and you can quickly see the pound signs appear in their eyes !!

cheers
Russ

[flecc]

Further to what Russ said, my favourite response is 1500 miles per gallon equivalent, that opens eyes wide.

[ITSPETEINIT]

Hi Jedd and Scott:
regarding the equiry about the registration (and approval) process for cycles classified as 'motor vehicles'.
I went through the process (twice) for a petrol engine driven pedal cycle about 10 years ago. Being somewhat of a law-abiding nature I was fully prepared for anything that might be thrown at me - even down the the identification plate attached to the vehicle in a prominent position.
Consider the expense which it attracts (listed below):
Insurance (Third Party only- Norwich Union) about £100 pa.
Road Fund Licence (in 1997) £15
Annual MOT - dunno what is is now for a 'motor cycle' probably £25
A one-off payment (if you are careful) for a number plate (of the 'Q' variety) - about £30 for Carbon Fibre.
As to the 'inspection': I was invited to attend a Police Station near Poole. I took the 'machine' by car on my Pendle Carrier because at this time it was not legit to drive on the road. I was careful to take my Crash Hat, MOT Certificate - the Number Plate and RFL would be issued on production of the road worthiness certificate and insurance certificate.
One would need to attend the local Road Taxation Office to get a clear understanding of what the authorities expect in this case (from the horse's mouth, so to speak).
Perhaps the highest hurdle is a description of the vehicle which probably has a link between the name of the cycle and the name of the motor - as such, it is not in any book and no one has heard of it (a glassy eyed stare I recall) - it might be a good idea to take a photo of the 'set-up'. You know: a picture's worth a million words - literally.
Having arrived at the Cop Shop for the inspection the officer was rather incredulous. He did not seem to know what he was supposed to do. After taking some considerable time to read the engine number upside down the 'examination' turned into a discussion of the machine out of interest rather than its legal suitability for purpose.
I did not consider electric propulsion at the time because and I wanted to go camping/touring.
We travelled across France to le Puy en Velay and back - great fun and an education in the maintenance of two-stroke engines.
Hope this helps

[flecc]

Hi Pete

It was very much easier in the heyday of petrol add-on motors in the 1950s, routine indeed since there were well over a million of them on the road at one time. Then everyone knew what they were. Coincidentally, we sold and serviced many makes of them not far from you, since I worked at what is now Crescent Suzuki in Bournemouth, the people who run the International Moto GP team for Suzuki.

At that time it was the Crescent Cycle and Motor Cycle Co Ltd in Charminster Road, and I was the company's first ever employee, just me and the boss, Ted Denning.
.

[Silver_Rover]

Hello everyone,

As an unfit 50 year old living on the Essex/Suffolk borders, I recently became a convert to the cause (I knew resistance was futile) after purchasing a Giant Suede at the end of December. Apart from being supplied with a faulty charger (quickly replaced by the helpful warranty team at Giant UK) I have, so far, been very happy with it. I know the poor old Suede does come in for a bit of criticism but in the 200 odd miles I've covered so far I haven't really noticed any deficiencies but perhaps this will change as I gain more experience with it. It seems a solid old thing with a very comfortable upright riding position which I find gives no bum or backache after a 20 mile ride. Surprisingly, I seem to be achieving the range quoted by Giant of 30 miles per charge and the bike seems happy, according to the computer, cruising at 16-17 mph on the flat, with normal pedalling. Hill climbing doesn’t seem too bad, perhaps a bit slow initially, but I’ve never had to use the lower 3 gears under assistance. One of the great things about electric biking of course is the distance one can travel without getting exhausted. In fact, I was starting to get a bit worried about things going wrong so far from base that I've taken other members advice and fitted a pair of Schwalbe Marathon Plus tyres (gives confidence but I think I noticed a bit of extra rolling resistance).

I would like to congratulate the top team for providing such an excellent resource and, hopefully, look forward to a National Electric Bike Club one day.

Cheers

Ken

[flecc]

Hello Ken, welcome to the forum and the e-biking community. Glad you like your Suede, and I'm not too surprised about the range you're getting. The Suede seems to be one of a newer generation of bikes with somewhat lower power, which you've noticed on the hills, but good range in compensation. It shows that the manufacturers are listening, since lack of range has been a permanent moan since e-biking began. The lower power/longer range formula also happens to suit the flat countryside Dutch market, the largest market for these bikes in Europe.

All the signs are that the Suede's successor, the new Twist, is following that formula, with almost the same motor but twin batteries and a spot of regeneration, promising possibly the longest range ever on a production e-bike.

flecc

[Silver_Rover]

Hello Flecc,

Many thanks for your welcome. I totally agree with your comments about range versus performance. I selected the Suede in an attempt to get fitter without to much effort and at the same time just admire the passing English Countryside. In general the Suede appears to be fulfilling that purpose. I don't have experience with any other electric bike but the Suede's pedalling effort seems to be about the same as my Specialized Hardrock mountain bike which, I'm ashamed to say, has spent most of the time languishing in the garage in my 10 years of ownership. The difference is of course, that I just seem to be able to press-on with electric whereas I was soon getting exhausted on the mountain bike. Using the bike for pleasure trips I think range is an important consideration. When I’m cycling some distance from home nothing inspires confidence more than the glow of several LED's emitting from the control panel! As you know, the Suede has an interesting little button on the panel called 'ECO'. Pressing it reduces the power output even further to 60% of normal in return for a claimed 40 miles per charge. I have just started to ride the bike in 'ECO' mode (switching back to normal as those steeper gradients appear); it will be interesting to see if I can get close to the claimed range.

Best Regards

Ken