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I have an ebike, not a motorbike and last time I checked this was a forum for ebike issues, I hope I've got the right place...! I'm talking about the insurance situation for ebikes. I also mentioned that I've heard the same thing from friends with motorbikes, but this is purely incidental. I...

Well, mine hasn't got to be locked up inside the house - it's garages and sheds they're sniffy about. My insurance is with Cycleguard but I'd heard the same thing from other cyclists and bikers. They often specify this in the small print (which hardly anyone ever reads).

Hence why they tend to insist on a ground anchor. Nice one for getting them to pay out though!

Not half as astonished as I am, flecc. I was in North Holland only a couple of months ago and I only saw one ebike over a two week stay (we saw it in Haarlem, incidentally). Before that, I was in Amsterdam in January and I think we saw two. Personally, I have to agree with silverdream, ebikes...

I'm glad you're so sure about that. I guess it's possible you have a very forgiving insurer, but most insist on a ground anchor/shackle for motorbikes and valuable bicycles stored in sheds and garages.

Not commercially available yet but they are a proven concept in electric flight: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lithium%E2%80%93sulfur_battery Benefits: 2-3 times the energy density of lithium ion and up to 1500 cycles.

I've spent a fair bit of time in the Netherlands and I've only seen a couple of eBikes there. Again, for the most part, it's a very flat country. With that kind of terrain, pretty much anyone can get up to 15mph under their own steam. No, where I'd expect to find a lot of ebikes (or potential...

Well, this is the thing. London is so flat that 15mph is easily attainable most of the time, without power assist. Not sure I'd bother with an ebike if I live anywhere as flat as that. I think the factor that makes the biggest difference in a big city is getting more people on bike - when the...

I think you'll find this invalidates your insurance, so why bother paying for insurance?

I'd be inclined to do what the insurance companies demand for securing (much more expensive) motorbikes: get a ground anchor like the ones in post #2 and chain your bike to it using a SoldSecure Gold chain and/or D lock. Insurers know how things are stolen and how best to protect them. I...

Well, if I get a spare battery, it'll just go in my rucksack. As for battery charging, I'm waiting for the uni's security boss to get back to me.

My BH with Panasonic crank drive cuts at about 15.5mph, according to my CatEye cycle computer. I'm not completely confident in the accuracy of the CatEye, but there's definitely not much overrun.

Well, you would hope so wouldn't you? I've written to the university and await their response. In the meantime, I'm thinking I'll get a spare battery anyway. It'll increase my usable range a lot and that would be useful in itself.

Long term, this is where I want to be. However, whilst my fitness levels are increasing, I'm still a long way off where I was 2years ago when I was bike commuting and hillwalking regularly. I need a solution for this September. Charging at uni probably isn't an option unless I can find a...

I like your thinking, but I'm guessing this would void the warranty?

I recently bought a BH E-Motion Diamond with a 12Ah battery. It was supposed to come with a 13.5Ah battery but after waiting several weeks the dealer was unable to supply it and offered the 12Ah battery instead at a small discount. I live in a very hilly area and normal commute to work is...

Well, regardless of the relative merits of crank drive versus hub drive, I think we can agree that torque control systems "feel" a lot more natural for experienced cyclists. This is why I went for a Panasonic crank based bike. That said, the more common speed control system with a throttle are...

Well, the promised 13.5Ah battery never actually materialised. After waiting for weeks and being told repeatedly that it would be just a few more days, I ended up with a 12Ah battery which is apparently the biggest that Panasonic currently make now. This battery is practically dead after my 24...

The problem with buying second hand is the lack of warranty or dealer support (assuming you buy from a reputable dealer who offers good support). I wouldn't really recommend it for a first bike for the same reason that I wouldn't recommend conversion kits - unless you're fairly confident with...

Yep, the trousers are a bit noisy but I wouldn't say they're at all restrictive. That said, they're top-of-the-range Craghoppers. Like you, all my waterproof wear is in dark colours. Rather than re-do my wardrobe, I just add reflective armbands and serious bike lighting, even during the day...