SRAM E-bike kit - due 2013

[shemozzle999]

Would it be legal?

News: SRAM Launches E-Bike Drive System at Taichung Bike Week

 

[flecc]

Yes it's legal, we've seen this before since it was announced in November last year as you see from that link.

 

[shemozzle999]

So the torque sensor would be the equivalent of the pedelec?

 

[flecc]

Not necessarily, though they can be organised that way. SRAM will not have ignored the very large EU legal market since they've set up a large European technical centre based in their old Sachs factory in Germany. They will no doubt market this in the USA as a 20 mph unrestricted version and in Europe, Australia/NZ in restricted forms.

 

[shemozzle999]

I wonder if the system would be in the firing sights for Brompton as a simple bolt on e-bike conversion, albeit the battery would muck up the folding and the motor looks too wide for the drop out.

 

[Deleted member 4366]

It looks like they're using the lower rack mount as a torque arm.

 

[flecc]

I very much doubt that Brompton would use it. Not only is the motor very wide, it's only single speed for the cyclist at present, the two gears only for the motor. A dual or triple chainwheel could give a normal bike up to 3 gears for the rider, but that wouldn't be ok for a compact folder.

 

[shemozzle999]

Hmm, not so simple then.