E-Bikes
Based on our 15 years’ experience Motorino has chosen to carry a variety of high quality electric bikes with top performance characteristics of their electric drive system. Fulfilling all the main priorities of light weight, high torque, and long range (assuming the maximum speed is limited) is only possible to a certain extent by using a geared motor.
Why geared motors are the better choiceMany discussions are available regarding the pros and cons of a geared motor but it is a fact that for the same amount of input power, geared motors deliver much better torque. Geared motors also have an internal clutch allowing the wheel to spin free whereas the direct motor will always have a slight amount of induced drag. Most of direct drive e-bike manufacturers make their bikes power assisted only. This is because direct drive motors lack starting torque due to their lower efficiency in low speed. Geared motor bikes make the worst case scenario uphill start from 0 km/h much easier because of their higher torque in low speed.
The presence of gears is one of the concerns that bring hesitations to the geared or gearless decision. The quality of the materials used in the last few years has improved enormously and based on that, our geared motors are guaranteed for two years. The lack of regenerative braking is cited by some direct-drive vendors as a disadvantage of gear-reduced motors. While the freewheel bearing does make regenerative braking impossible, the wasted braking wattage is more than offset by the more efficient acceleration and uphill efficiency.
All Motorino electric bicycles are built to meet European Union EN 15194 safety requirements. Most of them are based on designs by European manufacturers and comply with European quality requirements although many Motorino electric bicycles are upgraded, higher-power versions that maximize performance under North American regulations.