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Simon has a bad day

Andy Mink

Everyone loves spring skiing but not in January
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fatbob

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Electric trail bike - sounds like a full moto braaaap.
 

Philpug

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It looks like this was the bike he was on..
M1Spitzing_01.jpg



Class 3 bike, top speed 46 MPH.

On par with having a 1,000 HP 200MPH super car.
 

cantunamunch

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Class 3 bike, top speed 46 MPH.

On par with having a 1,000 HP 200MPH super car.

Worse.

Do we really think non-cyclist and non-motorbike e-bike purchasers actually know how to position their body to do flat turns in a parking lot, let alone anything more advanced like downhills?

I certainly don't think so.
 
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Andy Mink

Andy Mink

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Worse.

Do we really think non-cyclist and non-motorbike e-bike purchasers actually know how to position their body to do flat turns in a parking lot, let alone anything more advanced like downhills?

I certainly don't think so.
It falls under the "just because you can afford doesn't mean you should buy it" theory of operation.
 

Rudi Riet

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This is actually beyond the official USDOT Class 3 spec, which tops out at 28mph.*

Frankly, this is a de facto motocross bike. These are the kinds of e-bikes that get such vehicles banned from trails and multi-use paths. That they are sold to consumers without any instruction on how to use them (I'm guessing Cowell was able to buy direct), it's just asking for trouble.

A motor this big has its place in the e-bike world - specifically on cargo and hauling bikes. On a mountain bike that's meant for recreation? No, no - a thousand times, no.

* - I used to work in the e-bike world and dealt with USDOT rules and regs. A pedelec that can reach 46mph is technically not street legal as a bicycle per these regulations. Trail use is its own separate world, which is why Spitzing can get away with selling this behemoth.
 

skibob

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I am guessing he grabbed the throttle by accident and wasn't prepared for what happened next. One thing I've wondered about with electric motorcycles. Its such a habit to rev the engine a little before engaging the clutch (on an ICE bike). What if somebody jumps on and instinctively twists the throttle w/o thinking?
 

Rudi Riet

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I am guessing he grabbed the throttle by accident and wasn't prepared for what happened next.

There is no throttle on this bike. It's a pedelec - i.e. the e-assist only kicks in while pedaling. Per USDOT regs, Class 1 and Class 3 e-bikes are pedelecs. Class 2 has a motor that operates independently of pedaling (most retrofit e-bike conversions like the ones seen with NYC delivery folk are Class 2).

That said, if Cowell was in a high gear when he started out and really leaned on the pedals, the torque sensor would've told the motor to lay on a lot of power. That's a simple recipe for disaster.
 

Philpug

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Worse.

Do we really think non-cyclist and non-motorbike e-bike purchasers actually know how to position their body to do flat turns in a parking lot, let alone anything more advanced like downhills?

I certainly don't think so.
In doing a little searching, this is not his first eMTB but as Andy eluded to, just because you have a lot of money, just because something is more expensive or in this case has more power, means it's better. A story as old as time but in this case, it pushed ebikes back two years and feeds right into the naysayers who just have to say "See, we were right.." ever so smugly and in this case they absolutely were. Way too much power in this application, way too much.
 

T-Square

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We see the same thing in private aircraft. A high paid professional learns to fly. Then, after getting a license goes out and buys a high powered advanced aircraft. Then they head out into conditions that are way over their experience level. The crash of JFK, Jr was one example. In any sport you need to start simple and work your way up as you gain experience.
 

skibob

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We see the same thing in private aircraft. A high paid professional learns to fly. Then, after getting a license goes out and buys a high powered advanced aircraft. Then they head out into conditions that are way over their experience level. The crash of JFK, Jr was one example. In any sport you need to start simple and work your way up as you gain experience.
My dad used to coordinate an event at a large Ford plant where he would bring in all of the new model year fords for any employee to test drive just to get to know the cars and also to see if they wanted to buy any. When I was 17 I helped him move the cars from the front lot where the semi dropped them off to a remote lot where he would let employees drive them. The remote lot was massive. I just went on google maps and measured: 750 feet by 450 feet. First car we brought around was a T-Bird turbo. An unruly beast with a narrow sweet spot and a unibody mated to massive HP. He pointed to the lot and said something along the lines of "go learn to drive this beast, keep it out of the grass". Wow was than an unpleasant bastard of a car. About 15 minutes later, he brings a mustang GT around and smiles. Says, "Park that POS and learn to drive a real performance car". It may not have been a 911 or even a corvette, but damn was it a helluva lot easier to drive (and more fun) than that T-Bird. I'd had my license for a year, but I'd never driven anything like that before. A great experience of learning like you are describing in an environment where it would be (damn near) impossible to screw up.
 

Philpug

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Reports have been all over to what he was riding, first it was the Spitzing then the Cab Motors Recon then in this article where the talk about the Cab...


at the end they update it again to be the $21.5K Swind EB-01

From the dailymail.com...

Simon Cowell was testing out his new $21,500 'fastest bike on earth' that can do 80 MILES AN HOUR when he broke his back doing an accidental wheelie- as he warns fans: 'Read the manual before riding'
 

Jim Kenney

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I was surprised to find out he is 60 years of age. Not a kid anymore. :bikewheelie: Hope he's going to be ok.
 

Doug Briggs

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For $10K you'd think this would have a dropper. The images don't show one. Maybe due to the way they incorporate the seat tube?

Edit: I am referring to the Spitzing bikes originally mentioned.
 
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Doug Briggs

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Or they don't want people getting dumped off the back -as easily ;) - if the dropper is down when the power hits.
I dunno. They'd be closer to the ground to start, with it lowered. :huh:
 

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