The Wheel turns your bike into a moped
By Evan Blass 
posted May 10th 2006 11:02AM
posted May 10th 2006 11:02AM
Bicycles have always been a great way to get around, but the whole pedaling thing really takes away a lot of the appeal for some people -- we're sure countless dusty bikes with flat tires are hanging in garages nationwide. Well a company called RevoPower wants to put that huge fleet of two-wheeled vehicles back on the road with an innovative new product that easily converts most mountain or hybrid bikes into 20MPH mopeds. The Wheel, as it's known, manages to pack a gasoline- and oil-powered 23cc, two-stroke internal combustion engine into the space between a standard wheel's spokes, giving it a clear advantage over other modification kits which require tinkering with the existing drivetrain. Once the old wheel has been swapped out for the new Wheel, all you need to do is attach the throttle control to your handlebars and slide the fuel container into your water bottle cage (hope you don't get thirsty on your ride), and you're ready to hit the streets at an environmentally-friendly 200+ MPG. A video of The Wheel (and some overly-eager focus group members), which is due out next year for $400, is available by clicking here.[Via Popular Science and high t3ch]
Not sure why so many are so bent out of shape? Mo-peds have been around for ages...this is just an updated version of the classic lawn-mower-engine-hooked up to a bike. I love to ride my bike, but when I need to go 10+ miles in under an hour, and arrive not soaked in sweat, I'd love to have the assistance of a little motor. I just wish it were available today (my car died yesterday and I wont be able to make it to work Monday morning!). I would like to know how loud it is though. Also, electric would be preferable.
Brilliant! We had these in Great Britain in the 1950s.
As I recall Honda had a moped with the engine built into the rear wheel in the late 60s or early 70s too. Four stroke even. Similar concept but rear wheel drive which is more logical to me. A bicycle type steering stem is not designed to take the loads a front wheel drive setup such as this can produce plus it well might affect steering and stability.
I've been waiting forever for this product. I already own an electric bicycle but would like to see a gas powered like this one put on the market. Wonder if oil companies are stopping this production through legal strategies. Still, It would be nice for the Revopower to furnish a company statement as to when production will be availiable for the consumer. 2008 is almost over. The company stated the product would be released mid 2008. If production is not being met this year, the consumer should by notified via press release by the companies customer service department. Afterall, that's good ethical business practice. Still Waiting.
hi pete, it seems were both waiting for this product, have they replied to your inquiry?, pls update me re this product, thanks
Where was this when I was in college! Not that I could have afforded it...
Great, ride a bike and still get to keep all the lard on my ass! Perfect, I seem to get winded really easy and this will save me from that. Will it turn an alternator to power a cigarette lighter? Whats the horsepower on this thing, I mean will it pull me when I become a real big sack of shit?
I could easily be sold, depending on noise level, how well I can ride with it turned off, and steep uphill performance.
Just what we need something else to pollute the air we breathe
I hope it has a disc brake.
Where does the exhaust go? Do you get to your destination smelling like a weed-whacker?
nntpgrip:
I couldn't have said it better.
Awesome. Why pedal when you can pay for gas? And then America got even fatter...
Its quite nice. Revopower company has taken good initiative by launching such a bicycle cum bike in $400, which is not a lot of money. Even the students will be able to afford it. Kudos to the inventor!!!!
Yet another American innovation sponsored and supported by the fast food and petroleum industry.
Brilliant! :-/
I have a hard time accepting the claim that this thing is "environmentally friendly". Getting 200+ MPG might cut CO2 emissions, but a typical small two-stroke engine emits more smog-producing pollutants than a Detroit-made V8.
For the same reason, riding a motorcycle to work might save you a bit of gas money, but it isn't really helping the environment, because motorcycles aren't subject to the same emissions standards as automobiles.
You do understand that producing gasoline does create more emissions than it's consumption, right? Thus, the less gasoline you consume, the less you emit, directly and indirectly. Furthermore, doesn't it simply make sense that the less gasoline you consume, the lower your total emissions would be?
Check out carbonfootprint.com
It's a carbon emissions calculator. Tell me if it asks you what your gas mileage is and how far you travel. Why would it do that?
Cool sounding inovation for those of us who use our bikes to actually go places instead of just to work out. If you want to use a bike to get in shape, then get a direct geared bike and ride uphills. Some mornings I don't particularly feel like being challenged on my way to work, I just want to get there. This could still be cheaper and faster than taking the bus.
This is not an environmentally friendly solution because the emissions on the two stroke engine are extremely dirty. If you want to be environmentally friendly use an electric motor because at least the emissions are controlled at the power plant.
Also, I agree with the comment above that you're gonna smell like a weed whacker because the exhaust is coming off in front of you. Neat in principle, dirty in practice.
I’d wonder why it wouldn’t be considered environmentally friendly. It’s a modified 2 stroke that meets all CARB and EPA regs. You can pedal when you want, so you get exercise. You can turn on 1 horse power to give you a boost when you get tired.
Has anyone considered how bad batteries are for the environment? Plus if this was electric, you couldn’t pedal for exercise. I would have to have too much drag like the dumb electric bikes.
Why would you buy this one that is gas powered when you can get electric powered ones. Yeah they dont go as far, but its not like you wont be able to get home, its a freakin bike!! My dad got one of the electric kits for his bike to save on gas. Its the same concept, small motor in the front wheel, battery pack behind the seat, throttle control on the handle bar. He uses it for work on nice days.
I find it a little strange that everyone in the video seems to be going downhill. I wouldn't want to use this thing except for assistance climbing hills.
you can get a motorcycle for $400 + cost of bike...
Looks like they're using a rotary engine. A rotary rotary, not a Wankel rotary. 85 years ago this idea was kicking butt on the race course:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Megola
This is a great way to bridge the gap until until battery density improves enough to make electric versions of this viable. I'm a student at NYU and this is very appealing to me, but $400 is still quite a bit...that's more than I paid for my bicycle. But hey, what are summer jobs for eh?
But what everyone wants to know...Is there a supercharger kit? :)
A guy I work with has two gas powered bikes he?s been using for a couple years now. They get about 180-200 mpg. He picked up his kits from a guy named Dave Staton (staton-inc.com). The kits don?t have the visual appeal of this Revopower one, but they up side is that you can order them with a four-stroke engine which eliminates your need to mix fuel and oil, plus it burns cleaner and smells less.
Does it make a neat sound, or do I still have to do the thing with the playing cards?
thats the dumbest thing ive seen in awhile. it will break and you wont be able to fix it. your ass will get fatter. it will polute the air allot and will leave you smell'n like a weed wacker. it will be noisy. you will look like a dork useing it. and thats 400$ for just the wheel, no tire or tube! get a scooter ..it will last, has real emissions equipment, and isnt a hack together like this thing
Why would you want a scooter, not this Wheel? I guess if you want to keep you fat bottom you would. The Wheel goes on your bike and you can still pedal as normal for some exercise or engage the engine for a boost if you out of shape like me. Can’t wait to get one! They look cool too!
Hmmm...how could I make riding a bicycle less fun? I know! I'll make the front wheel weigh about 20 lbs, and smell really awful! I'm a freakin' GENIUS!
Chinese will do a mockup in no time. And it will not cost $400.
Hopefully their worldwide patents that they talk about on their website will hold them over for a good long while. Who wants to buy the WalMart version? Start thinking about supporting American businesses to help the USA economy.
Mabye they could make it run on BioDiesel, the when you get where you're going you smell like french fries!
David: Card comment = hilarious.
I agree with #13, the only thing I would want it for is hills. Does it work?
Overall, cool concept. I ride to work sometimes and there's this one hill that is just too big. Call me a fat ass if you want but unless you're a workout warrior I'd challenge any of you (even the teens) to take on this hill.
Definitely not a rotary engine, check the web site. Also, they win the award for worst web site ever, stupid loading screens for every click.
that looks kool
but wouldnt it be safer if it was on the back
jw
wait it doesnt work on road bikes
thats a let down.....
im gonna need to go buy a mountain bike once i can afford that wheel thing..........
You can read thier response about emmision concerns at
www.revopower.com
Under 2 stroke vs 4 stroke engines.
To all you naysayers, I think it is a great idea. I already comute to work on my bicycle every day. Roghly 18 miles one way. I take the bus for a portion because of a lack of good (riding in the middle of 6 lanes of interstate traffic blows) river crossing options and a safe bike route once I am closer to work.
Anyway according to RevoPowers site, the emisions can be quite low for a two stroke. They say converntional wisdom is that two strokes are dirty (think Lawnmowers), but they can be made clean(er). I don't know enought about engine technology to call them on it. Do you? Also they claim 65 dBa for noise output. I am interested because sometimes I don't feel like riding or a need to get home faster. The bus is hit or miss on the faster thing. Also the last bus across the river is sometimes earlier than I need to stay at work, so a power assist options would be nice. Thats the point of this. Increased options.
Asso my understanding is that two stroke engines are much simoiler whcih theoretically should make a more reliable engine that is easier to serivce (i.e. fewer parts).
What I like is that it is a retrofit to the bike I ALREADY OWN, yet does not permanantly change the bike. If I want to convert my bike back to a regular bike, then I can do so. That is really cool.
Also if you buy a moped, you have to have a liscense and jump through a lot of hoopla. In addition you can't ride a moped in the bike lanes or on a bike/walk trail where you could with a RevoWheel bike. Gas is readily available so no hassles of charging up something electric (i.e. at work. I am lucky there is one bike rack for the whole building, let alone an electric outlet).
One final advantage is that the wife would bitch up a storm (coincerning getting run over) if I tried to buy a moped or motorcycle, but I could probably get away with buying and using such a "power assist" solution.
In summary, do some of you people think before you post or do you just post something you know nothing about? Thought so. This is a geat idea and once I hear/smell this thing in action, I would be very interested in purchasing one. $400 adds up to 133 gallons of gas at current prices. This thing would pay for itself after about a year.
Atanas,
That's because the Chinese rip off every good idea, patent rights be damned.
I swear, the Chinese think it's their communist given right to rip off every invention on the planet.
i always understood that the point of biking was that we do not contribute to global warming. and all this does is make bikes guilty of that! sorry not for me.
im tired of waiting 40 minutes to get somewhere on a bus when i could literally get there faster by walking...
I like my bike, i love riding it cause i dont need a license to drive and this is perfect for when youre hungery and home is a long way away...
wonder what it sounds like... a weedwhacker or a chipmunk...
im gonna get one, period...
I saw this about 6 months ago, and realized it wasn't enough power. I've got a 1/2 horsepower 2 stroke from bikeengines.com, and it gets me up to 28-30 mph on flat, which is much safer in traffic (nobody whizzing by you, and I can still stop and maneuver much faster than cars).
This wheel engine is smaller and purports 20mph, but that is probably slightly exaggerated. As for hills, they do help, but small engines like this are never going to have a lot of torque at 1/2 hp. Electrics are great for this (linear torque curve).
Another advantage of my belt drive system is the belt can be disengaged from the motor, and you can ride it just like a bike w/ an extra 12 lbs on it. I don't see how you would avoid the drag with the wheel motor if it's not running.
However, on the down side I have broken spokes several times. The major drawback is that you have to keep an eye on the spokes that are hooked to the drive system, because the extra torque can loosen them fast and leave you with a bent wheel/broken spokes.
Bottom line, this would be great if you live in a flat area, always use the engine, and don't mind a slow commute.
If you'd rather "turn your bike into a moped," with moped-like speeds, you'll need something more powerful.
Too bad it'll still be illegal to ride in NYC...just like pretty much anything with a motor is...including Segways.
Actually it'll be illegal to ride anywhere in NY state because NY state's DMV is run by crazy people it seems.
This thing is not perfect, but it's at least another option. It can do very well if you consider the world market.
For those saying it still contributes to global warming, well duh, but so does your methane emmisions from the bean burrito you had for lunch. 200mpg is much better to 15mpg.
Who are all of you hypocrits talking about lazy Americans and fast food? It seems like all of the people who do bike commute think this is a good idea while everyone else is looking for another excuse why they should stay in their car. 20 mph seems like a good speed for what this is. Anything faster and you should be on a true motorcycle with protective gear while a slower speed can be achieved easily on a conventional bike.
Someone mentioned that $400 + cost of a bike comes close to the price of motorcycle, which is true if you're buying a NEW bicycle compaired to a well used motorcycle and exclude maintenence costs. There are cheap scooters, but like everything else you get what you pay for.
there is an electric version of this that is a bit more expensive, but worth it in my book. It charges itself as you ride it! I'm glad i bookmarked this, it was a while ago.
http://www.tidalforce.com/
The electrical versions of bicycle engines that claim regenerative capabilites only recapture 1-2% of the battery charge doing that, so it's not very good. Not only does battery density have to improve, but regenerative capabilites need to improve too. Personally, I'm gonna go with an 80cc engine, and if I was gonna go electric, I'd say a 1.5kw engine (but that's just me, I like my speed). The thing with an electric engine on a bicycle is again they aren't very powerful and hence can't achieve a good speed because nobody thinks to put a transmission for the engine, just for the pedal part (kinda weird, but higher speeds would be much more achievable).
hi, am from the philippines, am interested to buy "The Wheel", how do i get one, can the manufacturerer send me a brochure.I still have plenty of inquiries, whom will i send it to
www.revopower.com/ is the motor-wheel web site.
some specs are:
---25cc two-stroke (clean emission design)
---1 hp (horse power)
---clutch automatically engages when engine is running.
---starts by a hand throttle and pedaling (requires both).
---7500 rpm max with auto-clutch disengages if you go faster by peddling or going down a hill.
---gears (transmission) are inside giving a high bike speed at a much lower rpm and resulting in a longer engine life than other small engines.
---20 mph was chose as a safe speed for average bike brakes to stop an average person.
---200 mpg (miles per gallon)
---15 lbs (weight) adds only about 12 lbs to bike because it replaces a 3 lbs wheel.
---riding balance of bike (in my scientific opinion) should be more stable than the original bike because of the additional rotating mass? again, in my opinion.
---"standing still" balance of bike (according to revopower.com)is hardly affected because of low/centered placement of motor between the bike forks. No other gas motor has this balance and location.
---65 dB of noise at 7.5m (is that quiet? I don't know)
---extremely low emissions, meets EPA regulations.
---No idle when stopped, means No emissions when stopped.
Some of the other comments from other people were just to get attention in a negative way. I hope they will try to get it in a positive way as they get more life experience. Please don't learn from them.
I too think it would be safer to go 30 mph in a 25 mph zone because 99% of the cars would NOT PASS. but at 20 mph 99% WILL PASS. Passing is unsafe for both car and bike and I hate being passed on a bike for that reason.
So I emailed "Revopower" to ask for a 30 mph speed option. I would be willing to sign a safety waver and supply my own brake upgrade for safety.
I want one because I believe the bike would be just as easy to use before or after the motor is installed.
And it will be the lightest usable moped ever made.
And installation can be done by any one who can take off a front wheel (and that is most people).
And last, I can carry it up a stairs or on a bike rake or throw it in the car.
The inventor was trying to solve a problem by providing a cheap and low fuel usage vehicle for the masses.
How many for the complainers are hypocrites and how many have done anything positive to anytime in life?
Most of us are decent and caring most of the time and we all have our off days I suppose.
I can't wait for this new product!!
I Want one too! Wherenthehell can I get one, please?
I wonder all the highly fit bike riders that preach about the health of their sport and how this idea is so bad for the environment, if they really have done anything more than just bitch about others that are taking steps torward a better and more fit society. Or do you really think the world is going to just wake up one day and presto give up cars and take up pedal bikes. Why is it the biggest whiners are the ones that should be the most content, because they are living health fit lives.
As it is said, what have you done lately?
I view this as a step toward the perfect solution, not the end but at least a beginning.
Keep up the great work and let the ingenious ideas flow!