I was going to build a ebike with my teenage son last summer, however it would be illegal for him to ride it in our state regardless of power output until he gets his drivers license. Also during the electric skateboard/scooter fad about a decade ago my home town banned them from city sidewalks, city property (aka parks and trails) and city roads, and the anti-e-skateboard code would cover e-bikes. So I'd only be able to ride it out of town, and my son could only ride it out of state.
The BBSHD is available from many places and seems to be a good kit with a good rep. Kits are modular and most battery packs are quick swap so if you're willing to fill backpacks and bike baskets with spare batteries you could go thousands of miles between charges if you're willing to pay for that kind of ridiculous privilege. Before I found out state law prohibits it, I was hoping to cruise some of our rural completely empty state bicycle trails purely for fun, requiring more range, so I'd likely need a slightly larger battery, but its all modular and very easy to install as large of a battery as you're willing to pay for. Being modular it doesn't matter that OP didn't like his electronic controller, luckily there are plenty to substitute, including all manner of software patches, and OP did not list the exact controller and firmware OP has and is dissatisfied with, unfortunately. The ebike battle seems to start with discovering what is even possible, first, and of course that changes from month to month...
I find it interesting that OP wanted higher efficiency tires, whereas I was interested in the idea of lower efficiency larger tires to make potholes more survivable. I don't really care if my drive to the food store takes 16 minutes of battery charging or 17 minutes of battery charging, but I would like to avoid flat tires and wiping out on the way.
Of course law enforcement is spotty, much like every other law, especially driving. I didn't see any point in putting my son (or myself) in some cops crosshairs so I gave up on that project. Oh well.
I'm all for e-bikes. I've been DIYing e-bikes for myself for over a decade. But I also see the argument for needing a license. With additional speed and distance, kids can outpace their understanding of traffic flow, shooting themselves through intersections without understanding how drivers will/will not see them. Here in Utah, where parents tend to let kids ride dirt bikes on roads, or ATVs on roads, there are a few fatalities EVERY summer, from kids who didn't understand what actions put them in danger and which did not.
Now, I think waiting for kids to be 16 and get a license is overkill. But I would support a drivers ed program for kids to teach them how to be safe on e-vehicles, and requiring that course to be completed before kids can ride at 25-30mph in traffic.
I was going to build a ebike with my teenage son last summer, however it would be illegal for him to ride it in our state regardless of power output until he gets his drivers license. Also during the electric skateboard/scooter fad about a decade ago my home town banned them from city sidewalks, city property (aka parks and trails) and city roads, and the anti-e-skateboard code would cover e-bikes. So I'd only be able to ride it out of town, and my son could only ride it out of state.
The BBSHD is available from many places and seems to be a good kit with a good rep. Kits are modular and most battery packs are quick swap so if you're willing to fill backpacks and bike baskets with spare batteries you could go thousands of miles between charges if you're willing to pay for that kind of ridiculous privilege. Before I found out state law prohibits it, I was hoping to cruise some of our rural completely empty state bicycle trails purely for fun, requiring more range, so I'd likely need a slightly larger battery, but its all modular and very easy to install as large of a battery as you're willing to pay for. Being modular it doesn't matter that OP didn't like his electronic controller, luckily there are plenty to substitute, including all manner of software patches, and OP did not list the exact controller and firmware OP has and is dissatisfied with, unfortunately. The ebike battle seems to start with discovering what is even possible, first, and of course that changes from month to month...
I find it interesting that OP wanted higher efficiency tires, whereas I was interested in the idea of lower efficiency larger tires to make potholes more survivable. I don't really care if my drive to the food store takes 16 minutes of battery charging or 17 minutes of battery charging, but I would like to avoid flat tires and wiping out on the way.
Of course law enforcement is spotty, much like every other law, especially driving. I didn't see any point in putting my son (or myself) in some cops crosshairs so I gave up on that project. Oh well.