Gasoline Generator for E-Bike
This is the script for my YouTube video. I’d also like to post it as a blog. As I can add more details in a blog. My YouTube channel has the same name as my blog, “JackOnTheRoad_en.”
In this blog, I will show you a new option for Motorcycles: An E-bike with a gasoline generator. The following will be covered.
- The details about the generator.
- The pros and cons.
- Why I chose it as a kayaking traveler in China.
- The conversion process for the e-bike and generator.
- The cost in the manufacturing giant China.
- My thoughts along the process.
Before introducing my conversion, you may have seen something like this.
The Most Elegant One on YouTube is like this.
Compared to other versions, my version, the generator within a bike basket, is more elegant and convenient. The key is that the generator is small, and almost suitable baskets are in the market.
Next, I’m gonna talk about the basket.
The generator is oversized on both sides in length and width. And this is the largest hanging basket I have found in the market. So, the front side of the basket is removed. The left side of the generator’s cover is removed as well. The generator is half-naked now. There is no fragile part on this side. So it’s ok to remove the cover.
- The generator weighs 9.9 kilograms, with the fuel tank empty.
- When it’s full, it weighs 11.5 kilograms.
- The fuel tank capacity is 2.1 Liters.
- We can see the hanging hooks are extended several centimeters.
- I found that the top of the generator is a few centimeters higher than the bicycle backseat, so I need to use a bracket to stretch the hanging hooks to put the top of the generator and the backseat on the same plane. I leveled them to make it more convenient to carry luggage.
- The front side of the basket is removed and replaced with ropes to tie them up. It’s substantial.
I have bought three baskets. The first one is from Taobao, the Chinese version of AliExpress. The other two are from Pinduoduo, the Chinese version of Temu. The quality of them are both excellent. But the cost of two baskets on Temu is less than the one on Taobao.
The first one cost 40 RMB. The following two cost 38 RMB, about 5.5 US dollars. That is so cheap.
In China, e-commerce is more prosperous than the traditional economy. Most things online cost less than in person. So, some Chinese e-commerce companies can be competitive in the world.
In China, generally, everything is cheap, including salary. Typically, we can get our delivery in three days. Our express delivery is very fast. It means the logistics workers work very hard. This is not unique to the logistics industry. If you live in an efficient society, everyone needs to work hard.
I have seen many YouTubers from other countries talk about moving to China, living in China, and raising Children in China. One of the main factors is that the cost of living is low, and their income is at a higher level.
In the following, I will show you the generator’s details.
The gasoline generator is dedicated to e-bikes, e-scooters, or e-tricycles. Its output voltage can be set from 48 to 72. Its power is 700 watts, about one horsepower. This generator has a four-stroke engine, and its displacement is 40 cc. For a 400-watt e-bike with this generator, the fuel cost is 0.13 0.14 RMB per kilometer on a plain road, when the gasoline price is 7 RMB per liter, about 2 cents per kilometer in US dollars. This price is acceptable.
The generated electricity with one liter of gasoline is 1.4 1.5 kilowatt-hour. So, the electricity price is over 4 RMB per kilowatt-hour. It’s expensive. The electricity tariff for ordinary households is about 0.5 RMB per kilowatt-hour. The electricity price for electric vehicles at a charging station is about 1 RMB per kilowatt-hour. So, the generated electricity is much more expensive than that. But it’s ok. My laptop is the major electricity-consuming device in the journey, and its wattage is low.
And my 200-watt solar panel can power the laptop most of the time. I will only use the generator when my cycling distance is over 30 kilometers.
The generator’s noise is at the same level as motorcycles. If you riding on a busy road, the noise of vehicles is much louder.
That’s all about the generator.
Next, I will talk about my thoughts and why I need this kind of generator.
In China, e-scooters and e-tricycles are very popular. Because the driving license is not required to ride them, and its price is not expensive. It implies that motorcycle is not popular. Yes, motorcycles are prohibited in so many cities. A driver’s license is required to ride a motorcycle. And its price is much higher than an e-scooter. The most apparent drawback of the e-scooters is the battery range. Most e-scooters cannot hold more than 50 kilometers. Most people using an e-scooter don’t need to ride more than 50 kilometers. So, this kind of generator is a niche product. Only a tiny part of people living in rural areas have this need. So the price of this generator is not cheap, over 1300 RMB, about 180 US dollars. You can buy a 3-kilowatt generator for general purpose at about the same price.
We can compare it with the truck parking generator. That market is much bigger. But it’s just too heavy and too oversized for a bike.
You may need a trailer to carry a big generator.
Another product that can be compared is the tricycle range extender generator.
The generator for e-tricycles is much cheaper. It only costs half the price, about 700 RMB, less than 100 US dollars. The reason is also that there is a much larger market for this product. We can call the generator a range extender.
Next, I’m gonna talk about why I need this kind of generator.
I plan to travel around China by boat and explore the attractions around the river. And I’m doing it right now. The boat is a packraft. There are dams and rapids in rivers. Most of the dams’ locations I can download from OpenStreetMap. However, the map data is not complete. Some data are missing. So, I need to explore the river ahead by bike to find appropriate locations to get in and off a kayak. The riding distance may be over 50 kilometers.
The daily routine is like this.
- Firstly, I need to drive my van to the destination of my daily trip one day ahead.
- The next day morning, ride upstream to the starting point of kayaking.
- Then, raft downstream to the ending point.
- Get back to the van.
- Drive upstream or ride upstream with a trailer to carry the bike left there in the morning.
- Drive downstream or ride downstream.
Driving upstream is not acceptable. It means I need to go on the same road segment three times. The fuel cost would be tripled. Fuel is the major cost of my journey. So, I take two folding e-bikes and a folding trailer. After landing, I will take another bike with the trailer to retrieve the first bike. The cost is low. I don’t want to exhaust myself on cycling. So, a generator and e-bikes are necessary.
Regulation on Gasoline Retailing in China.
In China, the regulation on gasoline retailing is really strict. In most rural areas, you can fuel the generator without restriction, or you may need to scan your ID card on their machine. Fueling this kind of generator in prefectural cities is prohibited in any gas station. Someone in China has tried riding an e-bike to Tibet with a generator, and I asked him about the fueling problem. The information above is what he told me. Some sensitive areas like South Tibet are also restricted, whether rural or urban. My English channel is more laggy than my Chinese channel. Someone left a comment on my video. He said he had been to Tibet with a fuel tank in his car. And he had applied for a certificate from the hometown police station before departure. So he could fuel the gas tank at any gas station. He said the process was easy. I may try it someday. Riding a bike or a motorcycle to Tibet is a fashion in China. There are so many YouTubers doing that. For now, I don’t need to worry about the fueling issue. Since I can draw fuel from my van with a dedicated pipe poking the anti-theft net in the fuel tank.
At the end of this section, I’d like to make a summary to show you the pros and cons.
The pros.
- The generator is within a basket, convenient, and decoupled from the bike. Typically, you can ride an e-bike without it. You can hang it on the backseat when going on a long trip.
- The fuel cost pre-kilometer is about 0.14 RMB or 2 cents in US dollars. It’s acceptable.
- It has a remote control key, so you can turn it on and off quickly while riding.
- There is no need to buy a big power bank if you are on a long bike-packing trip with a generator. A big power bank is not cheap. The battery on the e-bike can be a power bank, and you just need a converter.
- It’s like a low-speed motorcycle, but the cost is much lower, and no need for a driver’s license.
- You have an engine now, so you can take more luggage or mount a bike trailer.
- So far, so good.
The cons.
- Finding an auto repair shop that can fix a broken generator is difficult. So, you have to fix it by yourself with the assistance from remote customer service. Many parts of the generator are compatible with small lawnmowers.
- It’s a niche product, so the manufacturing company is small. It means maybe its quality is not as good as the generator for general purposes.
- It is rumored that its lifespan is 2000 kilometers. But it’s unverified for now. I have rid it no more than 500 kilometers.
Generator is the main topic of this blog post, and I’ve covered it all.
At last, I’ll briefly talk about the conversion of my e-bike.
- The conversion kit is about 1000 RMB with a one-year warranty, about 150 US dollars.
- The 48-volt, 8-amp-hour battery costs 500 RMB with a two-year warranty, about 70 US dollars.
- The whole conversion costs about 1500 RMB. With this price, we can buy a brand-new folding e-scooter with a battery twice the capacity.
- The battery is concealed in the black frame bag to make it look like a regular bike to avoid being fined by the traffic police.
Basically, everything in China is cheap, but the speed of shipping to America or Europe is too slow. We may need new transportation that is more efficient than ships but less expensive than airplanes.
That’s all for this blog post.
I’m trying to convert a medium blog to a video editor project file like the project file for Adobe Premiere Pro or CapCut using Python scripts. I am still learning to do that, and I don’t know if I can finish this project.
See you next time.
