this post was submitted on 20 Jul 2025
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Bicycles

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Original Video Title:
Building a Stirling Engine Bike

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[–] Bob_Robertson_IX@discuss.tchncs.de 40 points 4 days ago (1 children)
[–] crazycraw@crazypeople.online 6 points 4 days ago (1 children)

maybe the heat source is actually from thigh friction.. hmmm

[–] Lucidlethargy@sh.itjust.works 2 points 4 days ago

It also has an innovative AIO hybrid cooling system that uses both air, and blood, to keep the outer chassis cool.

[–] Supervisor194@lemmy.world 16 points 4 days ago

Pretty cool to think that I could... make my bicycle ride marginally easier by carrying a propane torch with me and blowing fire between my legs?

[–] jonathan7luke@lemmy.zip 17 points 4 days ago (5 children)

Makes me wonder where you draw the line between a powerful e-bike and a low power motorcycle.

That's usually legally defined somewhere depending on your location. Wher I am it's defined based on rated power output of the motor.

[–] DeceasedPassenger@lemmy.world 11 points 4 days ago* (last edited 4 days ago) (1 children)

Personally, if it's capable of slow highway speeds (45 and up), has more than 30 miles of range, and full safety lighting, then it's a low power motorcycle. Anything less is a bike.

Legally speaking though, it's actually pretty diverse by area. For instance, California requires pedal assist integration, eg if it can accelerate with no pedal movement it's a motorcycle, and then the bikes have 3 levels of classification (why though? Not sure), with max output regulated to 1600W (afaik since I don't live there). In other places they're more lax with regulation, just depends.

[–] BCsven@lemmy.ca 8 points 4 days ago

Yeah in Canada we have e-bike classes, the kind that require pedal pressure to engage motor are allowed in same places as bicycles ( like walking trails etc). When they have a throttle the class changes, because more can go wrong

[–] sexybenfranklin@ttrpg.network 5 points 4 days ago

Probably at the MoPed

[–] InternetCitizen2@lemmy.world 3 points 4 days ago (2 children)

I feel like having the horsepower of an entry level motorcycle is a decent benchmark.

[–] SirActionSack@aussie.zone 5 points 4 days ago

Torque should also be part of it. Plenty of 250W e bikes that make 80+ Nm.

That's similar torque to a 750 - 800cc motorbike.

[–] Saleh@feddit.org 4 points 4 days ago (1 children)

An e-bike might only weight 25 kg where a low powered motorcycle is at more than 100 kg.

More power by weight is faster and can be more dangerous

[–] InternetCitizen2@lemmy.world 5 points 4 days ago

Good point. Maybe similar HP/mass ratios? Idk

[–] SolacefromSilence@fedia.io 3 points 4 days ago (1 children)

It ain't a motorcycle if the engine isn't bigger than 50 cc, taps head.

[–] tunetardis@lemmy.ca 1 points 4 days ago (1 children)

Ok I think I understand. You need something more than an easy level Mario Kart.

[–] SolacefromSilence@fedia.io 1 points 4 days ago

Kind of, in some states it's regulated like that, but in others it's not addressed at all. I had a joke in my reply, where it's true in my state that you need a motorcycle license for anything larger that 50 cc, but cc aka cubic centimeters of air displacement is a measure of Internal Combustion Engine size and has no correlation with electric vehicles. My state needs to update the regs and deal with e bikes going 25-30 mph down bike paths.

[–] brbposting@sh.itjust.works 7 points 4 days ago

Great work by Tom Stanton here, thanks

[–] roserose56@lemmy.ca 4 points 4 days ago

I saw the video, and I have to say it was amazing!