
Greyp: bicycle when you want it, a motorcycle when you need it - WestCoastJustin
http://www.greyp-bikes.com/
======
zalew
Poor choice as a bike and poor choice as a motorcycle, yet looks like a nice
means of commuting through town provided it's legal to use bicycle paths with
that thing in your country, otherwise it's just an electrical moped. Too bad
the price will probably be ridiculous and it will end up as the next segway.

If it manages to get actual demand around the world, they are probably to face
regulatory nightmares regarding speed. F.ex. in Poland 65 km/h disqualifies it
from the moped category (< 45 km/h), and the mopeds themselves aren't allowed
on bike lanes anyway, so it'd be just a less comfortable less powerful
electric scooter.

~~~
kinkora
I am assuming you are in the EU and you know more about the laws there.

Did you read this bit from the site?

 _Driving modes - Most EU countries consider two-wheeled electric vehicles as
motorcycles if they can reach a speed in excess of 25 km /h and have more than
250 W of power. The G-12 has a special mode to comply with the regulations for
road vehicles – which limits the speed and power. Still, the top-speed is just
a tap on the touch-screen away when you need it._

Doesn't that place it under the "bicycle" category? Or are they skirting the
issue and the authorities will not likely deem it that way regardless what
"mode" you put it?

~~~
zalew
I'd have to dig into the subject and I can't speak for the whole EU. In my
country, by definition, a bicycle can't be powered only by an engine. Electric
bikes are bicycles when their electrical engine is powered by pedalling, how
weird wouldn't that sound. The electrical engine can't be more than 250W and
needs to power off over 25km/h. Not sure the 'modes' would count, IANAL. (But
keep in mind Poland is a beaurocratic hell and our laws regarding even normal
bicycles are an evil clusterfuck, as an example we have 4k people locked up
for bicycle DUI and only 1k more for DUI in a car, and during the last
policies update blinking headlights and reflective tires were banned - in the
name of safety of'koz.) It may work differently in other countries. F.ex. in
Poland you can make a motorbike license and jump on a Hayabusa, Germans have
graded licences based on power so noobs don't kill themselves on the first
day, etc. Most unified laws among the EU concern trade, not issues like road
safety.

~~~
ramblerman
Bicycle DUI really, wow...

In Belgium they throw money and campaings at getting people not to drive cars
under influence. I wouldn't say "take your bike" is the official stance, but
certainly the most popular alternative.

I've never heard of anyone being stopped to check alcohol levels on their
bike.

~~~
zalew
The reason is it falls under the same law - cars, bikes, forklifts, tractors,
etc. Basically: alcohol == walk. The curious thing is, you lose your driver's
license for bike DUI. If not for an accident, people get canned usually for
recidivism, first senteces are suspended. I've been stopped for a breathalyzer
once, in the middle of the night, on an empty bike path in Warsaw.

Well, Belgium, heh, we are a bit different when it comes to bike
infrastructure and roads in general. A lot of traffic goes through local
roads, small towns and villages often lack means of transport in the evening,
and people drink a lot - figure out the rest. A drunk biker _can_ be a danger
to himself and the drivers, but there are enough laws to punish somebody for
behaving dangerously on the road, no need to get nazi on everybody who's been
for a few in a pub. Well, it's ridiculous.

------
pedalpete
I love this as a commuting solution, hate it as a mountain bike. The last
thing we need is some yahoo able to lay down more power than they can pedal
and erode the trails. You want to use a trail, pedal up, or go to a downhill
park where they have the resources to build on the trails to take that kind of
abuse.

Same with the danger of using this sort of 'bike' on bike paths or crowded
urban areas. I think their promo video is demonstrating that they are just
asking for trouble.

Hopefully greyp, figures out the damage they could be doing to their brand and
goes the commuter route.

I think the market for a powerful/fast power assisted commuter bike is big
enough. Why go after the small urban rider and lazy ignorant downhiller
markets?

------
knappe
It weighs _108_ pounds. That is ridiculously heavy and I could never imagine
climbing any hills with this thing without using the assistance.

~~~
BruceIV
Exactly. This is an underpowered motorbike with a pedal-powered assist, which,
due to some regulatory grey areas is likely legal for use on bike paths. As an
_actual_ bicycle commuter I don't approve.

~~~
Wingman4l7
Pedal-powered assist? Those pedals are probably purely cosmetic at that
weight.

I'd love to see someone try to get that thing moving from a standstill using
just the pedals.

------
willbartlett
As an avid hot rodder and restorer of vintage 70's mopeds, the tag line lead
me to believe someone had brought back a true moped to the market.

For those in California, in street mode this would be classified as a
"motorized bicycle" if it went under 20mph. If it went over 20 and below 30 (
as it does in speed mode) it would require registration and a "M2" Moped
Motorcycle license. Over 30 would equal a "motor driven cycle" and would
essentially be a small motorcycle and would require plating, registration and
an M1.

[http://www.myronsmopeds.com/wp-
content/uploads/2011/08/Laws-...](http://www.myronsmopeds.com/wp-
content/uploads/2011/08/Laws-Classification-of-Motor-Bikes.jpg)

~~~
owenfi
Seems you no longer think so? Why not?

------
seclorum
Yikes, what a terrible name for this thing. How do you pronounce it? Lets
break it down:

Option 1: "Gr-II-P" .. gripe. Yeah, I ride my gripe around.

Option 2: "Gr-AY-p" .. yeah, I'm gonna just get on the grape.

Option 3: "Gr-EE-p" .. just gonna 'greep' (creep) around the streets, yo..

Option 4: "Gr-E-p" .. okay, this might just work for me. ;)

Option 5: "Grey-P" .. My pee is grey, my pee is grey!

Seriously, greyp-bikes folks, please re-consider your awful, awful brand
statement.

------
coherentpony
"Greyp, where guys can rough it up in the woods and girls don't have to pedal
home from work."

Edit: In all seriousness, that video was a complete disgrace.

------
akandiah
The "Bomber" electric bike by Stealth Electric Bike offers a lot more speed:
[http://www.stealthelectricbikes.com.au/bomber.html](http://www.stealthelectricbikes.com.au/bomber.html)

------
amadeus
Spoken by someone who truly has never ridden a motorcycle before.

------
vacri
Whenever I see beige in a product colour scheme, I am reminded of a friend's
statement: Beige isn't a colour, it's a lifestyle.

------
twiceaday
I was expecting a command line tool.

------
feniv
So is it legal to ride this on sidewalks and bike-lanes?

