[Hypiereon]

Hey, I prefer a motorbike to an electric bike as well, but in this country there are some serious advantages of an electric bike. Firstly, mine is not a bicycle with an electric motor, it's more of a scooter and Ican get up to 38kph on it in the bicycle lane - which means I'm not jammed up in the traffic like the motorbikes are. They could get through, but when traffic gets bad, lines cease to exist and there are no spaces in between the cars. Motorcycles are not alowed into the bicycle lanes because they're too wide and spit fumes. (not that it doesn't happen anyway)

On my electric bike I get around the license factor as well. Motorbikes require a license, insurance, and all the other crap. Plus, because this city is so polluted they can't ride into the downtown area without a special type of license - and it's so expensive no one but foreigners are willing to pay for it. However, with my scooter - I prefer to call it that as it's a little different from the bicycle-looking model - I can weave in and out of the main traffic and still access the bicycle lane when traffic gets thick.

My wife met me at a western restaurant after my classes one day on the other side of town (about 25-30 kilometers). After dinner I put them in a cab and sent them off, then jumped on my scooter and headed home - I arrived 15 minutes ahead of them (took me 30-40 minutes to get home). In all, the electric bike is the way to get aorund town, get past the taxi fees, park anywhere, and slice through all the traffic without all the fees and paperwork of a motorbike. I love motorcycles, but I'm a pragmatist at heart.