I'm bumping this. I'm probably becoming an irritant on this forum, but I'm really getting frustrated. A manual clutch is the only method by which we can contemplate isolating leg power from the drag of the motor transmission while pedaling unpowered.... and maintaining the ability to pedal start the engine. This is the only way to make a TRUE 'moped'.
An electric clutch is not practical. The tiny motors we're talking about would spend as much energy operating the clutch as they would powering the bike, not to mention all of the electrical clutter that a manual version would do without. An idler pulley/slip clutch is a rotten solution.
There has GOT to be an option out there that is already being used on some consumer product or common enough in some industrial application that it wont cost 500USD. Why do I seem to be alone in working so hard to find or design such a thing? Anybody ever try modifying a small electric or centrifugal clutch so that it could be cable operated?
The need for this is so fundamental to a highly efficient motored bicycle that it just ASTONISHES me that it has not been tracked down in this forum. C'mon guys, open your minds beyond the knuckledraggin 2 strokes belted to the rear wheel!!!!!
