No, they are not motorcycles. They are bicycles with an electric support.
They are motorcycles with minimal pedal assistance from the rider, which serves as a fig leaf.
How much power do you think a bicycle rider needs for riding at a speed of 25 km/h? How much power would he or she need for riding with a speed of 125 km/?
@Takios Now we're getting closer to the heart of the matter. The only relevant difference between motorcycles and e-bikes is the exemption from regulations that previously applied to all motor vehicles, and rightfully so.
@Asinus I don't think it helps anyone to encourage people to switch from real bicycles to e-bikes, which are no longer bicycles at all.
@Takios I question the motorization of bicycles with engines that dwarf the performance and endurance of highly trained athletes, and in your view, that is equivalent to high-powered car drivers who get upset about real or imagined traffic violations by non-motorized cyclists?
Bizarre.
@pmarcilus A few years ago, the Blender project decided to attract large commercial users as sponsors, not without success. The interests of small hobby users and developers, for example with regard to better documentation or a more complete Python API, became even more out of sight as a result. There are other people in need who need our donations more.
@whosepoopisonmybutt
I think we can stop right here. I don't doubt that using a low-powered electric motorcycle may be a more environmentally friendly method of transportation than using a high-powered ICE motorcycle, if it is suitable for the purpose. But that doesn't make it a muscle-powered bicycle, and it doesn't make it equivalent to and as environmentally friendly as a muscle-powered bicycle.
O RLY? I commuted 8 miles each way for decades. It was pretty tough at first. But the great thing about muscle-powered bikes is that the engine gets stronger over time with heavy use.