Put aside your old ideas about motorized bikes, those clunky mopeds and poorly made contraptions. There's an assortment of new electrically powered models that are well engineered and a joy to use. They provide practical transportation, falling somewhere between a bike and a motor scooter. They're also perfect for those who enjoy recreational bicycling, but get exhausted before arriving at their destination or just want to travel much farther more quickly than they can do with a conventional bike.

While less expensive models are available, experts advise spending at least $1,500 for a model with lithium-ion batteries and other quality components. I tried out three different products priced between $1,800 and $2,600.

These products all use small efficient motors built into the wheel's hub and lithium-ion batteries, the same type used in laptops and in the next generation of hybrid automobiles. Each is equipped with quality multi-speed shifters, comfortable seats, and can travel about 20 miles before needing to be recharged. Some models that take a second battery can go up to 60 miles. Recharging from an AC outlet typically takes less than four hours. Maximum speed is 20 mph, but with each of these bikes you can pedal to supplement the motor, providing exercise as well as faster speeds.

These products offer a number of advantages over motor scooters. They're classified as bikes, thus can travel on bike paths and bike lanes, don't require a license and can be carried onto public transportation. That lets you ride to a Coaster station, take it on the train and then ride to your destination after disembarking. (California law requires accommodation on trains and busses.)

They're also safer than scooters, which need to be used on roads driving among SUVs and trucks. Unlike a scooter, they do require some pedaling to climb steep inclines.

I tried out the Giant Twist hybrid bike and the Ezee Sprint, each sold by Electric Bikes Northwest+California of Oceanside. The Seattle-based company has a highly informative Web site (electricvehiclesnw.com), and local expertise that comes from ten years of experience with electric bikes.

Its Oceanside retail location is close to the Coaster stop, drawing customers from Orange County and downtown San Diego. Many take the Coaster to its store, buy the bike and return home on the coaster.

I also tried the A2B made by Ultimate Motors, sold by Segway of Pacific Beach. They carry a variety of motorized vehicles including electric scooters and the Segway.

The Giant Twist ($2,100) looks much like an ordinary touring bike. On either side of the rear wheel is a pair of lithium-ion batteries that can be snapped out of the frame for charging. The Twist is a hybrid, which means you need to pedal for the motor to run. A torque sensor detects your pedaling and activates the motor to reduce your effort. A 3-position switch lets you adjust how hard the motor works. Riding was very pleasant and took no effort to learn. But you need to pedal each time you start up, much like a conventional bike.

Riding up moderate hills took some effort, but was not very difficult. Although I didn't try it, navigating steeper hills would be a challenge. Because of its hybrid design and two batteries, it offers the longest range up to 70 miles.

The eZee Sprint ($1,800) also looks like a conventional bike with its battery mounted behind the seat. It comes well equipped with an LED headlight and taillight, a speedometer, battery gauge and a rear carrying rack. There's a slightly smaller version available with 20-inch wheels and third that folds up, both at about the same price.

The Sprint has a twist handgrip throttle that works much like a scooter. You can use the pedal, motor or both together. Some pedaling was needed to ascend steep hills. On level ground I was able to travel at 20 mph with little effort, even up and down gentle hills. I occasionally let off the throttle and pedaled to exercise.

Going up steep hills required pedaling, and the motor seemed to work extra hard. But I was able to ride up 20-30 degree grades with just a moderate amount of effort with the bike maxing out at 4-7 mph.

The A2B bike ($2,600) from Ultra Motor (ultramotor.com) is a brand new model that will be available next month. The A2B looks more like a motor-cross bike with its 20-inch tires and open frame. It has the most powerful motor and the fastest acceleration of the three. It also has the best suspension with a huge shock absorber built into the frame.

Like the Ezee, you have the option of pedaling, using just the motor, or a combination of both. It comes with one battery built into the frame's downtube and a second optional battery that clips onto the frame, and doubles the range to about 40 miles. But because it looks less like a conventional bicycle and more like a cycle, it might be more difficult to blend into the bike lanes or to bring one onto a bus without being questioned. The A2B accelerated the fastest and provided the most comfortable ride, soaking up speed bumps.

I liked all three; they all were well-built, capable and fun to use. The Giant is fine for mostly flat terrain, but requires the most effort on hills. The A2B was the most powerful and most comfortable of all. But if I were buying one I'd choose the Ezee. It looked and operated most like a bike, allowing it to blend in with other cyclists and go where they went. At the same time it provides sufficient power, even climbing steep hills. And it was the least expensive of all.

Another strong candidate in this emerging category is the E+ Cruiser electric bike from Electric Motion Systems (e-ms.us) of Dulles, Va. It came in too late to include in my testing, but is one of the most innovative of the models I tried. The batteries and motor are built into the wheel hubs and it has a regenerative capability that can recharge the batteries while braking and riding.

The E+ Cruiser has the most advanced vehicle display/controller that's used to display battery charge, speed and dozens of other functions, as well as controlling the motor level and activating its built-in cruise control. It's removable and locks the bike, much like a key.

In my short test I found it to be more powerful than the Sprint with its 1000-watt motor and ride just like a cruiser bike. With one charge and the use of regenerative braking, you can travel distances of up to 40 miles between charges. There's no charger to carry; it's built right into the hub. Just pull out the power cord and plug it in.

How does it compare with the others? If price were no object I'd rate this at the top, because of its bike form factor, advanced features and powerful propulsion on demand. It's currently available at Electric Cyclery in Laguna Beach for $3,500. (electriccyclery.com).