[KenWittlief]

one way to have the motor stay independant of the pedals is to put the motor on the front wheel

then you can motor and pedal at the same time if you want for climbing hills, or coast the pedals while the motor is active, or let the motor freewheel and pedal the bike (at slower speeds).

it should be possible to put the back wheel from a 10 speed on the front of a bike, and link the motor with a chain. This would let the front wheel freespin when the motor is not driving it.