Non compliant E-bikes

AberdeenAngus

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Thinking of getting an E-bike.
It seems that the guiding regs is EN15194.
This is the one that says peddle assist only, max 250W power etc etc.
If your bike complies with these regs its classed as a type of bicycle. Therefore you can go anywhere a bicycle can go, no license requirement, no mandatory insurance etc.
However, if your bike does not meet these regs then, it appears, it's classed as a moped - with everything that entails including not using it on forestry tracks etc.
Riding a moped somewhere other than on a road could have serious implications - confiscation, points on license etc etc

My question is for the folk with bikes that don't comply with EN15194 - are you complying with moped regs or just winging it?

Has anybody heard of anyone getting pulled up?
 
Mine is pedal assist and a 250w motor, limited to 15.5 mph and therefore complies with the regs

It's a bicycle
 
Mines not compliant, and I'm "winging it". If stopped I will say I bought it second hand and had no idea it broke any rules/regulations.

Mine will provide pedal assistance up to about 28mph. Pretty high tech with carbon belt drive, internal 11 speed hub gears. built in lighting incl brake lights.

This is mine: Kalkhoff Integrale S11. I removed the number plate holder and number plate light from the rear mudguard when I bought it!!

Love it, my commute is about 14 miles each way into central London and its brilliant, though not used it since March.
 
I had a long discussion on this point with someone who knows a lot about Ebikes.
I think "calculated winging it" sums it up for me.

General consensus seems to be as long as you don't take the piss you won't get pulled over ................
Such as not hurtling past a cop car at 30 mph without peddling or weaving around the road post pub!
He'd never heard of a single incidence of someone being pulled.

If you buy a brand new ebike it will be compliant but 2nd hand ones can be legal as long as built before 2016, hence the bought 2nd hand excuse!

I understand it would cost a lot of time and money to determine the motors real power, full strip down and examination? Hence the reason stickers like this are available
https://www.ebay.co.uk/i/2933942911...yAqAL7QHesD0jbCYclhGnemy3UsYq3BgaAh-EEALw_wcB

Personally I'm going to wing it, mine has a switch between 250W pas, 250w no assist and 1000w no assist :beerjug:
 
So how fast does a 1000W no assist go?

Depends how tweaked it is. Vision becomes a problem for me when flying downhills. My eyes start to water too much and can’t see where I’m going. That will account for nearly everybody I’m guessing. Doesn’t need to be derestricted to have that problem.
 
Mines not compliant, and I'm "winging it". If stopped I will say I bought it second hand and had no idea it broke any rules/regulations.

Mine will provide pedal assistance up to about 28mph. Pretty high tech with carbon belt drive, internal 11 speed hub gears. built in lighting incl brake lights.

This is mine: Kalkhoff Integrale S11. I removed the number plate holder and number plate light from the rear mudguard when I bought it!!

Love it, my commute is about 14 miles each way into central London and its brilliant, though not used it since March.

Sounds like a great machine. :okay Claiming ignorance of the law is a well tried and tested defence (which doesn't work!).
 
So how fast does a 1000W no assist go?

Given the weight illustration I doubt if I'd get 30mph apart from downhill :aidan

Which is probably a good idea!

A 1000w e-bike is powerful and fast. It will comfortably support a 190 pounds and man up any hill with no pedaling easy. It is a great kit and should get you 32 miles per hour (50 kmh) pretty easy.
 
I'm presuming the crux of it is to not ride like a bell end where you're going to get seen or where you stand a chance of wiping out a pedestrian.
 
A local bloke has a tricked up ebike, it was bloody funny when I saw him overtake a line of cars on our Maine Drive road.

I saw him a few days later, riding at a similar speed along the local prom' path...kids/dogs/eldely, you get the picture.

Bell end...:blast
 
A local bloke has a tricked up ebike, it was bloody funny when I saw him overtake a line of cars on our Maine Drive road.

I saw him a few days later, riding at a similar speed along the local prom' path...kids/dogs/eldely, you get the picture.

Bell end...:blast

And therein lies the problem.
 
There's a teenager rides a Bultaco Brinco around the village. There is a "pedal assist" version, but this one certainly isn't it, as it will do about 30mph without any pedalling, uphill, on the back wheel.
He was dicking about around a group of kids in front of the Co Op the other afternoon at school kicking out time. Just as I left the car park, the local police car turned in, and he made a very hasty retreat. Not the smartest of moves, sidling away quietly would have drawn less attention.
Mark
 
Itwill end up as a test case when a Mongcock kills a pedestrian on a illegal E bike

Like that idiot on his no brakes thing a couple of years ago

This happened in Singapore. It was an electric scooter, rather than a bicycle but some nut job slammed into a cyclist and killed them.
He was charged with the death of the cyclist and also for riding a non-compliant scooter.
 
I’ve not messed about with my eBike in any way, shape or form. I did consider changing the front sprocket to make the full range of gears more useable but in the end decided not to bother.

The biggest reason for me not doing it is that I ride mine to the pub and all it takes is for one of the local Peter Perfect lycra clad nonces that I breeze past going up hills to shop me and I could find myself being asked questions I don’t like.
 
Several years ago the met police run an operation with Westminster Council targeting the cycle rickshaws.

There were quite a number of those stopped and measured that exceed the permitted power output, and were crushed.

Under the current law, if the cycle exceeds the permitted power output, it becomes a mechanically propelled vehicle. The main offence that police should then be using is no insurance. A quick £300 and six points minimum.
 
For me the main reason to get an ebike would be to come home from the pub without risking my licence. A non-conformant ebike would therefore be counterproductive.
 
For me the main reason to get an ebike would be to come home from the pub without risking my licence. A non-conformant ebike would therefore be counterproductive.

My main reason is an upcoming op which means I'll lose my driving licence for minimum 6 weeks, we live in the sticks with no public transport, so it'll mainly be used for visiting clients and shopping. My wife doesn't drive!
 
I’ve not messed about with my eBike in any way, shape or form. I did consider changing the front sprocket to make the full range of gears more useable but in the end decided not to bother.

The biggest reason for me not doing it is that I ride mine to the pub and all it takes is for one of the local Peter Perfect lycra clad nonces that I breeze past going up hills to shop me and I could find myself being asked questions I don’t like.

Careful now, very soon calling cyclists names may be a 'Hate Crime' :D
 


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