Bike Europe draws attention to illegal tuning kits
- Thread starter flecc
- Start date
The regs apply to all ebikes.
To me there is a big difference between a Bosch bike with a dongle offering very limited assistance above the limit, and a Stealth Bomber which will do 50mph without pedalling.
However, both bikes are equally illegal.
Isn't it because the Bosch motors have been tuned most? I think there are dongles available for Kalkhoffs and others too but I don't think the take up has been anything like as high. I see Kalkhoffs as an ebike equivalent of a Merc, and KTMs and such as BMWs. I've had couple of Mercs but I've never been much impressed with a lot of BMW drivers....
The manufactures concern seems to be about possible legal responsibility that they might face when their bikes are tuned. They haven't got anything to do with the home built ones. But they could find themselves drawn in when police forces start to crack down on these bikes as they probably will when the law is finally clarified here.
Yeah, far too much of it about.
This bike company is still pushing its 'preview 2014' brochure.
http://www.shop.flidistribution.co.uk/c/ktm_bicycles_ebikes_city-hybrids
More and more brands of bicycle now make eBikes, and this is only going to grow, so rather than have a small voice, BEBA has been closed and there is going to be a eBike voice within the http://bicycleassociation.org.uk/
all the bikes are 2015 ones... its just for some reason the picture hasn't updated. Thanks for the spot. I'll go and fire someone now
Literally and figuratively, I hope.all the bikes are 2015 ones... its just for some reason the picture hasn't updated. Thanks for the spot. I'll go and fire someone now
It does seem a mountain out of a molehill, most bikes I assume like mine can be quite easly derestricted and reverted back quite easly from the Display.
The top speed I can get up to is 22mph and I tend to cruise at 18mph and lets face it running any faster will soon deplete a battery's range. I despair at the lost opportunity that is the UK harmonisation with Europe.
What is the point of buying a ebike if you don't have mobility issues?
I be more impressed if the trade rather than winging about speed actually tried to get the EU to raise it to 20mph. I must admit when comes the time to replace my bike I probulary buy a Electric Moped and a cheap cycle for exercise!
The top speed I can get up to is 22mph and I tend to cruise at 18mph and lets face it running any faster will soon deplete a battery's range. I despair at the lost opportunity that is the UK harmonisation with Europe.
What is the point of buying a ebike if you don't have mobility issues?
I be more impressed if the trade rather than winging about speed actually tried to get the EU to raise it to 20mph. I must admit when comes the time to replace my bike I probulary buy a Electric Moped and a cheap cycle for exercise!
The trade (motorbike and cycle) is in general agreement that an assist of 25kph (15.5mph) is perfectly adequate for pedelecs. Any faster and its not considered leisure cycling, its considered a motorbike, hence the need for much tighter legislation, insurance / tax etc.
The point of buying an eBike if you don't have mobility issues, is you can get places at the same pace with loads less effort, which means riding to work every day, not breaking a sweat becomes an option for even people who are not serious cyclists.
It's only some of the Chinese bikes where you can do that. With the German bikes you can't. The point of buying an e bike when you don't have mobility issues for me is that my age and lots of steep hills don't mix that well. There are other reasons for other people too which may not apply to you.
The current changes to UK law are about EU harmonisation; and as to the bike trade trying to get the EU to change the limit, well good luck with that. You might as well say the car companies should be pushing for higher speed limits.
They don't since it's never going to happen. There are classes for more speed so both the EU and member governments see no reason to alter the present pedelec law on the assist speed limit.
The choice is there, leisure/utility cycling with some assistance or change vehicle type accepting the safety restrictions that apply.
.
The point is that the ebike market will not grow unless it looks beyond its present demographic. I am struck that most of the active members on this forum are of an older age and do seem to set in their ways of thinking.
On the one hand we have politicians telling us to go green abandon our cars and get more exercise and then on the other giving us no incentive to do so.
On the question of raising the speed it will not happen unless we and the trade
point out how it's holding back the market and argue for change.
On the one hand we have politicians telling us to go green abandon our cars and get more exercise and then on the other giving us no incentive to do so.
On the question of raising the speed it will not happen unless we and the trade
point out how it's holding back the market and argue for change.
It's nothing to do with the perceptions due to age Twangman. Many of us have been around this scene for a very long time and seen all the previous attempts to raise the speed limit, together with all the same arguments about expanding the market etc.
They've not worked in recent times which is why I said it's never going to happen. There have been many past easements but it's clear there will be no more. I've been around powered cycling since 1950 when small petrol motors were added to bikes, and that meant a full motor cycle licence, registration and number plate, road tax, insurance etc. Even when dispensation was given to electric assistance in 1983, the assist speed limit was 12 mph.
So you can see how far we've come, losing licencing, registration, road tax, insurance and getting an assist speed increase. But that's it as the authorities have made absolutely clear, there will be no more concessions, their stance aided by the fact that main European cycling countries like The Netherlands cycle slowly anyway and don't keep asking for more speed. Within the EU it's mainly just Britain which has this speed obsession as so many videos of cycling here and in such as Denmark and The Netherlands show only too clearly.
There's also the world influence, it's not just the EU. Japan has similar but even more strict, Australia has now adopted EU style rules and China is also phasing them in so it's clear they are spreading widely and applying to a third of the planet's population.
.
They've not worked in recent times which is why I said it's never going to happen. There have been many past easements but it's clear there will be no more. I've been around powered cycling since 1950 when small petrol motors were added to bikes, and that meant a full motor cycle licence, registration and number plate, road tax, insurance etc. Even when dispensation was given to electric assistance in 1983, the assist speed limit was 12 mph.
So you can see how far we've come, losing licencing, registration, road tax, insurance and getting an assist speed increase. But that's it as the authorities have made absolutely clear, there will be no more concessions, their stance aided by the fact that main European cycling countries like The Netherlands cycle slowly anyway and don't keep asking for more speed. Within the EU it's mainly just Britain which has this speed obsession as so many videos of cycling here and in such as Denmark and The Netherlands show only too clearly.
There's also the world influence, it's not just the EU. Japan has similar but even more strict, Australia has now adopted EU style rules and China is also phasing them in so it's clear they are spreading widely and applying to a third of the planet's population.
.
Last edited:
What makes you think its holding back the market?? I can assure you its not.
Related Articles
-
MTF Enterprises announces acquisition of EMU Electric Bikes- Started by: Pedelecs
-
Wisper 806T folding bike wins Which? ‘Best Buy’- Started by: Pedelecs
-
Sustrans calls for protected cycle lanes- Started by: Pedelecs
-
Amazon launch their first UK e-cargo micromobility hub- Started by: Pedelecs
