Delfast UK?

[Zak Tempest]

Dear fellow Ebike enthusiasts,

I have been looking at the Delfats range of PEDLEC bikes, https://delfastbikes.com/

I note that the bike they suggest for UK use is the Prime.

The Prime has four control modes, 25K/h, 32 and 45.

To use it in the UK on the road without a licence I assume you could only use it in the first (25Km/h) mode.

The motor on this bike is 1500W. I assume this can be reduced by restricting the Voltage to it. Hence converting it to a 250W motor.

Would this make it suitable for non licenced use on UK roads?

Electric bikes: licensing, tax and insurance

Electric bikes meeting the EAPC regulations can be ridden on the road without being taxed, licensed or insured

www.gov.uk

says,

An EAPC must have pedals that can be used to propel it.
It must show either:

• the power output
• the manufacturer of the motor

It must also show either:

• the battery’s voltage
• the maximum speed of the bike

Its electric motor:

• must have a maximum power output of 250 watts
• should not be able to propel the bike when it’s travelling more than 15.5mph

I welcome your opinions.

Cheers,

Zak

 

[flecc]

If it's switchable by the rider between the modes, without the use of tools, it is illegal for use on public roads according to the DfT.

They use the term "off road switch" to describe such methods and they say in their words that they are "strictly forbidden".

That clarifying statement was made by them on the 13th April 2013 at a meeting with interested parties and subsequently instructions issued to all police forces in Great Britain.

That said, many people do ride such e-bikes without problems and we don't know of anyone prosecuted for doing so, but the risk is theirs. The consequences might only be serious if an accident occurred where someone was seriously injured or killed.
.

 

[danielrlee]

No. With a 1500W motor, it can never be UK road legal.