Do police even bother to check if an e-bike is legal?

I bought an ebike labelled 250 watts and all that because I didn't want ot have my investment seized. It's been less than a week and I haven't been riding more than 30 mins a day, and I've seen an electric scooter in the bike lane, a guy throttling his e - bike down the cycle lane at like 30 mph, and a teen around 14 with what looked like an e bike that could do over 30mph.

https://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/illegal-electric-bikes-seized-cardiff-27431549

 

https://harboroughfm.co.uk/e-bikes-seized-in-crackdown-on-dangerous-riders-in-market-harborough/

 

https://www.coventrytelegraph.net/news/coventry-news/e-bike-users-warned-illegal-27138986

I've seen an electric scooter in the bike lane, a guy throttling his e - bike down the cycle lane at like 30 mph, and a teen around 14 with what looked like an e bike that could do over 30mph.

And they're all illegal. Seems to me that the police, responding to public pressure, are starting to take notice and action, so I think you've done the right thing.

'Course if you lived where I do, very rural west Wales, the only time you see a police car is when they're in a blue light hurry - probably trying to make the chippy before it closes at 8 o'clock !

And they're all illegal. Seems to me that the police, responding to public pressure, are starting to take notice and action, so I think you've done the right thing.

'Course if you lived where I do, very rural west Wales, the only time you see a police car is when they're in a blue light hurry - probably trying to make the chippy before it closes at 8 o'clock !

I would've wanted a more powerful bike is so I could get up steeper hills and I guess maybe to throttle up a hill without much leg effort because it takes it's toll on me. But I don't want the bike taken from me. I can't afford to replace it.

I would've wanted a more powerful bike is so I could get up steeper hills and I guess maybe to throttle up a hill without much leg effort because it takes it's toll on me. But I don't want the bike taken from me. I can't afford to replace it.

 

A manufacturer rated 250W mid-drive on 20" wheels makes for a very capable hill climber, in my experience. Even while towing up very heavy trailers weighing more than me, my old Dahon folder BBS01B conversion has never failed - and that's with 52T>32T, 36V, 15A, no throttle, and an unfit body (not in the trailer). Someone on another thread was considering converting a new non-folding 20" wheeled Challenge Urban, although with a rear hub motor.

 

https://www.pedelecs.co.uk/forum/threads/rebuild-a-woosh-supplied-dwg22c-into-a-20-wheel.45955/#post-690571

Edited September 2, 20232 yr by guerney

I can't afford to replace it.

I had to scrimp for my 1st ebike, I still paid for public transport so the money I saved thereafter I put in a pot. I know in these hard times it can be hard to save, however there is a possibility you will need to maintain your bike so put what ever you can to one side for chains, cables, tyres etc...

 

Since my 1st ebike I doubled downed, to save as much as possible and starting cutting back using MSE, bill checking and switching, down shifting products and changing super markets, the bike helps me pop to different shops to get the bargains, like nightly yellow sticker reduced section. I count myself lucky though, living in a small area densely packed with shops. Some would argue I am tighter than a Duck's....

the bike helps me pop to different shops to get the bargains, like nightly yellow sticker reduced section.

 

I do exactly that on my Brompton.

 

Leave around 16:00 so stuff is down to 50% or lower. Around trip of circa 4km, 2 One-Stops and one Co-op.

 

My favourite bargain is cheese, I mean a block of Cheddar on its sell by date will still keep a long while.

I'm sure the police would check if the bike is involved in an incident.

I bought an ebike labelled 250 watts and all that because I didn't want ot have my investment seized. It's been less than a week and I haven't been riding more than 30 mins a day, and I've seen an electric scooter in the bike lane, a guy throttling his e - bike down the cycle lane at like 30 mph, and a teen around 14 with what looked like an e bike that could do over 30mph.

 

Pretty much the same this end, However when inquiring about insurance I actually made a couple of phone calls I wanted to confirm my kit built ebike was covered and i wasnt gonna pay premiums only to not get a payout when the bike gets nicked..

 

Both agents i spoke to were explicitly clear that any motor other than one rated 250w or less was NOT covered , as soon as i mentioned kit motor size questions followed..

 

And while only anecdotal, i have seen the odd OTT ebike cruse past once or twice but unlike the run of the mil legal looking ebikes these never appear frequently and often next time i spot the rider they are walking..

I was shocked to spot a conversion a couple of days ago, because I normally never see them - it zoomed by too fast down the hill I was walking up, so I didn't get a good look.

 

I do see a lot of Saurons/Sur-rons... this very fat guy zoomed right towards me:

 

 

 

 

 

Looking back at my action camera footage, he was easily keeping up with cars without pedalling, and was tailgating one a few seconds before I noticed him:

 

 

 

 

...then he sudenly turned towards me...

 

 

 

 

I feared being crushed by his blubbery mass!

 

 

 

 

...but his blubbery mass zoomed past, his rivulets of fat wobbling:

 

 

 

 

 

IMHO, there's no reason why a guy even his weight can't use a legal ebike.

Edited September 3, 20232 yr by guerney

Are we allowed to use e bikes labelled 250 watts with a throttle that only pushes the bike at like 3.7mph? I've seen some of them. Apparently they make it easy to walk the bike uphill. The thing is I would be worried a policemen would just see a throttle and try to seize the bike. Do they just check the motor wattage and see how fast the throttle goes or do they confisquate it and run tests or something?

I'm sure the police would check if the bike is involved in an incident.

There have been some forum members involved in accidents on illegal bikes. The police didn't didn't do anything. IIRC, one was taken away after the accident, but was returned afterwards with no comment. maybe they only wanted to check the brakes.

Are we allowed to use e bikes labelled 250 watts with a throttle that only pushes the bike at like 3.7mph? I've seen some of them. Apparently they make it easy to walk the bike uphill. The thing is I would be worried a policemen would just see a throttle and try to seize the bike. Do they just check the motor wattage and see how fast the throttle goes or do they confisquate it and run tests or something?

There is no law against having a throttle, nor using it. The only rule is that the power must stop when you stop pedaling if the bike is going more than 4 mph.

There is no law against having a throttle, nor using it. The only rule is that the power must stop when you stop pedaling if the bike is going more than 4 mph.

I believe you but do you have a link or something that one could shop a police if stopped?

plod round here gets the just eat riders to deliver to there car door on 1000w+ hub motors.

 

There have been some forum members involved in accidents on illegal bikes. The police didn't didn't do anything. IIRC, one was taken away after the accident, but was returned afterwards with no comment. maybe they only wanted to check the brakes.

 

Possibly things might be rather different if a third party was injured and they, the law, or the injured parties' dependants started to take legal action?

Then, possibly not being able to afford losing one's e-bike would become but a trivial matter in the scale of the potential costs being faced?

 

I suspect the depth of interest the police take in e-bikes, particularly those with the hallmarks of illegality, will reflect how much society is prepared to tolerate the dangers they present, like if third party serious injuries become an issue.

I once was being pursued for "negligence" by what thankfully proved an unsound claim; the potential cost looming was financially, of "life changing" amounts. Makes one super cautious of the ramification that can spin out of things.

I believe you but do you have a link or something that one could shop a police if stopped?

While it lacks the immediate response of real throttle control, 'virtual full throttle' can be obtained via setting pedal assist to max, Ghost pedaling, and rear brake lever micro control over motor on/off.

 

Probably even worse for battery consumption than a standard throttle and you dont have the benefit of that ability to just speed up and out of a 'situation' familiar and dear to every motorcyclist.

 

 

I believe you but do you have a link or something that one could shop a police if stopped?

It's called BS EN15194

I once was being pursued for "negligence" by what thankfully proved an unsound claim; the potential cost looming was financially, of "life changing" amounts. Makes one super cautious of the ramification that can spin out of things.

"Own nothing and be happy" sounds like a good option when scenarios like this arise. Failing that there's always Bankruptcy.

"Own nothing and be happy" sounds like a good option when scenarios like this arise. Failing that there's always Bankruptcy.

Absolutely, if I had "nowt" then such individuals with the scruples I had the misfortune to encounter, would at best get "nowt".

Only thing i am sure of is that as soon as i decide to push my chances and slap a bigger motor in/on a bike and hop on Plod will start to take a keen interest.. and a toddler will wander under my front wheel while a local yt influencer videos it..

 

 

how can i make that go 150 mph and have a 30-50 mile range

Edited September 4, 20232 yr by soundwave

His burping or farting might have altered his trajectory - if I had been crushed and possibly suffocated by this guy, a numberplate on his electric motorbike might have been useful. He'd have been protected by all that padding. It's the same for fat bouncers.

 

 

His burping or farting might have altered his trajectory - if I had been crushed and possibly suffocated by this guy, a numberplate on his electric motorbike might have been useful. He'd have been protected by all that padding. It's the same for fat bouncers.

 

 

Stick a pin in the end of your right hand grip. Next time the guy comes so close, pop him with the pin so that he shrinks down to normal size, then, after that, he won't be such a danger to you anymore. It looks like there's quite a bit of pressure in him. Let's hope that he just goes down slowly rather than explode. According to this, you have to put Vaseline on the pin and aim for a dark spot to prevent popping: