DVSA take companies to Court for selling illegal bikes.

[guerney]

If there aren't too many burning hoops to jump through, I would be interested in putting my throttle back on and legalising it.

I’ll post details tomorrow.

All the best, David

I look forward to reading about how many burning hoops there are, their diamter, depth, orientation, temperature, smokiness, height from the ground, and whether they are perfectly round.

 

[WheezyRider]

Something I've seen a lot of the continent are these things...not pedelecs, not scooters but they are becoming popular and I don't know what law is or isn't being applied here, but they're certainly not following the pedelec rules!

Vässla

Vässla är en Svensk tillverkare av tvåhjuliga elektriska fordon. Vi har tre fantastiska produkter, Vässla Scooter Vässla Bike och Vässla Pedal, en helt otrolig elcykel.

www.vassla.com

 

[flecc]

Something I've seen a lot of the continent are these things...not pedelecs, not scooters but they are becoming popular and I don't know what law is or isn't being applied here, but they're certainly not following the pedelec rules!

Vässla

Vässla är en Svensk tillverkare av tvåhjuliga elektriska fordon. Vi har tre fantastiska produkter, Vässla Scooter Vässla Bike och Vässla Pedal, en helt otrolig elcykel.

www.vassla.com

They are illegal in Britain at present and an e-scooter cannot have a seat under the present trial rules. A small number of users have added seats and registered them as L1e-B mopeds with number plates to make them legal.

However there is talk of that changing with seats allowed if privately owned e-scooters are made legal, so this kind of machine might fall under e-scooter rules eventually.
.

 

[WheezyRider]

They are illegal in Britain at present and an e-scooter cannot have a seat under the present trial rules. A small number of users have added seats and registered them as L1e-B mopeds with number plates to make them legal.

However there is talk of that changing with seats allowed if privately owned e-scooters are made legal, so this kind of machine might fall under e-scooter rules eventually.
.

Do you know what rules they would come under on the continent to be legal there?

 

[flecc]

Do you know what rules they would come under on the continent to be legal there?

It's definitely not permitted as a pedelec, but I don't what class it would be in. It may be in their e-scooter regulations since they do have them permitted there, limited to 20kph (12.5 mph).

All other countries have a fundamental difference. Here in Britain since 1835, every type of motorised vehicle is illegal until it has a specific permission to be on the road. Other countries don't have that blanket rule so have greater flexibility in introducing new types.
.

 

[Craiggor 2]

They are illegal in Britain at present and an e-scooter cannot have a seat under the present trial rules. A small number of users have added seats and registered them as L1e-B mopeds with number plates to make them legal.

However there is talk of that changing with seats allowed if privately owned e-scooters are made legal, so this kind of machine might fall under e-scooter rules eventually.
.

Rental escooters can have a seat. This photo is taken from “escooters trails guidance for local authorities and rental companies “ from gov. Uk

 

[Wisper Bikes]

As promised.

From the MVSA (Motor Vehicle Standards Agency) logbook

250W LPM
250 Watt Low Powered Moped. This is a sub-group of Low Powered Moped that meets
the criteria laid down in the Electrically Assisted Pedal Cycle Regulations 1983 (SI
1983 No. 1168) as amended by SI 2015 No. 24. The requirements are that the vehicle:

Be fitted with pedals by means of which it is capable of being propelled.

Be fitted with no motor other than an electric motor, which has a maximum
continuous rated power, which does not exceed 250 watts and cannot propel
the vehicle when it is travelling at more than 15.5 mph. (Note: the official speed
is 25 km/h, MSVA will accept declarations up to and including 16 mph as per
low powered mopeds).

These vehicles will be required to meet the standards applied to Low Powered Mopeds
except where specified.

Go to https://www.gov.uk/vehicle-approval/motorcycle-single-vehicle-approval

Fill in the forms and search for your most local service centre, and fill in the form. Call the centre pay your £55.00 and they will give you an appointment date and time to take your bike in. The test takes about 1 hour.

You will be issued with this certificate.

All the best, David

 

[Wisper Bikes]

I should add, opening the throttle will put a lot of extra stress and strain on the bike, particularly the electronics. So before opening the throttle I strongly suggest any bike owner contacts the manufacturer of their bike to make sure that fitting a throttle does not affect your warranty.

We have beefed up our connections etc to take the throttle but we do charge to extend the warranty to include full throttle use.

For any eBike companies that are considering doing this too, FYI we charge £165.00 plus VAT to upgrade the bike. £55.00 is for the certification. £75.00 is to take the fully prepped bike to the MOT centre wait for an hour or so, bring the bike back and make the changes this, takes all in all about three hours. £30.00 is to cover the Warranty extension.

I hope this helps.

All the best, David

 

[StuartsProjects]

Be fitted with no motor other than an electric motor, which has a maximum
continuous rated power, which does not exceed 250 watts and cannot propel
the vehicle when it is travelling at more than 15.5 mph. (Note: the official speed
is 25 km/h, MSVA will accept declarations up to and including 16 mph as per
low powered mopeds).

Thanks for posting that.

This bit;

"and cannot propel the vehicle when it is travelling at more than 15.5 mph"

The controller on my eBike is set to cut the power at 15.5mph, but I can easily change that, press a few buttons etc, no power cut.

So does having the controller set to cut the power at 15.5mph count as fullfilling the requirement ?

 

[sjpt]

Thanks for posting that.

This bit;

"and cannot propel the vehicle when it is travelling at more than 15.5 mph"

The controller on my eBike is set to cut the power at 15.5mph, but I can easily change that, press a few buttons etc, no power cut.

So does having the controller set to cut the power at 15.5mph count as fullfilling the requirement ?

I think if it is easily changed it counts as a switch, which is explicitly ruled out somewhere.

What exactly constitutes a switch is unclear to me. I'm pretty sure anything that can be adjusted while riding would count as a switch and be illegal. If it required connection to a computer to change the firmware settings maybe it wouldn't.

 

[Wisper Bikes]

Thanks for posting that.

This bit;

"and cannot propel the vehicle when it is travelling at more than 15.5 mph"

The controller on my eBike is set to cut the power at 15.5mph, but I can easily change that, press a few buttons etc, no power cut.

So does having the controller set to cut the power at 15.5mph count as fullfilling the requirement ?

In my opinion as long as the throttle is incapable of propelling the vehicle when it is travelling at more than 15.5 mph it would be fine. However as sjpt has posted having a switch or "off road button" that bypasses the 15.5mph limit would render the bike "un-passable" as an L1e.

All the best, David

 

[vidtek]

David, I wonder how many police patrol officers in the UK would have the expertise and inclination to stop and check a suspect bike, unless involved in an accident or other incident they were investigating. There are probably a few officers that have ebikes and are interested that may have that expertise, but I suspect they would be very thin on the ground.
I regularly cycle at under the 10mph speed limit along the Bournemouth/Poole promenade, and the number of weird powered machines, unicycles, scooters, powered skateboards, recumbents, strange bikes with massive fat tyres as well as the large number of head down oblivious lycra louts belting past me at anything up to 30mph is quite staggering.
In the last year or so I have seen one police patrol along the promenade (except for during the air show when there was wall to wall policing), and I do the prom run at least twice a week.

 

[StuartsProjects]

I think if it is easily changed it counts as a switch, which is explicitly ruled out somewhere.

Whilst I would not attempt to change the setting in the KT controller whilst on the move, its easy enough to do when stationary.

 

[esuark]

David, I wonder how many police patrol officers in the UK would have the expertise and inclination to stop and check a suspect bike, unless involved in an accident or other incident they were investigating. There are probably a few officers that have ebikes and are interested that may have that expertise, but I suspect they would be very thin on the ground.
I regularly cycle at under the 10mph speed limit along the Bournemouth/Poole promenade, and the number of weird powered machines, unicycles, scooters, powered skateboards, recumbents, strange bikes with massive fat tyres as well as the large number of head down oblivious lycra louts belting past me at anything up to 30mph is quite staggering.
In the last year or so I have seen one police patrol along the promenade (except for during the air show when there was wall to wall policing), and I do the prom run at least twice a week.

Police not bothered I saw a kid on an e scooter ride straight past some who had pulled a car over for what ever reason nothing happened to it. They`re everywhere, e scooters not police.

 

[Wisper Bikes]

David, I wonder how many police patrol officers in the UK would have the expertise and inclination to stop and check a suspect bike, unless involved in an accident or other incident they were investigating. There are probably a few officers that have ebikes and are interested that may have that expertise, but I suspect they would be very thin on the ground.
I regularly cycle at under the 10mph speed limit along the Bournemouth/Poole promenade, and the number of weird powered machines, unicycles, scooters, powered skateboards, recumbents, strange bikes with massive fat tyres as well as the large number of head down oblivious lycra louts belting past me at anything up to 30mph is quite staggering.
In the last year or so I have seen one police patrol along the promenade (except for during the air show when there was wall to wall policing), and I do the prom run at least twice a week.

Hi Vidtec,

Simply put none at all! They have enough to do without worrying about such petty laws.

As you quite correctly say though, it’s all good until a rider on a throttle bike is involved in an accident and the…. “been involved in an accident that was not your fault?” “no win no fee”… lawyers get involved. Then if the accident occurred whist riding on a throttle controlled bike (or scooter) that is not a certified TA’d L1e, the rider is in huge trouble. The lose your house type of trouble!

All the best, David

 

[RiderJake]

Ah but they are driven by highly skilled operators, trained and tested to prove their high degree of proficiency. One only has to see they way they skim past cyclists and pedestrians at high speeds with only inches to spare to realise the superb degree of co-ordination and roadcraft skills involved, worthy of the highest admiration.

Sometimes I think it's just for show. Well, why create a dangerous situation?

 

[StuartsProjects]

“no win no fee”… lawyers get involved.

This is the significant problem these days.

Even a minor accident, with no significant injury, when there is no cost involved, expect a lot of people to attempt to sue you.

 

[flecc]

Sometimes I think it's just for show. Well, why create a dangerous situation?

It's simply lack of adequate road space. Cycling in Britain all but died between 1960 and 1990 so drivers had it all their own way for decades, owning the roads. They are having a problem adjusting to the new reality, this sort of change doesn't happen overnight, so I see years of friction yet.
.

 

[Nealh]

Saw another ebike/moped today, no pedal action but careering along at about 20mph on the pavement.

 

[flecc]

Saw another ebike/moped today, no pedal action but careering along at about 20mph on the pavement.

Not surprising when the government unwisely permits the hire of 500 watt powered scooters, leaving the door wide open for all manner of associated illegality.

They've opened Pandora's box and I can't see how they are going to close it again, now there are hundreds of thousands of illegal two wheelers of all kinds in private ownership.
.