ebike insurance for conversions
- Thread starter guerney
- Start date
Yes, like that. That could be an expensive repair bill and it looked entirely like the cyclists fault. Wonder if he had 3rd party insurance...
- Hi @guerney - the bit that I posted about above was to do with the 3rd party insurance cover that comes with membership of cycling UK.
- Pedal Cover is personal insurance against theft etc and as you point out, it doesn't cover conversions
- It'll be interested to see if you do get confirmation/details of the 3rd party insurance cover
Broken/fractured hip? Slashed face? That modern cars crumple so easily is reassuring - whatever his injuries were, they would have been far worse, if it were not for the bacofoil body panel.
Is it worth chasing details of Cycling UK's 3rd party cover? Omitting such important information from their website suggests murk further down the line - why not make all policy documents available? Why only FAQ and Guidance Notes? And incomplete notes at that. I'm going to look elsewhere.
I don't ever plan to ride a bicycle on the roads, but I do meet a few people (often with dogs) when riding off-road and on tow paths. Maybe I should "take one for the team" and look into this.
As I don't ride anywhere as a destination and leave my bike while I go off elsewhere, theft isn't really a consideration either. My bikes are generally inside the house, or a place where noise from a break in would wake me up. And as my better half would tell you, I'm seldom in a good mood when woken unexpectedly...
" A spokesperson from Laka confirmed it is possible to insure an electric bike conversion “so long as it complies with the Government’s definition of an EAPC [electrically assisted pedal cycle]”.
Dave George, CEO of Bikmo, also said his firm would cover a converted bike so long as it “still meets the requirements of an EPAC”.
This means electric bike conversion kits that feature a throttle would not be covered (and, in any case, these would be illegal to use on roads in the UK without registration and appropriate insurance). "
www.bikeradar.com
Dave George, CEO of Bikmo, also said his firm would cover a converted bike so long as it “still meets the requirements of an EPAC”.
This means electric bike conversion kits that feature a throttle would not be covered (and, in any case, these would be illegal to use on roads in the UK without registration and appropriate insurance). "
Electric bike insurance: all you need to know in 2023
Do ebike riders need insurance? Can I cover my ebike against theft? Your questions answered
www.bikeradar.com
That's a useful article. I have 3rd party insurance with cycling UK and I didn't check coverage but it certainly isn't a listed exception. Always difficult with insurance companies and I may contact the insurance company directly. My guess is that the cycling UK cover erd does cover converted bikes....but don't want to find out the hard way ....
I have little interest in theft and accidental damage insurance for my usage. There has been a lot of talk about registration and insurance recently. Not keen on compulsory insurance as I think it will impede cycling take-up, at the same time, anybody riding regularly might be well advised to have 3rd party insurance for their own good, as well as the 3rd party.
I have little interest in theft and accidental damage insurance for my usage. There has been a lot of talk about registration and insurance recently. Not keen on compulsory insurance as I think it will impede cycling take-up, at the same time, anybody riding regularly might be well advised to have 3rd party insurance for their own good, as well as the 3rd party.
I'm in Cycling UK too - please let us know your findings if you do make that enquiry.
Do you mean converted bicycles aren't listed as an exception in the policy documents Cycling UK has emailed/posted to you?
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Knowing cylcle uk and how they work, it is highly likely a conversion will void any insurance claim.
Uninsured drivers worry me.
" Last year 123,429 uninsured vehicles were seized - one every four minutes. "
www.thisismoney.co.uk
" Last year 123,429 uninsured vehicles were seized - one every four minutes. "
Over half of people caught driving uninsured just made a mistake
The Motor Insurers' Bureau said that 'entirely avoidable human errors' led to thousands of people driving without cover every day.
Cycling UK don't issue policy documents - the insurance is part of the benefits of being a member.
Maybe @Nealh has good reason to be pessimistic about CUK' s insurers which is why it'll be interesting to see the response to @Bogmonster666 's enquiry to the insurance company.
I think they cover bonefide OEM EAPC's but when it comes to any diy or pro conversions , the bike is then out of it's optimum design criteria.
Has Cycling UK sent you policy documents detailing exactly what they cover, their terms and conditions etc?
Yes we have policy documents which state the level of third party cover and legal protection we have with them. The offer of optional cycle (theft) insurance was declined as we already have it elsewhere.
We took out this cover from strong advice given to us at the time of the Stormont “moped” fiasco which grounded ebikes in this festering part of the UK because of what was seen at the time that ebikes were illegal and those using them were liable to prosecution. In the end some were prosecuted and bikes confiscated but when the buffoons on the Hill came to their senses encouraged by me and several other belligerent and indignant ebikers our bikes were finally accepted as bicycles and not mopeds or motorcycles.
Trust me it was very nasty at times and a lot of apparently knowledgeable and allegedly “powerful” people ended up looking a tad silly. Enough said.
The folder still on my PC relating to this seemingly endless war has a property size of 515306 KB.
However the issue of insurance cover remained and we and several others felt that third party insurance would soon become necessary and legally required so we went ahead at the time and have stuck with it due to the alternatives not being attractive. We have car insurance so why not ebike insurance to cover us in the event of an accident / incident.
For as long as we cycle we will retain this level of cover.
At the time of this war it could have been seen by forum members as overreacting but we accepted that as this is a difficult place in which to live if you are not on your toes. I still believe it will become compulsory at some point so we are OK with £33 annually should it become law.
I have been around a bit in 73 years on 2, 4 and 18 wheels but the things I now see on the roads and footpaths make my eyes water.
We took out this cover from strong advice given to us at the time of the Stormont “moped” fiasco which grounded ebikes in this festering part of the UK because of what was seen at the time that ebikes were illegal and those using them were liable to prosecution. In the end some were prosecuted and bikes confiscated but when the buffoons on the Hill came to their senses encouraged by me and several other belligerent and indignant ebikers our bikes were finally accepted as bicycles and not mopeds or motorcycles.
Trust me it was very nasty at times and a lot of apparently knowledgeable and allegedly “powerful” people ended up looking a tad silly. Enough said.
The folder still on my PC relating to this seemingly endless war has a property size of 515306 KB.
However the issue of insurance cover remained and we and several others felt that third party insurance would soon become necessary and legally required so we went ahead at the time and have stuck with it due to the alternatives not being attractive. We have car insurance so why not ebike insurance to cover us in the event of an accident / incident.
For as long as we cycle we will retain this level of cover.
At the time of this war it could have been seen by forum members as overreacting but we accepted that as this is a difficult place in which to live if you are not on your toes. I still believe it will become compulsory at some point so we are OK with £33 annually should it become law.
I have been around a bit in 73 years on 2, 4 and 18 wheels but the things I now see on the roads and footpaths make my eyes water.
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From the ETA website:
"Beware ebikes that are sold with speed limiters you can alter yourself. The fact you can restrict your e-bike to 15.5mph does not make it legal for use on British roads if the motor is rated above 250W. Apart from anything else, you will not be able to insure this type of bike as a bicycle."
www.eta.co.uk
On my Bafang 250W BBS01B kit, the speed limit can be set at the controller using the programming cable, or it can be programmed to be set by the display. Programming of the controller could be assumed to have been done by the seller or manufacturer, there is no way to prove otherwise. When the speed limit is set at the controller, I think it's legal, when the speed limit can be easily be changed at the display, it's not? If the above quote is correct, are all KT kits where the speed limit can be changed by the display illegal? I suspect it's a insurer's requirement they can use to wriggle out of payouts.
"Beware ebikes that are sold with speed limiters you can alter yourself. The fact you can restrict your e-bike to 15.5mph does not make it legal for use on British roads if the motor is rated above 250W. Apart from anything else, you will not be able to insure this type of bike as a bicycle."
If I derestrict my ebike can I still insure it? | ETA
If your ebike has been derestricted or modified so that it no longer conforms to the 250W motor limit and 15.5mph speed restriction stipulated by UK law,
www.eta.co.uk
On my Bafang 250W BBS01B kit, the speed limit can be set at the controller using the programming cable, or it can be programmed to be set by the display. Programming of the controller could be assumed to have been done by the seller or manufacturer, there is no way to prove otherwise. When the speed limit is set at the controller, I think it's legal, when the speed limit can be easily be changed at the display, it's not? If the above quote is correct, are all KT kits where the speed limit can be changed by the display illegal? I suspect it's a insurer's requirement they can use to wriggle out of payouts.
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the fact that you can change the power settings means it is not road legal any insurance will be a waste of money.
look at it like a car with a 2l motor if i fit dual turbos to it or change the hole engine for a 5000bhp one it would still be insured until they take a look at it and then ur fooked.
look at it like a car with a 2l motor if i fit dual turbos to it or change the hole engine for a 5000bhp one it would still be insured until they take a look at it and then ur fooked.
On the BBS01B, the user can only change the power limit is by hacking, and there's no way that anyone can prove that the seller didn't set the controller's power limit using Bafang software.
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you are not hacking anything not that it matters but it is not a option on bosch ect controllers only 3rd party dongles can do that atm.
but i can remove the dongle there is no way to lock that controller same if i ripped mine out and used a phase runner then all these legal marks and stickers on my bike means nothing does it lol.
all insurance is a scam and if they can find a way not to pay out then they will find it
but i can remove the dongle there is no way to lock that controller same if i ripped mine out and used a phase runner then all these legal marks and stickers on my bike means nothing does it lol.
all insurance is a scam and if they can find a way not to pay out then they will find it
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