RobF, I'm not going to argue with you, but I should present some facts for you and others to see. So I am going to point out that I am Director of a business that sells thousands of eBikes into the UK. We work for KTM, who are in a pretty unique position in being a brand name that makes cars, motorbikes, eMotorbikes, eBikes and push bikes. We are members of BEBA, the Bicycle Association and many other trade only groups and forums in the cycle and motorcycle world. We sell bikes to pedal bike, eBike and motorbike shops. We also work closely with our local police force, we supplied them with bikes - not eBikes yet. We have taken extensive legal advise about the risks to us as a business and to our customers (the KTM shops) and their customers the people who actual ride the bikes.... and I promise you I'm not scaremongering.
I know you think adding a dongle is a small step, its is. However it is the same as riding an sPedelec. So whilst it is a small step, its a crucial one. Which like it or not turns your purchase from a bicycle into a motorcycle in the eyes of the UK law. This is not me scaremongering, its a fact. If you want to test it, ride your dongled bike into a Police station, tell them its not road legal and ask them what would happen if you were to be involved in a crash on the roads or trails, and check if your insurance company would cover you if you were chased for damages as a result of any accident where the injured party was suing for damages.
Please don't accuse me of scaremongering, just because you can't find an example of something happening yet. eBikes in the UK are very new, and their use age is still small scale. But its getting noticed, and like it or not, this is going to take the eBike world into the mainstream, which means it will be looked at more closely.
I'd love to be able to sell sPedelecs and feel safe and comfortable with the liability issues in doing so. I'd also love to be able to sell KTM bikes to shops that insist on ignoring the laws and putting their customers at risk. But I'm afraid we can't and won't.
Just because something hasn't happened yet, doesn't mean it won't and when it does, I hope a KTM isn't involved.
There have been eBikes involved in accidents in the UK, including one fatality that I know of, but so far the ones I know of have been on legal bikes, which for the companies and individuals involved has been very grateful, but when things get to insurance company level it gets serious.
If you're happy with the risk, thats fine. But please don't suggest that because I'm putting facts to you (and I don't mean you individually), to help you understand the risk that I'm scaremongering.
Col,
I understand the situation perfectly well.
KTM has been advised by lawyers not to sell S-pedelecs.
My, that must have been a surprise given they are not legal.
You are losing some sales because of this, so have embarked on a crusade to level the playing field for KTM.
No problems there, that's your job.
Many people not conversant with ebikes will swallow the bullshine, but you can't expect everyone to.
You are clinging to the notion that something vanishingly unlikely will happen to someone, and using that to warn others.
That is scaremongering.
Again, fine, all's fair in love and business.
You cannot produce any cases to back up your grave predictions.
OK, let's try to come up with a remotely likely scenario.
Any car/bike accident the bike/cyclist will come of worst, so the question of the bike never comes into it.
Clouting a pedestrian with a dongled ebike sounds more promising, but is it?
If the pedestrian sues the ebiker for damages, the amount claimed is for the injuries, it doesn't vary with the type of bike.
There is no compulsory insurance for cyclists.
Most, I reckon, don't have it, so for them the ebike or not, dongled or not question never arises.
An insurance company could, in theory, refuse to payout on a dongled ebiker's policy.
But the company would have to show the dongle played a part in the accident.
Even then the claim is more likely to be redrawn than refused.
But how many ordinary cyclists, let alone ebikers, do you know who have been sued for damages?
The doomsday scenario which you are so quick to predict depends on a string of highly unlikely events which all have to happen at the right time and in the right order.
It just 'aint gonna happen.
