Guy on Facebook said Police took a ride on his bike ?

[LeighPing]

"I set my speed dial to 15.5mph", and the police are struggling to prove that.

It's a fair cop, when the cop's fair. It sounds like he's playing the game by riding safely and the police seemed content with that.. and a free ebike ride around sunny Bristol.

 

[BazP]

Ah, obviously the police suspect he's up to no good then. Reading between the lines his bike is able to provide assistance above 15.5mph, "I set my speed dial to 15.5mph", and the police are struggling to prove that.

Just as a matter of interest, do electric cycles with a throttle have to cut off the assistance when the bike reaches 15mph? If so then is connection to a speedometer compulsory.
That aside, the police would have no grounds to pull him over for speeding so long as he was within the speed limit of the road. He could have been doing 30mph unassisted.

 

[Deleted member 25121]

That aside, the police would have no grounds to pull him over for speeding so long as he was within the speed limit of the road. He could have been doing 30mph unassisted.

It's illegal to ride a bike that is able to provide assistance above 15.5mph, even if you're only riding at say 5mph.

 

[sjpt]

That aside, the police would have no grounds to pull him over for speeding so long as he was within the speed limit of the road. He could have been doing 30mph unassisted.

Another curiosity I saw recently (probably on this forum) is that the regular speed limit does not apply to bikes ... as I understand it he could legally be doing 40mph unassisted in a 20mph zone.

 

[LeighPing]

It's illegal to ride a bike that is able to provide assistance above 15.5mph, even if you're only riding at say 5mph.

Which is what they were evidently testing for with their free bike ride. Fortunately, for him, he'd switched it out of that mode. It sounds like the battery pack excuse was just that and they're on to him.

 

[flecc]

Another curiosity I saw recently (probably on this forum) is that the regular speed limit does not apply to bikes ... as I understand it he could legally be doing 40mph unassisted in a 20mph zone.

That's due to the UK speed limits only being part of motor vehicle law in the Road Traffic Acts.

All kinds of bicycles and furiously driven stagecoaches are exempt, so wannabe cowboys are ok too.
.

 

[Deleted member 25121]

Which is what they were evidently testing for with their free bike ride. Fortunately, for him, he'd switched it out of that mode. It sounds like the battery pack excuse was just that and they're on to him.

Yes, they were unlikely to tell him that they'd stopped him initially because they thought his bike was able to provide assistance over 15.5mph.

 

[LeighPing]

Yes, they were unlikely to tell him that they'd stopped him initially because they thought his bike was able to provide assistance over 15.5mph.

Agreed. Enough typing for me. I'm off to practice my hot mode switching.

 

[soundwave]

7.40s ill just de restrict it after the test so it still wont be road legal bit like buying a car getting it insured and then slap 500bhp of turbos to it.

 

[BazP]

It's illegal to ride a bike that is able to provide assistance above 15.5mph, even if you're only riding at say 5mph.

I know that, I made no mention of an illegal bike, just that doing 30mph (or it appears even above) is not grounds for police to stop someone.

 

[Amoto65]

What a pointless exercise.......

 

[Bobajob]

Ah, obviously the police suspect he's up to no good then. Reading between the lines his bike is able to provide assistance above 15.5mph, "I set my speed dial to 15.5mph", and the police are struggling to prove that.

Remember that we are not in Nazi Germany but in the UK, apparently the land where spot checks, inspections and giving a reason to be doing what you are doing, providing ID isn't compulsory but somehow that hasn't been explained to the police who frequently breach the law.
If you quote the law when stopped this winds them up no end and they will victimise those who question what they say.
The police are a law unto themselves and again i say don't know much about a lot really, they will generalise and bully you into complying.
I do not know what suspicions they had about this chap so cant comment on whether they had just cause but to believe they are all above board is a bit naive.

 

[Bobajob]

Obviously Bobajob wasn't there. This was the info given - "a police officer stopped him in Bristol because of his battery in a triangle bag"

Then they came up with a load of weight blarney before taking his steed for a joyride. The officer was clearly clueless, misquoting the law, had no justifiable reason to be hunting for further evidence that the owner of the
bike was not obliged to give.

if i was in that situation i would let the officers take it for a ride as from what i have seen f those in patrol cars they need some exercise lol

 

[Bobajob]

I jest somewhat regarding the police. They are between a rock and a hard place but they must but often do not adhere to the law but what they feel they can get away with.
could be worse, if you had the USA police all of us would be moaning lol

 

[Deleted member 25121]

Coincidently my local paper today had a report of a guy who'd been stopped in the town centre and found to be carrying a lock knife. He was arrested and found guilty of "possessing the blade without lawful excuse".
Was that unlawful police harassment?

 

[Bobajob]

Coincidently my local paper today had a report of a guy who'd been stopped in the town centre and found to be carrying a lock knife. He was arrested and found guilty of "possessing the blade without lawful excuse".
Was that unlawful police harassment?

or if the police stopped and man carrying a machete, machine gun and a bomb would that be unlawful, no it wouldn't.
If the police stopped you in the street and demanded your name and id without any unlawful justification would that be lawful? not really but in their report they would include a reason to justify their stop, especially if you tried to protect your rights.

 

[soundwave]

you not had one of them nob heads try to do you for throwing a fag end on the floor then they follow you round like a dog asking for name and address to fine you 75 quid.

 

[Deleted member 25121]

or if the police stopped and man carrying a machete, machine gun and a bomb would that be unlawful, no it wouldn't.

So it's lawful to stop a man who's carrying nasty weapons but not lawful to stop him if he's carrying no weapon.

How are the police to know whether or not he's carrying a weapon?

 

[Bobajob]

So it's lawful to stop a man who's carrying nasty weapons but not lawful to stop him if he's carrying no weapon.

How are the police to know whether or not he's carrying a weapon?

If they were to enter your property (home) without a warrant to ascertain whether you are not growing drugs, making bombs, or doing nasty things without probable cause would you welcome them well?
They would not know if you weren't doing the above unlawful acts unless they searched you house?

 

[Amoto65]

If you have nothing to hide who cares...