Help Going Legal

[flecc]

I'm afraid the OP's Stromer ST1 cannot have been type approved for the UK or the EU. It falls under L1e-B and the obligatory items to get type approval not fitted on that model are:

Headlight conforming to the requirements.

Stop Light because it has an assist speed above 25 kph.

A white light illuminating the registration plate mount area.

Suppliers statements about type approval of various e-bikes are more often than not wrong. Tomos may have been referring to Swiss type approval which is rather different and not valid in the UK or EU.
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[flecc]

Hi Dave...I think the Kalkhoff S-class are also type approved...if it was that easy surely 50 cycles would have offered them with registration.
We come back to the age old problem,what classification do you register them under in the UK?
KudosDave

They don't have type approval under EU wide rules Dave, they only have approval for the S class where that class has national permission.

See my post just above.
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[anotherkiwi]

Supernova and b+m are now supplying lights (dipping and or daytime running) and you need Magura disk brakes with brake light switches and motor bike style brake lever endings. The ST1 is type approved to the previous - before Jan 2016 - s-pedelec standard. I don't know what the Germans do about grandfather rights... I'm pretty sure you would have to upgrade equipment to pass their MOT/TüV thingy.

 

[mike killay]

Is it possible for the OP to just fit a smaller controller.
I understand that there is no thing as a 250 watt motor.

 

[Wicky]

As most Police stuff is nowadays done semi-automatically via Automatic Number Plate Recognition systems ( http://www.gazette-news.co.uk/news/14236661.Seven_vehicles_seized_by_police_for_having_no_insurance_in_crackdown_operation/ ) to pick up from databases if the vehicle ifs legal then having a number plateless s-pededec allows it to slip unnoticed through the system.

 

[flecc]

As most Police stuff is nowadays done semi-automatically via Automatic Number Plate Recognition systems ( http://www.gazette-news.co.uk/news/14236661.Seven_vehicles_seized_by_police_for_having_no_insurance_in_crackdown_operation/ ) to pick up from databases if the vehicle ifs legal then having a number plateless s-pededec allows it to slip unnoticed through the system.

True, but the OP specifically wants to be legal, and there are always the risks if one has an accident. Then the police look at the physical situation, including the legality of involved vehicles.
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[Alan Quay]

Is it possible for the OP to just fit a smaller controller.
I understand that there is no thing as a 250 watt motor.

No it's the opposite. To be legal you need a motor rated at no more than 250w. Doesn't mater that you run it at 42v and let it have 20a (840w).

If the OP sends me the motor I have special device that can de-rate any motor to precisely 250w. It's made by 'Dymo'

 

[Kudoscycles]

No it's the opposite. To be legal you need a motor rated at no more than 250w. Doesn't mater that you run it at 42v and let it have 20a (840w).

If the OP sends me the motor I have special device that can de-rate any motor to precisely 250w. It's made by 'Dymo'

Alan....but I don't see anywhere in the thread that the OP wants to reduce the power only to retain the bike with 500 watt legally.
KudosDave

 

[Alan Quay]

Alan....but I don't see anywhere in the thread that the OP wants to reduce the power only to retain the bike with 500 watt legally.
KudosDave

My post was in response to Mike Killay's suggestion of using a 250w controller to achieve legality.

Impeccable logic BTW Mike, just not how the ridiculously simplistic law is set out.

Also, the OP mentions that she has asked for a price to swap the motor to a 250w version.

I've just looked at my Dymo machine. I'm running low on '2's, '5's, '0's and 'w's.

 

[Deleted member 4366]

They don't have type approval under EU wide rules Dave, they only have approval for the S class where that class has national permission.

See my post just above.
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The Stromers at the Cycle Show were fully type approved and ready for the road. As I said, you can buy them already registered with a number plate and V5.

 

[Kudoscycles]

The Stromers at the Cycle Show were fully type approved and ready for the road. As I said, you can buy them already registered with a number plate and V5.

Perhaps the OP will report what the importers advise and then the process of obtaining registration/legality.
It would be very interesting to members on this forum.
KudosDave

 

[Kudoscycles]

I have a Stromer ST1 with the 500W motor. Its a lovely bike but it's not legal and I would like it to be.
I thought it would be a relatively easy job to register it but it actually seems to be a minefield.

I think I need a Motor Cycle Single Vehicle approval but looking at the guidance it seems to suggest I'd have to start making modifications to the bike like adding dipped headlights etc. It sounds like serious overkill for something I thought was just going to be an expensive admin task.

I wondered if anyone has experience of successfully getting their powerful ebike, type approved and then registered and insured?

Warrior woman.....it will be very interesting to members of this forum as to the advice that the importers give,as to how you obtain registration and legality. Perhaps you would kindly report same.
We all say that it is impossible,without moped style modifications,but nobody has tried to put the Stromer through the process.
I do remember reading somewhere that VOSA will accept EU type approval as part of the registration process for SVA.
KudosDave

 

[oldtom]

I have a Stromer ST1 with the 500W motor. Its a lovely bike but it's not legal and I would like it to be.

This post seems nothing short of incredible to me. How can someone go out and purchase a Stromer without knowing exactly what is involved?

I'm at a loss to understand whether the OP sought to own a motorcycle, a moped or a pedelec. Did the OP do any research before making the purchase? Clearly, after the event the OP has 'happened' upon a website related to pedelecs and now seeks advice and tells readers of a desire to be legal.

Sorry, this just doesn't add up to me.

Tom

 

[anotherkiwi]

Easy the OP had £3000 and went looking for an e-bike, fell in love with the Stromer (very easy to do) and the cunning sales person who is more interested in the OP's money than anything else may have forgotten some details during the sale...

 

[flecc]

The Stromers at the Cycle Show were fully type approved and ready for the road. As I said, you can buy them already registered with a number plate and V5.

Which might have been the ST2 since that has a headlight and may have some of the other items necessary, but the OP's bike is an ST1 which she has said is a minefield to register. Of course they may be offering them with the several necessary modifications for registration, but that doesn't appear in their specification or show in the photos of either model.
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[warriorwoman]

So far the importers haven't responded to my email and aren't currently available to take a call but I will update when I've spoken to them.

Thanks for all the responses, it has been enlightening.

As oldtom kindly pointed out, I made an ill advised and under researched purchase. I'm not pretending I wasn't aware that it would need registering to be legal but I didn't think I was going to have to cloak it in a motorcycle's garb in order to do so.

The feeling of irresponsibility has also only gradually begun to wear me down as well. I've been riding it for a couple of months without a conscience but now I feel the need to sort it out.

 

[the_killjoy]

I think you may have a claim for a refund as it is not fit for purpose. i.e. legal use on the road.

 

[warriorwoman]

I heard back from the dealer last week about the options of switching out the motor and rear wheel to a 250W version.
As anticipated it will be quite pricey.
They've offered a part exchange option on the existing motor and the change would therefore cost me an additional £800.

That's a lot of money to downgrade my bike...

It may well be a better idea to sell my existing bike and start again but I'm not sure what the resale market is like for these bikes.

I'm off to try a 250 version today just to see how the ride compares and will make my decision from there.

 

[KTM Bike Industries UK]

I heard back from the dealer last week about the options of switching out the motor and rear wheel to a 250W version.
As anticipated it will be quite pricey.
They've offered a part exchange option on the existing motor and the change would therefore cost me an additional £800.

That's a lot of money to downgrade my bike...

It may well be a better idea to sell my existing bike and start again but I'm not sure what the resale market is like for these bikes.

I'm off to try a 250 version today just to see how the ride compares and will make my decision from there.

They sold you a product that's impossible to use legally. They didn't tell you this at the time of purchase.

One call to trading standards will help you get enough support to return the moped you bought for a full refund.

If you sell the bike you'll just be passing on the problem to someone else.

 

[Cyclezee]

We talked about this with flecc in another thread - tolerated was the conclusion. It fits in a EU class so in theory can be legally ridden on all EU roads. For the UK you need the mirror on the right hand side and a motorbike helmet.

Here the point of law is that you have to have a residence on the continent to be able to register it, get a number plate in that country of residence and insurance cover for all of the EU.

Somewhat off thread, a German friend of mine who has lived in MK for several years has a Yamaha XT 600 which is registered in Germany in his elderly mother's name.

The advantage is that it still has German plates, TüV and insurance which costs much less than if it were registered in the UK.

Back in the 80's I worked in Germany and when I came back to the UK (big mistake) brought my car with me, within a couple of weeks I had letter from the German embassy in London asking for the number plates to be returned