Illegal ebike crackdown Coventry

[guerney]

If and when this starts happening to premium bike riders we will have bike dvr systems in place, well i and @guerney will

There was no drama whatsoever during my commute home today (from 1m 43s). Even on the busiest roads, all drivers allowed me oodles of space because of the Oxford safety lollipop bolted onto the end of my right handlebar. Nobody is ever interested in my nice but dull cycling vids

 

[StuartsProjects]

May I ask who is your insurer?

There are several.

House building, house contents and one for the bikes.

The bike policy was Barclays, but they recently stopped doing it and it transferred to Aviva.

 

[esuark]

Back on this ebike insurance subject again, have you found someone who will insure a "converted to ebike" bike?

 

[Az.]

Aviva.

Are you happy with small print? Each time when I read through T&C I just give up. Example from British Cycling insurance:

"
(7) E-bike (Electrically assisted pedal cycle) must have pedals that can be used to propel it, the electric motor should have a maximum power output of 250 watts or less, and the motor should not be able to propel the bike when it is travelling more than 15.5mph. In addition your E-bike must display either the power output or manufacturer of the motor, as well as either the battery voltage or maximum speed of the bike, as defined by the manufacturer.
If you want to take part in a cycling event on your e-bike, please check with the event organiser whether there are any rules governing the use of e-bikes. "

Is there a single bike that would meet this criteria?

 

[guerney]

Are you happy with small print?

... of course written so it's wide open to interpretation. I fear if they ever pay out, it'll be because they want to.

 

[thelarkbox]

Sorry, I dont understand ?

And your right to question, as scrub that.. your probably covered by a comprehensive motor policy for 3rd party liability and legal cover if you borrow anyone elses ebike but not if ridding your own.. As your covered for any other vehicle usually and a cycle falls under that catagory

 

[guerney]

Back on this ebike insurance subject again, have you found someone who will insure a "converted to ebike" bike?

Does this rule out most conversions?

How do I insure a powerful e-bike? | ETA

The quick answer is if your e-bike has a motor that's over 250W you'll find it impossible to find cycle insurance for it because in the eyes of the law

www.eta.co.uk

"Speed limiters

Beware e-bikes that 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 at about 250W. Apart from anything else, you will not be able to insure this type of bike as a bicycle."

TF?!?!? "about 250W". Vague.

 

[esuark]

TF?!?!? "about 250W". Vague.

yes "up to 250W" would be more appropriate...........

 

[saneagle]

Does this rule out most conversions?

How do I insure a powerful e-bike? | ETA

The quick answer is if your e-bike has a motor that's over 250W you'll find it impossible to find cycle insurance for it because in the eyes of the law

www.eta.co.uk

"Speed limiters

Beware e-bikes that 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 at about 250W. Apart from anything else, you will not be able to insure this type of bike as a bicycle."

TF?!?!? "about 250W". Vague.

nearly every electric bike has a speed limiter. that's how they limit the speed yo 15.5 mph. They can all be adjusted because the bikes are sold in multiple countries that have different speed limits. Even Bosch can be adjusted if you know how and have the right stuff.

In order for anybody to prove that your bike can be adjusted, they'd have to be able to adjust it themselves, so stick a password in if your controller has that feature.

 

[guerney]

nearly every electric bike has a speed limiter. that's how they limit the speed yo 15.5 mph. They can all be adjusted because the bikes are sold in multiple countries that have different speed limits. Even Bosch can be adjusted if you know how and have the right stuff.

In order for anybody to prove that your bike can be adjusted, they'd have to be able to adjust it themselves, so stick a password in if your controller has that feature.

It all depends on how anal they want to get about it - I can set the BBS01B controller's firmware so that the display can't increase the speed limit beyond 25km/h, and there's no way anyone can prove that I have made any alterations... but it's still a potential wriggle out of paying out opportunity. A quick spot of Googling by the insurer would reveal how that's done.

 

[guerney]

yes "up to 250W" would be more appropriate...........

Policy documents for ebike insurance are intentionally written vague and sloppy, and the most exasperating blocks of text I have ever read!

 

[StuartsProjects]

he electric motor should have a maximum power output of 250 watts or less

Sounds very much like the clerk writing the policy does not understand.

I dont recall seeing any claim that the current regulations require that the motor should actually be limited in use to 250W.

Whether the so called restictions of 250W max power could be de-bunked in a claim, I have no idea.

 

[StuartsProjects]

And your right to question, as scrub that.. your probably covered by a comprehensive motor policy for 3rd party liability and legal cover if you borrow anyone elses ebike but not if ridding your own.

I done understand at all.

Why would my motor policy cover me if I 'borrow' an ebike.

 

[StuartsProjects]

As an asside, I do normally read insurance documents, and can see the subterfuge they use to confuse people.

In a past case, twenty years or more back, I read the insurance policy that I had to cover my self employed business and spotted a significant problem which resulted in an appearance on the BBC Welsh news and an invite to attend a meeting in Downing street.

But thats off topic.

 

[thelarkbox]

I done understand at all.

Why would my motor policy cover me if I 'borrow' an ebike.

'any vehicle' cover, has been extended to include cycles, so could extend to ebikes too? at the insurers discretion, if you have 6 hi end cars insured with the same insurer, and run a fleet at work perhaps, if your me with a £199 fully comp policy thanks to decades of no claims on a 28yr old rover, probably not..

Then again my experience of UK insurance/assurance was from a different age, when who a client was and prospects for future business definitely played a part in what claims were honored
And I didnt pay much more than lip service to to the General Branch side of things due to the 10% commission limit focusing on mortgage business, and All training was sales based, even the 86 finance act changes including registration were treated as sales training opportunities..

 

[Az.]

Sounds very much like the clerk writing the policy does not understand.

It is an ignorance at best or scam at worst.
One would think British Cycling knows something about ebikes.

 

[Cisco-man]

When it was about £10 a year, I took out personal liability insurance. It (I think) covered me for anything I could be sued for. It might be worth googling for “personal liability insurance”?

 

[Az.]

It (I think) covered me for anything I could be sued for.

That is what they want you think.
They write lengthy T&C for a reason.
From Direct Line insurance:

"If reflected as an Electric Bicycle, a Bicycle propelled by human power with pedals, but Page 19 assisted by an electric motor of no more than 250 watts maximum power output; such electric motor should not be able to propel the Bicycle when it’s traveling at more than 15.5 miles per hour. The power output or manufacturer of the motor and the battery’s voltage or maximum speed of the bike must be displayed. "

 

[Wayners]

Cardiff at it.
In city centre though.

Illegal electric bikes seized and arrests made in Cardiff crackdown

Eleven illegal e-bikes were seized in Cardiff city centre on Thursday, October 5, as part of an operation targeting those riding modified bikes capable of going 40mph. A spokesperson for Cardiff Council said: "As a council we actively encourage people to cycle bikes but what we can't have is...

ebiketips.road.cc

 

[saneagle]

Cardiff at it.
In city centre though.

Illegal electric bikes seized and arrests made in Cardiff crackdown

Eleven illegal e-bikes were seized in Cardiff city centre on Thursday, October 5, as part of an operation targeting those riding modified bikes capable of going 40mph. A spokesperson for Cardiff Council said: "As a council we actively encourage people to cycle bikes but what we can't have is...

ebiketips.road.cc

That's old news regurgitated. It refers to the event on 5th October.