Optibike anyone? 30mph?! 800w

[dickndoris]

I was looking at these bikes a while back and wondered if anyone on the forum has tried one yet? They look fantastic! OPTIBIKE Electric Bike from Team Hybrid, sole distributors for the Optibike and electric bikes in UK and Europe.

The price is fantastic too mind. £6k There is going to be a review on the Gadget show on Mon 2 June so will be interesting to see.

Still no sign of my electric 905 yet

 

[JohnInStockie]

Im not that impressed. £6,000 for a bike that can do 30mph and that has such a powerful motor (800W) that even a 20+ stone 50 year old man (vid on its own site) hardly has to pedal.......

Whats the point - just get a motorbike. Am I missing something??

 

[JohnInStockie]

Sorry this OptiBike just doesnt make sense

If its got an 800W motor - then its not street legal and therefore would be classed as a Motorised vehicle, needing tax, mot, number plate (where would that go), the works.

Its a mountain bike basically, full suspension, and they are the worst for efficiency you can get (how many mountain bikes in the Tour de France eh?).

No Panniers or luggage rack possible, so backpack only then, and nowhere for the pump or a water bottle or anything at all generally.

So basically you can only use this off road near to home. Then I'll buy 2 for my country estate (or should I just get a couple of quadbikes instead, decisions decisions..).

John

 

[Terrytraveller]

I see they have painted it in the Fire Service colours

Regards Terry

 

[Tim]

So what is the situation with riding an 800W bicycle on the roads?

What are the legal hoops that need to be jumped through? Is there anything fundamental about an imported 800W electric bicycle, with regard to safety legislation, that would rule out use on the public highway even if it was taxed, etc?

What about use on private land and tracks?

 

[flecc]

It's primarily the speed that could rule it out as an EAPC, though the power might as well.

As long as it couldn't exceed 30 mph, it would fall into the low powered moped class, with all that entails.

Potentially all high powered electric assist pedal cycles which can be made to exceed the legal power and/or speed limits are in the same position, since, contrary to popular opinion, all e-bikes are motor vehicles. The law doesn't say they are not motor vehicles, it merely says "They are not classed as motor vehicles for the purposes of Road Traffic Legislation".
.

 

[john]

The law doesn't say they are not motor vehicles.

Surely the law isn't able to say what things are; isn't that the job of philosophers?

 

[Miles]

They would need to get Type Approval for it, as a "Moped - 2 wheeled vehicle" ("Low powered moped" speed limit is the same as EAPC), or each individual owner would need to get Single Vehicle Approval...

It would need to be registered (tax is free). Disk to be displayed.

Insurance.

Motorcycle helmet.

 

[Tim]

or each individual owner would need to get Single Vehicle Approval...

Is that process likely to be one characterised by remarkable ease and plenty of fun and laughter?

 

[flecc]

Surely the law isn't able to say what things are; isn't that the job of philosophers?

The thought of the likes of Bertrand Russell or Jean-Paul Sartre defining an e-bike is mind boggling.

"I exist, therefore I am" might define an e-bike as "It's there, therefore it is.
.

 

[Miles]

Right on the "fun and laughter" bit, I think....

They'd need to get Type Approval before they sold them, as is, I think.

 

[Tiberius]

The thought of the likes of Bertrand Russell or Jean-Paul Sartre defining an e-bike is mind boggling.

"I exist, therefore I am" might define an e-bike as "It's there, therefore it is.
.

I am subject to legislation, therefore I am

 

[Tiberius]

BTW, I am not sure, but I think I read something about the Optibike being on TV tonight on the Gadget show - I think that's something the young people watch.

Nick

 

[john]

Motorcycle Single Vehicle Approval

I did a quick bit of research on Motorcycle Single Vehicle Approval and found this:

"Full Test (low power moped) - £45
A low power moped is defined as a moped with pedals, with auxiliary propulsion not exceeding 1 kw, and a maximum design speed not exceeding 25km/h (16mph)

Full Test (2-wheeled vehicles) - £70"

Fees are a lot less than I would have expected, but a 1kW bike doing no more than 16mph!

 

[Jeremy]

As it stands, the Optibike wouldn't pass MSVA, as it's definitely non-compliant with the regulations.

I've been going through the hurdles of what is and isn't required with my own electric motorcycle conversion and at the very least the Optibike will need a stop light to be fitted, provision for a number plate (with illumination) and most probably some protection added to any exposed part that doesn't have an appropriate radius on it (for pedestrian safety requirement). The lights will need to be E marked and approved, if they aren't already, plus an E marked and approved horn or warning device will be needed (a bike bell or squeeze horn won't do).

It may well be that the brakes don't meet the required standard either, they will need to be rolling road tested. Finally, it will need a speedometer that complies with the accuracy requirements (which will be rolling road checked during MSVA testing) and also the requirements for dual MPH/KmH display. It may be that a non-resettable, tamper-proof, odometer may be required.

I'm currently trying to convince the DfT/VOSA/DVLA that just changing the engine and fuel type on an already type approved motorcycle doesn't need me to jump through all these hoops!

Jeremy

 

[Larkspur]

It is a total mystery to me that there is a UK distributor for this bike and that it was featured on the Gadget Show, shown at 8pm today on Channel 5, as a 'green' transport alternative, without any reference to the legality of using it to transport oneself anywhere.

Presumably, the only people who could possibly be interested in buying this bike would be rich, unfit, mountain racer wannabes, with their own private mountains (hmmm, not sure there are enough of these people out there to sustain the business). In my experience, real mountain bikers are far too hard to consider electric bikes for sporting purposes and (more seriously), if you were interested in powered trail riding, surely it would make more sense to buy a fully legal, trail motorbike for about the same price, and do a bit of green laning.

Well that's my two p worth for today (it keeps my mind of the Pro Connect supply chain)

 

[flecc]

if you were interested in powered trail riding, surely it would make more sense to buy a fully legal, trail motorbike for about the same price, and do a bit of green laning.

Kraeuterbutter, our Austrian member, has posted some pics of electric trail motorbikes that have a great performance and are real contenders, much better as a green alternative for rough riding than a trail e-bike.
.

 

[flecc]

I am subject to legislation, therefore I am

I am subject to legislation, therefore I am, stitched up.
.

 

[Jeremy]

There are many parallels with other products that have been sold even though using them could be against the law.

We've already seen that small electric scooters (those without any form of approval), small "mini-moto" motorcycles, Go-Peds etc have been sold here in some numbers before the law clamped down on them. The police are now reasonably savvy about the legality of them, so tend to act.

My guess is that it will take some time before the police become similarly savvy about the illegality of the Optibike (when ridden on a public highway, which includes byways, bridleways and any track, path or road to which the public have a free right of use).

One side effect, assuming that Optibikes sell well (not too likely, at the price, I think) may be that some marginally legal ebikes get subjected to police scrutiny. Knowing the way that we get knee-jerk reactions to things, it wouldn't surprise me to find something like this creating a push to ban throttles on all ebikes, even retrospectively. Given the increasing interest in high-powered ebikes, and the publicity on You Tube etc showing the performance of some of them, this may well happen anyway.

Our government is not known for acting rationally and in proportion to risk in things like this, especially if someone is unlucky enough to get hurt by an illegal ebike. We all know that 99.999% of gun crimes involve illegally acquired guns, yet that didn't stop the government deciding to effectively ban legally held sporting hand guns. The inconvenience and cost to sporting gun enthusiasts hasn't been balanced by a reduction in gun crime at all, more's the pity. In fact we have many more shootings now than we did before the law changed.

Jeremy

PS: I'm not a sporting gun enthusiast, BTW, I was just using it as an example of poor law, made as a consequence of a knee-jerk reaction to a madman's actions.

 

[Tiberius]

... a public highway, which includes byways, bridleways and any track, path or road to which the public have a free right of use

Much of the legislation just uses the word "road". The Road Traffic Act defines a "road" as anywhere the public have access to. This was written before the more recent right to roam legislation, which of course gives the public access to more areas.

The point it that what you, I and the man on the Clapham Omnibus think of as on the road and off the road is very different from that supposed by the law. If you can get your wheels on it, it is probably a road.

Nick