Police crackdown on illegal e-bikes
- Thread starter flecc
- Start date
Speed Tuning Kits Threaten E-Bike Market Development
0248LAWS & REGULATIONS
LONDON, UK – Currently the London police and officers from the UK Trading Standards Institute are checking UK dealers if they are selling speed tuning kits for e-bikes; or if they are selling de-restricted electric bicycles. With this operation authorities are building a case on rogue e-bike traders.
The report Bike Europe received from one of the UK dealers specializing in e-bikes, follows after earlier reports from Germany where authorities also checked upon dealers on the sale of street-legal e-bikes.
Assumed to be unsafe
According to the UK dealer the police and the representatives of the Trading Standards Institute told him that the de-restricted e-bike is safe and the dongle is safe. However, the authorities also told the UK dealer: "Combining the two items constitutes a new product. If the new product does not fall into any exemption class (eg EPAC), and has not been tested, it is assumed to be unsafe - irrespective of whether the bikes are used off or on road."
Offering
Numerous webshops (like www.e-bikeshop.co.uk - www.emc-deurne.nl –www.ewerk-aachen.de) are currently offering e-bike tuning kits. The one for Bosch systems looks the same at all webshops with similar photos used online.
Pressure on other retailers
According to the UK dealer: "The promotion and sale of this un-tested type of e-bike puts huge pressure on other retailers to follow suit. If manufacturers and distributors allow this trend to continue un-checked the market for compliant e-bikes will shrink as the public shun products built to legal speeds and choose instead modified models with no speed restrictions."
The question that all this is posing is how to fight this and/or whether the tuning of e-bikes can be stopped or limited? Is this the same as what happens with mopeds and scooters that are tuned by youngsters? Bike Europe invites others to comment.
by JACK OORTWIJN
0248LAWS & REGULATIONS
LONDON, UK – Currently the London police and officers from the UK Trading Standards Institute are checking UK dealers if they are selling speed tuning kits for e-bikes; or if they are selling de-restricted electric bicycles. With this operation authorities are building a case on rogue e-bike traders.
The report Bike Europe received from one of the UK dealers specializing in e-bikes, follows after earlier reports from Germany where authorities also checked upon dealers on the sale of street-legal e-bikes.
Assumed to be unsafe
According to the UK dealer the police and the representatives of the Trading Standards Institute told him that the de-restricted e-bike is safe and the dongle is safe. However, the authorities also told the UK dealer: "Combining the two items constitutes a new product. If the new product does not fall into any exemption class (eg EPAC), and has not been tested, it is assumed to be unsafe - irrespective of whether the bikes are used off or on road."
Offering
Numerous webshops (like www.e-bikeshop.co.uk - www.emc-deurne.nl –www.ewerk-aachen.de) are currently offering e-bike tuning kits. The one for Bosch systems looks the same at all webshops with similar photos used online.
Pressure on other retailers
According to the UK dealer: "The promotion and sale of this un-tested type of e-bike puts huge pressure on other retailers to follow suit. If manufacturers and distributors allow this trend to continue un-checked the market for compliant e-bikes will shrink as the public shun products built to legal speeds and choose instead modified models with no speed restrictions."
The question that all this is posing is how to fight this and/or whether the tuning of e-bikes can be stopped or limited? Is this the same as what happens with mopeds and scooters that are tuned by youngsters? Bike Europe invites others to comment.
by JACK OORTWIJN
A real conundrum Flecc. Speed pedelecs are legal in many countries now but as usual we in the UK are way, way behind.
The problem is of course now the police know what to look out for there will certainly be prosecutions. I was recently informed by a customer in Spain that the police there are also cracking down. A freind of theirs was recently fined €2,200 for riding a bike with a throttle and no EN15194 certification. I can imagine the DPP taking a similar stance in the UK if they catch an offender. The fact is that anyone caught riding a machine that will go faster than 16mph or with a motor of more than 350W they are driving an uninsured, un registered vehicle. I would assume huge fines and probably a driving ban for those with a car licence would ensue, esp. if there had been an accident.
Worst still, someone on an illegal machine will injure a pedestrian very soon, of that there is no doubt. People are simply not expecting a push bike to be heading for them at 30mph especially if they are coming up a hill. With ebikes finally taking off in the UK, this is the kind of publicity we could all do without. The obvious answer as far as local authorities are concerned would be to simply ban all ebikes from our cities.
We are asked for speed Pedelecs daily but resist ..... just about. It is very tempting and of course these machines are great fun!
I wonder, if someone had a serious accident on one of these machines whether they would carry any kind of insurance, if not we could see people losing there houses and being made bankrupt? Also how would the suppliers public liability insurance hold up?
All the best
David
The problem is of course now the police know what to look out for there will certainly be prosecutions. I was recently informed by a customer in Spain that the police there are also cracking down. A freind of theirs was recently fined €2,200 for riding a bike with a throttle and no EN15194 certification. I can imagine the DPP taking a similar stance in the UK if they catch an offender. The fact is that anyone caught riding a machine that will go faster than 16mph or with a motor of more than 350W they are driving an uninsured, un registered vehicle. I would assume huge fines and probably a driving ban for those with a car licence would ensue, esp. if there had been an accident.
Worst still, someone on an illegal machine will injure a pedestrian very soon, of that there is no doubt. People are simply not expecting a push bike to be heading for them at 30mph especially if they are coming up a hill. With ebikes finally taking off in the UK, this is the kind of publicity we could all do without. The obvious answer as far as local authorities are concerned would be to simply ban all ebikes from our cities.
We are asked for speed Pedelecs daily but resist ..... just about. It is very tempting and of course these machines are great fun!
I wonder, if someone had a serious accident on one of these machines whether they would carry any kind of insurance, if not we could see people losing there houses and being made bankrupt? Also how would the suppliers public liability insurance hold up?
All the best
David
You are absolutely correct Kirstin. There is currently no problem buying and using bikes with throttles in the UK. And when next year they are made illegal, as you say, grandfather rights will apply, so no worries about bikes with throttle bought before the law changes.
All the best
David
Today I incurred some attention from the traffic police... I was pedaling up an incline much faster than my aging body should have been able to go and I noticed a police car behind me as I stopped at the lights. On green I shot away in turbo mode (as one does) and the police car followed and passed me slowly having a good look.. Mmm! at the next lay by he was stopped giving me another look. Mmmmm! He then passed me again, turning round up the road to pass me a third time, Mmmmm. It could be that he was interested for reasons of curiosity but I did think I might be pulled over.... It did make me think that my decision to not buy a dongle was the correct one.
I find it puzzling that James is against tuning dongles but sells speed pedelecs. To me there is not much difference as neither can currently be road legals on the roads. Pot kettle and black spring to mind. Especially given no real evidence of how you could legally ride them on the road. The law may change but not currently. It really annoys me when traders slate others and then do something similar. May be it is just me, rant over.
Hopefully we will soon be able to legally ride speed pedelecs for those who want them.
http://www.pedelecs.co.uk/forum/threads/speed-pedelecs-registration-bs-or-believable.19263/#post-239904
http://www.pedelecs.co.uk/forum/threads/raleigh-scoops-koga-sales-rights-in-the-uk.19258/page-2#post-239883
Hopefully we will soon be able to legally ride speed pedelecs for those who want them.
http://www.pedelecs.co.uk/forum/threads/speed-pedelecs-registration-bs-or-believable.19263/#post-239904
http://www.pedelecs.co.uk/forum/threads/raleigh-scoops-koga-sales-rights-in-the-uk.19258/page-2#post-239883
+"One of the UK dealers" \well I wonder which one.
Maybe the one who goes on about them all the time on here
Maybe the one who goes on about them all the time on here
Here's the nub of it, an extract from Bike Europe news...
- E.H.S Schless
17:16
Picky, picky, picky. Modifying vehicles is half the fun. I know this is a European dealer trade magazine but I'm a loud, fast, obnoxious American, stereotypically averse to silly regulations. These bikes, even at their most illegal power levels, are still relatively anemic and harmless. What is the real danger here? The industry could use some some edge.....maybe the market will increase if bikes are more powerful, which seems to be the case for all things human.I say get over it. - # 7
j fitzGerald
18:18
Think, think, think E.H. Your world goes like this: everyone de-restricts; someone's killed; red-tops shout "killer e-bikes"; Governments react with laws and taxes; everyone loses. Your countryman Ed Benjamin, an e-bike expert (ecycleelectric.com), has a wise response to those asking why govs aren’t doing more to encourage e-bike use: “the most important contribution they make is not interfering”. De-restricting e-bikes will force governments to interfere. You can have fast e-bikes and taxes, or fast enough e-bikes and freedom.
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Seems a bit dodgy that 'one' anonymous UK dealer (presumably legit) has notified the publication that they have been raided for dodgy bikes.
Seems fishy to me - unless any other UK dealers can verify the story.
Seems fishy to me - unless any other UK dealers can verify the story.
I can't answer for James. But there is a clear difference.
sPedelec are built as a bicycle around that speed. The brand of bike and motor and government have certified it safe to use.
The fact its still illegal on the roads isn't the point James is trying to make.
a dongle, changes a bike that is certified safe into a product that has not been tested at all, and can therefore not be considered safe.
This is a very important difference, and anyone selling products as a retailer needs to understand the "product safety law". Retailers selling dongles, clearly don't!
My point is they are similar and it is double standards. If someone questioned dongles and sold neither I would not have a problem. However that is all I am going to say, not interested in getting into a long debate. I will let members draw their own conclusions based on this. On the other side of the coin it is free promotion for dongles
If James was arguing his point on legality of use or something like that, then I'd 100% agree with you. But he's not. His concern is one based on product safety and the law that surrounds that to protect customers.My point is they are similar and it is double standards. If someone questioned dongles and sold neither I would not have a problem. However that is all I am going to say, not interested in getting into a long debate. I will let members draw their own conclusions based on this. On the other side of the coin it is free promotion for dongles
So whilst you might think they are similar. In the eyes of the law they are very VERY different. One is product thats built and tested to be used as it is.
The other is not. Supplying bikes with dongles fitted is very ropey ground for retailers and the industry because us and the other brands, and Bosch etc etc don't certify our bikes as safe to be used with them and they don't have CE stamps.
This is why Trading Standards are taking a serious interest in it. Its got nothing to do with the bikes being illegal on or offroad or anything like this. Its about products not being safe, because they have not been tested or certified by the powers that be.
There are no quotes to back up the original story about 'London Police' and 'Trading Standards Institute' which appears to originate from abroad.
I suspect it's garbage, which is not to say it couldn't happen.
Someone on a 1,000W contraption may well wipe out a pedestrian and then we may see where the authorities stand.
But that is a world away from me lollopping along on the Rose at 20mph or less.
I suspect it's garbage, which is not to say it couldn't happen.
Someone on a 1,000W contraption may well wipe out a pedestrian and then we may see where the authorities stand.
But that is a world away from me lollopping along on the Rose at 20mph or less.
...and the rumours keep rolling along.....
I wonder what the Police think of these threads about legality ?
The whole forum provides them with an accurate insight into the wide variety of mindsets of eBikers.
All of the ones I've been very occasionally "involved" with over 50 years have been basically quite reasonable.
I'm inclined to think that it's unlikely that my "non CE stamped" DIY bikes won't suddenly get me a huge fine and a criminal record.
But then again, I'm an old wrinkly riding along carefully with my hi-vis Sam Brown belt, riding very defensively and don't post youtube vids of myself blasting along the pavement at 25 mph....
I wonder what the Police think of these threads about legality ?
The whole forum provides them with an accurate insight into the wide variety of mindsets of eBikers.
All of the ones I've been very occasionally "involved" with over 50 years have been basically quite reasonable.
I'm inclined to think that it's unlikely that my "non CE stamped" DIY bikes won't suddenly get me a huge fine and a criminal record.
But then again, I'm an old wrinkly riding along carefully with my hi-vis Sam Brown belt, riding very defensively and don't post youtube vids of myself blasting along the pavement at 25 mph....
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