Read And Weep

[Waspy]

Wiltshire Police continue their campaign against E-Bike throttles, the first thing they look for when they stop an E-Bike.

Zero sympathy for the youth though, he should be thankful he's not dead.

Link to story here: https://www.swindonadvertiser.co.uk/news/24456309.police-warning-dangerous-electric-bike-seized-law-says/

For your viewing convenience , I've posted the pictures and text here:

Police warning after dangerous electric bike seized: What the law says

Police caught a teenage boy riding a dangerous and illegal electric bike.

The e-bike’s motor was 1,500 watts – well above the 250-watt limit – and had a maximum speed of 42mph, which also broke the law, as well as dangerous wiring to the battery and no rear brake.

To add to these safety hazards, the 14-year-old rider was also not wearing a helmet.

Officers seized the bike and reported the youth for road traffic offences.

A Wiltshire Police spokesperson said: “Whilst electric bikes have been around for several years, please be aware that there are legal restrictions on the power, max speed and how they can be operated.

“In simple terms, an electric bike needs to be pedal assisted – essentially, you must pedal to make it move unless it meets specific requirements.
“The illegal upgrades we are regularly seeing have a throttle or just a button to propel the bike forward without pedalling.
“This makes it a motor vehicle, requiring it to be registered, insured and taxed.
“Under UK law, e-bikes are restricted to a 250-watt motor which mustn’t be able to provide electric assistance after 15.5mph.
“Despite this, we’re seeing much more powerful motors attached than this, up to 1,500 watts.
If you are considering upgrading your bike with a motor, ask yourself, 'Can it be propelled without pedalling - and if pedalled, is the motor more powerful than 250 watts, and does it do more than 15.5mph?
“If the answer is yes to the above questions, it will most likely be illegal and can’t be used on the road or in public spaces.
“We don’t want parents and other people wasting money on these illegal bike upgrades only for them to get seized."

E-bikes like the one seized will need to be registered, insured and taxed as a motor vehicle. The rider will need an appropriate driving licence and will have to wear an approved motorcycle safety helmet.

Such vehicles might need to be type - or individually - approved before they can be registered.

An electrically assisted pedal cycle that cannot be propelled without pedalling, has a motor less powerful than 250 watts, and reaches speeds above 15mph is not considered a motor vehicle and as a result, it is not required to be registered or subject to vehicle excise duty (road tax), and does not have to be insured as a motor vehicle.

However, these electrically assisted bicycles must not be ridden by anyone under the age of 14.

 

[guerney]

If you are considering upgrading your bike with a motor, ask yourself, 'Can it be propelled without pedalling - and if pedalled, is the motor more powerful than 250 watts, and does it do more than 15.5mph?
“If the answer is yes to the above questions, it will most likely be illegal and can’t be used on the road or in public spaces.

In that entire article, there's no mention of the legal requirement of the throtlle needing to be limited to 6kmh when not pedalling, and this makes me wonder how many ebikers have been interviewed in small dark rooms while beaten with telephone directories (they don't leave bruises) or repeatedly "falling" down flights of police station stairs. I might uninstall my throttle again, even though I've recently reinstalled it and it can't propel my bike faster than 6kmh. I don't need it anyway, and probablility of stupid cop is very high.

 

[Ghost1951]

In that entire article, there's no mention of the legal requirement of the throtlle needing to be limited to 6kmh when not pedalling, and this makes me wonder how many ebikers have been interviewed in small dark rooms and beaten with telephone directories (they don't leave bruises) or "fallen" down police station stairs. I might uninstall my throttle again, even though I've recently reinstalled it and it can't propel my bike faster than 6kmh. I don't need it anyway, and probablility of stupid cop is very high.

I uninstalled my throttle again last week. I could not get it to work powerfully enough up to 6kph for it to be of any use in making a quick start anyway. It was pretty feeble even though the settings allowed the bike to use up to 15 amps. I think the soft start parameter limited it for so long, that the thing was easily hitting the 6kph limit before the full power was applied.

Like you, I don't really need a throttle. The only way it would be handy would be when I need to cross over the A69 and need to shoot between 90kph trucks, or on starting on one particularly savage hill which I talked about before, where I have to start on a slope of about 20%.

You are dead right about the police spokesman not seeming to acknowledge the legality of the low speed start throttle.

Police would be better employed in dealing with some of the REAL outlaws I've seen from time to time, who ride proper motorbikes without number plates and wearing hoodies and masks.

I have seen and reported them in groups, where pillions are pushing stolen motorcycles with their feet. Nothing was done and there was no enthusiasm to pursue because they were not wearing helmets.

 

[Waspy]

I uninstalled my throttle again last week.

When I originally ordered my kit, I specified no throttle an no brake cut-offs.

Later, curiosity got the better of me and I fitted a throttle.

I tried it for a while but hardly used it and didn't need it, I prefer just using the pedelec assistance, so I removed it.

I still have the throttle in my box-o-bits and the blanked off cable is still on the bike. If ever I sold my bike I could always offer to throw it in to help the sale I suppose.

But I do understand those that need them, it's a strange law.

 

[saneagle]

When I originally ordered my kit, I specified no throttle an no brake cut-offs.

Later, curiosity got the better of me and I fitted a throttle.

I tried it for a while but hardly used it and didn't need it, I prefer just using the pedelec assistance, so I removed it.

I still have the throttle in my box-o-bits and the blanked off cable is still on the bike. If ever I sold my bike I could always offer to throw it in to help the sale I suppose.

But I do understand those that need them, it's a strange law.

A throttle is always better when you need an instant burst of speed or power rather than faffing about with the buttons on the control panel. A push button is all you need, but a throttle is a ready-made solution. AFAIK, only KT controllers have that mode of operation linked to the pedalling to make them legal. I'm really surprised that other manufacturers don't do that for the European market. Some of these new high-end mid-drive motor systems are now including a boost button, which is the same sort of thing. It's on the new DJI system and the ZF one, IIRC.

 

[Ghost1951]

Got out my allen keys and removed my throttle this morning.

Don't need it. Don't want it.

 

[flecc]

“In simple terms, an electric bike needs to be pedal assisted – essentially, you must pedal to make it move unless it meets specific requirements.

The second part is correct, the first part is very wrong. I wish the police and indeed everyone else would stop saying pedal assisted.

EAPCs are not, they are auxiliary motor assisted, that is what the EA means, "Electric Assist", followed by PC for "Pedal Cycle".
.

 

[Saracen]

What should be banned is any person coming on to any forums asking how to over ride controllers etc

 

[Saracen]

Watch this

I have ZERO sympathy and where are the moron parents, helmet etc, that is not 10-15 mph

He is 100% lucky he hit mid gate and not the end !

 

[saneagle]

What should be banned is any person coming on to any forums asking how to over ride controllers etc

What about illegal ebikes that didn't put the required label on their bike to say it's limited to 15.5 mph? I think they need to be banned too, and the ones with lights that don't conform to BS3648, or BS6102/3, or an equivalent EC standard. Oh yes, and the ones that don't have a white reflector on the front of their bike and a red one on the rear.

 

[Saracen]

What about illegal ebikes that didn't put the required label on their bike to say it's limited to 15.5 mph? I think they need to be banned too, and the ones with lights that don't conform to BS3648, or BS6102/3, or an equivalent EC standard. Oh yes, and the ones that don't have a white reflector on the front of their bike and a red one on the rear.

Let's get one thing straight the law is the law and not knowing the law is no excuse.

 

[Waspy]

Let's get one thing straight the law is the law and not knowing the law is no excuse.

 

[Nealh]

Fortunately not many of us live in Wiltshire, here in the free county of W.Sx plod don't really give a toss about anything.

 

[Ghost1951]

I don't think that armour is entirely compliant.

 

[Ghost1951]

I REALLY hate to see police posturing in this macho, militaristic, American hard cop way. These guys have forgotten or never knew that here in the UK, police are supposed to police by the consent of the public. Look at the one on the right of the picture, holding himself to make the most of his muscles - like some brainless body builder thug. The dark glasses, the bulging biceps and the aggressive stance says all you need to know about them. You can guarantee that these two are examples of what we don't want and don't need in British policing.

 

[saneagle]

View attachment 58823
I REALLY hate to see police posturing in this macho, militaristic, American hard cop way. These guys have forgotten or never knew that here in the UK, police are supposed to police by the consent of the public. Look at the one on the right of the picture, holding himself to make the most of his muscles - like some brainless body builder thug. The dark glasses, the bulging biceps and the aggressive stance says all you need to know about them. You can guarantee that these two are examples of what we don't want and don't need in British policing.

Also, it looks like he's wearing the thin blue line badge that a lot of people are now interpreting as a a gang badge. If you watch the auditors on YouTube, like Auditing Britain, you'll see that a disproportionate number of police wearing that badge exhibit tyrannical behaviour, and that those not wearing it tend to handle situations in a more congenial way.

 

[Az.]

One horsepower is way above current UK limit.

 

[Nealh]

Tbh any bike gaffa taped like that shouts bodge job.

 

[lenny]

some brainless body builder thug

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[Ghost1951]

Also, it looks like he's wearing the thin blue line badge that a lot of people are now interpreting as a a gang badge. If you watch the auditors on YouTube, like Auditing Britain, you'll see that a disproportionate number of police wearing that badge exhibit tyrannical behaviour, and that those not wearing it tend to handle situations in a more congenial way.

Yes - good British policing is one of the things about this country we need to foster and hang on to. Fairness, politeness, sensible judgement about when to advise and when to arrest. The two in that picture look more interested in something else entirely.