First of all Amigafan, I think it's presumptuous of you to believe you know how a court might view such a case as you describe.
it's not presumptuous, it's experience.
Regardless of that, Mike Killay made a very pertinent point with regard to the media and politicians which you seem to simply ignore.
I didn't ignore it - I simply concluded that Mike is overstating the impact that reactionary politicians and media have on the judicial process and the process of building legislation. I suggest you research just how hard it is to construct and introduce legislation in this country - once having done so you'll realise that almost zero legislation is introduced as a result of poorly researched reactionary issues.
Your assertion that, is wholly ill-thought as the campaigning tabloids, in my opinion, would care not a jot about any distinction between one electric bike and another and would seek to have all such dangerous machines banned or more stringently regulated.
Again, you're assuming that the small amount of input the tabloids have into our judicial system has any measureable effect. The media may call for a ban on all ebikes - it's unlikely to have any effect though.
If your point in all this is to convince readers that illegal ebikes are actually ok and we needn't pay too much heed to the law, then you are quite wrong.
I'm not at all trying to justify that "illegal" ebikes are ok - show me ONE post I've made where I've said using an illegal bike if all hunky dory? I fully understand not only the risks but also the consequences of using an "illegal ebike, just the same way that I understand the risks and consequences when i go canoeing, climing or snowboarding. If somethine goes wrong then I understand it's entirely my responsibility and I must deal with the consequences.
I was simply correcting a statement that said "use of illegal ebikes will lead to further restrictions on legal ebike use". This is the statement that is incorrect, not mine.
That view will harm the case for ebikes to remain relatively unfettered by legislation
We don't have unfettered legislation at all - in fact it's quite extensive. The legislation is however poorly thought out, poorly implemented, poorly enforced and often contradictory.
There are various mopeds, scooters and motorcycles for all those who wish to go faster under power than the law provides.
Then let those who care about "omg it's the law thus I MUST follow it" go and buy them ;-)
For those who need to go faster under power, please buy the appropriate machine, comply with the necessary legislation and wear the correct safety equipment.
If it's all the same to you, no thanks
Leave ebikes and their legislation for those of us who enjoy them just as it is.
But I'm not riding an ebike by your definition, am I ;-) You can have your slow ass, restricted, boring machines all to yourself - I've little interest in them.
Oh, and before someone says "well leave the pedelec forums then" - show me a terms fo Reference where it states only strictly legal ebikes may be discussed? Such a stance seems to be only in the mind of a select few here that think discussion must be restricted in such a way ;-)
