It is illegal to use it in 1000 watt mode in public areas, but not in 250 watt mode I believe.
Switching the 350w BPM motor on my Big Bear for a 500w one
- Thread starter John_S
- Start date
Its not a switch...by default the bike has 250 watts...only by making changes in the control panel can it be derestricted
Makes no difference, and in any event the bike in 1,000w mode is illegal to use anywhere you could realistically ride it.
If that wasn't enough, the power cut off speed of 15.5mph is also non-negotiable, irrelevant to the size of the motor.
D
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That's probably a good idea in forum debating terms, but I do suggest you check the legislation before buying.
I am not strongly against someone using such a bike responsibly, but I do strongly object to companies misleading their customers.
If as a company you are going to encourage someone to break the law, you should at least make them aware they will be doing it.
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Deleted member 4366
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To be fair, Cyclotricity are fairly clear in that it is illegal to use this bike out of standard mode anywhere but off road. The bikes are supplied in 250 watt mode, and unless you sign off a disclaimer, they will not provide the method to derestrict it..... Yes, no doubt that is to cover themselves, which in my mind is fair enough.
Wether the buyer then decides to disregard that afterwards is their choice. So, I dont think they are misleading anyone at all. Just like everything else in life, be it driving a car at 30 mph in a 20mph zone etc
At the risk of going around in circles, the bike is illegal to use 'off road'.
Cyclotricity are misleading customers badly to suggest anything else.
Ah well, now you've presented the law so intricately, I guess I'll hang mine on the wall when it turns up tomorrow then.
I havent seen you produce anything to confirm your interpretation of the law, thats the problem.
Plenty on here and elsewhere if you search.
And if you do your own legwork, you might believe it.
Not that I'm suggesting it's the most serious criminal offence in the world, but if you hit someone while riding the bike you may not know - legally - what hit you.
The criminal penalty is not that severe, but a competent personal injury solicitor could bankrupt you by way of a personal injury claim.
Ride it responsibly and the chances of anything nasty happening are low, but to be properly informed you should be aware of the risk you are running.
It hasn't been tested in court yet. The law says an off road switch is illegal. How much reprogramming is required to switch the power is something that a lawyer would love to ask ( at reasonable rates). Same thing with the motor. It is rated 250 watts, having it also rated as 1000watts makes it kind of dubious. But there are some(all?) other manufacturers doing similar.
So they are pushing the boundaries. Enjoy but don't come crying to Rob if you get hurt.
So they are pushing the boundaries. Enjoy but don't come crying to Rob if you get hurt.
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Its seems i may be eating humble pie for breakfast.....
It does appear to be a very grey area however.
I intend only on riding it legally if such a way does exist with this bike, so thank you for the heads up
As you've now gathered, you have two humps to get over - speed limit and motor power.
Speed limit is fairly straightforward, the motor cannot assist above 15.5mph, although there is a measurement tolerance of an mph or two.
If you set the limit to, say, 16.5mph, you would be legal from that point of view.
Motor rating is a grey area, not least because all motors can deliver far more peak power than their nominal rating.
But the only figure in the regulations is 250w, described as a maximum.
You would be riding a bike with a published maker's spec of 1,000w.
So straight away you are very much on the back foot, if not obviously illegal.
Speed limit is fairly straightforward, the motor cannot assist above 15.5mph, although there is a measurement tolerance of an mph or two.
If you set the limit to, say, 16.5mph, you would be legal from that point of view.
Motor rating is a grey area, not least because all motors can deliver far more peak power than their nominal rating.
But the only figure in the regulations is 250w, described as a maximum.
You would be riding a bike with a published maker's spec of 1,000w.
So straight away you are very much on the back foot, if not obviously illegal.
That could be helpful, although in the unlikely event a lawyer was trying to nail you, he would seek to make strong connection between your bike and its marketing as 1,000w.