UK - legality of thumb-throttles in DIY conversions

[Ghost1951]

Here, and still in authentic Chingrish thank goodness. I covered them with a protective layer of strong transparent sticky sheet stuff, because I noticed the toner rubs off easily.

3x BAFANG 250w 48V/36v BBS02 BBS01 BBSHD Ebike Legal Silver Sticker Decal Motor | eBay

Make your Bafang mid-drive motor power follow the rules of local ebike traffic law. Fit for Bafang 350W/500W/750W/1000W mid motor. EBike Solution Team. If your motor does not identify this, one of these stickers can be used.

www.ebay.co.uk

Thanks Guerney. Fake labels I suppose, but might save annoyance even in a fully legal motor.

 

[Ghost1951]

You may well be. For extra giggles, consider my recumbent trike; the EU regulation does not apply because of its seating height (nor does some of the UK law), so what law DOES apply?



Almost certainly the last.

Anarchy!!!

 

[Az.]

I am going to enquire further about the Photon's legality, where there are a lot of other potential issues.

Photon motors are illegal despite what they say on their web page.

 

[Nealh]

Plod around here don't bat an eyelid to pavement riding, tbh honest they don't bat an eyelid to anything.

 

[Bobbo1260]

Labels made in china, quality….mind you all the kits are anyway so why break the trend.

 

[Bobbo1260]

its a brave person who rides a recumbent on the road where you are below window level..hope you have a couple of tall bright flags on it.
id have a 5 ft high amber beacon.

 

[nmmelectric]

its a brave person who rides a recumbent on the road where you are below window level..hope you have a couple of tall bright flags on it.
id have a 5 ft high amber beacon.

I am not. My head is higher than the top of my wife's sport's car. And, yes, I have such a beacon, though light it only when needed.

 

[sjpt]

they don't bat an eyelid to anything.

Batting an eyelid. Now that's a serious undertaking. They'd need previous permission from their seniors, and then hours of paperwork afterwards.

 

[Nealh]

If they were to bat an eyelid and actually plod a beat , they would find easy pickings of 1kw, 52 - 60v mopeds masquerading as ebikes parked up outside the food outlets and also have to authenticate some of the riders right to stay in the country.

 

[nmmelectric]

If they were to bat an eyelid and actually plod a beat , they would find easy pickings of 1kw, 52 - 60v mopeds masquerading as ebikes parked up outside the food outlets and also have to authenticate some of the riders right to stay in the country.

Yes. Also, I don't know what Amazon's E-cargo vehicles are, technically, but I will bet that they at least bend the law pretty hard.

 

[saneagle]

Yes. Also, I don't know what Amazon's E-cargo vehicles are, technically, but I will bet that they at least bend the law pretty hard.

The law is very clear. I can't understand why you guys have so much difficulty understanding these simple words.

• The motor/s must be rated at no more than 250w.
• Max speed must be no more than 25 km/h.
• The power must stop when the pedals stop.
• The vehicle must have a label giving prescribed information.

The Amazon vehicle meets those criteria.

 

[nmmelectric]

The law is very clear. I can't understand why you guys have so much difficulty understanding these simple words.

• The motor/s must be rated at no more than 250w.
• Max speed must be no more than 25 km/h.
• The power must stop when the pedals stop.
• The vehicle must have a label giving prescribed information.

The Amazon vehicle meets those criteria.

The law also specifies how the power must be measured, albeit obscurely; a claimed rating is not enough. I can't understand why you have so much difficulty understanding that simple fact.

 

[saneagle]

The law also specifies how the power must be measured, albeit obscurely; a claimed rating is not enough. I can't understand why you have so much difficulty understanding that simple fact.

You're making yourself look silly. If you think there's a law about how the power should be measured and what the criteria are to pass, please post the details here.

 

[Ghost1951]

I just ordered a set of those Bafang BBS01b labels.

My BBS01 has 250 engraved on the bottom of it, but down there, behind the front wheel, it is always coated in mud and cow dung. I have to regularly drive a road which is also used by cows on their way to milking - so you can imagine what that motor looks like.

The setup is entirely legal as far as max speed, and continuous power are concerned. The throttle is disabled, but labelling is distinctly absent other than the very mucky engraving under the crank motor. Kit conversions exist in a kind of No-Man's Land as regulations go, so a fake label might help .

 

[nmmelectric]

You're making yourself look silly. If you think there's a law about how the power should be measured and what the criteria are to pass, please post the details here.

The following is a sticky thread on this forum, and contains links to the details:

Pedelec Law - The Details

I think many of you will be aware of what a complex subject electric assist bicycle law is and pitfalls in trying to second guess it. As a result, and with my knowledge of it since joining the trade 70 years ago, I'm often called upon in here to give answers on the subject. But of course I...

www.pedelecs.co.uk

Or, for an authoritative version:

Legislation.gov.uk

www.legislation.gov.uk

 

[saneagle]

The following is a sticky thread on this forum, and contains links to the details:

Pedelec Law - The Details

I think many of you will be aware of what a complex subject electric assist bicycle law is and pitfalls in trying to second guess it. As a result, and with my knowledge of it since joining the trade 70 years ago, I'm often called upon in here to give answers on the subject. But of course I...

www.pedelecs.co.uk

Or, for an authoritative version:

Legislation.gov.uk

www.legislation.gov.uk

See what I mean. Quoting irrelevant stuff from the Internet doesn’t help your cause. None of those are laws are about power measurement, and the Government website is wrong. They've misprinted the law. That's been known for a long time. Only 24v bikes would meet that requirement, and there aren't that many of them. All 36v bikes have higher output than that, as even the weakest ones output around 300w.

In the thread you linked about the law, if you actually read it, both Flecc and myself (before I became a ghost) confirm what I said above.

 

[Ghost1951]

See what I mean. Quoting irrelevant stuff from the Internet doesn’t help your cause. None of those are laws are about power measurement, and the Government website is wrong. They've misprinted the law. That's been known for a long time. Only 24v bikes would meet that requirement, and there aren't that many of them. All 36v bikes have higher output than that, as even the weakest ones output around 300w.

In the thread you linked about the law, if you actually read it, both Flecc and myself (before I became a ghost) confirm what I said above.

Its quite spooky how many ghosts are about on t'internet...

 

[saneagle]

Its quite spooky how many ghosts are about on t'internet...

I blame The National Health Service. I wouldn't be a ghost if the nurses in the Princess Royal had come when my blood pressure alarm was going off for hours while I bled to death after I had been admitted for a burst artery.

 

[Bobbo1260]

See what I mean. Quoting irrelevant stuff from the Internet doesn’t help your cause. None of those are laws are about power measurement, and the Government website is wrong. They've misprinted the law. That's been known for a long time. Only 24v bikes would meet that requirement, and there aren't that many of them. All 36v bikes have higher output than that, as even the weakest ones output around 300w.

In the thread you linked about the law, if you actually read it, both Flecc and myself (before I became a ghost) confirm what I said above.

I think it was on here somewhere that I read that the throttle operating only when pedalling and being limited to 4 mph only applied to distributors and sellers and not a bike or trike that was 1st used as a bicycle or trike then had an e-bike kit fitted to it.
I don't know how true that is. If false then I’m compliant apart from the throttle part with my e-bike kit.
I get away with riding my trike on footpaths and in town centres as a vehicle adapted for use by a person with walking disability under UICHR regulation 4.
It has to be limited to 4 mph on level surfaces which it is in PAS 1, 1st gear.
I’ve been stopped by the police twice who when I quoted the UICHR regs they were ok and never asked about the throttle.
Bob.

 

[Ghost1951]

its a brave person who rides a recumbent on the road where you are below window level..hope you have a couple of tall bright flags on it.
id have a 5 ft high amber beacon.

It isn't just tricycle recumbents that need to worry about that =