Illegal e-bikes for sale ?

[classic33]

So do the police in England care a "portable dynamometer" in their cars to check random cyclist?

They seem to set up at spots where illegal electric bikes are commonplace and causing problems. Any bike that raises their suspicion is pulled for inspection.

My cousin manned mobile checkpoints, in Ireland, and any bike he or his colleagues felt were illegal(riders not pedalling, but still moving, uphill) were pulled and checked on a dynamometer similar to what the UK police are using. Little bigger, overall, than an old laptop.
Bikes seized, riders notified of intended prosecution there and then. Or they could turn up at the Garda station, with all the correct documentation, pay the storage and release fee's and be reunited with their bike.
The regulations in Ireland are much the same as the UK, for legal e-assist cycles.

 

[UglyWithaSidePart]

They aren't really though.

e-bike generally means any bike with an electric motor, whether legal or not. That is generally accepted usage, and you can't say it is wrong, because there is no legal or dictionary definition saying otherwise.

Well https://www.gov.uk/electric-bike-rules disagrees with you.
Particularly:

If you think they're wrong, drop them a message using their feedback form 👍

 

[ebikeerwidnes]

Article in our local paper saying the Police have taken another "illegal electric bike"

at least they are using the right terms

but looking at it, it is a kit thing - motor probably 500W or so

so not the dinner plate size motor I sometimes see

There was nothing to say why they stopped it or anything like that but apparently they have a campaign on it at the moment and have seized THREE last week and now this one

It would be interesting to see how they stop people
and how often they stop people and how often they try and the bike just whizzes off

I certainly have not seen any activity riding or driving around

 

[Dadam]

Well https://www.gov.uk/electric-bike-rules disagrees with you.

Well no it doesn't.
The page is talking about legal classifications. The colloquial term ebike or e-bike covers EAPCs, electric mopeds and full on electric motorcycles.

Language evolves. That's the common usage of the word ebike now whether you agree with it or not, nobody can stop it.

 

[UglyWithaSidePart]

Well no it doesn't.
The page is talking about legal classifications. The colloquial term ebike or e-bike covers EAPCs, electric mopeds and full on electric motorcycles.

Language evolves. That's the common usage of the word ebike now whether you agree with it or not, nobody can stop it.

It literally does, I mean, you can read the words and everything 😂

 

[Dadam]

Read it again. Try a bit slower this time maybe?

 

[ebikeerwidnes]

It literally does, I mean, you can read the words and everything 😂

Dictionary definition of ebike
a bicycle with an electric motor that helps to move the bicycle forward even when the rider is not turning the pedals, also often used to refer to any bicycle with an electric motor, including those where you must turn the pedals:

which is closer to how it is used by "the people"

The problem with legality and language is that language changes quite quickly over time
and also the same word in the same language means different thing sin different place
often even in the same country


Legal definition tends to be fixed for a long time - until changed

we seem to be getting to a situation where the media is starting to use "illegal electric motorbike" rather than using ebike for everything and lumping them all in together

but the language people use will take a long time to change as it is fixed in people's minds

 

[Dadam]

To help I've done this simple Venn diagram

 

[ebikeerwidnes]

To help I've done this simple Venn diagram

View attachment 808720

Is an ebike still an ebike and not a pushbike if the motor is switched off??
and does an EPAC change category when it goes over 15.5 mph???

or am I being over pedantic

 

[Dadam]

Is an ebike still an ebike and not a pushbike if the motor is switched off??

Hmm, I think legally it still is even though in usage it works as a pushbike

and does an EPAC change category when it goes over 15.5 mph???

Legally yes

or am I being over pedantic

Possibly

 

[glasgowcyclist]

I've just taken this shot on my way home. I didn't see him being stopped but it's one of those bikes that is typically throttle operated.

First time I've ever seen one pulled over.

 

[gcogger]

Is an ebike still an ebike and not a pushbike if the motor is switched off??

Is a car still a car if you get out and push it?

and does an EPAC change category when it goes over 15.5 mph???

If it's capable of going over 15.5mph using the electric motor, it never was an EAPC in the first place

 

[ebikeerwidnes]

Is a car still a car if you get out and push it?


If it's capable of going over 15.5mph using the electric motor, it never was an EAPC in the first place

Ye s- but i meant when I am pedalling it and the motor has cut out due to exceeding 15.5 mph

or going downhill for that matter

 

[UglyWithaSidePart]

To help I've done this simple Venn diagram

View attachment 808721

I think you should send this devastation research to https://www.gov.uk/electric-bike-rules

 

[Alex321]

Well https://www.gov.uk/electric-bike-rules disagrees with you.
Particularly:

View attachment 808716

If you think they're wrong, drop them a message using their feedback form 👍

Can you point out where they have said anything about what an "E-bike" is?

No?

So they don't disagree with me.

they are using the correct term for what we would call a legal e-bike, namely EAPC.