Illegal electric bikes

Page may contain affiliate links. Please see terms for details.

roley poley

Über Member
Location
leeds
Incidents of cyclists hitting people is rather rare(even with some behaving recklessly). Yes there have been a few highly publicised incidents, but again rare. So unless you're being a numpty, chances of incidents is not really worrying about, especially for those being mostly responsible.


Besides the police are not doing a thing about groups of youths riding London's roads, paths, shopping malls doing wheelies nearly all the time.

This numpty openly streams their rides in London, with apparently no repercussions :ohmy:


View: https://youtu.be/-TX9oBcgjRk

at 4.48 his mate knocks a kid over and he leaves it on his site for us all to see !!!
 
I have been reading with interest what has been said, I want an ebike, my wife already has one, but would be nice if I have over stretched myself to be able to return just with motor, no pedalling. I saw this advert and it says
No road tax, No license required, insurance not legally required and no MOT or DVLA registration.
Fun2ride Bikes will appeal to teenagers wanting to ride them to and from school or for parents who are fed up with driving their kids to school. They are also suitability for drivers who lost their driving License.
So if that can be ridden with no pedalling why can't any other bike be ridden in the same way? I have a motorbike licence and would not mind having a more powerful unit, however I want to carry it, and use it on cycle tracks, so at the moment hanging back until I can go to a bike shop and select my new mount.

The question is folding or not. With folding can carry on any car, and when parked it is secure, but the larger wheels of the non folding are more stable and mid motor uses the bikes gears so better at hill climbing where the folding normally motor built into wheel, would like more than 250 watt, but know 250 watt will get me home.

As to speed, main problem is armaco barriers, hit by a car and pushed through hedge or fence is bad, but armaco barriers have no give, and tend to be on corners where the motorist can't see you until last minute, so being able to go a little faster so cars don't need to brake so hard, seems a good idea.

To go from where I live to Welshpool three routes, the main road cars go too fast, the other road I take bike for a walk as too steep, so £3:50 for a railway ticket for bike seems the best option, when it's running of course. But that means carrying the bike onto the train, normally put in wheel chair area, have considered a bike rack for last coach, but still have to get it on/off train, bike is charged same as dog. I have season ticket last 3 years, just pay for bike.

So weight is a factor, well know on railway so likely would get a hand, but what to answer questions before I buy.
 

glasgowcyclist

Charming but somewhat feckless
Location
Scotland
So if that can be ridden with no pedalling why can't any other bike be ridden in the same way?

That vehicle, from the seller’s own video, shows that it is not an electrically assisted pedal cycle as it is operated by a twist and go throttle. Basically, he’s lying about its status as an EAPC to sell something that needs a licence and insurance.
 
Last edited:

HMS_Dave

Grand Old Lady
What a waste of money that lump of scrap is... personally I think they're deliberately attempting to muddy the water on the rules and I'm not sure that is actually legal with just a twist throttle... Many cycle routes are shared use, and using what is essentially a moped, let's be just honest about that, is going to attract unwanted attention by the police and the national press and guess what? Cyclist will be in the firing line again, you can be sure of that...
 

johnnyb47

Guru
Location
Wales
I can see E Bikes becoming a big headache for the law in the future.
When they first came on the scene they were very expensive, and the majority of people who bought them would of been more mature sensible people. As time has passed, the prices of E bikes and E bike kits have dropped and will continue to in the future.
They will soon fall into the price were there in reach of everyone. If it's the choice between a moped or an illegal E bike that can reach the same speed i would think alot of youngsters would opt for the E bike. You can ride an illegal e bike around the streets at a steady 15mph and the police wouldn't take a second look and then when the coast is clear ride it however you want. There's no registration plate for the police to see or check, no tax, mot or insurance needed either making these fast illegal E bikes a great alternative to a moped.
It will be the minority of law breaking illegal ebike users that will spoil it for the law abiding ones by the government clamping down on them with new rules on there use
 

MrGrumpy

Huge Member
Location
Fly Fifer
It won’t be long till you need to have insurance etc for an e bike . The local plod round here are certainly cracking down on electric scooters at the moment as well. There is absolutely no need for the assisted limit to be increased IMO neither. If you want to go faster assisted buy a motor bike !
 

RichardB

Slightly retro
Location
West Wales
If you want to go faster assisted buy a motor bike !

I'm in an ebike group on Facebook, and this comment is made regularly, causing the regulars* to get very aggressive. Basically, a lot of people seem to want a bicycle which will do 30+ mph with no pedalling, and yet can't see that this is what a moped literally is. I just don't get it. I've ridden motorbikes all my life and love them to bits, and if I want to do 30+ without pedalling I know exactly what to do. Buy another one! But an ebike is totally different. Having to pedal is part of the deal, and losing the assistance above a certain speed is also part of the deal. There's no fitness benefit to motorcycles, and nor with an ebike that you don't have to pedal.

As far as I can see, the pedelec industry worked very hard with the Westminster govt and the EU to get pedelecs (with limited power and assisted pedalling only) categorised as bicycles in terms of usage and access. You can ride a pedelec anywhere you can ride a bicycle, and you don't need a lot of paperwork either, just like a bicycle. To me, this is an ideal situation, and I don't want to see it spoiled. I'm very happy with 250W and 15.5 mph. I wouldn't be happy with more powerful and faster machines mixing it with pedestrians on shared pathways. That would surely lead to more restrictions, requirements for insurance etc, which would take away the entire point of having a pedelec.

*I'm guessing that they are younger riders, as per @johnnyb47's comments about the age profile above.
 
I am pleased to be considered as a younger rider, but at 70 don't think I really fall into that group, I want to be able to ride free of car and wagon traffic, however I have to go 8 miles before I can do that, and unless the heritage railway is running the route to the canal tow path is really a bit too steep for me, I end up taking my bike for a walk. But it is also winding so really need a turn of speed to be safe. I have over done it in the past and had to ring for assistance, and the problem is lifting the bike onto a bike rack, so when I have had enough, to be able to use it without pedalling would be a bonus, don't want the scooter, but do want option not to pedal when I have had enough. At one time that scooter would have been permitted, but I thought that option had been removed, but the add seems to say that option is open again.
 

Pale Rider

Legendary Member
but the add seems to say that option is open again.

It hasn't been.

As other posters have said, that advert is simply dishonest and nastily misleading because anyone taking it at face value could get into bother with the law.

You could register, tax, and insure it, wear a helmet, and use your motorbike licence to ride it.

But that would be pointless in comparison to a petrol scooter which would be faster, more powerful have a usable range, and be properly engineered with decent brakes.

What you seek from an ebike is not possible, not least because not pedalling is not legal.

In any case, while a 250 watt motor would pull you along unaided on the flat, it would not have enough grunt to climb hills - unless you assist it by pedalling.
 

RichardB

Slightly retro
Location
West Wales
when I have had enough, to be able to use it without pedalling would be a bonus

In which case, you want a light motorcycle or moped.

As others have said, the advert is highly misleading. It misrepresents the law. OK, they are lying to you.

Edit: have reported the ad to ebay. Not that I expect them to do anything, but we can try.
 
Last edited:

rogerzilla

Legendary Member
My dad's old Powabyke Salisbury had a twist and go throttle, and it wasn't in any way modified. I think the lower-end manufacturers just ignore the regs (in the same way that cheap DVD players ignore region coding, although that is definitely a good thing).
 

RichardB

Slightly retro
Location
West Wales
My dad's old Powabyke Salisbury had a twist and go throttle, and it wasn't in any way modified. I think the lower-end manufacturers just ignore the regs (in the same way that cheap DVD players ignore region coding, although that is definitely a good thing).

Older ebikes can have a throttle. The regs changed around 2013. My Wisper has a twist throttle and was legal at the time of sale (2014) although it will only propel the bike unassisted up to 4 mph by design. Your Dad's Powabike was and is quite legal to use, but it would fall foul of the regs if it was sold today.

The scooter in the ad is just taking the mick, to be honest.
 

fossyant

Ride It Like You Stole It!
Location
South Manchester
, but do want option not to pedal when I have had enough.

At this point it becomes a motor vehicle in the eyes of the law. A mechanically propelled vehicle. Tax and insurance would apply. Your best option at this point would be to increase the 'boost' setting if tired on a 'normal' ebike.
 
Top Bottom