Hadn’t seen this previously:

France bans illegal eMTB tuning with fines up to € 30,000

I think it’s got to be done, as otherwise we just get the “cyclist kills pedestrian” headlines when it’s actually “uninsured unregistered unlicensed motorcyclists kills pedestrian”.

I notice people stating they’ve tuned their ebikes even though it’s just to get up the hills quicker because they’re a special case etc. have shut up recently, which can only be beneficial too.

That bloke on YouTube who gives all the info on how to do it finally got his eBike registered as an electric moped.

He had two visits from Plod because someone who’d seen the vid of him smashing along at 45mph reported him.

The law does need changing IMO. Make it legal and insure as an EV moped and I’m happy.

The law does need changing IMO. Make it legal and insure as an EV moped and I’m happy.

And keep it to the roads – which I’m all for, if it gets people out of cars.

There is no need to go charging round the wilderness or a busy trail centre at 3 times the speed of everyone else

Make it legal and insure as an EV moped and I’m happy.

Does that mean he has a number plate he has to display on the back?

I wonder if you could make a number plate to be a mudguard?

This is good news for a number of reasons.

eBikes use bicycle componentry, and are not designed for small motorbike use. Apart from the danger to other cyclists of a high speed bike on trails etc, there’s a danger to the rider of a major/catastrophic failure.

But probably the best bit is apart from taking the lunatics on souped up eBikes off the trails, there will be a greater incentive for manufacturers to build eMopeds and small eMotorbikes.

I like motorbikes, but silent ones would be even better. 🙂

There’s also a 6 month sentence for saying “les vélos électriques utilisent le même effort que les vélos normaux”

and 3 months for
“les vélos électriques sont amusants”

😀

Pretty sure I’ll be fine in morzine in July on my ‘souped up’ 250 watt ebike.
Like anyone is going to take any notice of this.

I like motorbikes, but silent ones would be even better. 🙂

+1

I really like the look of the KTM ones, but wouldn’t take it to Swinley.

Pretty sure I’ll be fine in morzine in July on my ‘souped up’ 250 watt ebike.
Like anyone is going to take any notice of this.

Given the effort expended on putting foreign guides in prison I wouldn’t be so sure.

Does that mean he has a number plate he has to display on the back?

Yes, it’s a class of moped that’s recently been created for EV mopeds.

Fully legal, lights, plates etc.

“eBikes use bicycle componentry, and are not designed for small motorbike use. Apart from the danger to other cyclists of a high speed bike on trails etc, there’s a danger to the rider of a major/catastrophic failure.“

Have you seen how fast a good rider descends on a modern MTB?!

But I agree with this approach to delimiting ebikes.

otherwise we just get the “cyclist kills pedestrian” headlines when it’s actually “uninsured unregistered unlicensed motorcyclists kills pedestrian”.

I find it hard to disagree with the above – a few high profile cases of tuned ebike idiocy will ruin it for the rest of us.

Have you seen how fast a good rider descends on a modern MTB?!

I think the issue is more when some scrote fits a 1500W hub motor to a BSO and either
a) Doesn’t fit a decent set of brakes.
b) Does fit a decent set of brakes and the forks collapse or the headtube falls off.

Marzocchi Shivers and Monster-T used to get used on lightweight motorbikes so it’s not all bad. Type approval, EC standards for e-bikes etc to have a purpose.

chiefgrooveguru
Have you seen how fast a good rider descends on a modern MTB?!

Yes, the riders are really good.

But now imagine the sort of rider who “needs” a souped up eBike motor descending at those speeds, and who is unlikely to have spent the few thousand pounds necessary for a decent DH bike.

“But now imagine the sort of rider who “needs” a souped up eBike motor descending at those speeds, and who is unlikely to have spent the few thousand pounds necessary for a decent DH bike.”

I don’t think you can make that assumption – I know one rider on a derestricted ebike who upgraded his fork to a Boxxxer and his ebike riding buddy has a Fox 49 on his also unrestricted bike. Both bikes are blinged to the max and both riders are seriously good (as in they rarely have to pay for their gear good).

But as someone who commutes on an ebike, something doing 15mph almost from a standstill in a bike lane is plenty fast enough to confuse pedestrians – any faster and they need to be kept to roads and clearly off footpaths and bridleways.

It seems electric scooters are now a must have chav accessory .

Seeing as its illegal to use one in public I’d like to see sellers take more responsibility for what happens to them. They should have a sticker on them at sale saying not for use in public.

Recently in Valencia they were everywhere . However they were used on designated paths and in that environment the best form of urban transport going.