My other “other bike”…

[rustydusty]

I built this from a Retrospec beach cruiser and an electric motor wheel kit. 52v, 1000w, 0-30 in about 8 seconds, 20 mile range…

[Greybeard]

I'm not too happy about electric powered bicycles here in the UK. Riders of these and electric scooters often ride on footpaths. Footpaths where the partially sighted and children are walking. The motor is almost silent. The riders have no registration numbers to identify the owner. They are not required to have third party insurance, so no protection for someone they might hurt. Some of those devices have been modified to go much faster than a normal pedal cycle. You say yours will do 30mph! These things are motorised bicycles, or motorbikes, as we call them when they have an IC engine.

Look at this; it's a motorbike, right?

[bikerbob]

I entirely agree with you they should be put in the same class as mopeds where you have to have registration and insurance and wear a suitable crash helmet.Those electric scooters should also have some means of identifying the owner and also have compulsory insurance.

[Greybeard]

This government has no interest in ordinary people's concerns.

[muskrat]

G'day Rusty.
Nice work mate. I was looking for a minute or so trying to work out the drive. Then I looked forward and saw the front hub  .
What are the regulations for that sort of thing over there?
Down here in NSW it's illegal to use e-scooters on public roads/footpaths, not sure about e-pushbikes. Only to be used on private land. Doesn't stop hundreds of them.
Cheers

[rustydusty]

Here, ebikes are restricted on footpaths, and sidewalks. They can be ridden on bike trails and public streets. Not many of them here on the island, but I visited New York City and there was literally thousands of them. There are top speed restrictions on them but nobody seems concerned about it including law enforcement. I’m sure things will soon change as they continue to proliferate…

[morris]

Over here they’re regarded as 40KPH mopeds.
Helmet, insurance, license plate, moped driving licence and appropriate clothing required.
Speed must be limited to 40KPH.
Bicycle rules apply so they must ride on the bicycle lanes, where there’s no bicycle lanes they may ride on the road. Fines are heavy so most stick to the rules
E-bikes over 40KPH are considered motorcycles so motorcycle rules apply

[rustydusty]

Here in states they are supposed to be restricted to 20 mph, but the directions with the kit show you how to easily bypass the restrictor (which of course I did…). 30 mph on this thing is pretty scary and I mostly cruise around at a much lower speed…

[Rex]

This government has no interest in ordinary people's concerns.

I blame the police for this. It wasn't so many years ago that any powered two-wheeler needed taxing, insuring, helmets, number plates etc etc but then when various electric things and little motorbikes started appearing on the roads suddenly the coppers would look the other way.
Then again, not so long back coppers would tell you to stop riding a pushbike on the pavement, but now they're too busy investigating "he insulted me on F-B" shite to even think about that.

[Greybeard]

Over here they’re regarded as 40KPH mopeds.
Helmet, insurance, license plate, moped driving licence and appropriate clothing required.
Speed must be limited to 40KPH.
Bicycle rules apply so they must ride on the bicycle lanes, where there’s no bicycle lanes they may ride on the road. Fines are heavy so most stick to the rules
E-bikes over 40KPH are considered motorcycles so motorcycle rules apply

I wish the same applied in the UK