First Road Legal S-Pedelec in the UK?

Wander

Esteemed Pedelecer
Aug 8, 2013
586
429
Brilliant, well done!

Would you mind outlining the whole process you went through? Who you had to contact, what forms you had to fill in, any modifications you had to make etc. etc.

There's been several on here that have claimed to do this in the past (including dealers) however when challenged have gone extraordinarily quiet.

There's loads of us on here that would be really interested.
 
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Artstu

Esteemed Pedelecer
Aug 2, 2009
2,420
925
What sort of number plate do you have? and don't you catch your legs on it?
 

David Kilpatrick

Pedelecer
Dec 14, 2016
56
32
57
Cumbernauld
Brilliant, well done!

Would you mind outlining the whole process you went through? Who you had to contact, what forms you had to fill in, any modifications you had to make etc. etc.

There's been several on here that have claimed to do this in the past (including dealers) however when challenged have gone extraordinarily quiet.

There's loads of us on here that would be really interested.
Bought the bike from France most important thing is it must have a COC certificate of conformity. I then completed a V55/4 which was submitted to the DVLA, you will need them to allocate a registration number. They queried a few things on the COC, being the speedo reads in MPH, the headlight shines the correct way and that there was a wing mirror fitted. I then had to get a MSVA partial test done at my local VOSA this cost £12. They were unsure at first but as the bike had a COC it was okay and passed the checks they had to carry out. DVLA then needed proof of who I was and taxed it.
 
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Rohloffboy

Esteemed Pedelecer
Sep 1, 2015
315
125
64
North West.
Fantastic post David, a superb solution for commuters, I always thought having a "S" Pedelec legally on the road was a none starter in the UK, as there appears to be no specific bracket for them.

Do we know if you still have to wear a motorcycle Helmet to keep legal, or will one of the specific "S" Pedelec bicycle helmets be legal in the UK.

Also the number plate, is it permissible to use a small plate if so what is the smallest you can legally get away with.

Can you provide the name of the insurance company.
 
Last edited:
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flecc

Member
Oct 25, 2006
52,763
30,349
See above. One of the hardest things was finding a company to provide third party insurance
Yes, that was always going to be the most difficult part. Have they registered it as an L1e-B moped, since there isn't an S class group in the UK?
.
 

flecc

Member
Oct 25, 2006
52,763
30,349
Also the number plate, is it permissible to use a small plate if so what is the smallest you can legally get away with.
It still has to be a full size motorcycle plate, there are no legal smaller sizes in the UK. Still the same as when we last had to register assisted bikes from the 1940s to the 1980s.
.
 

David Kilpatrick

Pedelecer
Dec 14, 2016
56
32
57
Cumbernauld
Fantastic post David, a superb solution for commuters, I always thought having a "S" Pedelec legally on the road was a none starter in the UK, as there appears to be no specific bracket for them.

Do we know if you still have to wear a motorcycle Helmet to keep legal, or will one of the specific "S" Pedelec bicycle helmets be legal in the UK.

Also the number plate, is it permissible to use a small plate if so what is the smallest you can legally get away with.

Can you provide the name of the insurance company.
Got to wear a proper motorcycle helmet, I have went for cheap open face just now. Looking at a cratoni vigor but it’s £170 and double the weight of a normal bike helmet.
Got insurance from Bikesure had to push them for it. Could only get Third Party Only at an eye watering price!!!
 
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soundwave

Esteemed Pedelecer
May 23, 2015
15,973
6,292
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anotherkiwi

Esteemed Pedelecer
Jan 26, 2015
7,845
5,785
The European Union
Got to wear a proper motorcycle helmet, I have went for cheap open face just now. Looking at a cratoni vigor but it’s £170 and double the weight of a normal bike helmet.
Got insurance from Bikesure had to push them for it. Could only get Third Party Only at an eye watering price!!!
But that helmet is in carbon fibre and weighs how much less than an open face?
 

anotherkiwi

Esteemed Pedelecer
Jan 26, 2015
7,845
5,785
The European Union
Someone else found this for me super light weight and it’s £170
http://cratoni.com/en/bike/pedelec_-_e-bike/vigor
That was me I think, I meant to say above that a normal open face helmet weighs over 1000g and the Cratoni is only 850g.

If I was you I would use this: http://casco-helme.de/en/fahrrad_products/ROADSTER/index.php and negotiate in case of being stopped by plod... High impact crash on a bicycle you are very badly broken or you die, low impact crash a decent covering helmet is plenty enough.
 
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RobF

Esteemed Pedelecer
Sep 22, 2012
4,732
2,311
Were indicators mentioned by the approval chaps?
 

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