How legal is your e- bike / trike conversion ?

twinkle

E-Triker
May 14, 2013
249
93
Peacehaven nr Brighton
Hi Folks

Wandering through the regulations for electric bikes and trikes , and conversions the regs are very vague . For example brakes on an e-bike must conform to British standard but there are no mention of the criteria of that standard , except that trikes must have all wheels braked . Most production tadole trikes would fall foul of these regs as most have two brake levers operating on left and right front wheels , without a rear brake , Saying that the rear brake on a tadpole is not very good as the weight transfers to the front wheels and locks up at the very thought of applying it.

Does anyone fit a VIN plate to their DIY ride giving their own name as manufacturer ?

As for the weight you would be hard pushed to build a tadpole tandem trike and keep to the 60kg limit imposed by the UK regs , lets face it at almost 14ft long and 3ft wide you wont be carring up to your 6th floor flat every night after use !!!!!!!!

Who was it that said a long time ago the LAW IS AN ASS ?

regards folks

emma
 

Geebee

Esteemed Pedelecer
Mar 26, 2010
1,256
227
Australia
The Green speed GTT tandem is 29 kg so I would think that 60 kg diy might be doable with care.
Just fit the standard 2 front brakes and a paking brake to the rear with a V brake and a friction shifter to operate it, covers regs and the parking brake is handy.
Unfortunately you have no hope of changing the law or what it is either:)
 

peerjay56

Esteemed Pedelecer
May 24, 2013
745
201
Nr Ingleton, N. Yorkshire
Hi Folks

Wandering through the regulations for electric bikes and trikes , and conversions the regs are very vague. Does anyone fit a VIN plate to their DIY ride giving their own name as manufacturer ?

Who was it that said a long time ago the LAW IS AN ASS ?

regards folks

emma
Can't help on the trike issue, I'm afraid, but I too have wondered about that 'plate'. My wife's urban mover doesn't have one (a manufactured ebike) and their isn't one on my kit built bike either. I did wonder if kit manufacturers should supply them to be fitted to the bike after conversion?
Do other manufacturers comply with this element of the pedelec regs?

Charles Dickens brought the phrase to popular attention, in Oliver Twist, published in 1838. When Mr. Bumble, the unhappy spouse of a domineering wife, is told in court that "...the law supposes that your wife acts under your direction", he replies:

"If the law supposes that," ... "the law is a ass - a idiot".

The English dramatist George Chapman in put a similar phrase into print much ealrier - 1654 - in his play 'Revenge for Honour':

" Ere he shall lose an eye for such a trifle... For doing deeds of nature! I'm ashamed. The law is such an ass". :D
 
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KirstinS

Esteemed Pedelecer
Apr 5, 2011
3,224
899
Brighton
My understanding is that very few (if any ) manufacturers comply with the strict letter of law

If your a nominal 250w max and 15mph limit them you will be fine

I consider my bike legal when run my 8fun 250w kit at 36v but illegal when I plug in my booster battery which takes it up to 48v (and up to about 23mph hot off charger settling to 21/22mph)
 

flecc

Member
Oct 25, 2006
52,763
30,349
Hardly any makers plate their e-bikes and it isn't necessary to do so. The UK EAPC regulations are officially regarded as virtually defunct, indeed the old detailed advice web pages on them were archived a couple of years ago to be replaced with the scant advice currently given.

The reason is that there is an intention to replace the EAPC regs with a new law broadly aligned with the EU regulations and it is the EU regulation on power for example which is now officially acknowledged as the de facto standard.

The new regulations, currently planned for 2016, will broadly follow the EU ones which do not require plating, just CE marks. Exceptions may be the allowance of throttles for the UK and the matter of trike weights, since the DfT may not approve the EU's lack of a weight restriction for them.
 
C

Cyclezee

Guest
Tandem?

My Glr (single trike) with motor and battery weighs Around 16kg :)
Hi Geebee,

The ICE trike I had in mind is the Adventure single which weighs 16.8Kg as standard without a conversion kit.
From the information that I could find on the GLR, it comes in at 14Kg in standard form, so yours is exceptionally light.
 

Geebee

Esteemed Pedelecer
Mar 26, 2010
1,256
227
Australia
Mine was custom built for a light rider it's 13kg ready to ride, the assist is a Tongxin and 5 or 10 ah (depending on ride) 24v Zippy LiPo battery.

Not me or my trike but gives a good idea of how small and low it is.
myglr.jpg

My trike.540053398small.jpg
 
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103Alex1

Esteemed Pedelecer
Sep 29, 2012
2,228
67
^^ wow - if I lay back on that I might never want to get up again :)
 
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Cyclezee

Guest
That's impressive Geebee, lighter than the average 2 wheel electric bike;)