Legal or not?

flecc

Member
Oct 25, 2006
52,763
30,349
Yes, it is illegal in the EU unless registered, taxed etc as a light motorcycle. To do that means it must be type approved if sold as a complete vehicle as here, more expense and complications. With a quoted top speed of almost 35 mph it cannot fall into the 30 mph moped class.
 

smudger1956

Esteemed Pedelecer
Jan 26, 2012
519
3
West London
It is about time eBay monitored sellers 'product descriptions'.

going completely legal / motor bike
under EU law, a bicycle with an engine that supports
do not need insurance
and do not need technical research,

Item location Greenford, delivery 33-35 working days...?
 

aeschylus

Finding my (electric) wheels
Jun 11, 2012
24
0
the whole auction makes no sense, I am not even sure what you are buying. It is terribly broken english

If you look at the kit page I posted the seller clearly puts it is very illegal in the UK
 

aeschylus

Finding my (electric) wheels
Jun 11, 2012
24
0
Dead link on their 'Road Legal Procedure'.......;)
The problem is they are very clever, as they fit a kill switch, so the moment the old bill pull you up, one would hit the kill switch and it would be up to the police to prove you had been using it, and if you are pretending to pedal as well, the level of proof needed would be almost impossible to gain
 

Eaglerider

Esteemed Pedelecer
Oct 25, 2011
370
47
East Sussex
I think if the Old Bill pulled you over, sitting astride a vehicle that patently did not adhere to any accepted construction and use regulations, the engine of which would be hot, evidencing recent operation, coupled with their having witnessed you riding it whilst appearing to emit the sound of a 2 stroke engine, the burden of proof would be academic, you are nicked!

Even with the very best lawyers, to defend the case would be challenging in the extreme.
 

mike killay

Esteemed Pedelecer
Feb 17, 2011
3,012
1,627
Not so!
There was a case in the old 'clip on' days of someone peadalling a broken down motorised bike. It was held to be a motor cycle even if the engine did not work. Similar case with someone freewheeling a car.
 

Scimitar

Esteemed Pedelecer
Jul 31, 2010
1,772
40
Ireland
Not so!
There was a case in the old 'clip on' days of someone peadalling a broken down motorised bike. It was held to be a motor cycle even if the engine did not work. Similar case with someone freewheeling a car.
Unfortunately, judgements like just serve to prove the law is indeed an ass.
 

GaRRy

Esteemed Pedelecer
May 18, 2012
1,019
3
Tamworth
Unfortunately, judgements like just serve to prove the law is indeed an ass.
Nope it is just to stop people trying to use legal loop holes. By saying if it has a petrol engine its a motor vehicle stops any ambiguity.
 

rog_london

Esteemed Pedelecer
Jan 3, 2009
764
2
Harrow, Middlesex
That thing is legal in California, which is where it's manufactured I believe. However, even in America there are very few states where such a bike can be ridden.

If you notice the shipping cost and the delivery lead time, you might surmise that's where it will come from if you buy one. You might then have a battle with the Customs and Excise people if/when it turns up.

Rog.
 
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Scimitar

Esteemed Pedelecer
Jul 31, 2010
1,772
40
Ireland
Nope it is just to stop people trying to use legal loop holes. By saying if it has a petrol engine its a motor vehicle stops any ambiguity.
My point is - a mechanically propelled vehicle without any mechanical propulsion is just a chicken shed with wheels. It's an object, not a car or motorcycle.
If one breaks down and the owner/occupant is trying his damnedest to get the heap off the road, he should not be pilloried for trying to do the right thing.
The law doesn't agree with me, that's fine; but it's still an ass. :)
 

rog_london

Esteemed Pedelecer
Jan 3, 2009
764
2
Harrow, Middlesex
I must be missing something here - how did it get there in the first place? Apart from that, being broken down doesn't mean it doesn't have to be insured, taxed etc - at least in the UK - as long as it's on the public road.

Up to recently you could get away with 'no insurance' as long as the vehicle was taxed and not actually being driven - but that loophole has been closed AFAIK in the past year.

I suspect you might get away with it if you removed the engine and cancelled the vehicle registration so it ceased to be a motor vehicle. Otherwise you'd need to load it onto a trailer which was part of a functioning and fully legal motor vehicle in order to move it.

Sorry, this is way off topic - I won't comment further.

Rog.
 

GaRRy

Esteemed Pedelecer
May 18, 2012
1,019
3
Tamworth
My point is - a mechanically propelled vehicle without any mechanical propulsion is just a chicken shed with wheels. It's an object, not a car or motorcycle.
If one breaks down and the owner/occupant is trying his damnedest to get the heap off the road, he should not be pilloried for trying to do the right thing.
The law doesn't agree with me, that's fine; but it's still an ass. :)
Well one would like to think that copper who saw someone trying to move a vehicle to a safer place after a break down would use his common sense and assist to get the job done. But if he see the vehicle being pushed / free wheeled over a large distance then that is not making things safer and he would then act accordingly.

Now the only flaw in my argument is that these days common sense seems to have disappeared so the police seem only to use the letter of the law rather than the spirit. The same as there is no such thing as a accident anymore and some one has got to be to blame.