Street legal
- Thread starter slamdunk
- Start date
Friend of mine was pulled up and given a severe warning, but given the opportunity to put the bike back to normal, which he did as they checked up a week later
He was exceeding the ROAD speed limit on a town road with a cop car right behind him!!
The police are not as dumb as some think!!
He could have lost the bike and been fined!!
Andy
The police might not be dumb, but your friend certainly is.
Theoretically it could involve charges of driving an unlicenced vehicle, uninsured vehicle, untaxed vehicle and put points on your driving licence.
Ridden sensibly it's unlikely to attract any attention, but if involved in an accident, even if the other party is to blame, might not end well.
Ridden sensibly it's unlikely to attract any attention, but if involved in an accident, even if the other party is to blame, might not end well.
Good advice! Its simply not worth the aggravation to have an illegal bike....
regards
Andy
Your right, I have a mate who is now an accident inspector for our local Police force. He warned me not to derestrict my bike, because if an e-bike is involved in an accident they are investigating, one of the first things they do is check to see if it has been derestricted.
I wholly agree with the above views, although purshasing my 2011 Batribike Quartz in November 2018 due to medical problems and the unsuitable weather I have not yet ridden it, I believe it to be just as it left the retailer - but how else could I detect if alterations have been made by someone?
I have no reason to need an altered bike and if found to be so would dispose of it immediately. All wiring looks to be untouched and original.
Jim
I have no reason to need an altered bike and if found to be so would dispose of it immediately. All wiring looks to be untouched and original.
Jim
Apart from what you mentioned, are you keeping a 50% charge on the battery so that it does not "die" even before you have ridden it?
I am assuming uts a Li-ion, but all technologies do not like to be left with a low or no charge, it damages them.
regards
Andy
The easy way to find it will be when you ride it. If it goes over 15.5 mph with the motor still working then it's de-restricted.
On my bike you could also change the wheel size setting so it could go faster but still only show 15.5 mph. I guess you'd know if that's happened to yours as it feels faster than 15.5 mph
I agree with the sentiments expressed above with regard to the use of derestricted ebikes on UK roads. In the event of an accident, especially where the ebiker was at fault, the consequences could be extremely severe. It would not stop there, however, as we would ALL be left facing the raft of costs and inconvenience which would follow any government clamp down. It would not necessarily need an an accident to start the avalanche - only takes a read of the forum to demonstrate the extent of the problem! I agree the 15.5mph cut off is inconvenient, but it remains the law of the land.
The law of the whole EU!!I agree with the sentiments expressed above with regard to the use of derestricted ebikes on UK roads. In the event of an accident, especially where the ebiker was at fault, the consequences could be extremely severe. It would not stop there, however, as we would ALL be left facing the raft of costs and inconvenience which would follow any government clamp down. It would not necessarily need an an accident to start the avalanche - only takes a read of the forum to demonstrate the extent of the problem! I agree the 15.5mph cut off is inconvenient, but it remains the law of the land.
Maybe after BREXIT, things may change?
Regards
Andy
Jim I have the 2010 Batribike Quartz SE with a 200Watt Motor and the battery behind the seat tube and it slows after 14 mph . You might have the successor with a 250 Watt Motor which probably does the same .
You are right, but that is old heavy technology and I personally have never seen a modern e-bike with NICADs, though apparently they were used........!
I did find this on this web link:-
https://www.pedelecs.co.uk/guides/nimh-sla-electric-bike-battery-types /
NiCad batteries. Large cell Nickel Cadmium batteries suitable for e-bikes are no longer in normal production due to the environmental toxicity of cadmium. Some were still in use until recently though, chiefly by Heinzmann motor kits. Although they only have about half the capacity of NiMh for a given cell size, in one way they were ideal for e-bike use since they could freely give up their current at very high discharge rates. However, as well as the toxicity, they had the disadvantage of a “memory effect”. This meant that if part charged by topping up, the battery cells could chemically set up a barrier and thus “remember” the point from which the charge was applied. The effect of this was is that only the amount of the top up charge down to the chemical barrier could be used sometimes. This meant that they were best fully discharged before every charge, which was inconvenient.
Carefully designed charging techniques minimised this effect and cells which were locked in this way over time could be recovered by a special conditioning process applied by main dealers. However, these inconveniences meant NiCad was quickly superceded by NiMh for all but Heinzmann, a few of which are still in use.
This fits in well with my previous knowledge too. So they would not be recommended for usage today I feel, though you are technically correct!
Thanks
Andy
Hi Andy, my battery is certainly full charged, it has just been renewed by Jimmy using ‘15-1/2 amp Boston Swing’ cells which I’m looking forward to using asap.
Other than being followed by plod I’d not know my speed, - oh, unless the Bryton Rider 310 GPS unit I recently bought can tell me speed and distance, we’ll see as its not been used yet.......
RRoger, I appreciate your valuable input, thanks, I’ve got some finding out to do.
Jim
Other than being followed by plod I’d not know my speed, - oh, unless the Bryton Rider 310 GPS unit I recently bought can tell me speed and distance, we’ll see as its not been used yet.......
RRoger, I appreciate your valuable input, thanks, I’ve got some finding out to do.
Jim
The only way anyone can be certain that a battery is fully charged (though it might not "define" other possible failures fully), is to measure the unloaded battery voltage with a known good voltmeter.
KNOWING that your battery is good, removes a huge number of possible problems.
To know your speed, if you have no LCD, it is very easy, you buy one of those cheapo bike computers, and set it up per instructions. The last e-bike I had did not have a display, and one of those told me my speed, distance covered per ride, total distance covered and the correct time, for less than UK five pounds. It was good enough for government work! A radio transmitter sent a signal to the display from the front wheel sensor, no wires, and the battery lasted several years of heavy usage.....
Nowadays they start at 1 UK Pound!
The ones today are far better and still very cheap:-
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Outdoor-Waterproof-LCD-Wired-Bike-Bicycle-Computer-Cycle-Odometer-Speedometer/292690432312?hash=item4425b59138:g:8qcAAOSw76Bbe6b3:rk:3:pf:0
Or slightly more upmarket:-
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Portable-Rainproof-Wireless-Wired-LCD-Bike-Bicycle-Computer-Speedometer-Odometer/382275737518?_trkparms=aid=555017&algo=PL.CASSINI&ao=1&asc=20170907081254&meid=ffd114b9a92a44899bb79e8b70e966fa&pid=100281&rk=7&rkt=12&&itm=382275737518&_trksid=p2045573.c100281.m3567
I hope this helps
Andy
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