Bike_Curious

Fair enough. One of my paranoias was specifically meeting a police officer who is an ebike enthusiast. Or not even an enthusiast level of interest would be necessary - after a couple of days of internet research I was aware that all of those large-diameter hub motors are overpowered with respect to the legal limit. I was worried that after some twat inevitably rides a 1000w bike too fast and hurts someone, all police will be issued with these guidelines of how to spot illegal bikes easily, as part of a crackdown. The Bafang you've got is much more discreet looking than the ebay 1000w hub motors.

I've decided I don't want the headaches of an illegal bike. I'm going to return the item, and at some point in the future get one that complies with the law.

I'm not trying to be a smartass, I'm just paranoid. Or looking to gauge how much my paranoia is justified. Didn't know Guernsey wasn't in the UK, TIL. I ordered the kit kind of impulsively and I guess I didn't think it through. Since only motors with >750W come in those large diameter black cases, it's pretty easy to identify from a distance as illegal. It might be worth opting for a mid-drive type for more stealth.

This is one example I found on this site https://guernseypress.com/news/2017/12/18/electric-bike-rider-is-taken-off-roads/ I had considered that the mid-drive conversion kit style might be more discreet. Maybe I'll give the pancake back, and try to fit something mid-drive instead. Presumably determining whether it's legal or not requires the bike to be confiscated and taken somewhere for analysis. It seems unlikely that would happen for a "routine" stop and search, unless you've done something dangerous or aggressive to piss them off. I don't know :/

I'm hearing a lot of conflicting stances on this matter. Some threads like this https://www.pedelecs.co.uk/forum/threads/do-the-cops-care-about-illegal-ebikes.26541/ essentially say "use it sensibly and nobody will care" while others warn of serious legal consequences. If it's that risky I might just return the items and abandon the project. I can't be bothered to expend lots of time, effort, and money on some strangled bike with a microscopic motor to follow the precise letter of the law. I'm curious to hear the experiences and attitudes of Londoners.

I believe it'll look something like this https://us.voilamart.com/media/catalog/product/cache/1/image/9df78eab33525d08d6e5fb8d27136e95/e/b/ebv-48n1000wrc-0-us.jpg

Howdy. Excited to have an ebay kit for my mountain bike. My hope is to use it for my journey to work. Any of you guys ride in London? How have you found police attention? Any tips for keeping out of the way of law enforcement? The motor on the rear wheel is quite physically large - is that too inconspicuous? I have no intention of riding fast or dangerously - just want to alleviate some of the effort of pedalling.