Hypothetical question regarding illegal Ebikes

[steveindenmark]

I would have though this was an obvious problem before you even bought it. Surely, asking this question before buying it would have been a bit smarter.
Put it in a car to get it up to where you are riding it and leave it on the land somewhere.

 

[johnnyb47]

Ah your jumping to conclusions.
My dad gifted the bike to me.
He bought it for himself,but his health has taken a turn for the worst and cannot use it anymore.

 

[mustang1]

Odd maybe, but they do use the wording "capable of propelling" in the regulations.

Now that's interesting because iif the battery is removed, is the bike still capable of being going above the speed limit? Well, yeah, I suppose so if the battery is installed. But then again, all e-bikes would be illegal because they are all capable of being propelled to illegal speeds with a little modification (eg in America they can rise at 20 or 28mph and for the same bike).

Ah, law and all that. So many grey areas.

 

[Illaveago]

Whilst out on a ride we met a couple of ebike riders one of them had a factory made bike whilst the other had converted his road bike to electric. The converted bike rider boasted that his bike was powered by a 1kw motor and capable of doing 60mph. I don't suppose anyone would notice if he kept to a sensible speed whilst pedalling.

 

[steveindenmark]

Whilst out on a ride we met a couple of ebike riders one of them had a factory made bike whilst the other had converted his road bike to electric. The converted bike rider boasted that his bike was powered by a 1kw motor and capable of doing 60mph. I don't suppose anyone would notice if he kept to a sensible speed whilst pedalling.

Until he had an accident and was being prosecuted for a whole range of motor vehicle offences. Then there is of course the compesation payments for the person they run into.
It is never worth it or not thinking it will never happen to you. Because when it does. You cannot rewind the clock.

 

[vickster]

I’d be more concerned about it burning the house down!

 

[figbat]

Just to be clear, if you’re using it on private land with permission then it’s not an “illegal e-bike”, it’s just an e-bike for off highway use.

That would be like calling a motocross bike an illegal motorbike.

 

[Kingfisher101]

The biggest concern I'd have about it would be having it knicked or being forced off it by scroats.
I'd have absolutely no worries at all about riding it about.
The Police.. yeah right. There's kids going 60 miles an hour pulling wheelies, dancing on the seats etc and nothing is done.

 

[Kingfisher101]

Until he had an accident and was being prosecuted for a whole range of motor vehicle offences. Then there is of course the compesation payments for the person they run into.
It is never worth it or not thinking it will never happen to you. Because when it does. You cannot rewind the clock.

LOL, You obviously dont know what you are on about.
Have you ever lived in the U.K? Its like Mad Max in some areas.

 

[Alex321]

But if you pedal so that your speed is more than the 25kmh cutoff speed, they don't hold that against you.
And to date, in the UK, electric bikes do not require taxing. They're covered by the same legislation as battery powered electric cars. At least until next April.

The wording "capable of propelling" is the important wording.

If it is not a legal e-assist bike according to the regulations, then officially it is an e-motorbike, and as such does require tax, mot and insurance if it is on the public road. The tax rate would currently be zero, but they still have to be registered and the zero amount "paid". But it is the registration and insurance that would matter most (and MOT if over 3 years old).

 

[steveindenmark]

LOL, You obviously dont know what you are on about.
Have you ever lived in the U.K? Its like Mad Max in some areas.

Yes. I have lived in the UK. But only for about 45 years.

If you have an accident on one of these things without insurance. You are screwed if you injure someone.

The reason I do know something about this is that I was in a not too disimilar situation a couple of years back. You would be shocked at how much his insurance had to pay out.

Without it he would have been paying from his own funds for years.

The fact that you would have no problem riding one on the road without insurance, tells us all we need to know.

 

[Kingfisher101]

Yes. I have lived in the UK. But only for about 45 years.

If you have an accident on one of these things without insurance. You are screwed if you injure someone.

The reason I do know something about this is that I was in a not too disimilar situation a couple of years back. You would be shocked at how much his insurance had to pay out.

Without it he would have been paying from his own funds for years.

The fact that you would have no problem riding one on the road without insurance, tells us all we need to know.

No, He wouldn't have been paying out for years if he hadn't been insured. He would have ended up paying a £1.00 a week or something like that. He go and sign on and there would be nothing anyone could do.

 

[steveindenmark]

No, He wouldn't have been paying out for years if he hadn't been insured. He would have ended up paying a £1.00 a week or something like that. He go and sign on and there would be nothing anyone could do.

This is assuming the guy never intends to work in their lives. Because if they work, getting a garnish on their wages is a simple process. Like I said to start. Its not worth the risk.

 

[Drago]

No, He wouldn't have been paying out for years if he hadn't been insured. He would have ended up paying a £1.00 a week or something like that. He go and sign on and there would be nothing anyone could do.

The court would ultimately send someone to prison for not paying a fine and won't accept excuses. Talk of offenders pleading poverty and getting away with paying 50p a week are urban myth.

And then there's the MIB, who would likely payout for injuries/damage caused by such an illegal moped/motorcycle, and they won't spare resources in hounding someone for their last shekel and beyond.

 

[Ming the Merciless]

You could of course leave it permanently on the land. Why bring it home?