Poll: Should Windsor Crack Down On Ebikes?

Thanks Lock. People here need to vote and should read the 2 comments so far. One is pro and well presented. The other is a rant about saving children carried on the rear of ebikes. Holy cow...

Quite a bias with the article. Photo showing an escooter (Vespa) and the poll questions contain editorial BS. Yes or No would suffice.
 
Hey YK

Believe it or not the bike pictured has pedals and falls under the legal definition in Canada and Ontario for a "power-assisted bicycle"... 500W, 32kmh, etc. Ontario limits vehicle weight to 120kg (as heavy as a laden cargo bike maybe? or bike pulling trailer...)

These "scooter-style" Chineesy ebikes have definitely upped the controversy for the Chicken Littles... then whatever restrictive legislations are introduced at municipal levels tar all ebikes (ebikers) with the same brush.

Lock
 
You, me and other enthusiasts can understand and appreciate the "letter of the law" but Ma & Pa Kettle see something like this and in their eyes it's a vehicle. Unfortunately, we only get one chance to make a 1st impression and if this poll is any indication these scooters and riders aren't doing us any favors. A least when used on bike paths.

And seriously, who among us actually believes manufacturers aren't intentionally exploiting the letter of the law with these designs? I'm conflicted because more LEV's the better but if it won't fit in a bicycle rack and/or hauled up stairs to an apt is it really a legitimate bicycle?

I dunno, hope our votes can help? It's obviously not going well so far...
 
In all seriousness, I ride an e-bike that is a scooter with pedals. Yes I agree that some manufacturers are exploiting the written word of the law on the matter. It doesn't mean that it is the wrong thing to do. These e-scooters are very popular in other countries and even encouraged to be used.
Lately I have been thinking that this thing we have going on here with the cool green way of transport that is cheap and doesn't need any registration, license or insurance will soon come to an end. Or some changes are coming that will affect the way we do things right now.

My e-bike is basically a Yamaha Vino 125 which is converted to electric with a 500 watt hub motor, 48v sla battery and governed to 32 km/h. (well it used to be governed lol) Originally, the Yamaha Vino 125 is a LSM (Low Speed Motorcycle) moped capable of a top speed of between 65 and 70 km/h. It is licensed as a LSM moped which is cheap, insurance is also cheap and driver's license is easy and cheap to obtain. So I'm thinking that maybe I should just upgrade to a 1500 watt hub motor, a 72V Lithium battery, a new 12V converter and a better controller and just license and insure the thing as a regular LSM moped and be done with it. I would be on the street, no more riding near the curb with the sand and gravel and screws and nails, I would be fast enough to keep up with the traffic in town, it would feel safer to ride having my place on the road much like a full size motorcycle and I could take a whole car's parking spot and piss everyone off.

Pretty soon, I'm afraid that is what we're all going to have to do. The ones riding e-scooters anyway, the open frame e-bikes might be spared with new bylaws coming our way.
 
I'd be happy with rego & license for e-bikes, if the state run motor service wasn't so bloated and bureaucratic.

For example in Australia if you have a dirt bike you must have it registered and it must have 3rd party injury insurance (i.e. if you hurt someone it pays their medical). The cost of my insurance is $350 per year yet I only ride in the forest. I am paying the same insurance of a road bike that has a much higher chance of injuring another human (and even that is quite low IMO).

So until they fix that type of BS i'm not in favor of any type of license for ebikes.
 
We are going to loose our rights because (most) will not take the time to help make policy.
 
It's Canada eh! Control freaks they are. And you can vote many times and it will count but you have to empty your cookies after each vote, then reload the page and vote again and repeat. Maybe I just described what you call the Chicago way, I don't know what the Chicago way is. Anyway, that is why these polls are worth nothing but still, many swear by them and are convinced they're legit.
 
DAND214 said:
Are you guys that wild that they need to tame you down,
or are they just control freeks?
Dan

It's mostly pedestrians feeling threatened by cyclists (on pedal-bikes) that misbehave... they can't attack cyclists, there's too many of them. But ebikers are an easy target. Not so many around (yet), more visible (especially if scooter-style) and not politically organized (yet) the way the pedal-bikers are in many communities.... Plus politicians love "safety" issues too... good optics.

LocK
 
I like how the poll taker worded the poll so bias.
 
Just checked the poll results again and we have 700 votes for 43 per cent of the vote. :D

However,we need to have at the very least over 50 per cent to stop these politicians using knuckle-dragers to further their self-interests. Check out the latest comment too - that's a lot of hatred in just a few sentences. :shock:

More votes needed. :mrgreen:
 
Should_city_crack_down.jpg

Amazing folks! ... I see in the face of all this ebiker-awesomeness the "Yes, they are a menace" votes are still creeping up though...

So if ya see this, and the paper hasn't closed off the voting on this poll yet, pls. feel free to "hit this out of the park"!
:twisted:

Lock
 
Voted
otherDoc
 
Lock said:
[attachment=0]Amazing folks! ... I see in the face of all this ebiker-awesomeness the "Yes, they are a menace" votes are still creeping up though...

So if ya see this, and the paper hasn't closed off the voting on this poll yet, pls. feel free to "hit this out of the park"!
:twisted:

Lock

Very good news.

Perhaps it might be prudent to move this to toxic discussions for the purpose of SERP rankings. That way the politicians won't go putting the blame for this poll on this site. If the mods might be kind enough to do so. :D
 
I voted. NO is now ahead of YES by 10%. Quite a jump from when Lock first posted...
 
TonyReynolds said:
I voted. NO is now ahead of YES by 10%. Quite a jump from when Lock first posted...

No now has 54 per cent of the vote. A good healthy 60 plus per cent should be enough to make politicians think twice about this again.
 
That's funny that the smog capital of Canada would consider clamping down on emissionless environmentally friendly vehicles which also reduce traffic congestion. Everything political is ass backwards.
 
Voted!!! and looks like we are turning the tide. :)

voted.jpg
 
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