Kneelb4ZOD
1 W
Have you ever had any experience or run-in's with law enforcement while on your ebike? Spill it!
Encounters of the police kind
- Thread starter Kneelb4ZOD
- Start date
There's been a fair few threads of this type before; (and other subjects you seem interested in) I suggest reading around or doing a bit of searching before creating a new thread. 
A few threads (not all listed are relevant)
https://endless-sphere.com/forums/search.php?keywords=police&terms=all&author=&sc=1&sf=titleonly&sk=t&sd=d&sr=topics&st=0&ch=300&t=0&submit=Search
https://endless-sphere.com/forums/search.php?keywords=law+enforce*&terms=all&author=&sc=1&sf=titleonly&sk=t&sd=d&sr=topics&st=0&ch=300&t=0&submit=Search
There's more threads than turn up in just those searches; which are just by topic title. Searching by first post itself would probably find some of the others.
A few threads (not all listed are relevant)
https://endless-sphere.com/forums/search.php?keywords=police&terms=all&author=&sc=1&sf=titleonly&sk=t&sd=d&sr=topics&st=0&ch=300&t=0&submit=Search
https://endless-sphere.com/forums/search.php?keywords=law+enforce*&terms=all&author=&sc=1&sf=titleonly&sk=t&sd=d&sr=topics&st=0&ch=300&t=0&submit=Search
There's more threads than turn up in just those searches; which are just by topic title. Searching by first post itself would probably find some of the others.
Kneelb4ZOD
1 W
amberwolf said:There's been a fair few threads of this type before; (and other subjects you seem interested in) I suggest reading around or doing a bit of searching before creating a new thread.
This is a topic for everyone to share their police encounters: tickets, confiscations, etc. directly related to EV regulations. I suppose my title could have been more specific, but I haven't seen a discussion for this yet, even going back 3 or 4 years. There was one a few years ago about police chases, which I suppose is tangentially related. Generally forums discourage resurrecting old threads. I wouldn't want to resurrect ancient threads with arguably off-topic open questions, but I'm new here and every forum has it's own culture. I'm certainly open to suggestions, and if you have any suggestions or pointers as an ES senior user how topics can be improved, you're more than welcome to send me a private message. Which is probably best, so as not to take threads too far off-topic.
As well, if you have any encounters with law enforcement in the context of operating electric vehicles in public, I'm sure everyone would love to read about it if you're willing to share your experience here.
As far as the topic, I've personally never had a direct confrontation with police over an EV, but law enforcement is generally pretty relaxed where I live. However the global climate around ebikes is quite strict in terms of regulations, and enforcement happen to varying degrees around different localities. I am interested to hear everyone's experience with their local law enforcement and regulations. Cheers!
Well... not on an e-bike but in a normal, man-powered bike.
Here in Barcelona the autonomic police are a bit... douches, I'm not saying that for any particular hate toward police, I got military background and been working in security, I strongly respect the authority, but Mossos d'esquadra (non state autonomic police ) are just corrupt douches serving a totally corrupt administration.
The case is.. I was on my bike, I didn't know what the frock I do, maybe pas in red, maybe going frikking fast while I do.. can't say for sure, but a police car put the siren and starts chasing me, well... I stop and whait, -Are you sure...?- I ear in my mind.. -frock no!- So I put to work mi chicken strong legs, the officer returns to the car while his companion whaiting, and re-start the chase, but we are in a one way road, so I just change my direction, -Are you gonna climb the sidewalk and ran over some civilians mister mosso? I bet you don't fucktard!- of course a chase can be broadcasted in all the police area wich is normally your neighborhood or a couple of them, so you got something like a star or two in GTA terms, I enter whit the bike to a mini-market and just whait, stop as soon as you are sure the cops can't see you, act normally and hide in dark garage door, open appartment, shop where you can enter the e-bike, etc...
I strongly discourage doing that, the cops are going to assume that you got something to hide and they are excellent team workers, but a bike, or electric vehicle, while not that fast, got more advantage than a regular motorbike in populated city or countryside enviorments that are not desertic or plain, so.. if for whatever reason you decide to flip the middle finger to the police, you better put all you got and don't even think in give up.
Recently I was making a high power e-bike, I plan to limit it to legal specs (but can be un-limited any time) but I also think about possible legal encounters, custom make e-bikes are not popular arround here, a idea I got is, to put a e-brake cutt-off sensor in a discrete place, for example attached to a part of the frame, and the magnet, (which is normally magnetic), strapped whit an thin wire at the top of the sensor, so I can easily break it and pull off the piece in a second, resuling in the motor not working no matter what, for a better than nothing ran out of batteries or malfunction excuse, so i'ts imposible that you see me not using the e-bike otherwise has a normal man-powered bike. (fucktard..)
Of course, always be polite and don't act like a smartie whit a cop, a intervention can last only 5 minutes, or 5 hours depending solely on your behaviour.
Here in Barcelona the autonomic police are a bit... douches, I'm not saying that for any particular hate toward police, I got military background and been working in security, I strongly respect the authority, but Mossos d'esquadra (non state autonomic police ) are just corrupt douches serving a totally corrupt administration.
The case is.. I was on my bike, I didn't know what the frock I do, maybe pas in red, maybe going frikking fast while I do.. can't say for sure, but a police car put the siren and starts chasing me, well... I stop and whait, -Are you sure...?- I ear in my mind.. -frock no!- So I put to work mi chicken strong legs, the officer returns to the car while his companion whaiting, and re-start the chase, but we are in a one way road, so I just change my direction, -Are you gonna climb the sidewalk and ran over some civilians mister mosso? I bet you don't fucktard!- of course a chase can be broadcasted in all the police area wich is normally your neighborhood or a couple of them, so you got something like a star or two in GTA terms, I enter whit the bike to a mini-market and just whait, stop as soon as you are sure the cops can't see you, act normally and hide in dark garage door, open appartment, shop where you can enter the e-bike, etc...
I strongly discourage doing that, the cops are going to assume that you got something to hide and they are excellent team workers, but a bike, or electric vehicle, while not that fast, got more advantage than a regular motorbike in populated city or countryside enviorments that are not desertic or plain, so.. if for whatever reason you decide to flip the middle finger to the police, you better put all you got and don't even think in give up.
Recently I was making a high power e-bike, I plan to limit it to legal specs (but can be un-limited any time) but I also think about possible legal encounters, custom make e-bikes are not popular arround here, a idea I got is, to put a e-brake cutt-off sensor in a discrete place, for example attached to a part of the frame, and the magnet, (which is normally magnetic), strapped whit an thin wire at the top of the sensor, so I can easily break it and pull off the piece in a second, resuling in the motor not working no matter what, for a better than nothing ran out of batteries or malfunction excuse, so i'ts imposible that you see me not using the e-bike otherwise has a normal man-powered bike. (fucktard..)
Of course, always be polite and don't act like a smartie whit a cop, a intervention can last only 5 minutes, or 5 hours depending solely on your behaviour.
Yes, here in Texas I see a lot of cops, and since I take great care to not go faster than 20mph around them they don't care. As long as the thing you're riding looks like a bicycle and doesn't make noise and you're not hauling ass or pissing people off you will have few problems in most places.
hypertoric_amplituhedron
100 W
In central florida, there are a lot of gas motor bikes around. The laws here are the most relaxed. The gas bike guys get a mixture of a thumbs up, to a warning about speeds, to confiscation. Most don't have any issues.
Now, as for ebikes ... these things practically don't exist here. It's catching on, but very rare to see one. So, getting pulled over is likely to be out of curiosity. The officers will be so mesmerized by the technology, they won't have time to think of how to bust you, unless of course you're doing things that would get you pulled over on a motorcycle.
So, as long as you take care of your riding safety and rules, you are a noiseless, barely noticeable curiosity.
Now, as for ebikes ... these things practically don't exist here. It's catching on, but very rare to see one. So, getting pulled over is likely to be out of curiosity. The officers will be so mesmerized by the technology, they won't have time to think of how to bust you, unless of course you're doing things that would get you pulled over on a motorcycle.
So, as long as you take care of your riding safety and rules, you are a noiseless, barely noticeable curiosity.
boytitan
100 W
I forgot to charge my ebike battery once. Had to pedal was tired after pedaling 2 long and steep hills well not hills more like elevated ramp over train tracks that most people walk their bikes up. 2 police in a truck went by me and were pretty rude. Forgot what the first one said but second one said get on the sidewalk snarkishly think the first cop said get out of the way. I was more so annoyed because had I not been dead tired from those hills I would not have been pedaling so slowly and able to keep up with traffic to not get in cars way. What annoyed me most was while I do use the sidewalk as a short cut if theres no room around traffic to get back on the road thats like for five seconds. Other then that I stay in the street because for 1 riding a bike in newyork state as a adult in on the sidewalk is illegal the cops don't even know the law here for 2 after crashing just recently in a pot hole I have come to the conclusion sidewalks are dangerous as frock even without pedestrians. Again I only use sidewalks very sparingly when theres no room to get around a single car in my way.
Other then that if police here don't even know bike laws I doubt they know e bike law. I just hide my ebikes acceleration and pedal up to speed if at a stop with a cop. I still go right by cops in a completely illegal e bike at max speed on the road its just the acceleration to get up to max speed so easily I hide. Doing 30mph next to a cop has went fine for me because I am also pedaling. Going zero from 30 next to a cop from a dead stop yeah not risking it. Don't want to be stopped for anything or have someone intrigued about my bike sure they may let me go 99% of times but its about shaving off time 5-10 extra seconds to get up to speed vs talking to a cop for 30 seconds to 2 minutes. Cops also don't mind me running red lights. I stop look both ways then just pass the light. Even once passed a light then asked a cop for directions because my gps got me lost. The freedom you get on a bike is absurd. It will go out the window once e bikes become mainstream and the absurd money police get from car tickets can be generated from e bike tickets. I doubt gas powered bikes get the same treatment here.
Most likely reason to get pulled over is curiosity outside of nyc and their delivery man crack down. I hit 30 and aside from people around my neighbo hood where I do break testing and 2 employees at my job that are mechanics and know what a hub motor is. No one notices i am even on a ebike even when doing 30-33 mph.
Other then that if police here don't even know bike laws I doubt they know e bike law. I just hide my ebikes acceleration and pedal up to speed if at a stop with a cop. I still go right by cops in a completely illegal e bike at max speed on the road its just the acceleration to get up to max speed so easily I hide. Doing 30mph next to a cop has went fine for me because I am also pedaling. Going zero from 30 next to a cop from a dead stop yeah not risking it. Don't want to be stopped for anything or have someone intrigued about my bike sure they may let me go 99% of times but its about shaving off time 5-10 extra seconds to get up to speed vs talking to a cop for 30 seconds to 2 minutes. Cops also don't mind me running red lights. I stop look both ways then just pass the light. Even once passed a light then asked a cop for directions because my gps got me lost. The freedom you get on a bike is absurd. It will go out the window once e bikes become mainstream and the absurd money police get from car tickets can be generated from e bike tickets. I doubt gas powered bikes get the same treatment here.
Most likely reason to get pulled over is curiosity outside of nyc and their delivery man crack down. I hit 30 and aside from people around my neighbo hood where I do break testing and 2 employees at my job that are mechanics and know what a hub motor is. No one notices i am even on a ebike even when doing 30-33 mph.
In my city, my ebikes went from being almost unnoticed years ago, to being questioned about monthly, to this past year noticed almost daily in downtown areas. I think with that level of growing public interest the police will begin to get curious soon. One time I had a policeman tail me from a red light for about half a mile, but I think that was because he thought I was drunk. I was doing a little swerving and practicing my track stands at the light. In that part of town about 2/3rds of the cyclists are homeless and I don't think my outfit was particularly sharp that day. That probably looked like I didn't know how to ride a bike (or was drunk) to someone who doesn't know how hard a track stand can be with a large, heavy backpack.
I recently got a thumbs up from an officer. I am not sure if it was because he could tell it was an ebike or just the fact that I had full gear on and was obeying the laws around the construction site he was overseeing. I hope the rest of my interactions are like that one!
I recently got a thumbs up from an officer. I am not sure if it was because he could tell it was an ebike or just the fact that I had full gear on and was obeying the laws around the construction site he was overseeing. I hope the rest of my interactions are like that one!
mate of mine got picked up after leaving my place for a brew night.
doing 60+kmh in a 60 kmh zone
on a bike good for >4000W vs legal limit 200W
max legal speed ebike 25kmh
and best of all 0.174 BAC (blood alcohol content
cops gave him a solid lecture about driving / riding whilst intoxicated and told him to
walk the 300m home - about 20km from my place all in.
Thumbs up dual drive MAC 8T 29ER
subtle and FAST
doing 60+kmh in a 60 kmh zone
on a bike good for >4000W vs legal limit 200W
max legal speed ebike 25kmh
and best of all 0.174 BAC (blood alcohol content
cops gave him a solid lecture about driving / riding whilst intoxicated and told him to
walk the 300m home - about 20km from my place all in.
Thumbs up dual drive MAC 8T 29ER
subtle and FAST
hypertoric_amplituhedron
100 W
Now I have some real world, personal experience of riding an ebike in front of police. I came across/was driven past by several police during the night hours. I was either on the sidewalk, paved bike trail, or parkinglot. I tried the ole' start pedaling to pretend I'm not on a motorized bike, but the frame bag and front hub motor gives it all away, to those who know what they are.
My results? Not one police officer gave a frock about some dude on his GT Windstream hybrid scooting along w/o pedaling. Not one of them. This is Florida, land of the free, unmolested ebiker.
My results? Not one police officer gave a frock about some dude on his GT Windstream hybrid scooting along w/o pedaling. Not one of them. This is Florida, land of the free, unmolested ebiker.
titusmc
100 W
hypertoric_amplituhedron said:
That has been my experience riding in Upstate NY as well. I've ridden by probably hundreds of state or local police on my BBSHD bike at 25-30 mph (always at least ghost pedaling) and none seem to care at all.
boytitan
100 W
titusmc said:
If you went 11 48 gearing couldn't you normal pedal. Or is a mid drive different. On my hub motor I can pedal fine with rhat gearing.
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