Rix said:
if a officer just saw a ebike, that looked to be going at a high rate of speed, that is enough for the officer to pull you over . As far as your claims that officers would not waste time for such things , I disagree.
Hey Rumme, I am a cop, and I would not waste my time jamming up an Ebiker. Unless he crashed into a kid in a school zone in the middle of a crosswalk, different story. If an ebiker is riding at less than 20MPH, and pedaling or ghost pedaling on public road, they will not get pulled over, end of story. Even if the ebike is capable of of going more than 20MPH, if the bike can be pedaled under human power only, and the cops don't have to have a reason to pull the rider over, the cops won't ever know that a person is running a 9kw build capable of 60MPH. Cops just cant stop someone based on "because its an ebike". There has to be a violation of law no matter how minuscule the violation is, or some kind of suspicion compliance issue based on articulated factual observations that will justify a stop and investigation. We are protected from that in the USA. That's
every American's citizens constitutional right from unlawful detention. I know different states have different laws and regulations, but all states still have to comply with US Constitution. Anyway I can tell by your repetitive comments that this issue is concerning issue for you. I hope my response will help you relax.
I have a story for you . Not all cops, are good cops/ law abiding cops. In my area, we had a cop, that set his own new truck on fire, to claim the insurance money. He was eventually caught and fired from his job. Guess what, he was REHIRED at another precinct in our state { at least that was the rumor that all the locals claimed } . This same cop, pulled me over 1 night on my ebike , for no reason at all and he called 2 other officers as backup. This was about 11 P.M. at night. My ebike also had a headlight, 3 tail lights AND I was wearing a hat that also had a bright light strapped to it. He pulled me over, because he was bored and wanted to know why I was out on a bike so late at night.
So please, don't insinuate that no cop would ever pull over a person on a ebike. But my main point is this..EVENTUALLY, states will pass laws with more focus on ebikes and law enforcement will stop being so lenient about ebikers. IF THERE IS REVENUE TO BE COLLECTED, THEN OFFICERS WILL COLLECT IT. The very fact that a person gets a $70 ticket for not wearing a seatbelt { which is a action that does not endanger another person} , helps prove my point.
When my wife and I took our class to carry a firearm, the officer told us that a officer can pull you over, for just about anything, because there are so many laws on the books that make it legitimate to pull you over.
The fact that you are both a officer and a avid ebiker that rides and builds ebikes, may be reason why you are so accepting of ebikers in general, but most officers are not into ebikiing and if/when more strict laws are created and passed , I believe law enforcement will start to crackdown on ebikers . As of now, its still a overlooked area of
powered travel but I see that changing as more ebikers enter this hobby and decide to use their ebikes to drive in traffic , or go faster then 20 mph in situations where
they can be busted for it. Part of this problem is the fact that to many humans in society, do not use common sense, when they are allowed to operate in a system that does not have checks and balances. They abuse / misuse their freedoms which then bring attention to it, which often ends up with politicians creating new laws.
250mm and 60mm
, but what bothers me are the 15kg of unsprung mass which turns lightweight e-bikes into suicidal machines..
