Magnet/Reed Switch to limit to 250w

[GreenRoad]

yes - i allready heard / read about this.
They want to repeal / remove the Power limitation - and want only to limitate the speed - uniformaly in europe.
Which makes sense in my opinion - because for driving up to 25km/h - without pedaling you need 250W - 500W - for an normal road.
You only need more power to driving up mountain or for more speed.

But in reality i think they will also limit the power - berhaps up to 1kW / 2KW - because also a normal L1e vehicle - is not allowed to have more than 4KW/45km/h - but there you need an driving licence / helmet / licence plate.....
The other thing is also, that he age for driving ebikes must be regulated - because now (in Austria) a child with 10/12 is allowed to drive an "Pedelec" on public road.

I think this takes some time until this is finished.

They problem now is also, that for example: its not possible to drive an S-Pedelec (german Edition) in Austria. There is no way to drive this bike officially at austrian roads - as you could drive this in germany....
Its impossible to do this - but you need to make modification at an S-Pedelec do drive in austria ......

 

[gwhy!1]

Edit:
Or if you did have the motor stamped but mister bill did not believe it did conform to the regs and still wanted to take it for testing would you let them take it ?

Let them tske it.

leave you to walk home in the rain and never get to see your bike again !! seriously.. even if you believe it to be legal at the time of being stopped. The chances are It get played with back at the station until the battery is flat then it can not get tested because it no longer works and then it will probably just get crushed never to be seen again.

Edit:
Until there are clear cut rules that mr Bill understands ( and this is never going to happen anytime soon ) and the Public understands ( will will not have this thread if it was clear cut ) I will Not let them take my bike and risk loosing it and I will also not tell them who I am as there will also be a big possibility that I will end up with points on my driving licence.. I am pleased you have faith in the UK Bill and how our system works, but sorry I don't ( with good reason )

 

[GreenRoad]

Edit:
Or if you did have the motor stamped but mister bill did not believe it did conform to the regs and still wanted to take it for testing would you let them take it ?

Let them tske it.

leave you to walk home in the rain and never get to see your bike again !! seriously.. even if you believe it to be legal at the time of being stopped. The chances are It get played with back at the station until the battery is flat then it can not get tested because it no longer works and then it will probably just get crushed never to be seen again.

Edit:
Until there are clear cut rules that mr Bill understands ( and this is never going to happen anytime soon ) and the Public understands ( will will not have this thread if it was clear cut ) I will Not let them take my bike and risk loosing it and I will also not tell them who I am as there will also be a big possibility that I will end up with points on my driving licence.. I am pleased you have faith in the UK Bill and how our system works, but sorry I don't ( with good reason )

okay - that would be not good - in austria the police work in another way..
If they could proof that you are illegal - they will give you an penalty - but they could only check how fast you are driving on the road.
If you drive 25km/h there should be no problem.

They could not check the power of the motor - only the could check the label of the motor - thats the max they could.

But if you use your bike at public road - it should be a legal bike -
In austria its good 600W / 25km/h - this is an good regulation for an street legal bike - to drive to work.

Now in autria the police are not realy interested to stop ebikes - because they make no noise.
They are more interested to stop enduro bikes - which are very noise...

 

[gwhy!1]

dont get me wrong I have never been stopped on any of my ebikes and i'm sure that if i did, 99% of the mr bill's will not take any further action after a chat, this may be because all my bikes still looks like a normal bicycle with a hub motor but the hubs i have for my 3 hub bikes do not have any markings on them so they will be unable to look at a label. But there is always that 1% that wants to make a point .. my main point Is would not mind being issued with a fixed penalty but for this to happen would involve giving my details and by giving my details they will know that I have a driving licence then I would also incur driving penalties, where as if i were a 16 year old lad with no driving licence it would just be the fixed penalty and let on my merry way with just a fine to pay ( thats if they decide not to confiscate the bike anyway).

the max speed thing is a good way to do a road side assessment of the power of the bike but its the controller that determines that power/speed not the motor , so it very easy to have a method of changing the power/speed on the fly via the controller , so it back to what i said earlier .. if it was tested by the authorities to test for compliance how would they do it as they would have to use the controller/battery that is fitted to the bike at the time of being stopped and as long as there are no obvious switches or devices to switch from legal to illegal how would that work .. not all motors have the "specs" stamped on them same as not all controllers have the "specs" listed.

 

[GreenRoad]

your are right.
One thing is the power and speed - but also the quality of the bike should be fit to the speed an power - this is very important.

Years ago - many bikes had no disc brakes, uses 1000W Front Motor in a cheap fork, uses bad PAS technologie .....
Also people often could not drive a bike up to 10km/h safe - so its verry dangerous to place them on a bike with 25km/h with an motor.
i see a lot of dangerous situation at bike exhibition, also some accidents.

The problem is, if an dealer sells a illegal bike - he is responisble for the bike.
If somebody build his own bike - he is responisble for his own work.

Many old people uses Ebike in europe - thats the main market - a small range uses high power bikes.
I think we have to difference here.

If you drive an illegal bike at public roads - you have also to take the responsibility - if anything happens with the bike.

 

[bachomp]

Hows does Stealth handle the legality issues? I've never actually had the pleasure of riding one

 

[GreenRoad]

Hows does Stealth handle the legality issues? I've never actually had the pleasure of riding one

We are talking about the regulation in Europe - i do not know the law in Austria.

in europe every country has nearly another law - so for that its verry difficult to build an bike - you realy could drive at public road at any country of europe.

Its also an difference in Europe if you have an bike with pedals or without pedals...... thats national law.

Most of the strong bikes are build for offroad - and you are not allowed to drive at public road- it depands on the driver if he drives the bike on the road or not - if he know that the bike is an illegal bike.....

 

[knighty]

Let them tske it.

leave you to walk home in the rain and never get to see your bike again !! seriously.. even if you believe it to be legal at the time of being stopped. The chances are It get played with back at the station until the battery is flat then it can not get tested because it no longer works and then it will probably just get crushed never to be seen again.

problem is... how are you going to stop them ?

once they've decided to stop you, they can do pretty much whatever they want


in my experience of being stopped driving a car (caught speeding multiple times)

my best chance of being let off is to apologise and be as nice as possible, I guess not having a criminal record helps too (they normally check when they radio your details in to check insurance etc..)

BUT.. there's always a chance you'll be pulled over by a jumped up little Nazi on a power trip and he'll throw the book at you for every tiny little thing... I once had a cop screaming in my face for doing 74mph on the motorway at 2am (empty road, well lit)

 

[GreenRoad]

Let them tske it.

leave you to walk home in the rain and never get to see your bike again !! seriously.. even if you believe it to be legal at the time of being stopped. The chances are It get played with back at the station until the battery is flat then it can not get tested because it no longer works and then it will probably just get crushed never to be seen again.

problem is... how are you going to stop them ?

once they've decided to stop you, they can do pretty much whatever they want


in my experience of being stopped driving a car (caught speeding multiple times)

my best chance of being let off is to apologise and be as nice as possible, I guess not having a criminal record helps too (they normally check when they radio your details in to check insurance etc..)

BUT.. there's always a chance you'll be pulled over by a jumped up little Nazi on a power trip and he'll throw the book at you for every tiny little thing... I once had a cop screaming in my face for doing 74mph on the motorway at 2am (empty road, well lit)

A police man is also only a people - and do his work.
I find its good to know what is legal in your country. If you drive an illegal setup bike - it depands on you not the police.
It would be too dangerous if everbody does not care to the law, and do what he wants.

Sure there exists people at the police ( i think in every country) who are not realy nice - but this is human.
I also drive with an ebike at lasvegas (USA) - but i also take a look to the national law that i know what its legal and what not....

 

[gwhy!1]

Let them tske it.

leave you to walk home in the rain and never get to see your bike again !! seriously.. even if you believe it to be legal at the time of being stopped. The chances are It get played with back at the station until the battery is flat then it can not get tested because it no longer works and then it will probably just get crushed never to be seen again.

problem is... how are you going to stop them ?

once they've decided to stop you, they can do pretty much whatever they want


in my experience of being stopped driving a car (caught speeding multiple times)

my best chance of being let off is to apologise and be as nice as possible, I guess not having a criminal record helps too (they normally check when they radio your details in to check insurance etc..)

BUT.. there's always a chance you'll be pulled over by a jumped up little Nazi on a power trip and he'll throw the book at you for every tiny little thing... I once had a cop screaming in my face for doing 74mph on the motorway at 2am (empty road, well lit)

Yes this is the problem it only takes one bad Mr bill to turn things into a nightmare for you .. on my motorcycle or in the car, yes if I was stopped then just try to be as nice as poss and hope that its a nice Mr Bill.. but on the e-bike I would like to think that Mr bill will never actually get the opportunity to physically stop me whether I'm legal or not :wink: its surprising where bicycles can go legally where Mr bill's cars cant ( hopefully it will never come to that )

 

[GreenRoad]

in austria there is also an problem - they allowed to guess your speed :? - but normaly they use an radar pistol.

The problem is: if your bike look not like a bike and you drive to fast 50 - 70km/h without any helmet - i think the police would be interested what kind of bike you use.

i also drive with my electrical quad sometimes on public roads - to get into the non public road - but i take care and only drive not realy fast - so nobody has an problem with that.
But if i plan to drive an vehicle most of the time on public road - i will build it up as an legal bike. If i want to drive up to 45km/h i do the regulation that iam allowed to drive on road. The costs are not high - and its better to be safe on the road - if anythings happen.

 

[izeman]

First of all its a laser gun and not radar. And to guess speed you have to ride past them and they need to be standing at the side of the street. And it has to be a clear speeding. Doing 35 instead of 25 will not be easy for them to determine. And then there's one more thing: you are allowed to go a fast as you are able to pedal. So if you pedal 35km/h downhill it doesn't matter how much power you motor is.

 

[GreenRoad]

First of all its a laser gun and not radar. And to guess speed you have to ride past them and they need to be standing at the side of the street. And it has to be a clear speeding. Doing 35 instead of 25 will not be easy for them to determine. And then there's one more thing: you are allowed to go a fast as you are able to pedal. So if you pedal 35km/h downhill it doesn't matter how much power you motor is.

.... yes your are right....
As i told - if you drive with 70km/h on an straight road / or perhaps "only" 45km/h i think your are getting the police interest.
I think the power does not realy matters the police - they have still to know that you only allowed to drive 25k/h in europe without an licence plate.
When your are drive less than 30km/h i think everything is okay for them.

By the way: My speed record with an "normal" non motor bicycle was about 85km/h.

 

[The Stig]

Great thread. I did a word search for USA, US but nothing came up.

Does anyone one know what the laws are like for ebikes sold in the USA, can they have off-road switch that enables full power and speed??

I know some mass produced ebikes in the US have a wire you can unplug which removes the speed limiting feature.
heres a video showing that done on a walmart ebike/scooter: https://youtu.be/0Od0aeM7oaI?t=56s