Electric Motorcycles - Are They Really ‘Illegal’ And Why?
Discussion
I caught some of the BBC midday news earlier today - there was an item about the problems of teenagers running amok on electric motorbikes.
However the reporter, in interviewing a balaclava clad ‘youth’ suggested that the bike he was riding was not road legal and I started to wonder why?
The bike seem to resemble what at one time would have been regarded as a lightweight ‘trials’ bike - similar to the sort of things Yamaha were turning out and ridden (on the road) by tens of thousands of teenagers 30 or 40 years ago.
The report actually gave a top speed of 70mph with shock horror tones, but again no different from a 125.
Why is the motive power an issue here?
Am I missing something, or is the issue actually kids riding any sort of motorcycles under-age, without licences or insurance, etc. etc. and the EV bit an irrelevance?
However the reporter, in interviewing a balaclava clad ‘youth’ suggested that the bike he was riding was not road legal and I started to wonder why?
The bike seem to resemble what at one time would have been regarded as a lightweight ‘trials’ bike - similar to the sort of things Yamaha were turning out and ridden (on the road) by tens of thousands of teenagers 30 or 40 years ago.
The report actually gave a top speed of 70mph with shock horror tones, but again no different from a 125.
Why is the motive power an issue here?
Am I missing something, or is the issue actually kids riding any sort of motorcycles under-age, without licences or insurance, etc. etc. and the EV bit an irrelevance?
You have got it at the end there I think.
No licence, no tax, no insurance, no helmet, and riding what is essentially a road vehicle (because of its speed) in places where it shouldn't be ridden, with no consideration for other people's safety.
The lad being interviewed at least told the truth - if I heard him correctly through his balaclava, it was the buzz of it all, especially escaping from the police.
No licence, no tax, no insurance, no helmet, and riding what is essentially a road vehicle (because of its speed) in places where it shouldn't be ridden, with no consideration for other people's safety.
The lad being interviewed at least told the truth - if I heard him correctly through his balaclava, it was the buzz of it all, especially escaping from the police.
I saw that report too - and it seemed odd.
Are these things designed to be road legal, and they have bought them and not put registrations on them?
Or are they like an electric cycles and thus should be limited to sub 17mph (or whatever the value is)
Is there a middle ground? I didn't realise there was.
Are these things designed to be road legal, and they have bought them and not put registrations on them?
Or are they like an electric cycles and thus should be limited to sub 17mph (or whatever the value is)
Is there a middle ground? I didn't realise there was.
https://sur-ron.co.uk/
They make 5 different flavours of electric motorbike, one of which is road legal.
Of course, a 125cc MX bike could be road legal, if it was registered, taxed, insured etc. From memory of my youth, when you saw the charva kids down at cowgate on MX bikes of dubious provenance, they weren't any of the above!
They make 5 different flavours of electric motorbike, one of which is road legal.
Of course, a 125cc MX bike could be road legal, if it was registered, taxed, insured etc. From memory of my youth, when you saw the charva kids down at cowgate on MX bikes of dubious provenance, they weren't any of the above!
The Selfish Gene said:
I saw that report too - and it seemed odd.
Are these things designed to be road legal, and they have bought them and not put registrations on them?
Or are they like an electric cycles and thus should be limited to sub 17mph (or whatever the value is)
Is there a middle ground? I didn't realise there was.
I think technically anything that isn’t 100% human powered counts a mechanically propelled vehicle, thus requires tax and insurance to be legally on the road. An exception has been made for bikes where the motor is activated by the pedals and is below 250 watts, limited to a maximum of 15.5mph.Are these things designed to be road legal, and they have bought them and not put registrations on them?
Or are they like an electric cycles and thus should be limited to sub 17mph (or whatever the value is)
Is there a middle ground? I didn't realise there was.
Legally there is no middle ground, if your machine does not meet the requirements for an e-bike then it is a motorcycle or moped and must meet the same requirements as the petrol driven equivalent.
Super Sonic said:
There are legal electric motorcycles. They are type approved with lights etc, and are taxed. If any vehicle, regardless of motive power, doesn't have these, it's not road legal.
Obviously legal ones I have seen on things like The Motorcycle Show, seem to be surprisingly expensive. Are these small ones all effectively sold as toys, like most of the scooters we see on the roads/paths? Presumably, type approval for an electric lightweight wouldn’t be terrifically difficult for a manufacturer to get, so if nothing with approvals exists I’m wondering why? Anyone with a licence would have a cheap option as a second bike/runaround.
Foss62 said:
Obviously legal ones I have seen on things like The Motorcycle Show, seem to be surprisingly expensive. Are these small ones all effectively sold as toys, like most of the scooters we see on the roads/paths?
Presumably, type approval for an electric lightweight wouldn’t be terrifically difficult for a manufacturer to get, so if nothing with approvals exists I’m wondering why? Anyone with a licence would have a cheap option as a second bike/runaround.
It does exist, but these scumbags prefer to ride the non-legal ones to avoid all the necessary paperwork and licensing that’s in place to keep other road users and pedestrians safe.Presumably, type approval for an electric lightweight wouldn’t be terrifically difficult for a manufacturer to get, so if nothing with approvals exists I’m wondering why? Anyone with a licence would have a cheap option as a second bike/runaround.
Some are road legal some are not, just like ICE motorbikes. In our area we don't have a problem with electric motorbikes, but we do with ICE ones. If I hear a bike coming up our hill at speed it's more often than not a non road legal pit bike (no plates, no helmet etc)
Scrotes tend to gravitate towards non road legal ones because they have no intention of registering, taxing and insuring them anyway, or having a proper licence. The non road legal ones are unrestricted (where a restriction should apply) and don't come with stuff like indicators etc.
Scrotes tend to gravitate towards non road legal ones because they have no intention of registering, taxing and insuring them anyway, or having a proper licence. The non road legal ones are unrestricted (where a restriction should apply) and don't come with stuff like indicators etc.
Edited by 98elise on Tuesday 14th November 08:50
Some Gump said:
https://sur-ron.co.uk/
They make 5 different flavours of electric motorbike, one of which is road legal.
Of course, a 125cc MX bike could be road legal, if it was registered, taxed, insured etc. From memory of my youth, when you saw the charva kids down at cowgate on MX bikes of dubious provenance, they weren't any of the above!
Interesting….They are seemingly not cheap (even the ‘off road’ ones). Probably a bit more expensive than the equivalent petrol powered. I agree that dubious, mainly very old, unregistered bikes have always existed, particularly in rural areas and occasionally made their way on road, but these don’t seem really to fall into that category.They make 5 different flavours of electric motorbike, one of which is road legal.
Of course, a 125cc MX bike could be road legal, if it was registered, taxed, insured etc. From memory of my youth, when you saw the charva kids down at cowgate on MX bikes of dubious provenance, they weren't any of the above!
It’s sort of like someone buying a new DT125 for road use in the 70s and not bothering with any of the legal stuff. Very strange….
Makes you wonder also about the finances and what parent would allow such a thing to be charged up in their front room.
The Selfish Gene said:
Or are they like an electric cycles and thus should be limited to sub 17mph (or whatever the value is)
Electric cycles aren't limited to 17 mph.16 mph is where the electric assistance ceases as you are going fast enough to not need it.
Edited by E-bmw on Monday 13th November 18:34
The whole evolution in electric power has given rise to a new class of anti-social rider.
You have riders on electric scooters that have a seat fitted, so they can't easily be used as a scooter - ridden on footpaths at high speed - definitely over 17mph
You have riders on electric pushbikes with massive fat tyres. The riders never ever use the pedals to propel the bike and they also ride them on footpaths at high speed.
You have riders on electric motorbikes, that are effectively the same as petrol motorbikes, but are ridden as if they are pushbikes. No helmets, no L plates, no number plates and almost certainly no insurance or driving licence. The one difference between these and the two above, is that these do appear to be ridden more on the road (at least when compared to the two above)
It may have been said already, but it's not the fact that they're electric that's the problem, it's all of the other things that go with it that are the problem - and it's a pretty big problem.
You have riders on electric scooters that have a seat fitted, so they can't easily be used as a scooter - ridden on footpaths at high speed - definitely over 17mph
You have riders on electric pushbikes with massive fat tyres. The riders never ever use the pedals to propel the bike and they also ride them on footpaths at high speed.
You have riders on electric motorbikes, that are effectively the same as petrol motorbikes, but are ridden as if they are pushbikes. No helmets, no L plates, no number plates and almost certainly no insurance or driving licence. The one difference between these and the two above, is that these do appear to be ridden more on the road (at least when compared to the two above)
It may have been said already, but it's not the fact that they're electric that's the problem, it's all of the other things that go with it that are the problem - and it's a pretty big problem.
Large numbers of middle aged, middle class, outwardly respectable people are in the same boat, riding e-bikes of more than 250W.
Others are letting their brats zoom around on e-scooters.
Legal electric motorbikes are rarely seen.
A big problem is that you can buy a Chinese 125 for less than a mid-range e-bike.
But one thing people forget, or maybe never realised is that electric off road bikes have a fairly long history of being used for junior trials competitions on private land. OSET have been selling these things since 2004.
I
Others are letting their brats zoom around on e-scooters.
Legal electric motorbikes are rarely seen.
A big problem is that you can buy a Chinese 125 for less than a mid-range e-bike.
But one thing people forget, or maybe never realised is that electric off road bikes have a fairly long history of being used for junior trials competitions on private land. OSET have been selling these things since 2004.
I
There is also little skill involved. Instead of learning about clutch control and gearbox use, they just twist and go at illegal speeds. 
Charged at home.
Yes, I know there are petrol engine scooters that are just twist and go, but they aren't fast, and you can hear them coming, these are more dangerous.
Charged at home.Yes, I know there are petrol engine scooters that are just twist and go, but they aren't fast, and you can hear them coming, these are more dangerous.
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