🚨 DON’T GET CAUGHT RIDING AN ILLEGAL E-BIKE! 🚨
Do you actually know whether your electric bike is legal to ride on UK roads?
With more and more powerful e-bikes, conversion kits and modified electric bikes appearing on UK roads, it’s becoming increasingly difficult for riders to know exactly where the law draws the line.
And now there’s a new e-bike trust mark being introduced in bike shops across the UK which is designed to help customers identify e-bikes that meet the legal requirements.
But will a simple sticker actually stop people riding illegal e-bikes?
CHECK OUT THE BIKE I AM RIDING IN THIS VIDEO⬇️
Flex Mountain E-Bike
USE MY CODE: SOUTHCOASTSURRO
⬆️ DONT ADD THE “N” ON THE END⬆️
In this video, I take a deep dive into UK e-bike laws, including:
⚡ What makes an electric bike legally classed as an EAPC
⚡ The 250W motor requirement
⚡ The 15.5mph / 25km/h assistance limit
⚡ The rules surrounding pedal assistance
⚡ What you need to know about throttles
⚡ Electric bike conversion kits
⚡ What happens when you derestrict an e-bike
⚡ When an e-bike can legally become a motor vehicle
⚡ The new E-Bike Positive trust mark
⚡ Who introduced the scheme and why
⚡ Which bike brands and retailers are using it
⚡ Whether the new stickers can actually be trusted
⚡ Whether the scheme will really reduce illegal e-bike use
⚡ How easy it could be to copy or obtain a sticker
⚡ Why around 84% of UK adults aren’t confident they can tell a legal e-bike from an illegally modified one
⚡ What powers the police have when dealing with illegal e-bikes
⚡ What could happen if you’re caught riding one
🚲 Looking for a genuinely good road-legal e-bike?
If you’re looking for an e-bike that gives you a much more capable MTB-style ride while remaining within the UK EAPC requirements, check out the Cyrusher Flex.
I’ve personally tested the Flex and took it to a downhill mountain bike park to see just how much abuse it could handle.
The Flex currently features a 250W motor, 15.5mph assistance limit, 48V 15Ah battery and dual torque/cadence sensors, making it a really interesting option for someone looking for a full-suspension electric mountain bike that can be used on the road.
👉 Check out the Cyrusher Flex and the full range here:
Flex Mountain E-Bike
USE MY CODE – SOUTHCOASTSURRO
43 Comments
Stop chatting shit most machete wielding people know their electric bike needs insurance public liability etc hence the masks and balaclavas
I am done with the E-Bike an PEV world, I have a Monster Scooter, I was told to stop using, They was alright for the first 3 times I got stopped, But was told they taking it if I am seen on it again, So I done the E-Bike, An 3 batteries in 3 years, I am done wasting money, So I am now doing the CBT, An getting a 125cc, I seen some nice Used 125cc's from Dealerships, I sorted the Passport Photo been signed ect, It is a Nightmare sorting a Provisional out with no Passport, So if the Gov wants to stop people riding illegal E-Bikes, Make it easier to get the Provisional if you a UK citizen, Your Thumb print can be used to make sure you who you is, So setting up a Place people can go too, Press their Thumb take a pic, Details ect, An then the Provisional can be handed to the person who pays for it, It adds extra time an stress having to get a Provisional without Passport ID, I can apply for my Passport mind now, It probably more handy to have a Passport than not have a Passport after the stress of applying for the Provisional, The Electric Monster Scooter now feels like a waste of money even if I am keeping it, It is Future Project if the PEV Laws do change….
How ever I refuse to spend any more money on PEV Stuff, When I could get a Motor Bike, A little 125cc, An travel further without paranoid feelings of a Battery failure or something going wrong, Even with a Brand New 25ah Battery, LG Cells as well, I still get iffy on distance or something going wrong with the Battery, The Motor Bike I can get serviced every Year an less chances of issues, An Petrol takes a minute, Not 4 or 6 hours of charging, I have to watch an keep an eye on while it is Charging, I am just done with PEV's, They are still crazy expensive when you consider some cost over a grand, A grand an Half will get you an Half Decent Motor Bike, Yeah it a 125cc, But that allows a person to be legal an protected with insurance….
I think it is the Battery issues I have had, They don't even like people returning Batteries even when in warrantee, Coz the weight, An I don't want a new one to then be a person who is adding to E-Waste, I don't know or trust myself to even try fixing a Battery, lol, But if Batteries was not so expensive, It would not be so Bad, But for me, The last 5 years been stress with PEV's Fun for five mins, But practical in the real world, Even more so with 15mph restriction next to cars doing 30moh just seems daft to me, The Bikes should be able to keep up with traffic I would of thought to reduce on coming hazards, An make it people must wear Body Armor and Helmet…..
Yeah I am no looking forward to doing the CBT, The next week is practice Theory as much as possible, I am told you can ride certain E-Bikes with a CBT License, So maybe promoting the CBT more might be an option for the E-Bike world at least, An in todays world, It is better to be legal, No points then, I seen people get 6 points for using a Phone while driving, So yeah maybe the Law is getting stricter in the Roads, So maybe it is a better option to get legal on a 125cc with the CBT….
It is sad to say, But yeah no more PEV stuff for me, Onto the Engine I goes, lol….
Until the Laws changes with E-Scooter at least……….
There is no new information in this video.
Sorry but to get caught riding a illegal E bike you need a Police force which will stop and catch these illegal E bikes or even take any notice of them as they just keep turning a blind eye to them as i have seen many jump red lights ride on pavements and even robbing people with Police around and doing nothing.
I think it might help parents police their kids and avoid buying illegal bikes to them. I see lots of kids buzzing around on electric mopeds. I expect that a lot of parents do not realise that the bikes are illegal to ride.
i bought a ebike advertised as 250watt. However allegedly it has a peak power of 750watt. I usually keep the law….no matter stupid the law seems. so i dont know if my bike is illegal or not
Whatever would we do without big government?
If you have a car or bike license you should have throttle to get you to 15mph not 4mph
Yeah pedibal (UK) brand sell throttle e-bikes with DVSA certified throttle which I have. I bought the e-cruiza and it’s the best purchase I’ve ever made. So nice to be able to go 15.5mph on throttle only 🙂
Just avoid riding in town centres, to avoid the fuzzz
Also the cost of e-bikes is crazy! I paid £3500 for a full suspension mountain bike in 2014. It still works but I've had to replace a heap of cycle parts on it. It has a removable dongle which is for "off road" use. Actually all it does is to allow you to hold speed in the low 20's. Not enough power and gearing to do more. The law is ridiculous and there should be a super e-bike category where there is a special class like a moped and cheap insurance with zero cost road tax. So much for promoting zero emissions vehicles. No, keep promoting fossil fuels and cook the planet. I'm now going to buy a petrol enduro motorcycle for about £5K from China.
Terrible AI thumbnail.
I bought an ebike as I have spinal damage and didn't want a mobility scooter. I bought it as the vendor stated it was UK road legal.
Long story short. The police stopped me, or rather tried running me off the road, and took it off me there and then because it had a throttle that could assist me to 15.5mph. That was my only means of being able to get out and about but that counts for fuck all…. Hundreds of £s down the drain and no right to appeal. The law is stupid. 99% of online vendors knowingly sell ebikes that the police will take from you and crush!!!!
A ridiculous pointless law. 20mph is nothing on my push bike never mind an ebike. Different rules al round the world. Naturally most restrictions in the UK. The throttle is great fun. Very useful on really hot days and for "seniors".
Speed should be 20mph. Throttle no problem. Ban ebikes for under 21s. Make it illegal to go more than 15mph on paths shared with pedestrians. Just a bit of common sense needed.
And if you want to go faster on a suitable bike it should be simple to get a cheap licence.
The legal speed they set is stupidity 15.5 mph is to fast for the path and to slow for the road
your only going to say something to the feds if u stop in the 1st place
So how about ebikes that are under 250w and throttle to 15.5 but have a DVSA certificate
I dont think people really care around ere . Kids come past my house at 60 mph every 5 mins of every day
Turned off at 34 seconds! SOOOO LOUD!!!!!!!!!!
It’s easy, a motorcycle has a throttle, if it has a throttle it is not pedal assist cycle, you are not being assisted with your pedalling.
To all those commenting that you can get away with an illegal bike if you aren’t stopped.
Thought for the day. What happens if or when you have an accident? The insurance companies will take one look and there will be no compensation if it wasn’t your fault, no cover if it was and if someone sues you you will have lost before you start and you will be personally liable. That’s not to mention your problems when the legal system gets involved.
I realise if you are on an illegal e-bike there is a fair chance you will ride away from any damage or injuries you cause leaving victims for others to sort out. But there you go, personal responsibility not a big factor.
Because the people responsible of creating these laws are not practical and dumb. Speed limit of 15.5 mph is funny because even push bikes especialy road bikes can easily exceed that. Secondly, 250w motor would only be good for flat ground. Any bigger hill that 250w motor is a joke, especially for older people, whol like riding bikes. It's a stupid system starting from creating these nonsense laws to law enforcement, using these laws without the ability to segregate the real antisocial danger drivers and criminals from average users. It's nothing to do with bikes, it's people using it.
You "Legal" E-Bike is Illegal, that rear motor is actually 750W but Cyrusher Slap a 250W sticker on it (which isn't legal to do in the UK), you can tell this by comparing the USA 750W hub to the UK 250W hub and they are identical and the USA site says Peak of 1300W while the UK site doesn't mention it at all.
When you get caught with an illegal bike you get points on your licence or future licence and a fine.
I own a Flex and while i generally agree that its a good bike there is a "issue" with it. 1/ The display is rather small, not great if your eyesight is not as good as it was. 2/the buttons for the power and assist up and down are very small and close together, they are very difficult to operate if you wear gloves when riding and 3/Switching between cadence and torque is done by hitting that small power button twice, the indicator for what mode the bike is in, is a very small icon on the small display. Just a few things to think about.
Why don't they at least change the limit from 15mph to 20mph so bikes can easily blend with cars in towns now the new 20mph car speed limit is spreading everywhere ?
As usual, the Law on the ground know nothing about the bike other than lifting the back wheel and seeing the exaggerated speed when the pedals are turned with no loading. What is a real problem is that the bike can be seized and crushed within 2 days, based on the cop's incompetent assessment on the day. No day in court to provide evidence to the contrary. Right or wrong several thousands of pounds worth of bike gone with little redress. Regarding Government reviews of current draconian legislation, who the hell are these 'stakeholders' making decisions? If they are genuine stakeholders they're not doing much to defend the poor, law abiding buggers who just buy something that removes the pressures of using conventional machines (which can easily exceed 40 mph on a flat road). Typical knee-jerk attitude from the killjoys as always, look at drone flying. Illegal bikes used in crime are very obvious and should be dealt with aggressively but a purpose-built factory model should be enough proof of safety…..it's the small percentage of irresponsible riders who need to be punished. The government don't place ridiculous speed restrictions on Audi A6's because they are involved in many crimes and illegal acts on the roads. Again, it's the miscreants at fault. A gun isn't dangerous until a human pulls the trigger, is it? Ebikes are eco-friendly, clean and health promoting to all age groups. We, as a group of consumers, need proper representation where it counts. Sorry for the rant but this whole situation drives me mad and we seem powerless to defend ourselves. 😒
Great content! Might be worth checking out the DVSA approved (L1e moped category) e-bikes that allows throttle based up to 15.5mph….check out the UK based Pedibal Navigata bikes as expands options over just pedal assist and fully legal and certified.
I bought the freesky Eurostar Turbo m410 with 2000watts per motor totaling 4000watts they state and I checked with them before buying that,
Our e-bike is UL2849 Certified.
It also includes a speed-limit mode specifically designed for UK compliance.
In this mode, the motor output is ≤250W, and assistance cuts off at 15.5 mph (25 km/h), which meets the core requirements for EAPC use on UK public roads.
Enjoy your videos keep it up
I have a Machwheel Wrangler 600, with a 250 watt electric motor. It has peddle assist with a throttle too. The throttle can be disconnected, leaving peddle assist only, which is in the 15.5 limit. I am 66 and an electric bike helps me get out and about. Thanks for the informative video. I will have to purchase another bike now, as soon as I can save enough. What ridiculous rules they are. Thanks again.
YO DIRÍA QUE LOS GOBIERNOS SON CÓMPLICES DE ESTAFA,SI PERMITEN VENDER BICICLETA ELÉCTRICA ILEGALES… PORQUE UN CIUDADANO COMPRADOR PAGA UNOS IMPUESTOS,PARA QUE HAYA UNA SEGURIDAD EN TODO,EN LA CIRCULACIÓN,EN LAS VENTAS… PERO LO QUE NO ES NORMAL QUE LO PERMITA EL GOBIERNO VENDER Y LUEGO VENGAN Y TE QUIERAN SANCIONAR A TI COMO, HACEN Y COMO USUARIO DE PRODUCTOS QUE VENDEN EN LOS ESTABLECIMIENTOS LEGALES DE DICHOS PAÍSES.
ES UNA VERGÜENZA QUE HAGAN ESTO Y LE ROBEN A LA GENTE EL DINERO LAS ESTAFAS CON LAS MULTAS Y LUEGO ENCIMA A PAGAR TODO Y LA PÉRDIDA DE LAS BICICLETAS CUANDO LAS VENDEN EN SITIOS PÚBLICOS.
LA GENTE TENDRÍA QUE MANIFESTARSE ESTÁN ESTAFANDO A LA GENTE LOS GOBIERNOS
Porque si es ilegal por qué la venden❤
A que no te venden una pistola…
Where can I buy a sticker? Asking for a friend
About that 84% who didn't know they were riding an illegal bike. This is often because the motor is more powerful than 250W but its limited to 250W. Some police are now testing for watts used, even though…
"Under UK and EU law (specifically Regulation (EU) No 168/2013), "maximum continuous rated power" is explicitly defined as the maximum power an electric motor can output at the drive shaft over a continuous 30-minute period."
Strictly speaking there is no such thing as a 250W motor. If the controller throws more power at the motor, it will gladly use that power, until the motor burns out. If the internal wiring is thicker or more robust then its continuous rated power will be as high as you want it to be. Standard hub motors are rated, meaning the same motor has an operational window. typically 24v – 60v, 250W – 400W, 260-600r/min. Anyone testing for, and expecting to find 250W, would fail that motor. Our laws basically says the motor should burnout if used above 250W for more than 30 minutes.
Manufacturers aren't building standard low spec motors either, but motors which will satisfy a wider market. In the US (the largest market for manufactures) the legal e-bike limit is 750W. For this reason 750W or 1000W motor are sold/badged in Europe as 250W motors and the person buying has no reason to think otherwise. These motors often have no labels, which is another reason the police will seize and crush e-bikes.
Quote.
What your EAPC must show
Markings on the bike must show both:
the continuous rated power output
the bike manufacturer
It must also show either:
the battery’s voltage
the maximum speed the motor can propel the bike
Mate sorry to bother you im rmtrying to buy an ebike an my budget is very tight how is the aarisk 900 gt is the non throttle on legal in uk? Could you please reply its worth 500-600 quid
as we know the law is a load bs .and i did catch some thing on the news few weeks ago some fat blob in the houses parliament saying all e bike riders are crims ,so wot the hell do they know narrow mined f k wit . the law makes no sense at all. as the guy says in the video it is safer to have a throttle if like me you live in a hilly part of the uk having throttle is good when pulling on to roundabout going up hill.ive hade few close ones when mine had broken. all so getting on to speed limit wot a load of bs again .as i can coast down hill around 20 mph if i give it some peddling i have hit 45 mph theres some good hills in stroud glos so why is it the people who dream up the laws most have never bin on a bike and if they have it would of bin before they could drive a car. and soon as they get a motor cycle rider are public enemy number 1. i and i could go on loads more
You can already get the stickers
what about my 1500w motor but limited to 250w?
Yes we need higher wastage for our motors because 250w is next to nothing just,
they should allow us a throttle because its dangerous not to move out off the way for cars quick enough & we are holding up traffic,
Because we accelerate slow & that makes cars over take dangerously close.
Am I right in thinking that if you have it configured to work when you are pedalling it is not continuous power use?
15.5 mph on pedal assisted bike is dangerously slow as you cannot quickly enough evade a faster vehicle hitting you and it needs adressing.
I can't even peddle up to 15 mph as i have COPD, the reason why i have an ebike with throttle control, the law said only E bikes manufactured before 1 feb 2016 can be used on full throttle up to 15 mph why didn't it include new E bikes and why has it been changed again, what ass holes the Government are.
Those in Government don't have a clue what they are talking about, you have a 250 watt hub, that doesn't mean it's 250, you can buy kits that are 500 watt motors that can fit into a 250 hub casing still showing the 250 watt stamp on the hub and as far as throttles not being used up to 15 mph is BS and dangerous, what next, having your standard bicycle taken away because you peddled to fast over 15 mph
How u 32 with a 16 year old daughter that means u became a father at 15…