French mayor warns holidaymakers over illegal electric bikes

[csd4t]

For Bosch powered bikes you can by a dongle to update the software.

And you can be legal providing you register and insure the bike. Only fly in the ointment DVLA won't have a clue what you are talking about.

The dongle doesn't increase the power it allows you to keep assisted pedalling after the standard 15kph cut off. AFAIK there is no power increase available for the modern pedal assist ebikes.

 

[csd4t]

I didn't say it.. so how would I possibly know.. ?

I didn't write it.. It's a news item.

try Googling

Owners are boosting the power of their e-bikes themselves by following online instructions that explain how to make the relatively simple adaptations required.


.https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2018/08/04/french-mayor-warns-holidaymakers-illegal-electric-bikes/

I know and sorry, it was just how the quote added you as the author

 

[tonyidle]

Some are very quick !!

That's around 10hp even taking motor inefficiency into account. Good for 80mph+.

 

[tonyidle]

The dongle doesn't increase the power it allows you to keep assisted pedalling after the standard 15kph cut off. AFAIK there is no power increase available for the modern pedal assist ebikes.

Dependant on motor cooling there are easy mods to increase output - increasing battery voltage is one.

 

[Jamsdb]

I have an electric bike that helps me get around when camping as I have quite arthritic knees. Very useful when camping in one spot for a few days and you don't want to pack everything away to do a quick shop. But I must say I think that 15 mph is too slow. I regularly get overtaken by cyclists dressed in Lycra shooting past me. 15 mph? For heavens sake, a fit person (not me) can run faster than that. Why would licencing a faster ebike make it safer? I am not talking about 40mph electric motorbikes but even 20mph would be more reasonable as most people can sustain that easily on a level road with peddling only. And as for the french restricting ebikes, don't they have unrestricted mopeds? I remember the Solex bicycles with a 50cc motor over the front wheel and no licence needed. They didn't cause carnage on the roads. It seems to me that it is all about the powers that be wanting to restrict people going about their everyday lives. Rant over.

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[Lanerboy]

I have a haibike mtb which has a Bosch motor and has a dongle fitted it cheats the bike into thinking it is only going half the actual speed there for my bike will do 30mph if I turn the dongle on I use it turned on over cannock chase etc all off road you still have to pedal at all times no throttle

If on the road I normally turn if off as I normally ride at about 12-13 MPH so no need for dongle to be on its turned on and off by pressing the power buttons in a certain sequence.

I would not use the dongle abroad and to find it they would need to strip engine casing down but why would they as if they rode it they would see it cut out at 15mph with dongle off

LB

 

[Puddleduck]

And you can be legal providing you register and insure the bike. Only fly in the ointment DVLA won't have a clue what you are talking about.

Mine is less than the 15 mph but is a twist and go (that is easy enough to disable when required though). I tried to register it with DVLA but "there is no mechanism in place to do that Madam".