Legally using a RADEXPAND 5 in England

[Stephen]

I took my very recently purchased RADExpand 5 to a bike store after assembling it. I was advised that I need to tax and insurance it, for use on public highways in England, though not for use on private land. Does anyone know if this is correect? It seems that the presence, or absence, of the throttle is pivotal to this. I have had a UK Drivers' Licence for many years.

Thank you

[Naranja_CT5+]

Why does the bike store think your eBike does not qualify as an EAPC? If they did not provide any details. This tells me that the store lack the proper knowledge regarding the local regulations on electric bikes or the person advising you.

I?m sure you are not the first person to own a RAD bike  in England, just wait and someone will chime in.
Before I joined this forum I was also confused between Pedal Assist vs Throttle Power (Throttle Assist).

I think you fall under EAPC https://www.gov.uk/electric-bike-rules#:~:text=You%20can%20ride%20an%20electric,be%20registered%2C%20taxed%20or%20insured.

"These electric bikes are known as ?electrically assisted pedal cycles? (EAPCs). You do not need a licence to ride one and it does not need to be registered, taxed or insured."

[handlebar]

I'm sure you are not the first person to own a RAD bike  in England, just wait and someone will chime in.
Before I joined this forum I was also confused between Pedal Assist vs Throttle Power (Throttle Assist).

I think you fall under EAPC https://www.gov.uk/electric-bike-rules#:~:text=You%20can%20ride%20an%20electric,be%20registered%2C%20taxed%20or%20insured.

"These electric bikes are known as ?electrically assisted pedal cycles? (EAPCs). You do not need a licence to ride one and it does not need to be registered, taxed or insured."

Thanks for the link. I imagined the solution would be to unplug the throttle and slide it off, but your link says manufacturers' stickers are required. It surprised me to see that with stickers, a bike with a throttle could be okay.

[Stephen]

Well that sounds like good news. Many thanks for the responses.

[John Rose]

Quoting from https://www.gov.uk/electric-bike-rules#:~:text=You%20can%20ride%20an%20electric,be%20registered%2C%20taxed%20or%20insured

Electric bikes: licensing, tax and insurance
You can ride an electric bike if you?re 14 or over, as long as it meets certain requirements.
These electric bikes are known as ?electrically assisted pedal cycles? (EAPCs). You do not need a licence to ride one and it does not need to be registered, taxed or insured.
What counts as an EAPC
An EAPC must have pedals that can be used to propel it.
It must show either:

• the power output
• the manufacturer of the motor

It must also show either:

• the battery?s voltage
• the maximum speed of the bike

Its electric motor:

• must have a maximum power output of 250 watts
• should not be able to propel the bike when it?s travelling more than 15.5mph

An EAPC can have more than 2 wheels (for example, a tricycle).

What's not clear is what "it" means, as in "It must show either:" and "It must also show:"
Is "it" a sticker or something? Maybe a console display?

And:

Other kinds of electric bike
Any electric bike that does not meet the EAPC rules is classed as a motorcycle or moped and needs to be registered and taxed. You?ll need a driving licence to ride one and you must wear a crash helmet.

Whatever ... I would interpret all that to mean that with the throttle, the 750 W motor (is there a 500 W limit governor?), and the top powered speed of 32 km/h, you are hosed. It seems to me that it would be deemed to be an "electric motorcycle".

[JimInPT]

These are the sorts of petty nuisances that come to mind every time I'm instructed how idyllic Europe is, sadly. 

I imagine The Crown would not look with favor (favour?) upon my 1,600-watt MiniST2, although I don't quite understand why a hat would care.

[Naranja_CT5+]

These are the sorts of petty nuisances that come to mind every time I'm instructed how idyllic Europe is, sadly. 

I imagine The Crown would not look with favor (favour?) upon my 1,600-watt MiniST2, although I don't quite understand why a hat would care.

I agree with you.

I wish they would have just adopted the same rules they already have on the road system. You could drive a 4 or an 8 cylinder but you can only drive it as fast as the speed limit.

[handlebar]

I wish they would have just adopted the same rules they already have on the road system. You could drive a 4 or an 8 cylinder but you can only drive it as fast as the speed limit.

I saw a video review of a bike with a 60-volt battery and a 40-amp controller that comes with a Class 2 sticker. At times, he read 1500 watts on the display, but I guess the manufacturer demonstrated that the motor output was only 750 watts. The mechanical output of an ebike motor may be much less than the electrical input.

He was disappointed the first day. Then he found out what controller changes to make through the display. Now he got a lot of torque from pedal assist, and it would do 40 mph.

That was dangerous in a bike lane. Way over there, other drivers might not see you in time. Also, he was overtaking unsuspecting slower bikes too fast and unable to leave much room. He thought he really belonged out in traffic. I agree, but he didn't know how to ride a two wheeler in traffic. He wasn't dressed conspicuously, and he didn't maintain a position where other drivers would have an unobstructed view. I guess that's why they require licenses for a bike fast enough to ride in traffic.

He rode on a public bike path at the beach. I thought he was overtaking slower bikes and pedestrians too fast. I guess he thought so, too; every time he saw a cop, he'd slow down. He learned to disable the motor by pulling a brake lever slightly whenever he was close to other people. Otherwise, if he moved a pedal, PAS would cause a dangerous burst of power.

[Naranja_CT5+]

and he didn't maintain a position where other drivers would have an unobstructed view.

My Maserati does 185
I lost my license, now I don't drive

I long time ago my motorcycle instructor told the class that a motorcyclist can disappear behind a pencil and he's right!

[John Rose]

Something else I just thought of... If it is deemed to be a motorcycle/moped in England, does that mean he also can't ride The RadExpand 5 on lanes and paths reserved for EAPCs and acoustic bikes?
That would really suck.

["Acoustic bike" - I totally stole that term from Eilis on the Electroheads Youtube channel.]

[Altema]

Something else I just thought of... If it is deemed to be a motorcycle/moped in England, does that mean he also can't ride The RadExpand 5 on lanes and paths reserved for EAPCs and acoustic bikes?
That would really suck.

["Acoustic bike" - I totally stole that term from Eilis on the Electroheads Youtube channel.]

I've heard Eilis use that term, and I chuckle when I hear it. Being an audio engineer, it makes no sense. The bike that makes it's presence known with sound waves? Can you strum it?

[handlebar]

Something else I just thought of... If it is deemed to be a motorcycle/moped in England, does that mean he also can't ride The RadExpand 5 on lanes and paths reserved for EAPCs and acoustic bikes?
That would really suck.

["Acoustic bike" - I totally stole that term from Eilis on the Electroheads Youtube channel.]

Since about 1902, the English term has been "push bike."

[handlebar]

I've heard Eilis use that term, and I chuckle when I hear it. Being an audio engineer, it makes no sense. The bike that makes it's presence known with sound waves? Can you strum it?

I thought "ebike" meant "electric bike," but mine has no jack to connect it to an amplifier. I added a Clarabell horn. Now I can make beautiful music with my acoustic bike.

[John Rose]

I've also heard "analog bike".

Although, one that has pedal assist and no throttle might be a ... wait for it ... "semi-acoustic bike"?

[handlebar]

The first person to cross North America on a motor vehicle was George A Wyman in 1903. it was an 1100 watt motorbike weighing 75 pounds. The carburetor was a box lined with cotton baffles. When the mix got too lean, he'd open a valve to add 30-octane gasoline to the cotton. It had wooden rims and 28 x 1.5 tires. Most places didn't even have gravel roads, so he rode most of the way bouncing on railroad ties.

The British called these bikes motor bikes. They needed a legal term for the other kind. Before Raleigh made the gearshift affordable, "push bike" was perfect. Pedaling, you'd fall trying to accelerate from a dead stop; so the usual method was to push and jump on. Bicyclists were often seen pushing up hills.