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Is This A Motorcycle?
Posted: Mon Jul 29, 2024 1:50 pm
by Yorick
Is it an electric bicycle or a motorcycle?
Yesterday we saw a few. Fair shifting without pedalling. So it's a motor cycle surely?
They had no helmets either.
https://www.yamaha-motor.eu/gb/en/ebike ... easy-2023/
Re: Is This A Motorcycle?
Posted: Mon Jul 29, 2024 2:08 pm
by Ian
Depends,
If it's not limited to 15mph, you must wear a helmet, have insurance and a number plate, yes.
But I doubt that's what Yamaha or any other e bike manufacturer is aiming for I suspect they want it to be free from such encumbrances as insurance and number plates and ideally easy to derestrict because that's whats selling like hotcakes and that's what the environmentalists love
So my bet is bicycle.
I saw one recently going much faster than traffic, I want one of those
Re: Is This A Motorcycle?
Posted: Mon Jul 29, 2024 2:15 pm
by Yorick
If it is limited to 15 mph it'll be still legal to whizz along pavements I assume?
Could be lethal after a few bevvies.
If banned from pavements it could be even worse on roads after a few bevvies.
Gonna be a minefield to monitor them all
Re: Is This A Motorcycle?
Posted: Mon Jul 29, 2024 2:20 pm
by Beancounter
Yorick wrote: Mon Jul 29, 2024 2:15 pm
If it is limited to 15 mph it'll be still legal to whizz along pavements I assume?
Could be lethal after a few bevvies.
If banned from pavements it could be even worse on roads after a few bevvies.
Gonna be a minefield to monitor them all
It's relatively straightforward to derestrict ebike motors and increase their top speed, usually at the expense of battery life. Of course, batteries are getting better by the day so it might not be that much of a trade off.
Loads of them around nowadays where the pedals appear to be for show than go.
Yorick wrote:Could be lethal after a few bevvies.
Indeed, though most of them around here are Uber Eats/Deliveroo so the riders are more concerned with staying upright and earning. It's the scrotes on the proper electric motorbikes like the Sur-Ron which cause the most problems.
Re: Is This A Motorcycle?
Posted: Mon Jul 29, 2024 2:33 pm
by Bustaspoke
According to that link you posted to the Yamaha page you can buy it through the ride to work scheme,but you can't get one called the 'Booster' on the ride to work scheme.Maybe some are classed as pedal assist & other's as motorised?
Re: Is This A Motorcycle?
Posted: Mon Jul 29, 2024 2:35 pm
by Skub
KFB sez,'needz moar pink'.
Re: Is This A Motorcycle?
Posted: Mon Jul 29, 2024 4:19 pm
by Mussels
Yorick wrote: Mon Jul 29, 2024 2:15 pm
If it is limited to 15 mph it'll be still legal to whizz along pavements I assume?
Could be lethal after a few bevvies.
If banned from pavements it could be even worse on roads after a few bevvies.
Gonna be a minefield to monitor them all
Dunno about Spain but no bikes are allowed on UK pavements, not even kids bikes.
From your description these were motorbikes, for a long time EU law has specified that the motor should only work while the pedals are turning. Electric scooters are also motorbikes but nobody seems to care much about them.
Re: Is This A Motorcycle?
Posted: Mon Jul 29, 2024 5:08 pm
by ZRX61
Moped surely?
Re: Is This A Motorcycle?
Posted: Mon Jul 29, 2024 7:02 pm
by Mr. Dazzle
FWIW, driving an e bike/scooter after a few bevvies is not only dangerous, it's just as illegal (in the UK) as doing it in a car.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-g ... %20traffic.
Re: Is This A Motorcycle?
Posted: Mon Jul 29, 2024 7:09 pm
by Yorick
Ironically she got a driving ban, but can still ride the lecky scooter

Re: Is This A Motorcycle?
Posted: Mon Jul 29, 2024 7:11 pm
by Yorick
Wonder what happens if a 15 year old gets caught pissed-up on one ?
Re: Is This A Motorcycle?
Posted: Mon Jul 29, 2024 7:38 pm
by Mr. Dazzle
Yorick wrote: Mon Jul 29, 2024 7:09 pm
Ironically she got a driving ban, but can still ride the lecky scooter
You know...I'm not sure that's true! Strictly speaking you need a driving licence to legally ride an e scooter on public land. AFAIK you can only ride scooters which are rented from government backed schemes (Lime and people like that) and to use those you need a driving licence.
'course, the law is widely flouted/unenforceable
Re: Is This A Motorcycle?
Posted: Mon Jul 29, 2024 8:02 pm
by Bigjawa
E scooters are classed as off road motorcycles. If you get banned for your R1, you're equally as banned on an e scoot.
Re: Is This A Motorcycle?
Posted: Mon Jul 29, 2024 8:46 pm
by Yorick
Bigjawa wrote: Mon Jul 29, 2024 8:02 pm
E scooters are classed as off road motorcycles. If you get banned for your R1, you're equally as banned on an e scoot.
So what about the thousands of kids riding them?
Can a 14 y/o ride an e-scooter?
Or a lecky bicycle?
Etc..
Re: Is This A Motorcycle?
Posted: Mon Jul 29, 2024 8:49 pm
by MrLongbeard
Yorick wrote: Mon Jul 29, 2024 8:46 pm
Bigjawa wrote: Mon Jul 29, 2024 8:02 pm
E scooters are classed as off road motorcycles. If you get banned for your R1, you're equally as banned on an e scoot.
So what about the thousands of kids riding them?
Can a 14 y/o ride an e-scooter?
Or a lecky bicycle?
Etc..
In the UK;
No
Yes
Re: Is This A Motorcycle?
Posted: Mon Jul 29, 2024 8:51 pm
by Yorick
MrLongbeard wrote: Mon Jul 29, 2024 8:49 pm
Yorick wrote: Mon Jul 29, 2024 8:46 pm
Bigjawa wrote: Mon Jul 29, 2024 8:02 pm
E scooters are classed as off road motorcycles. If you get banned for your R1, you're equally as banned on an e scoot.
So what about the thousands of kids riding them?
Can a 14 y/o ride an e-scooter?
Or a lecky bicycle?
Etc..
In the UK;
No
Yes
So how can they ban an adult from a riding a leccy bicycle if no license is needed?
Grey areas.
Re: Is This A Motorcycle?
Posted: Mon Jul 29, 2024 8:53 pm
by Yorick
Yorick wrote: Mon Jul 29, 2024 8:51 pm
MrLongbeard wrote: Mon Jul 29, 2024 8:49 pm
Yorick wrote: Mon Jul 29, 2024 8:46 pm
So what about the thousands of kids riding them?
Can a 14 y/o ride an e-scooter?
Or a lecky bicycle?
Etc..
In the UK;
No
Yes
So how can they ban an adult from a riding a leccy bicycle if no license is needed?
Grey areas.
Peaky Rider
You can drink and ride a bike/ebike. There is no alcohol limit and you can't be breathalysed or blood taken. You won't get points on your driving licence or be banned from driving. As is mentioned above you can be prosecuted for riding furiously though.Apr 19, 2023
Re: Is This A Motorcycle?
Posted: Mon Jul 29, 2024 9:32 pm
by MrLongbeard
Yorick wrote: Mon Jul 29, 2024 8:51 pm
MrLongbeard wrote: Mon Jul 29, 2024 8:49 pm
Yorick wrote: Mon Jul 29, 2024 8:46 pm
So what about the thousands of kids riding them?
Can a 14 y/o ride an e-scooter?
Or a lecky bicycle?
Etc..
In the UK;
No
Yes
So how can they ban an adult from a riding a leccy bicycle if no license is needed?
Grey areas.
Because there are electric bikes, and then there are electric bikes, In the UK there's a difference between those that have to be pedalled (bicycles) and those that don't have to be pedalled (motor vehicle)
Re: Is This A Motorcycle?
Posted: Mon Jul 29, 2024 9:35 pm
by MrLongbeard
Yorick wrote: Mon Jul 29, 2024 8:53 pm
Yorick wrote: Mon Jul 29, 2024 8:51 pm
MrLongbeard wrote: Mon Jul 29, 2024 8:49 pm
In the UK;
No
Yes
So how can they ban an adult from a riding a leccy bicycle if no license is needed?
Grey areas.
Peaky Rider
You can drink and ride a bike/ebike. There is no alcohol limit and you can't be breathalysed or blood taken. You won't get points on your driving licence or be banned from driving. As is mentioned above you can be prosecuted for riding furiously though.Apr 19, 2023
The maximum penalty for cycling whilst under the influence of drink or drugs is a £1,000 fine. This is also the case for careless or inconsiderate cycling. The maximum penalty for dangerous cycling is a £2,500 fine.
You wouldn’t, however, get any points on your driving license should you have one, as it isn’t a driving offence.
https://www.slatergordon.co.uk/newsroom ... hen-drunk/
Re: Is This A Motorcycle?
Posted: Mon Jul 29, 2024 10:55 pm
by Ian
The genie is already out of the bottle and the police don't have the resources to put it back in.
There are e-bikes and scooters everywhere, and nobody riding them cares about the law.