Julian Edgar, 50, has been writing about car modification and automotive technology for nearly 25 years. He has owned cars with two, three, four, five, six and eight cylinders; single turbo, twin turbo, supercharged, diesel and hybrid electric drivelines. He lists his transport interests as turbocharging, aerodynamics, suspension design and human-powered vehicles.
When is an electric bike not a bike?
As electric bikes get more powerful, and lose their pedals, riders risk breaking the law. But what should the law be? Unlimited power? And how is that power to be measured?
At least one AutoSpeed reader is riding an electric vehicle that looks pedal powered, and looks legal in power, but is capable of at least 5 times the legal power output in short spurts…
When I heard of that reader I just laughed.
But if the law in its current form prevents people making use of efficient, low pollution and cheap transport, surely it’s in need of review?
on June 24th, 2008 at 9:50 am
Every other vehicle that is used on public roads has a speed limit. Heck, even grandma’s electric assistance (“gopher”) scooter has a regulation speed limit of 12km/hr. Why then should electric bikes have a power limit?
on June 24th, 2008 at 10:52 am
The 200W limit represents some kind of estimate of the “power output” of a human rider. The theory is that these vehicles are no more powerful than a human rider, therefore no more dangerous.
This is bullshit. It reflects an endemic government view of cycling as Edwardian-era Sunday recreation conducted in sunbonnets and waistcoats.
As a long-time rider of a 200W electric cycle, I believe the 200W/20kmh limit is entirely too low—thanks to the extra weight of batteries, practically every pedal-only cyclist can easily outpace my electric cycle. And I’m talking about pedal+motor here, motor-only on my model is largely useless.
Furthermore, in my opinion, the primary benefit of electric-assist is allowing those in excessively hilly areas or with need to carry cargo to cycle effectively. 200W dies in the ass on anything but a gradual slope—I would support a speed or mass limit, but a peak power limit of 200W largely renders this class of vehicle as a curiosity, not a serious car-replacement.
Legislation is badly out of step with post-oil reality.
on June 24th, 2008 at 1:16 pm
There is a case for looking further than just at bikes. If society deems electric vehicles, and perhaps other forms of green transport, a good thing then it should be encouraged them. For example in the EU light electric vehicles are allowed to operate under a rule that exempts them from crash tests. And its not just vehicle licencing that needs to be looked at. Many people buy 4WDs because they do everything, and its not cost effective for them to pay registration and insurance on another economical vehicle for town use. Now that saving oil and the planet is newly important we need to start with what we want to achieve and work backwards to registration, insurance and licencing rules that will achieve that.
on June 24th, 2008 at 1:27 pm
What the current rules kill very readily and unfortunately is a series hybrid HPV.
http://www.hupi.org/HPeJ/0015/SeriesDriveHybridVelomobiles.pdf
http://www.columbia.edu/~sh2581/activities_detail/activities_detail_files/proposal_presentation.pdf
on June 24th, 2008 at 2:31 pm
So, people are saying that we should exempt certain vehicles from the registration and safety regulations applied to other road vehicles to save a few C02s?
People are willing to risk their lives or access to possible third party payouts for that? Crazy times is all I can say đ
What if one of those crazy eBike riders hits my car or worse still takes out a pedestrian? Who pays as they have no rego or third party insurance!
on June 24th, 2008 at 4:57 pm
Richard
That’s not true, other vehicles are exempt from registration and safety regulations, standard bicycles. I’ve never ridden an eBike myself but from all reports they provide assistance only and have little to no affect on top speed. So I don’t see how there is any more chance of one hitting your car or a pedestrian than a normal bike.
on June 24th, 2008 at 6:34 pm
I did have a home made e-bike. (It got stolen đ ) When the batteries were linked in parallel, it had the legal 200W.
This is not even close to the output of me on a bike, and I am very far from the best riders in terms of power. However it might just match the average long term power of the average rider…
Still, who cares? What makes a bike a “menace” would be peak speed, not average speed. So e-bikes should be limited to the peak power of a rider.
I think the USA chose 750W (1 hp) and canada is in the process of changing to this standard. It seems a reasonable figure to me.
on June 24th, 2008 at 9:19 pm
I think we need a new class similar to the Moped class in the US, something like an 800W/50km/hr limit, requiring a drivers licence of some kind (so 16yrs +), and some cheap yearly rego inspection ($100-200?) just enough to pay an inspector to test the top speed and power. It could displace a small but decent amount of imported, limited, polluting oil and I doubt it would increase the danger significantly. At the moment there is a huge void between a 200W Ebike and a motorcycle which is negligent policy making I think.
on June 24th, 2008 at 11:13 pm
personally i’m glad that the guy featured in that article is no longer allowed to ride his electric bike as he has very little regard for motorists or pedestrians. He used to ride past the exit of our lane-way in Pyrmont never giving way or signaling properly when riding. The fact he can keep up with me when i’m on a motorbike makes him a danger to the people around him. There are hundreds of cyclists around that area but i feel like they’ve earned the right to ‘get in the way’, especially around the populated areas of the inner city. This guy pays no rego, insurance or anything else to use the roads that i have to give way to him on, yet he enjoys the same self propelled luxury that I hand over money for.
on June 25th, 2008 at 9:23 am
The problem with a lot of these ‘scooters’ is that they are underpowered for hills, and the centreboard is far too wide to push comfortably. They are also often ridden by people who have lost their license for speeding/drink-driving/dangerous driving, which explains their ‘skills’ behind the handlebars…
The scooter mentioned in the article is probably one of the SWEI units, with a 1.5KW hub motor, its legal to ride in all states on a drivers license bar NSW and VIC – these were made to be basically equivalent to a 50cc scooter, which is limited to about 50kph (which also can be ridden on a car license in all states but NSW and VIC).
I thought about purchasing one of the SWEI scooters, but the limited range and speed, came to the conclusion that a 150cc scooter would be better – fuel has a far better energy density than batteries. The modern 4 stroke scooters are a far cry from the old 2 smokes…
A ‘crossover’ E-motorcycle is a very entertaining prospect – an 18hp B&S electric motor teamed up with a motorcycle frame + batteries makes for cheap transport (not sure about environmentally friendly – especially with SLA batteries) – google ‘EL-NINJA’ for more details. People are making these (street legal, registered and insured) to ride on a motorcycle license – for a lot less than the problematic Vectrix (have a look at V is for voltage forums on the vexxing vectrix).
on June 29th, 2008 at 1:25 pm
The 200w limit is a joke as several others have said. An electric bicycle capable of going up hills is an ideal form of transport that reduces CO2, reduces congestion on the roads and is cheap to run.
I have built an e-bike using a cyclone kit after I was diagnosed with reactive arthritis and coundnt even walk to the train. The e-bike started as 200w but was pretty useless, so I upgraded to 500w, which is fine. I can still cycle faster than the 500w motor, so this shows how the 200w limit is baseless.
I think there should be a top speed limit, and you could get a permit say , after having your bike inspected and changes to the cogs made to limit the top speed. This would provide the torque necessary to get up hills and make these environmently friendly movers viable.
on August 13th, 2008 at 8:19 am
I think the 200w limit was brought over directly from the same UK law. I’ve used a 200w hub motor on my bike but it was purely able to “assist”. If the Australian Government wants to help reduce our dependence on oil, the 200w ebike limit would be a great start. Bring in a 1hp, 35km/h limit or make (electric) mopeds driveable on a car license like in Queensland!
[WORDPRESS HASHCASH] The poster sent us ‘0 which is not a hashcash value.
on September 1st, 2008 at 6:11 pm
200W is a joke. Any reasonably fit person can easily exceed this simply by pedalling. A trained cyclist can exceed 1Kw for a short time and easily reach 60Km/h. They can go much faster downhill.
All that needs to be done is introduce a 1.5KW limit and a 50km/h speed limit for people with a car or motorcycles licence.
on October 7th, 2008 at 3:31 pm
I ride a Chituma 200watt type Electric Bicycle ( it looks scooter like)to work and back and to do shopping errands, picking up the dog food, banking, post office and many other local trips where it is just not worth the wear and tear on my car and wasting fuel to do such short trips.
I also wholeheartedly agree that 200watts is just not enough, not only for hills (where you could easily pedal a regular bicycle faster…) but also for take offs and right hand turns from traffic lights etc, where car drivers have to sometimes wait behind you before they get the opportunity to pass you as you make your turn.
My Chituma only does around 25kms an hour on flat road and is sluggish on take off when compared to a bike and it feels more ‘scary’ because 200 watts is too slow
I also say 500 watts to 750 watts would be adequate to get you out of the way of other road users in a much safer fashion. We are not talking about super high power here. previous motorcycle experience has helped me quickly get the hang of the E bike, but the 200 watts is purely inadequate.
After all we are only trying to DO THE RIGHT THING BY THE PLANET…!
Im betting the State and Federal Govt will be taxing and ‘regulating’ these vehicles ( registration etc..) as yet another GOVERNMENT CASH COW.. Penalising people helping the Environment
Why would they Tax something like an E-bike when there is no Registration on a regular bicycle..? At present with a little effort, a regular bike is faster uphill.downhill and on the flat. Yes, I ride one of those too.
The E-bike user is basically a person that has a conscience about the WORLDS FOSSIL FUEL usage along with present and impending GREENHOUSE gases. We get to save a little money and help the ailing Planet we all live in. We actually CARE about the environment.
I can tell you it is much safer driving a car, which is what I may do if the Governments and RTA over regulate these presently underpowered E-Bikes…
on January 1st, 2009 at 9:23 pm
i purchased a gia carlo electric bike a few months ago as i have a hip condition and degenerative back codition and on a dissability pension so its much more afordable for me to use than a car plus i still get some exercize as you need to pedal a bit when taking off and uphills.It was going great and my new found freedom was fantastic untill i was stoped by a highway patrollman who told me i would be fined for $500 unregisted and uninsured vehicle even though the rta sydneys colin jackson and dan leavy assured me it was within the law of 200 watts. i have contacted my local member of parliment katrina hodgekinson about this and the definition of moped and pedal assisted electric bikes is very confusing.anyway the nsw greens have been giving the government hell over this .contact nsw greens lee rhiannon on 0292303551 for more details.I ride carefully follow the road rules and it seems that all this talk about looking after the enviorment it a lot of hot air as the nsw gov doent really care about it at all, just sounds good at election time.So i am disquested with the nsw gov and some members of the police force in nsw who are victimising poor pensioners who are harming no one by riding there electric bikes.people should get together with someone with legal knowledge and sue the nsw police force and government in a class action suit for illegal fines and police harrassment by the police who should be chasing criminals not picking on easy targets.over ten thousand people have been affected by this why dont all those affected march on parliment to get more publicity on this issue.i Iwill certainly not be voting for labour next election over this.If we continue to loose our rights at this rate we will be a dictatorship in no time.Sorry i think we allredy are.Regards m french
on February 8th, 2009 at 2:59 pm
I disagree with the idea of a speed limit. I am a reasonably fit rider, and can easily clock up to 45km/h on my road bike, or even more in peaks. Downhill speed can be up to 80km/h. These figures can be even higher for aerodynamic recumbent bikes. I don’t see the point of assist if that suddenly limits me to 35km/h – it would be off most of the time.
While I agree that 200W isn’t very much, i think a bigger problem is the design of electric assist motors. Both brushed and brushless DC motors by nature have a rev limit (when the electricity they generate by turning equals the battery voltage) – this means that usually they don’t offer any assist beyond 25km/h or so. Using higher battery voltage would exceed the power limit at lower speeds, unless there is an electronic power limiter. It is possible to design an assist system that will always deliver 200W at any practical speed – but to my knowledge that is not available.
Think about it this way – a fit rider can average about 250-300W (that’s not effortless, but sustainable). A professional cyclist about 500-600W (with >1kW peak, but not sustained). So a 200W addition should put a fit person close to a Tour de France rider, able to sustain a 50km/h average. That’s a speed that would make commuting a lot easier and safer, as it allows the rider to flow with traffic, as opposed to constantly dodge cars squeezing past from behind.
I’d like to see electric assist to enhance a fit person’s capabilities in terms of average speed, and not as a primary power source for lazy people who only occasionally pedal a bit.
on February 8th, 2009 at 8:10 pm
I am a dissability pensioner with degenerative back problems and hip trouble and have difficuly getting over the top bar of a push bike so I thought Id got the best of both worlds when I purchased my gia carlo electric asisted pedal cycle, that was untill I was warned Id be fined for riding a unregisted and uninsured vehicle by the local highway patrol in cowra nsw.Even though it complies with the roads and traffic laws myself and thousands of other pensioners are being unfairly targeted by police when you,d think in this era of enlightened envioronmental concerns since they cause no polution only do 25 kilometres an hour flat out on a flat road and give the dissabled their freedom back as well as the elderly,and do require some light pedaling they would be backed by the authourities as a great thing.But not in nsw,i use my bike for shopping and to go and see friends,also to ride to the local pool for some exersize and to cool of in the summer heat ,Iwas heartbroken to think my new found freedom could be taken away by heartless polititions who are only worried about lost redgo money and the envionment is only worried about at election time as are the people.my bike is a 200 watt electric assisted bicycle and i will continue to ride it untill I am fined then Ill have to take it to court where hopefully I can get some justice.Unfortunatly most people who ride these bikes are either dissabled pensioners or old age pensioners so can ill afford court costs even when they know they are doing nothing wrong so the government and police think they can get away with this injustice against the dissabled the elderly and the envioronment.Iask all those people affected by this to start writting letters in protest and hopefuly shame those responsible into a change of heart,these bikes are exempt from registration under the schedule 1 of the road trasport/vehicle registration regulations 2007 at clause 15 states that,pedal cycles-the registration provisions do not applyto any registable vehicle comprising a pedal cycle to which is attached one or more auxillary propulsion motors having a combined maximum output of not more than 200 watts so my bike is a 100 percent legally electrically assisted bicycle.yours sincerly m french.
on February 9th, 2009 at 10:36 am
Michael I believe you’re correct, that <200 Watts you shouldn’t need to be registered.
Felix, I don’t know how the legislation could be written, but you almost say it yourself, it could be very easy to have the electric assist drop to zero at some speed ie 35kph.
The Avanti Electra which was on sale here briefly would supply 200W at any speed above say 10kph, not that hard to do. But it’s still only 200W and that doesn’t move bikes out of the showroom.
on February 9th, 2009 at 10:41 am
A 200W average output is fine and easily sufficient in my experience, however the peak power is what is legislated.. It’s really this peak power that most users are interested in – needed to accelerate from a stop, hill climbing, or carrying a load. (Felix, you’d be doing well to average 35kph in a normal commute, stopping at each red light or interesection)
on February 9th, 2009 at 11:00 am
Felix makes a good point, a motor than can add 200W on top of a normal rider at max speed makes a normal rider into a damn good rider, and that makes an ebike very useful.
Adding 10 km/h or so to my top speed would make a fair difference when I do 10 km each day on the M2 motorway bikepath. I could even handle getting a motor that was just high geared, so I get the higher speed, but have to do the hill climbing myself (which I do already). But even better would be a controller so you have “gears”, ie. big torquey 200W hill climbing at 5 km/h, transitioning through to free spinning 200W at 55 km/h.
Michael French, I think your problem is that the gia carlo electric bike doesn’t look like a bike, it looks like a scooter. And cops know that scooters need licencing. You can’t expect every cop in Australia to memorize the categories of a bunch of obscure vehicles that they might only see once a year.
So either get documents that prove your vehicle is classified as a bicycle, and carry them with you, or get a vehicle that looks like a bicycle, or get used to the cops getting it wrong. No, this isn’t right, but it’s reality.
And I don’t think that NSW parliment can help. As you point out, it is already LEGAL, it’s just that it LOOKS illegal, and so you’ll get pulled over.
on February 9th, 2009 at 11:58 am
the police minister wrote me a letter through my local member katrina hodgkinson saying i should have to prove i can pedal gia carlo bike without power assist,well i thought byuo were inocent untill PROVEN guilty in this country so i have all the paperwork on the owners manual but the highway patrolman didnt car obout that and did not give me a chance to prove i could ride it without power assist,he said the reason he was going hard on electric bikes was because some people ride them iresponsibly on footpaths ect and admitted to me that he knew i was a responsible rider but coulnt pick and chose who he fined,well he could with police discression fine the iresponible people and leave the good riders alone,another case of make everone pay for the idiots buy taking all our rights away,the rta could provide a list to police stations around the state as to which current electric bikes are within the exemt range,woulnt be too hard with the internet faxes ect updating when necessary.
on February 10th, 2009 at 10:41 pm
(BG) (Felix, youâd be doing well to average 35kph in a normal commute, stopping at each red light or intersection)
That is very true, and one of the reasons why I’m so interested in electric assist – especially for faster speeds and aerodynamic bikes / trikes, regenerative braking makes more sense (even if it only recovers a part of the energy). Modern ultracapacitors can easily store the kinetic energy and can provide a boost to get back to 30km/h or so. But now, if the energy was purely recovered from braking (let’s say, no batteries at all), would I be allowed to have a boost of 1kW? How about a bike that has a wind up spring that stores brake energy? Or the electronic equivalent? and what if I do add batteries, that will never add more than 200W power, and the energy stored from previous braking is temporarily on top of that (total power output exceeding 200W, but secondary power source = battery never exceeds 200W output)? Or a hybrid bike with a purely electronic transmission (Pedal-powered 700W generator, and 700W electric motor)? It is difficult to apply these vague regulations to modern ideas. One version of the law I read actually stated “200W output at the wheel” – what if I add a big propeller (or a jet engine, he, he…)? The confusion about the legal facts really makes it difficult to know where the limit really is, especially if one wants to get the most of assist. If the limit was a more reasonable 500W or so many of those questions would be less relevant.
I like the idea suggested before to register a more powerful e-bike as a Moped or motorbike. However, as a home builder I would have to be able to easily get registration. I’d be happy to pay an appropriate amount if I’m then allowed to have 500W, or even 1-2kW assist. But I have no idea how I would get a one-off home built trike registered currently (plus I wouldn’t be allowed on bike tracks any more).
We do have a fairly good network of bike roads here, and I’m riding to work every day of the year (it’s actually faster than by car…). But I’d also like to do slightly longer trips (shopping, or into further suburbs) by bike, but don’t want to ride for an hour. Adding 10-15km/h on the average speed would really make a difference.
on February 11th, 2009 at 3:37 pm
I have been riding my gia carlo electrically assisted bicycle on the local cowra town roads only and not on freeways ect, to get my groceries swim at the local pool see friends ect, although i have imformed the local highway patrolman that my bike is legal as a pedal assisted bicycle he stated that he dint work for the rta and didnât care what they said and was very rude and intimidating about the matter threatening to fine me in front of my step dad who was a witness to this.At a latter date approx 1 week later i made an appointment with the local duty inspecter of the cowra police station stating my case,he said he would,nt pull me up himself as i rode responsibly and the other officers even told me when highway patrolman would be away so i could ride my bike . i would like to make an official complaint against the nsw police force and the nsw government of discrimination against the disabled and the elderly yours sincerely Mfrench.If you could post the imfo out i will read it fill it out and send it back.
From: Elizabeth Meyer [mailto:emeyer@ddlcnsw.org.au] On Behalf Of Info
Sent: Wednesday, 11 February 2009 12:40 PM
To: Micheal french, Sr.
Subject: Your enquiry to the Disability Discrimination Legal Centre
Dear Mr French,
Thank you for your recent contact with the NSW Disability Discrimination Legal Centre.
Your matter
From you email it appears that your matter centres on the following information:
1. You have a disability that is ‘degenerative back problems and hip trouble’ and as such you have difficulty using a conventional bicycle
2. You ride a Gia Carlo Electrical Assisted-Pedal Cycle which does not have a combined maximum output of 200 watts or more
3. Using this motor-assisted pedal cycle allows you (and other people with disability as well as the aged) mobility that you would not otherwise have
4. You believe your Cycle falls within the definition of an âexempt from registrationâ vehicle under Part 2(15) of the Road Transport (Vehicle Registration) Regulation 2007
5. Despite this you have been informed by a highway patrol officer that if you drive an unregistered and uninsured vehicle on a NSW road you will be fined
Please let us know if any of the above information is incorrect.
Our research
We have conducted some preliminary research into your matter. In the attached document Better regulation of motor-assisted pedal cycles: issues and solutions issued by the NSW RTA in February 2008 the issue of motor-assisted pedal-vehicles is discussed and in particular, it is noted on page 12 (in the first dot point) that there is a move within the RTA to ensure that a wider range of vehicles becomes exempt from registration s the benefits of these types of vehicles is recognised. You will also note that the Gia Carlo model is set out in Appendix 1 and is one of the exempt models (category AB) â this is because it does not have:
– Foot rests
– Easily removable pedals or chains
– The ability to operate without pedals or chains
– Throttle controlled motors
– Motors marked as above 200 watts
– Motors with power other than electric or solar power
It appears from our research that you should not be fined if you use your motor-assisted pedal cycle on a NSW road so long as you comply with bike safety laws (such as wearing a helmet) and do not exceed speed limits. However, it may be the case that you will not be allowed to travel on roads that cycles are usually restricted on, such as freeways or roads which allow high speeds (for example, highways, where the speed limit is 100 km/h). As you have informed us that you were told you would be fined by a highway patrol officer it may be the case that the officer was referring to these particular roads. If this is the case, then the safety issues involved with having low-speed 200 watt vehicles on a high speed highway may be a justification for the restriction (and possible fine).
Disability discrimination
If you would like more information on disability discrimination and the complaint making process please let us know â we can post you out information or you can access it on our website â http://www.ddlcnsw.org.au. We can also provide you with more specific advice regarding your matter on making a complaint to either the Anti-Discrimination Board or the Human Rights Commission if you wish to do so. However, we will need to obtain more details from you if this is the case. However, for the time being the more appropriate avenue for you may be to contact your local RTA motor registry to confirm that your vehicle is registration-exempt or to address your concerns to the Minister for Roads, Mr. Michael Daley or the RTAâs Director of Network Management, Michael Bushby, (who is currently the RTAâs Acting Chief Executive Officer).
Please note that if you do wish to make a disability discrimination complaint you must do so within 12 months of the date of discrimination.
We hope we have been of some assistance to you.
Kind Regards,
Elizabeth Meyer
Solicitor
NSW DDLC
as you can see if there is anyone else who can use this imfo to mount a case in the anti dicrimination court all the imfo is here to do so,stuff the police and nsw gov,they deserve to be sued
on February 11th, 2009 at 4:14 pm
Michael French,
Sounds like you are dealing with one particular cop who is just being a bastard. You do sometimes meet cops like that, and they will continue to be arrogant pigs until somebody stops them.
(You also meet mailmen, journalists, doctors and just about every other sort of person like that too. The difference is that a cop has a lot more power.)
So good luck. But remember that once you make an enemy of a cop, he can cause you all sorts of trouble, even staying within the law.
on February 11th, 2009 at 5:34 pm
re dr patt thank for the advice on the cop but if we dont stand up against abuse of power we all end up loosing,there are also anti harrassment laws for over zealous police and once this electric bike law case is said and done i will make the most of trese laws if i need to so if anyone else thinks they have a case of discrimination i think ive given everyone all the legal ammo they need,lets give them hell.
on February 12th, 2009 at 9:42 am
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just thought id add contact detail of the dissability discrimination legal service for all those people who need their pedal assisted bicycles to get around who are being hounded by police,let me clarify something,most police are fair and honest people and we/d be in trouble without the good ones in times of crisis like the dreadfull fires in victoria so i pay tribute to the fair and decent cops.but like in every ocupation there are the bad ones also,its them we must bring to account lawfully.There was a case i read about where a dissabled teenager who relied on his electric bike to get to his part time job in wagga nsw,hard hearted police stopped him riding his bike so he lost his job,just stinks so im not just doing this for myself only, but also to help others like him,sure there are idiots who ride irresponibly on electric bikes,fine them comficate the idiots bikes but leave the responible riders who rely on e bikes alone,they woulnt ban cars becuase some fools hoon around,make the idiots pay,not everone else as well.
on February 18th, 2009 at 4:12 pm
thepremier [www.nsw.gov.au@mail.cabinet.nsw.gov.au]if any one else has some usefull recomendations abuot some common sense electric bicycle laws seem i may be getting through but i cant think of all the angles myself so i need everone elses help who have either been fined or had their bikes conviscated to write or fax or email the premier on the above email adress as there is power in numbers, thepremier [www.nsw.gov.au@mail.cabinet.nsw.gov.au]
Anyone else got some idears email the premier on above email adress.
on February 18th, 2009 at 4:14 pm
Dear Mr French
The Premier has received your recent email concerning electronic bikes.
As the matter you have raised primarily concerns the administrations of the Minister for Roads, the Hon M J Daley, MP, and the Minister for Police, Minister for Lands, and Minister for Emergency Services, the Hon A B Kelly, MLC, the Premier has arranged to bring your approach to the Ministersâ attention.
You may be sure that your comments will receive close consideration.
Yours sincerely
Vanessa Karkousi
Office of the Premier
thepremier [www.nsw.gov.au@mail.cabinet.nsw.gov.au]
on March 2nd, 2009 at 12:20 pm
Ive had a win of sorts with a meeting at cowra police station. I parked my bike out the front of the police station and showed the bike to them and they took my word that i could pedal it without electrical assistance if necessary the only bone of contension being the hub drive as i explained to them its really splitting hairs as a hub drive is the best desighn and being 200 watts it really doesnât make any sense to try and ban hub drives as with no chains and only one moving part being the wheel rotating around the hub theres much less chance of mechanical problems and from a common sense point of view if a bolt on electrical assist engine is 200 watts and a hub drive is also 200 watts I really cant see where the problem is and if the wheel and engine is one and the same the wheel bolts onto the bicycle anyway so technically the engine is still bolted on to the bike whichever way you look at it,anyway i am currently riding my bike with no problems from police at the moment shaking hands with the police inspector and thehighway patrolman and now feel i was treated with respect and with fairness but the wording of the law on pedal assisted bicycles still needs to be clearly re written to avoid problems in the future for anyone else and it needs to be done asap .so you see we can win this one they are backing off contact yur local member the dissability dicrimination legal centre state and federal ministers the rta human rights commission ect you can win.
on March 4th, 2009 at 7:28 am
Hey boys, where can i buy one of these electric bicycles, one that looks like a bicycle and has a larger motor than 200w as they seem like a waste of time, i live in Brisbane.
Also what are the chances the police knowing it is over 200w?
on March 4th, 2009 at 8:20 am
Firstly, I would never suggest you drive something illegal đ
Secondly, some people’s experience suggests that the cops will assume it’s illegal until proven otherwise.
Thirdly, there are heaps for sale on ebay.com.au