Could these be any good?

[Bodd]

A thing to bear in mind with e bikes and scooters is you can get points on your license or a ban for any traffic offences, there were a few done for drink driving in Newcastle recently.

That's a very good point

 

[durhamplumber]

A thing to bear in mind with e bikes and scooters is you can get points on your license or a ban for any traffic offences, there were a few done for drink driving in Newcastle recently.

There is a difference between the pedelec bike I have and the more powerful ones where you need a licence etc and have more restrictions...Some people chip them and make them illegal etc.Scooters, the law is a bit confusing at the moment..Noticed quite a few for hire in Newcastle this morning.

 

[motorbiking]

Electrically assisted pedal cycles are bicycles if the bike has pedals that propel it; the electric motor won’t assist you when you’re travelling more than 25 km/h (15.5mph); and the power doesn’t exceed 250 watts. The one in the OP link is over this so isn't a bicycle.

Electrically assisted pedal cycles are not classed as mechanically propelled from a road traffic point of view as its mechanically assisted.

Anything else is a motorbike.

Sounds like @Bodd just needs a set of semi-slicks/slicks to put on his MTB and pump them up a bit. Change from 50 quid.

 

[Ihavenojob]

There is a difference between the pedelec bike I have and the more powerful ones where you need a licence etc and have more restrictions...Some people chip them and make them illegal etc.Scooters, the law is a bit confusing at the moment..Noticed quite a few for hire in Newcastle this morning.

It was those that plod focused on, about half a dozen were done for DD, if it is transport with a motor, its a motor vehicle.

 

[EFLImpudence]

To make a 1kw pack out of quality 18650 cells will cost £300 min wholesale.

Is that relevant with such things?

They presumably do not cost £300 in China.


Dyson things cost a bloody fortune but how much do they actually cost him to make in Malaysia?

 

[motorbiking]

The materials cost around $100/kw at manufacture to make a quality cell (e.g. Samsung, Panasonic etc.) There is a massive recycling market in China where they take any old cr@p and over charge it to build a pack. The minimum a decent 48v/1kw pack can be sold wholesale for is around £300. Therefore if you haver an ebike with a pack budget of say £100, its going to be a recycled 10 year old cells from the dump. Thats a pack that has 12 times more capacity than a typical chunky laptop. Would you want that amount of fire power charging in your house with a dodgy charger and half crystallised cells?

This is what they look like inside 78 Samsung 18650 cells - giving 20AH /1kw.

 

[EFLImpudence]

Ok. I cannot argue -

but are items that are half price direct from China necessarily any different than those in the local shop?


I would not buy such expensive products from China but I have bought small things that are a fraction of the local price.

 

[motorbiking]

My point is there is a minimum cost of manufacture, based on the material costs. Even in china. I buy a lot of bits and pieces from china, but rarely anything over 50 quid, partly because of the duty and partly because of the fault risk.

It was those that plod focused on, about half a dozen were done for DD, if it is transport with a motor, its a motor vehicle.

except when its an Electrically assisted pedal cycle which conforms to the restriction requirement. They are stamped as compliant normally, though obviously such stamps can be faked.