ebike good and bad in BC. | GTAMotorcycle.com

ebike good and bad in BC.

N

nobbie48

Well-known member
Site Supporter
Forum Sponsor
The good: A judge has come down on an ebike rider.


The bad: Some people just don't get it. Another ebike rider needs it because he has a DUI and needs to get to work.

DUI = BANNED from operating a motorized vehicle. NO ebike, NO motorboat, NO airplane.

The phrasing of the law has to be changed. People hear "You don't need a license to operate an ebike" and their mind says "Since I lost my license for DUI I can operate an ebike because I don't need a license." How do we get baby talk into the judgement so the DUI can comprehend the consequences of his actions? NO ebike, NO motorboat, NO airplane.

Ebikes are for people that can't afford ICE power. They can't afford insurance either and don't have cash to fix the dent in the side of your car. They can't pay your rehab costs if they knock you down while riding on a sidewalk.
 
Interesting. Judge interpreted law as Pedelec only. Ebike store bitching that they are being targeted when skateboards and kick scooters are more illegal is rich. His bikes weigh an order of magnitude more. Anything that weighs close to 500 lbs (loaded) and travels at 30 km/h on public roads needs insurance. It would be easy for ICBC to add and would instantly clean up the "I drive an ebike because I have a DUI".

EDIT:
This is the bike they are talking about. Try to find the pedals :/ Clearly a pedal bike only in the most stretched interpretation of any law.

xmr-blk-a_1.jpg
 
Just for the record, what's determined as legal or not in one province doesn't necessarily apply here - the laws are different between provinces. Only the federal portions related to criminal code infractions apply.
 
GreyGhost said:
EDIT:
This is the bike they are talking about. Try to find the pedals :/ Clearly a pedal bike only in the most stretched interpretation of any law.

xmr-blk-a_1.jpg
Click to expand...

Last year I saw a lot of these on the roads, this year it's still too cold for most. I'm driving on Dundas at about 60-70kph and this thing is keeping up with me with no issues. These things should 100% be registered and insured. If they can keep up with traffic unassisted...well I think it's time to pay to play. That thing hits your car and there will be more than something to be buffed out.
 
mimico_polak said:
Last year I saw a lot of these on the roads, this year it's still too cold for most. I'm driving on Dundas at about 60-70kph and this thing is keeping up with me with no issues. These things should 100% be registered and insured. If they can keep up with traffic unassisted...well I think it's time to pay to play. That thing hits your car and there will be more than something to be buffed out.
Click to expand...
Theoretically speed limited to 32 km/h. As soon as you remove that limiter (or the pedals), you are now an unlicensed, uninsured motorcycle without a proper DL or a proper helmet.
 
GreyGhost said:
Theoretically speed limited to 32 km/h. As soon as you remove that limiter (or the pedals), you are now an unlicensed, uninsured motorcycle without a proper DL or a proper helmet.
Click to expand...

This. And the police need to stop doing FIDO’s on them.
 
I was driving down Keele the other day doing around 55/60kmh and looked over to see a guy on one of those keeping up on the sidewalk - not a pedal stroke in sight. I've said this before, the real issue is how they are defining "e-bike" and lumping two completely different things together. IMO:

E-bike: pedal assist bicycle, if the user is not inputting any force through the pedals neither is the motor. motor will not continue to provide assistance past 32km/h. I'd imagine some kind of weight limit might be a good idea but the reality is most of the true "E-bikes" are maybe 20-30 pounds on your standard bicycle.

Electric motorcycle: exactly what this guy was riding. capable of propelling itself under its own power. ditch the speed limits and make it mandatory to carry insurance & a M2-L. having a busted pedal hanging off the swingarm doesn't skirt the law.

These guys run rampant downtown and its surprising there hasn't been a big "DUI'r takes out 93 year old Grandma on the sidewalk" story yet. Its super easy to remove the limiters and the weight of the bikes continues to climb. Look at something like this - Emmo Zone GTS. weights as much as a CBR125 and would probably out run it too.
 
As far as I can tell, from reading the original article, this wasn't a DUI situation - it was simply that a certain cop decided to make an example out of that particular e-bike rider for whatever reason. The judge's interpretation of the law isn't correct - although the law isn't correct, either.

Personally, I think the definition of an e-bike needs to be changed to require primary propulsion full-time by pedals (bicycle), all the others should be re-categorised as "limited speed motorcycles" with the associated licensing and insurance and with the 32 km/h top speed limit waived. IIRC the "limited speed motorcycle" limit is around 70 km/h, which is enough for city traffic.
 
r3r3r3 said:
I was driving down Keele the other day doing around 55/60kmh and looked over to see a guy on one of those keeping up on the sidewalk - not a pedal stroke in sight. I've said this before, the real issue is how they are defining "e-bike" and lumping two completely different things together. IMO:

E-bike: pedal assist bicycle, if the user is not inputting any force through the pedals neither is the motor. motor will not continue to provide assistance past 32km/h. I'd imagine some kind of weight limit might be a good idea but the reality is most of the true "E-bikes" are maybe 20-30 pounds on your standard bicycle.

Electric motorcycle: exactly what this guy was riding. capable of propelling itself under its own power. ditch the speed limits and make it mandatory to carry insurance & a M2-L. having a busted pedal hanging off the swingarm doesn't skirt the law.

These guys run rampant downtown and its surprising there hasn't been a big "DUI'r takes out 93 year old Grandma on the sidewalk" story yet. Its super easy to remove the limiters and the weight of the bikes continues to climb. Look at something like this - Emmo Zone GTS. weights as much as a CBR125 and would probably out run it too.
Click to expand...
The ontario ebike laws (wynnebag or mcguinty?) were setup for stupidity. Not sure whether they were just braindead or if there was a strong lobby. Max weight is 120kg. What the hell do you think they will look like at that weight. At even 25% of that weight, actually pedalling is quickly becoming a non-starter.

I am with Brian P. Differentiating from motorcycles the way they have done is just wrong. Uninsured e-bikes should be pedelecs (you pedal, it tops up your power). Once you have a bike where pedalling is not required (and is often functionally impossible) you have a LS-M and it should be licensed and insured as such.
 
Brian P said:
As far as I can tell, from reading the original article, this wasn't a DUI situation - it was simply that a certain cop decided to make an example out of that particular e-bike rider for whatever reason. The judge's interpretation of the law isn't correct - although the law isn't correct, either.

Personally, I think the definition of an e-bike needs to be changed to require primary propulsion full-time by pedals (bicycle), all the others should be re-categorised as "limited speed motorcycles" with the associated licensing and insurance and with the 32 km/h top speed limit waived. IIRC the "limited speed motorcycle" limit is around 70 km/h, which is enough for city traffic.
Click to expand...

In the article a named DUIer complained that he needed it to get to work. We need baby talk for these guys. Single syllable words. It has a motor. You can not ride it. Too bad. Walk. Do not drive drunk.
 
The "green guard" created an extremly poorly worded law, they had the best of intentions and they got it very wrong.
Enter the manufactures that will produce anything to sell product. It fits current legislation, some judge has decided he will interpret the law, which is what he gets paid to do. Generally a guy on an Ebike can't afford an appeal, and the dealers, distributors and importers wont throw a nickel at the program.

I'm not pro E bikein its current context, but I love the technology, I clearly see the future of these rides. My concern is how long until a province understands how wrong they got this.
 
crankcall said:
The "green guard" created an extremly poorly worded law, they had the best of intentions and they got it very wrong.
Enter the manufactures that will produce anything to sell product. It fits current legislation, some judge has decided he will interpret the law, which is what he gets paid to do. Generally a guy on an Ebike can't afford an appeal, and the dealers, distributors and importers wont throw a nickel at the program.

I'm not pro E bikein its current context, but I love the technology, I clearly see the future of these rides. My concern is how long until a province understands how wrong they got this.
Click to expand...

I'm not sure of the insurance status for an ebike. With the field being so open and undefined I cold see insurers getting out the ten foot poles. No license you say? Possible DUIers? 16 years old? Easy to modify?

I have a house and wouldn't want to be responsible particularly in the event of hitting a pedestrian. If I make a mistake I want a piece of pink paper saying the bill goes elsewhere.

If you don't have a big, fat, attorney-rich insurance company behind you you're low hanging fruit for a lawsuit. "Give me $50,000 and I walk away or take your chances in court and pay your legal team the money and possibly a $100,000 judgement."
 
nobbie48 said:
I'm not sure of the insurance status for an ebike. With the field being so open and undefined I cold see insurers getting out the ten foot poles. No license you say? Possible DUIers? 16 years old? Easy to modify?

I have a house and wouldn't want to be responsible particularly in the event of hitting a pedestrian. If I make a mistake I want a piece of pink paper saying the bill goes elsewhere.

If you don't have a big, fat, attorney-rich insurance company behind you you're low hanging fruit for a lawsuit. "Give me $50,000 and I walk away or take your chances in court and pay your legal team the money and possibly a $100,000 judgement."
Click to expand...
Probably start by lumping them in with current lsm's. Yes, you cam modify a 50cc to a 125 quite easily hut how many do and you still dont have a rocket. Theoretically ebikes are limited to 500 watts, even if you wound one out, you are still only at a few hp. The ridiculous powerful fast electric bikes (The ones that will power wheelie at 80) are not ebikes and would be outside of this policy.
 
PrivatePilot said:
Sorry, neighbour was a cop, heard it all the time. FIDO = "F@ck it, drive on". IE, turning a blind eye.
Click to expand...
It's bad press for the cops. Most of the people you would pinch for driving illegal ebikes would be lower socio economic class. So now you have the hard working father who makes minimum wage in court with $5000 in tickets and he doesnt know how to feed his kids. The news will conveniently omit that he was going 70 on a bike path.
 
GreyGhost said:
This is the bike they are talking about. Try to find the pedals :/ Clearly a pedal bike only in the most stretched interpretation of any law.

xmr-blk-a_1.jpg
Click to expand...

Here's an OEM promo shot with the pedals on it. It was actually hard to find a pic with one that actually had them still mounted.

CcGCWwkUUAAShVW.jpg
 
PrivatePilot said:
Sorry, neighbour was a cop, heard it all the time. FIDO = "F@ck it, drive on". IE, turning a blind eye.
Click to expand...

A friend who works @ 51 Div. rewords the motto on the side of his cruiser. To Swerve and Reject.
 
Some of the comments to the CBC article are pure gold, and parrot the views of most of the riders defending them.

"most bicycle and stationary car collision results in minor cosmetic damage. I'm of the belief that cars are meant to take a beating, and trying to wring out compensation for minor things is a waste of time. Of course if its serious damage then you should ask for compensation, but when is that ever the case with a bicycle incident?"

Wet weight is 200 lbs. It's NOT a bicycle, you idiot.
Forum Sponsor
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Back
Top Bottom