Easily "derestricted" electric bikes?

[stinkwheel]

My folks have a Ukranian refugee living with them. He's quite elderly and has a lower limb amputation and could do with some transport.

The wheels of beaurocracy grind exceedingly slow so while he does have a Ukranian driving licence, he doesn't HAVE his Ukranian driving licence, he arrived in the UK after walking out of Ukraine carrying only a small rucksack.

Best we can think of just now is an electric bicycle. I've found a few out there which are easily convertible to manual throttle by means of simply plugging it in but I was wondering if there are any brands that can be easily hopped up a bit too?

The ideal is something he'll be able to get into the nearest big town on which is a 25 mile round trip on mostly flat.

We're aware this is technically illegal.
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“Rule one: Always stick around for one more drink. That's when things happen. That's when you find out everything you want to know.”
I did the 2010 Round Britain Rally on my 350 Bullet. 89 landmarks, 3 months, 9,500 miles.

[ThunderGuts]

Amazon "kits" with a wheel included are likely to already go faster than 15.5mph and if not, I imagine are very crudely restricted. However, any ebike with a throttle stands out a mile to the Fuzz as it whizzes past without the rider pedalling, and as you probably know at any speed that style are illegal on the roads. Just thinking the last thing the guy will want is to be scolded (or worse) from the Fuzz (possible leniency in the circumstances, but it's not that relevant so perhaps not). 12.5 miles each way on a conventional ebike with the assistance turned right up will require very little effort, should be within the range of the thing and won't attract the wrong attention either?

Edit: this one apparently does close to 30mph if derestricted (according to the Q&A):

https://www.amazon.co.uk/ZELUS-1000W-Electric-Bikes-Conversion/dp/B0895MWBN9/ref=sr_1_3?keywords=Electric%2BBike%2BConversion%2BKit&qid=1653565907&sr=8-3&th=1&psc=1
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TG.

[stinkwheel]

I'm actually trying to persuade them to just apply for a UK provisional and get him through his CBT on a step-through. I reckon any sane and sensible instructor will make allowances for the guy having a wooden leg and not make him push it around too much.

However my Dad's currently obsessing about allegedly high speed Chinese electric trikes on ebay and I'm trying to nudge him in the direction of something that isn't going to crash in a cloud of burning lithium and at least looks like a bicycle.
____________________
“Rule one: Always stick around for one more drink. That's when things happen. That's when you find out everything you want to know.”
I did the 2010 Round Britain Rally on my 350 Bullet. 89 landmarks, 3 months, 9,500 miles.

[ThunderGuts]

[Easy-X]

Legally a 125 scooter + CBT would probably be the way to go.

With regards to >15mph eBikes I spent several years commuting to work on a 25mph then 40mph eBike and no fucks were given.

Easy-mode: 250~350W front wheel hub motor + controller + battery. Might cost you £400 + bike at most. Rear hub you could go 500W+ for a few quid more but a bit harder to fit.
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Husqvarna Vitpilen 401, Yamaha XSR700, Honda Rebel, Yamaha DT175, Suzuki SV650 (loan) Fazer 600, Keeway Superlight 125, 50cc turd scooter

[Bhud]

I'd look again at whether it's really needed, i.e. could a bus journey or an Uber or online deliveries suffice? For a 25-mile round trip, is there really a real need? Has he read the Highway Code? Is it really country-country out there, where a Land Rover might not even stop after giving you a swipe while swerving into the middle of the road to dodge a pothole (after all, what's in it for him to stop if there's nothing but legal trouble that would follow)?

Ebikes are about riding a motorcycle without a licence or insurance, at the end of the day. People do it around my way all the time, and it's crowded and busy over here. They feel righteous (part of the psychology of hyping themselves up to break the law?) get away with it and everything's fine, until one day something happens, and it isn't fine any more. It all ends in tears when someone crashes, or injures someone, and then there are months of headaches and consequences that follow. Until then, of course, everyone wants to do away with legal impediments to riding a motorcycle without a licence, on the pavement, etc. When you've got a political lobby group when what you really need is legal representation and an insurance policy, and you're lying in a hospital with serious injuries and a lot of time to think things over, nobody really cares.

The best option must surely be for him to apply for a UK provisional licence, take a CBT and get a moped. A first provisional licence costs £34 or £43 depending on whether you order it online. A CBT costs what, £120 these days?

Alternatively, back to the NHS and look into options for disability scooters. I don't know how bad his amputation is. If it's really bad, there are disability road-going 4-wheeled machines which are perfectly legit and road-legal. I don't know what their range is. All I know is that being unfortunate doesn't entitle someone to break the law. Society tries to meet people's needs halfway. Bikes are fun and everyone understands that, so the "need" here for whatever the latest Chinese offering on Ebay is, especially when all he wants is to go to Tesco and there are alternative means of transportation, might not make for a sound argument.

[stinkwheel]

They live in bumfuck nowhere. There are two buses a day and as I recall, not particularly well timed if you want to go to the shop then get home again.
____________________
“Rule one: Always stick around for one more drink. That's when things happen. That's when you find out everything you want to know.”
I did the 2010 Round Britain Rally on my 350 Bullet. 89 landmarks, 3 months, 9,500 miles.

[Bhud]

If it's the right sort of countryside, then you could mount a Briggs and Stratton in a wheelbarrow and get away with using that as your means of transport, as long as you remember to gift the local constable with a keg of scrumpy cider right on time every year, and a chicken or two for good measure on public holidays...

You're probably fine with electric bikes out there. I mean, the local youths around here have a very good sense of what, where and when there is an absence of a police presence, and I saw the local bikelife (out on some pretty serious offroad bikes, including 2-stroke KTMs) in a local park while out on a bicycle ride this evening. It was actually nice to see. They were probably too young to even realise that where they were riding there used to be a motocross track belonging to a motocross club... Really popular, back in the day. No sign it was ever there at all now - just a smart motorway. I'm sure there's a lesson in that somewhere. Do as thou wilt shall be the whole of the law!

[Jmoan]

[The Artist]

I ran a 1kw rear hub motor with a 2kw motor controller for over a year.

Good fun, simple to install and the biggest expense is batteries.

The purpose of this bike was using it on the redways in Milton Keynes so there was a big benefit over a moped or something on the road.

The hub motor never got hot with a 1kw controller so running a 2kw controller was fine. It got slightly warm. I could sit at 30mph with a combined bike and rider weight of 150kg although I did bend/stretch/damage spokes quite regularly.

I also rigged up loads of LED strips as I had so much power available and it lit up like the 4th of Jew-lie.

I even had the batteries pressed into aluminium box section to keep them safe.

I should also add, this bike did almost burn my shed down when I got home from a 10 mile journey in the rain and then water got into the balance leads and fried my batteries.

[Bhud]

[stinkwheel]

Well, said refugee has moved out in a huff anyway so the thread is now moot.

However on the subject of electric mot5orcycles, I was planning to make one when I realised what I actually want is a moped/autocycle which will do 250+mpg, 25-30mph reliably and hopefully be old enough to be tax and MOT exempt. Also cheaper to buy.

Got me wondering how the carbon footprint of me continuing to use a mid 70's pedal and pop with mind-blowingly good fuel consumption compares to buying and using a new E-bike.

Keeping my eye on ebay and such because I'd love an oddball French autocycle (even a solex) but failing that, there are a few late 70's pedal and pop hondas still doing the rounds. Then I can go to work in a haze of strawberry putoline.
____________________
“Rule one: Always stick around for one more drink. That's when things happen. That's when you find out everything you want to know.”
I did the 2010 Round Britain Rally on my 350 Bullet. 89 landmarks, 3 months, 9,500 miles.

[A100man]

[Easy-X]

IIRC (for cars at least) 10 years of running an ICE is equivalent to the building of the thing in terms of carbon footprint. For a moped I'd guess the environmental damage rhymes with "jackal"
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Husqvarna Vitpilen 401, Yamaha XSR700, Honda Rebel, Yamaha DT175, Suzuki SV650 (loan) Fazer 600, Keeway Superlight 125, 50cc turd scooter

[The Artist]

[stinkwheel]

[The Shaggy D.A.]

[stinkwheel]

[A100man]

[Bhud]