Mechanical failure
“An impact on a pothole might be annoying at the top assisted speed, but could be catastrophic at higher speeds the bike itself isn’t built to handle”
So strong is the bike industry’s feeling on the dangers posed by tuning kits to both riders and those in the community that there now exists an Eu-wide call for a ban on their sale.
What’s the harm in a little extra speed when cars can go much faster and cause more damage, you may fairly ask?
“Most electric bikes are equipped with tyres, rims, brakes and even frames that may not stand up to higher- speed, higherstress use. An impact on a pothole, for example, might be annoying at the top assisted speed, but in reality could be catastrophic at higher speeds that the bike itself is not built to handle,” explains Ed Benjamin, a consultant to the electric bike industry with ecycleelectric.
A generally higher speed and weight versus pedal- powered cycles will see brake pads wear at an entirely different rate. There’s likewise a consideration of the additional torque you may be placing on chains, cranks and sprockets that haven’t been designed for such stresses.
These things are very often overlooked, even when equipping a bicycle with legal retrofit kits, though these will at least come with some warning of other upgrades that could be required. It should be stressed that all conversion kits are not equal; some very good (and legal) e- bike conversion kits exist from the likes of Swytch, Pendix and Copenhagen Wheel, to name just a few. These are not the focus of this article as they adhere perfectly to the regulations.
Your electric bicycle will have been tested rigorously to the existing safety frameworks and perhaps a little beyond, yet as you might expect with a ‘souped up’ car, once a modification is made any warranty that did exist on the vehicle that left the retailer is now invalid.
“Another danger is posed by the fact that ‘ tuning’ kits and other types of manipulation can damage the drive system and the bike itself,” adds AnnaLena Scherer, the public affairs manager with EU umbrella organisation CONEBI.
Should you boost your bike beyond the current legal framework, there’s a very distinct chance your local bike shop will thereafter refuse to work with your cycle, whatever the work required. If the transition has essentially created a light electric moped, bike shops will not wish to take on the liability of working with such a DIY vehicle.
On this, Scherer adds there is a very real risk asking your bike shop to work on a tampered bike could see them lose their business liability insurance as they take on the responsibility of personal and material damage, not to mention aiding and abetting an offence.