Underage kids and ebikes....

[emaayan]

hi..

for a while now i've been wondering what it's like Europe and israel in regards to legality of ebikes and how much they are being enforced.

here in israel, they just passed the European standard of 250w pedal assist up to 25 kph complete bikes. no kits (or mid-drives or others) are allowed even if they do conform to the standard.
ebikes are allowed for kids over 14 and above , and only 16 and above are allowed to ride on road. riding on sidewalks (without bike paths) is forbidden.

in reality, most of the e-bikes are i see are folded chinease with full throttle, (not legal) ridden by kids probably younger then 14. i've seen cases, where hot rodded bikes are ridden by kids in the center of the road against traffic laughing at drivers.

there's has been a great uprising so much so, that it has been declared that there would be a 250$ fine for anyone being caught talking on a cell phone without speakers or crossing a red light, 120$ fine for riding on a sidewalk without bikepaths, and 60$ fine for riding without a helmet (no such fines for regular bikes) , additionally i recently heard about incidents of cops setting ambushes on sidewalks with dmv officials, stopping riders and confiscating their rigs if they are found not legal.

however to my understand only adults can be harmed by this proceedings (even though it's kids that do the most damage) as a cop cannot interfact (i.e give a fine, take bike) without the presence of an adult.

this an article with a video following an electric scooter on a sidewalk http://news.walla.co.il/item/2839277

so i'm just wondering what's it like on the other side of the pool?

 

[Eskimo]

Here e-bikes are still so rare that there"s no problems whatsoever. Never seen a kid on e-bike. Kids here are into tuned gas mopeds, not interested about bicycles much or e-bikes.
This might be the first year that i see more than five e-bikes. Maybe ten, if i"m lucky. Gas moped has been the main transport here for the young and poor and old for around hundred years.
That kind of law which bans kitted bikes would kill e-bikes completely here, because gas moped would be so much cheaper and faster after that. You can buy a good used gas moped with 500 euros, and it goes like 60 km/h, uses next to nothing of gas. Manufactured e-bikes start from around 2000 euros to 4000 euros, if you do not count those cheapest "wallmart" junk things.
Pay 3000 euros to go 25 km/h? When you get a 500 euro gas moped and fly 60 km/h without pedaling. Makes absolutely no sense.

 

[emaayan]

Here e-bikes are still so rare that there"s no problems whatsoever. Never seen a kid on e-bike. Kids here are into tuned gas mopeds, not interested about bicycles much or e-bikes.
This might be the first year that i see more than five e-bikes. Maybe ten, if i"m lucky. Gas moped has been the main transport here for the young and poor and old for around hundred years.
That kind of law which bans kitted bikes would kill e-bikes completely here, because gas moped would be so much cheaper and faster after that. You can buy a good used gas moped with 500 euros, and it goes like 60 km/h, uses next to nothing of gas. Manufactured e-bikes start from around 2000 euros to 4000 euros, if you do not count those cheapest "wallmart" junk things.
Pay 3000 euros to go 25 km/h? When you get a 500 euro gas moped and fly 60 km/h without pedaling. Makes absolutely no sense.

there are NO e-bikes here that sell for 2000-3000 euros. you must be talking about the wallmarts, (although we don't have wallmarts, but rather dedicated ebikes shops) they sell for around 700euros http://www.zap.co.il/models.aspx?sog=s-bycicle&db125911=2020388

i've only seen around 1-2 gas mopeds here.

 

[Eskimo]

You were asking how things are here.

http://shop.larunpyora.com/tuote-osasto/e-bike-sahkopyorat/

Cheapest e-bikes start from around 1500 euros on bicycle shops. Better ones are 3000-5000 euros.

 

[emaayan]

cheapest being the wallmarts ones?