Electric Bikes

[Hardy]

Was cruising to work the other day when I was passed by an electric bike:
http://youtu.be/1JP0DaqmFcA

(My speed at the end of clip is a GPS error caused by going under the bridges).

[busdriver]

Was cruising to work the other day when I was passed by an electric bike:
http://youtu.be/1JP0DaqmFcA

(My speed at the end of clip is a GPS error caused by going under the bridges).

I reckon that bike was doing at least 50km/h which I reckon is bit quick for bikeway.

BTW what sort of camera were you using?

[allde]

Whats the Kilowatt power threshold before Registration is Compulsory?

[Snow Leopard]

Whats the Kilowatt power threshold before Registration is Compulsory?

The motor needs to be rated at 200w or comply with the European pedelec laws, which is 250w nominal and the motor can only be active while pedaling (keep in mind that well known examples of those bikes can output 500-750w for short bursts while hill climbing).

The bike in the above video looks like a Stealth Electric bike, which incidentally are made in Melbourne. http://www.stealthelectricbikes.com.au/

These bikes operate in a legal grey area as no legal precedent has yet been set in court. The difficulty arises basically due to the law being drafted in a non-technical way. I could have a motor that can handle 2000w, but if it is rated at 200w, then it is technically legal.

I know of multiple incidents where riders of Stealth Electric bikes have been involved in collisions on the road. In all cases these riders reported to the police that they were cruising at around 40 kph before the incident. In most cases, the bikes were repaired under the insurance policies of the motorist as the motorist was deemed at-fault (for the record, a study in Adelaide found that motorists are at fault in around 80% of collisions with bicycles).