Originally Posted by
MikeyMK
If you have a legal e-bike and you modify it to illegal specification, and then use it in that specification on the road, then you are breaking the law and that is a matter for law enforcement.
It's been the problem for a very long time with varying subject matter, least not here with 16 year olds taking the restrictor plate out of their 2-strike motorcycle carburettor to make it go faster.
I don't know what part of legal/illegal specifications you're struggling with.
I'm seeing people ride very heavily laden cargo bikes at high speed on a crowded MUP where someone got killed in a collision between 2 non-ebikes a couple weeks ago. I'm talking about lots of paths built to specs that I don't think are appropriate for ebike usage. I'm talking about conditions as I find them in New England, USA based on my experience using those paths and observing traffic flow and near misses.
I'm also not arrogant enough to think I should tell you what to be concerned about when you consider laws governing path use in the UK. The notion that American law enforcement is really going to be able effectively to check in real time whether the motor is operating on the bike path at 250 vs. 750 watts or will stop assisting at 20 mph is quite laughable, and any regulatory regime based upon them doing so is doomed to failure.