Specialized Levo road legal?

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Mister Paul
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Specialized Levo road legal?

Post by Mister Paul » 4 years ago

The man says that he imported a Specialized Levo "before the regs came in" and that it's capable of 38mph and type approved for use on roads across Europe (not being classed as a motorcycle).

Is he correct?
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Re: Specialized Levo road legal?

Post by Regulator » 4 years ago

No. Prior to the 2015 regulations, the U.K. law actually had lower limits (e.g. maximum speed was 15mph).

The 2015 Regulations came into force in April 2015 (albeit that there were grandfathering provisions) - the Specialised Levo wasn't introduced until July 2015.

It simply would not have been given type approval for use on the roads in the EU at that time.
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Re: Specialized Levo road legal?

Post by Mister Paul » 4 years ago

Regulator wrote:
4 years ago
No. Prior to the 2015 regulations, the U.K. law actually had lower limits (e.g. maximum speed was 15mph).

The 2015 Regulations came into force in April 2015 (albeit that there were grandfathering provisions) - the Specialised Levo wasn't introduced until July 2015.

It simply would not have been given type approval for use on the roads in the EU at that time.
Thanks. He's convinced though. He says it's a pedelec and he bought it before the regs.
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Joan
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Re: Specialized Levo road legal?

Post by Joan » 4 years ago

If a motorised bicycle capable of travelling at 38mph came in before the pedelec regs, wouldn't it just be classified as a motorcycle, and thus completely illegal?

(yeah, I know we have an authoritative answer already)
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Re: Specialized Levo road legal?

Post by Mister Paul » 4 years ago

That's what I thought. He said (when I suggested the bike was illegal on the road);


"No it isn’t, I bought it as an S-Pedelec in mainland Europe (EU Regulations still apply to the UK) to make sure it doesn’t need to comply with the daft 15.5mph UK (only) restriction. Using it on the UK public highway breaks no law whatsoever, unless I speed in the wrong place or break some other kind of law with it of course, but it is fully compliant with all current construction and use regulations. Ebikes are not restricted to 15mph by Law, Parliament has passed no such law, there is, however, a (mere) regulation (certainly not a Law) that states (current, not previous) importers and manufacturers are to supply ebikes that are artificially restricted to 15.5mph specifically for the UK market - Europe S-pedelecs are still allowed up to 45kmh. Typical arrogant cyclist asserting that speed limits don’t apply to bicycles, of course they do, speed limits apply to all road users (except authorised public-servants), same as drink driving laws do."

Then he said-

"only after the regulation was implemented, if Imported before the implementation date then its fine. It is fully type approved for use in all EU jurisdictions and even has a pan-European two-year Specialized warranty; I have absolutely no obligation whatsoever to inform the DVLA. See you on the road."
Last edited by Mister Paul on Tue Sep 10, 2019 1:45 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Specialized Levo road legal?

Post by Regulator » 4 years ago

Mister Paul wrote:
4 years ago
That's what I thought. He said (when I suggested the bike was illegal on the road);


"No it isn’t, I bought it as an S-Pedelec in mainland Europe (EU Regulations still apply to the UK) to make sure it doesn’t need to comply with the daft 15.5mph UK (only) restriction. Using it on the UK public highway breaks no law whatsoever, unless I speed in the wrong place or break some other kind of law with it of course, but it is fully compliant with all current construction and use regulations. Ebikes are not restricted to 15mph by Law, Parliament has passed no such law, there is, however, a (mere) regulation (certainly not a Law) that states (current, not previous) importers and manufacturers are to supply ebikes that are artificially restricted to 15.5mph specifically for the UK market - Europe S-pedelecs are still allowed up to 45kmh. Typical arrogant cyclist asserting that speed limits don’t apply to bicycles, of course they do, speed limits apply to all road users (except authorised public-servants), same as drink driving laws do."

Then he said-

"Mr Sex God only after the regulation was implemented, if Imported before the implementation date then its fine. It is fully type approved for use in all EU jurisdictions and even has a pan-European two-year Specialized warranty; I have absolutely no obligation whatsoever to inform the DVLA. See you on the road."

He is talking complete and unmitigated bollocks. Under EU regulations, anything faster or more powerful than prescribed in EN15194 regulations needs to be type approved as a motor vehicle.

There is no overarching EU legislation that permits the use of S-pedelecs across Europe - it is done on a member state by member state basis, and different rules apply in different member states.

In the UK there’s no S-pedelec legislation. So if you’re riding one, you’re legally riding a moped - so you have to have a driving licence, the vehicle needs to registered, taxed and insured, and you need to wear a motorbike helmet.

Is it a certain someone from another place by any chance? The one that likes to pretend he's Clint Eastwood...
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Re: Specialized Levo road legal?

Post by Sonic Budgie » 4 years ago

Mister Paul wrote:
4 years ago
I have absolutely no obligation whatsoever to inform the DVLA. See you on the road."
Maybe you could inform the relevant people on his behalf?
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Re: Specialized Levo road legal?

Post by Regulator » 4 years ago

In case anyone is wondering, a few years ago I worked with a group representing pedicab operators in London around a registration and licensing scheme. One of the things that came up was electric assist pedicabs, and the type approval that might be required (this was at a time when the new EU regulations were in draft and yet to be implemented in the UK).
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Re: Specialized Levo road legal?

Post by Mister Paul » 4 years ago

Regulator wrote:
4 years ago
He is talking complete and unmitigated bollocks. Under EU regulations, anything faster or more powerful than prescribed in EN15194 regulations needs to be type approved as a motor vehicle.

There is no overarching EU legislation that permits the use of S-pedelecs across Europe - it is done on a member state by member state basis, and different rules apply in different member states.

In the UK there’s no S-pedelec legislation. So if you’re riding one, you’re legally riding a moped - so you have to have a driving licence, the vehicle needs to registered, taxed and insured, and you need to wear a motorbike helmet.

Is it a certain someone from another place by any chance? The one that likes to pretend he's Clint Eastwood...
No, it's a local FBer.

He's hanging on the grandfather rights bit. Where does he stand with that? Thanks for the info so far BTW.
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Re: Specialized Levo road legal?

Post by Regulator » 4 years ago

Mister Paul wrote:
4 years ago
No, it's a local FBer.

He's hanging on the grandfather rights bit. Where does he stand with that? Thanks for the info so far BTW.
The grandfather rights won't apply in his circumstances. They applied only to vehicles covered by the 2015 Regulations, and related primarily to the systems used to control the pedal assist (e.g. a throttle) and to any vehicle within scope that had been purchased prior to the implementation of the 2015 Regulations.

However, the grandfather rights do not apply to S-pedelecs, which under EU law are classed as mopeds (regulatory class L1e-B). The UK has not enacted S-pedelec specific enabling/differentiating legislation (and it has to be done member state by member state) so they are by default classed as 'mopeds' in UK law and subject to the full requirements thereof (see earlier email).

Potentially, if he's caught using it in a public area (it doesn't even have to be on a road) he could face prosecution and penalty points being applied to his driving license (if he has one) - or even get a driving ban.

Cycling UK provides a clear explanation of the law as it currently stands. The Association of Cycle Traders also provides useful S-pedelec specific information.
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