Off road Motorbikes
30th of June, 2024
Chorley Police have advised that they have taken action against numerous off road motorcycle riders, running plain clothes operations to catch these illegal riders. They have seized over 15 motorbikes as a result. Continue reading to see the full email from Geeta Singh, Police Sergeant, Chorley.
We have had numerous complaints of off road motorbike in the Chorley area in the past few months.
This email is to make you aware of the law around these bikes and what action we have taken.
We want to make you aware privately owned e-scooters remain illegal in the UK. The only e-scooters permitted are the rented versions seen in city centres. E-scooters should not be ridden on the roads or pavements. They are classed as a mechanically propelled vehicle. When used on a road the use then changes the status to motor vehicle, and as such there is then a requirement for licence and insurance. E-scooters can be seized under Section 165A Road Traffic Act 1988. They are difficult to retrieve from a recovery agent once seized as they cannot be insured.
E-bikes are legal as long as they do not have a motor exceeding 250W and have not been adapted in any way. To remain legal an e-bike offers pedal assistance to 15.5mph, after this the electric motor stops providing the assistance. E-bikes become illegal if the motor is more powerful than 250W, or the bike can move with pedalling - for example a twist and go throttle, or the motor provides assistance beyond 15.5mph. This then put the bike into the mechanically propelled vehicle bracket, and again if used on a road it is then classed as a motor vehicle.
The other type of electric bike we see is the Suron type off-road bike. These are essentially an electric off-road bike and are not permitted on UK roads - unless registered and insured, and the rider has a licence to ride that category of machine. The Suron bikes are particularly dangerous due to the speed they can achieve and are often ridden by inexperienced riders with no helmet or protective clothing. We are seeing more and more collisions involving Suron bikes on our roads. If a Suron bike is used on the roads it can be seized under Sec 165A RTA and are difficult to retrieve from recovery agents due to inability to insure them.
We have also placed a number of s.59 Police Reform Act signs around the area which means any vehicle being driven in an anti-social manner can be seized without any warning as these signs act as the first warning.
We have taken action against numerous drivers as we are running plain clothes operations to catch these illegal riders. We have seized over 15 motorbike as a result.
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