Bicycle Thieves appeal after bike stolen

What "tougher regulation"? The clue is in the name: these things are illegal (and, I agree, an absolute menace).

Thanks for the excellent review - I know it's just one Google search away, but I think any bike review in this day and age should include max tyre clearance.

"I know in NL they have trialled semi-portable “test stations” to check max motor speeds." Worth noting, the dutch police have long had dynos to test mopeds for power/speed limits. Maybe generally kept at the station usually. But the newer portable ones do not look very different from the one my own moped got tested on at a station in the 90s.

@mctrials23 I agree, these illegal electric motorcycles have considerable advantages for the ne'er-do-well over there more traditional weapon of two-stroke dirt bikes, as you say, easier to store, you could get one up to a flat in a high-rise building easily which you couldn't do with a petrol-powered motorcycle, easy and much cheaper to fuel from any home power socket, no going down the petrol station and risking being caught, way less maintenance, if you can look after a pushbike you can look after one of these, and they are even silent so you can smash them around the woods and recreation grounds without people calling the police having heard the noise. Personally I would say a ban on sales of full-on electric motorcycles like Surrons to anyone who can't provide justification for use, e.g. farmers and other people who demonstrably have enough private land to use them, would be perfectly appropriate.

Adding regulations on the sale of e-bikes simply adds to the enforcement requirement. Meanwhile, increasing (or starting) traffic policing also works to catch a lot of criminal/distracted drivers as well as finding cloned plates etc. If police catch and confiscate a lot of illegal e-motorbikes, then people are going to be less confident of riding them on the roads - it's the current situation of next to no enforcement that creates the environment where people can get away with dangerous riding/driving. To be honest, the bigger problem is still drivers and congestion, so illegal e-motorbikes can be seen as harm reduction, despite the collisions.

Accusing that penny farthing rider of using stilts is a bit of a stretch.

Of course it will help. Theres a reason these are so widespread, they are cheap and east to get hold of. Oiks have always been bashing about on either scooters, dirtbikes etc but these are far more expensive, heavy and unwieldy along with requiring trickier storage than illegal ebikes. There is a reason this has only become more of an issue since cheap, powerful ebikes have become so available.

Regulation isn't required for the illegal e-motorbike issues - they're already illegal to use on the roads/pavements, so it's a question of enforcement. Tougher (or at least some) traffic law enforcement is required, but the police should focus on the biggest problems which to my mind are drivers who are not paying attention or speeding etc.

I think that's a crown farthing, isn't it?

It feels like there’s another answer here. There are lots of car parks at the race course. Originally the car boot was in the one that opens on to Southam Lane. Reverting to that would avoid people attending the car boot crossing the cycle path. Both of these things should be able to exist without conflict. Though Southam Lane is used by cyclists the majority will be using the new Evesham Road cycleway or are on the main routes over Cleeve Hill.