What is an E-bike?
An electric bike is a bicycle equipped with a battery, a motor, a controller, a sensor, and a display. (Find all our explanations about how electric bikes work here.)
The NF EN 15194 standard governs the design of electric bikes and the application of safety controls on them. It also defines the main criteria that clearly distinguish an electric pedal-assist bike from a moped.
There are 3 essential criteria to identify an electric pedal-assist bike (E-bike):
- the electric assistance activates when pedaling;
- the electric assistance cuts off as soon as the bike exceeds the speed limit of 25 km/h;
- the motor power must not exceed 250 watts.
Mopeds (such as speed bikes, 50cc scooters, Solex, and other mopeds) are vehicles capable of reaching speeds up to 45 km/h and are subject to traffic laws.
A speed bike is an electric bike with a maximum speed of 45 km/h. In France, this type of electric bike is classified as a moped and its use is subject to certain conditions.
Unlike an E-bike, a speed bike requires:
- a driving license A, B, or AM (formerly BSR),
- a license plate,
- insurance,
- moped equipment (approved helmet, gloves, yellow vest outside urban areas).
It is forbidden on bike paths.
How is an electric bike unbridled?
Unbridling an E-bike means removing the speed limiter on pedal assistance set at 25 km/h, thus gaining more power and speed.
This can be done manually, with an illegal unbridling kit that disables the 25 km/h speed limiter system, or via a suitable controller.
Is it legal to unbridle an E-bike?
We are often asked about unbridling electric bikes, but is it legal and risk-free to unbridle an electric pedal-assist bike?
The answer is no.
Unbridling an E-bike turns it into a non-approved moped or speed bike, which has legal consequences.
Besides the fact that the usage conditions for a moped differ and it must be registered and have specific insurance, the law strictly regulates the penalties involved.
Article L317-1 of the traffic code sets out the sanctions for the rider of an unbridled bike:
Fine and imprisonment
Modifying the speed limiting device to allow the electric bike to exceed its authorized maximum speed is punishable by one year of imprisonment and a fine of 30,000 euros.
License suspension
Anyone guilty of this offense also faces an additional penalty of license suspension for up to three years, which may be limited to non-professional driving.
Vehicle confiscation
The vehicle, device, or cycle on which the offense was committed is immobilized and removed from circulation until it has been brought into compliance or repaired. A decree from the Council of State sets the conditions for applying this paragraph.
Safety
E-bikes (electric pedal-assist bikes) are designed to be safe at limited power and speed. Increasing the speed proportionally increases the risk of accidents for yourself and others.
Unbridling can also cause wear on certain components like the motor or lead to reduced battery life. An overworked battery may struggle to produce enough energy, which is risky.
Warranty
In case of an accident caused by an unbridled electric bike, the rider, even if injured, is no longer considered a simple cyclist by insurers. The liability insurance usually included with home insurance is no longer sufficient to cover damages. Reclassified as a moped, specific insurance must have been taken out. The rider will therefore receive no compensation.
If the rider of the unbridled vehicle is not responsible for the accident, unbridling can still affect compensation. The at-fault party’s insurer might argue that the speed was too high or that the bike was unbridled, aiming to refuse or reduce compensation.
More broadly, if the rider of the unbridled bike is responsible for injuries, they face criminal charges with aggravating circumstances related to speed and unbridling. They will have to personally compensate the victim(s) without relying on insurance.
Withdrawal of approval
Like the warranty, an unbridled bike loses its approval.
What does this mean?
An unapproved bike becomes illegal and is no longer allowed on public roads. Unbridled bikes can only be used on private paths.
A major difficulty when reselling
An unbridled bike often faces problems when reselling. If you want to resell your unbridled bike to a specialized shop, for example, it is certain they will not accept it.
They only need to check the motherboard to see all modifications made to the bike. Practices like unbridling will be detected, and the shop will be forced to refuse the bike.
The bike owner will therefore have difficulty reselling their bike because no website or store tolerates buying back an illegal bike.
To summarize: unbridling an electric bike may seem tempting, but the law is very clear and strict on the subject. Unbridling an electric bike is illegal and can lead to severe penalties.
To go further, if in practice you still choose to unbridle your bike and decide to insure it, equip it with a license plate (and registration certificate), specific lights, and a horn, and if you yourself wear an approved helmet, you may use it on public roads. The unbridled bike is then considered a motorized two-wheeler and you must comply with the current traffic laws.
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