Legal or not

[Jimmyjimjam]

Is it legal to have one of these strimmer engines that attach a rubber wheel to your tyre with out a chain legal

 

[FurryOnTheInside]

You forgot to say where. I know it's UK we're talking about but others may have missed your other threads.

I believe that it is legal as long as you don't actually have the engine's roller in the engaged position while cycling on the public roads.
You would need to dismount and _physically modify the bicycle_ to make the engine able to drive the vehicle (or even to be able to start it), so while in its bicycle form it can't be argued that it is a motor vehicle as it could if you just have clutch pulled on a standard chain drive bike.

Whether friction drive is a good idea for a country where it rains 300 days of the year, I'm not so sure!

 

[Jimmyjimjam]

Lol yeah I'm hearing you and the rain didnt let us down today either

 

[Jimmyjimjam]

Lol yeah I'm hearing you and the rain didnt let us down today either

Would I loose all friction and would it be legal

 

[FurryOnTheInside]

Would I loose all friction and would it be legal

Maybe, I think it depends on your weight, gradient of hills, pressure applied by the roller, whether your tyre wears out or delaminates first, obviously I haven't tried it out but from what I've read on here I think it's not for the typical UK conditions.

No it is definitely not legal to engage the roller to the tyre on public roads, unless you have registration, MOT, road tax, insurance, licence...

but I'm not sure it's even possible to get that MOT because of the legal tyres being thick, and thick tyres (as anyone who uses a turbo trainer will tell you) will delaminate when pressed against a roller for miles and miles.

No system is legal if you have the engine mechanically engaged to the drive wheel. Declutching doesn't count as disengaging.

The quickest system to legalise and re-ill-eagle-eyes is the shift kit with spring tensioned right hand jackshaft chain, like in the photo in my post you "liked" this morning. It means you have a pedal bicycle on the public roads and a motored bike on private land or wherever you decide it's safe.

 

[Jimmyjimjam]

Maybe, I think it depends on your weight, gradient of hills, pressure applied by the roller, whether your tyre wears out or delaminates first, obviously I haven't tried it out but from what I've read on here I think it's not for the typical UK conditions.

No it is definitely not legal to engage the roller to the tyre on public roads, unless you have registration, MOT, road tax, insurance, licence...

but I'm not sure it's even possible to get that MOT because of the legal tyres being thick, and thick tyres (as anyone who uses a turbo trainer will tell you) will delaminate when pressed against a roller for miles and miles.

No system is legal if you have the engine mechanically engaged to the drive wheel. Declutching doesn't count as disengaging.

The quickest system to legalise and re-ill-eagle-eyes is the shift kit with spring tensioned right hand jackshaft chain, like in the photo in my post you "liked" this morning. It means you have a pedal bicycle on the public roads and a motored bike on private land or wherever you decide it's safe.

The whole legal side of it just kills all the fun out o it

 

[FurryOnTheInside]

It's just like a dirt bike, track bike.. idk. If you have somewhere to ride safely it's okay, otherwise yeah it sucks to feel like a prey animal for the cops.
Electric bikes look like fun, though.. they're just a bit expensive.

 

[Jimmyjimjam]

It's just like a dirt bike, track bike.. idk. If you have somewhere to ride safely it's okay, otherwise yeah it sucks to feel like a prey animal for the cops.
Electric bikes look like fun, though.. they're just a bit expensive.

You know I thought hmm a little engine on a push bike.....cheap as chips ....then all this law stuff.... life is just not fun any more but I did love putting it together lol

 

[Randall]

Would I loose all friction and would it be legal

If you are in the UK, you are in Common Law jurisdiction: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Common_law

http://marcstevens.net/successes

All I am going to say.

 

[Jimmyjimjam]

Opted for a pougeot xr6
But cheers