Hacking ! Why ?

Doomanic

🛠️Wrecker🛠️
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Spesh have an improper use clause in their warranty. I expect they would consider hacking/derestricting to be improper use.
 

Tetsugaku

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Mar 4, 2018
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And anyway - I did get mine replaced. For free. After the motor said it has done 3.5 million kilometres :)

In the frame

Relates to bikes and them failing - as long as you're not doing anything weird, like commercial use, you're all good.
 
Last edited:

mark.ai

E*POWAH Master
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Jul 10, 2018
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Derestricting isn’t illegal. Riding a assisted bike that can go faster than 25kph on the road is - not the same thing. I’d like to see Specialized prove that I rode a bike on the road rather than a mountain.

True, you could derestrict and purely ride on private land and it would not be illegal :)

But then I also think people should take responsibility for their actions - if someone knowingly modifies the firmware or hardware of the motor in a way that the manufacturer says you are not supposed to do then they should take responsibility and accept the consequences.
 

Tetsugaku

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And I think the reason we let governments set trading standards not manufacturers is so we don’t have to listen to them :)
 

Tetsugaku

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No b
If I put twin turbos in my BMW M4 and fry the piston rings, does BMW have to replace the engine?
No. Because that’s not the same. if you use the engine in a way it’s designed for - and it is as it’s higher in other countries - you’re ok
 

Al Boneta

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No b

No. Because that’s not the same. if you use the engine in a way it’s designed for - and it is as it’s higher in other countries - you’re ok
I guess I don’t see the difference between adding mods that void the warranty on a bike and adding mods that void the warranty on a car.
I will have to politely agree to disagree.
 

Tetsugaku

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There’s a factual difference. Ebike motors in the EU are artificially limited to do less than they were designed to do. The motor is identical in other countries were the limit is higher.

Fitting a super charger to your Ford Focus is making it do something it’s not designed to do.
 

Muzzabike

Member
Aug 19, 2018
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18
New Zealand
My understanding of the "rules" here in New Zealand is that there is no speed limit but a motor power limit of under 300W. The Shimano 800 equipped bike by default had a 25km/h speed limit set. I used the bike with this limit for a few of weeks before the Shimano rep was available to change the speed limit to 32km/h. At 25km/h I felt that the limit would kick in way too soon on flatter or slight downhill sections of flowing single track. (I was not going any faster than I would be on my non-assist bike at these times). With the limit now at 32km/h this happens less and I personally enjoy riding these section a lot more (Sorry those in EU). The funny thing is there is still the occasional time when I wonder if 40km/h would be the perfect limit allowing me to pedal out in the top gear. Alas I suspect this is part of the human condition of always wanting just a bit more.
 

Gofurtherfaster

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Oct 10, 2018
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The woods
The only real case I see for derestricting an ebike is for getting to trails. Offroad the 15mph limit hasn't been an issue, but on tarmac it would be nice to have the assist not cut out.
This is the only time I use it, too and from the trails, and even then only when im on the road sections. I know 18-20 is only a little faster, but it just feels a lot safer and I can actually put a bit of a push with my legs and get a reward and not have it feel like im against a headwind, or either freewheeling at 15.5mph.
 

Gofurtherfaster

New Member
Oct 10, 2018
197
121
The woods
I guess I don’t see the difference between adding mods that void the warranty on a bike and adding mods that void the warranty on a car.
I will have to politely agree to disagree.
Yeah, end result is the same, so the differences that do exist, simply dont matter.

It did reassure me though before I unregulated/derestricted mine that it was capable of the higher speed by default and software had slowed it, if i thought it was running it out of factory range, i would have not gone that route
 

Nautonier

Member
Nov 22, 2018
51
20
Melbourne
I used the bike with this limit for a few of weeks before the Shimano rep was available to change the speed limit to 32km/h

I'm a NZ citizen living in Australia, can I get a Shimano rep to do the same for me?

Interesting discussion, aside from the pros and cons of derestricting it's somewhat infuriating to have such inconsistency between neighbouring countries. Even though I use mine mainly for eshuttling where I'm only ever doing steepish climbs at slow speeds and descents with the motor turned off completely, it would be nice to know that 32km/h was an option when approaching some of the more pedally run-ins to gaps I'm working up to. The ebike (Merida e160) jumps really well, but is definitely a bit slower to accelerate when pedalling over 25km/h.
 

Slowroller

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Jan 15, 2018
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why does USA get 20 mph and Uk suffer the 15.6?

The US also gets 750w instead of 250w too. The federal laws were written like 15 years ago before ebikes were really around, so someone picked one horsepower as the limit, probably because it sounded nice.
 

Dax

E*POWAH Elite World Champion
May 25, 2018
1,453
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FoD
The US also gets 750w instead of 250w too. The federal laws were written like 15 years ago before ebikes were really around, so someone picked one horsepower as the limit, probably because it sounded nice.

Seems reasonable, one horsepower is what people can ride on horse trails.
 

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