Dangers of modifying or unlocking speed limit of an eBike, is it legal?

It's not new, it's just new to e-bikes. Unlocking the limits of a vehicle has been relatively common in cars since it was possible to operate their control unit with a computer. Now, this fact has one more variable: to modify or unlock the limits of the e-bikes. But beware, it has its risks, both legal and mechanical.

Is it legal to unlock the limits or modify an eBike?

We want to clarify this at the very beginning, before we continue discussing something that is obviously completely illegal. That is, as you might suppose, unlock the limits of an eBike is illegal and it is very easy to understand why.

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When agencies and manufacturers agreed to limit an eBike to 25km/hour, they did so assuming that below that speed an electric bike does not need a special helmet, does not need to pass a periodic inspection, does not need to be registered and does not need to be driven on the road. Well, it is clear: if you unlock that limit, it is no longer a bicycle, but a moped, and it entails going through all those restrictions.

When these entities make these agreements, they do so on the basis of an enormous amount of data, studies and information regarding safety, performance or danger. So if you decide, on your own behalf, to modify an ebike, be careful: not only is it very dangerous, but it is an illegal act that carries fines and can lead to criminal offences if it causes an accident, even more so if it is to a third party.

How they modify or unlock limits of the eBikes and why not to do it

It may sound contradictory to talk about doing something that is not legal to do. But this is not the case, we are not going to say anything that encourages these actions, neither will we facilitate the procedure for doing so. We will only give some general information about the procedure, a procedure that is on the net and that we must restrict.

Handling the electric motor and especially the limiter of an ebike means that the power and speed will increase. And this is done in the same way as with other vehicles: by connecting the bike to a software that simultaneously hacks the internal software of the electric bike and changes these parameters. Patches have already been expanded on the Internet to eliminate this type of bumpers or kits that allow an e-bike to be transformed into a moped, we repeat.

YouTube is full of videos, forums are full of comments with tricks, devices are sold and programs are shared that do it in a few steps. And in the face of this situation, the sector, concerned about the bad image it can generate and the risk it entails; and the manufacturers, concerned in their case about the misuse of their electric bicycles with the risks this involves; more. Finally governments and administrations, concerned about the consequences of this type of action have agreed to put a stop to it.

AMBE and CONEBI have already issued a statement informing of the loss of the guarantee (bicycles that cost at least 3000 euros), of the infraction that it involves (even criminal) to do so, or to do so to third parties, and of the immense irresponsibility that it involves. This is particularly true because the promotion of cycling is still on the increase, and this type of individual action is blurring the views of an entire sector, an entire trade and all the fans.

Mechanical doping has always been around. This type of mechanical doping was to be expected and, although it is in the minority, it is in danger of growing. And its presence and increase has a consequence on all male and female cyclists: we will lose rights, we will lose our good image and we will lose cycling spaces. So don't encourage these practices.