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1) Do I need a licence to ride Swish Bikes?
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If you want to use the motorbikes on public roads then you need to have
a full car licence (pre-Feb 2001) or a full or provisional motorbike licence. This
is a high power full-sized motorcycle, not a toy. It is a very safe mode of
transportation at safe speeds. It is classed as a 50cc moped.
Full car licence holders qualifying after 1 February 2001 must
also complete a CBT course before riding a moped on the road.
2)
Do I need motor
insurance?
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To use the motorbike on public roads in the UK, you need to have
3rd-party or comprehensive insurance. We can help find suitable
insurance companies. If you want to get an insurance quote try
contacting MCE Insurance
3) What
is the range of the motorbikes?
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The range greatly depends on a number of factors, the most
important one being how hilly the terrain is but style of riding, riding
speed, temperature, tyre pressure all affect the maximum range. On flat
ground the range can be up to 30 miles, but in hilly areas this can drop
dramatically to 15 miles or less. The more gently one rides the longer
the battery power lasts to give greater range.
4)
Is there a warranty?
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All Swish Bikes products come with a 6 warranty.
5) What
colour can I have?
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We can supply a bike in practically any colour but you may need
to wait to get your specific colour if we do not have it in stock.
Typically the most common colours we have are Silver, Black, Metallic
Blue, Blue, White, Red, Green, and a variety of one colour and 2-colour
- "sporty stripes"- combinations.
6) How
much does it cost to "Fill up"?
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It costs less than 5p to "fill up", i.e. recharge completely
flat batteries. Electricity companies charge electricity in units of kWh
(Kilo-Watt-Hours). Typically the cost for 1 kWh is about 5-8p depending
on your supplier. Your charger uses less than a kWh to charge the
batteries.
7)
Recharging uses electricity from a power station, is that really greener
than normal petrol bikes?
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Firstly, the conversion of fuel into electricity at a power
station is being done in a much more efficient way than a similar
conversion of fuel into motion in a petrol engine. Secondly, many power
stations use alternative fuels to fossil fuels to generate electricity,
and more are continually being added that generate electricity from
renewable resources like, wind, solar and bio fuels. Thirdly, the main
concern at the moment are green house gases and the levels of carbon
dioxide (CO2) in the atmosphere giving rise to global
warming. These are mainly caused from the burning of fossil fuels as
used in petrol engines, whereas even power stations that use fossil
fuels have many sophisticated technologies to try to reduce their output
of CO2 and produce less carbon dioxide proportionately. And
lastly, as more and more of the worlds transport starts being electric
or using other clean technology like being hydrogen powered, even more
electricity will start being generated from clean sources like wind,
solar, hydro, and maybe even one day nuclear fusion (the completely
clean version of nuclear power without any radioactive fuel or
by-products).
8)
How do I recharge?
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The motorbikes come with a small mains charger. Simply plug into
any mains outlet. Some cities are now even installing kerb-side
recharging points.
9) Do
I get a warning that I need to recharge?
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The bikes have a battery gauge as well as the standard
speedometer, mileage counter, indicator warnings, and high beam warning.
The battery gauge will indicate when the battery is getting low.
10)
What servicing does the bike require? Can I get spare parts?
Swish Bikes require very little if any servicing compared to
other powered transport. There are no spark plugs to change, no oil to
top up, no air filter to change, no gearbox to go wrong, no chain to
lubricate. The only dirt formed on the bike will be from the road, as
there is no oil, grease or petrol to spill anywhere. Obviously it should
be inspected by the rider every so often to make sure that the brakes
are working properly and that everything is securely attached and
functioning, maybe a bulb to change but otherwise they are extremely low
maintenance. The batteries do have a specific lifetime and will need to
be changed if the bike gets used a lot but like a car battery this would
only be every 2 or more years. If spare parts are required, many parts
are standard motorbike parts that can be bought from any specialist and
otherwise Swish Bikes keep regular stock and can easily order more.
11) Are these road legal?
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Yes, they are proper motorbikes not toys and get registered
with the DVLA
12) Can I collect or see the
motorbike first?
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Yes, just contact us.
13) I live abroad do you ship to other
countries?
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Yes we do but it can be quite expensive as these motorbikes are
large and heavy. Just let us know where to and if you want air or sea
freight.
14) Are these electric mopeds fully type
approved for using in Europe?
Yes, the different models come either with a Certificate of
Conformity and are type approved or are supplied with a Ministers
Approval Certificate from VOSA to allow DVLA registration.
15) My building has a lift, will it fit?
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The different electric motorcycles models are all about 185cm
long (just over 6 feet). If the lift is wide then you can put the bike
in at a slight diagonal to help take up less length.
16) Can I ride it as soon as I buy it?
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Yes you can but to be road legal you will need to wait for the
DVLA registration to come through which can take a couple of weeks.
17) How far and fast does the 2000W model
go instead of the 1500W?
Contrary to what some people think the larger motor of the
2000W model does not go significantly faster, it just gets to the
maximum speed much faster, i.e. it accelerates better. But in doing so
it generally uses more power and therefore has a lower range. The 2000W
models are also available but we do not keep them currently in stock and
therefore there is a longer delivery time for them.
18) Do the electric lights, indicators
and horn run off 12V like other motorbikes?
Yes, they are standard parts, exactly the same as other
motorcycles so replacements are never an issue.
19)
I want to register the motorbike myself with the DVLA or I do not
need the bike to be registered with the DVLA, will it save me money?
Yes, if you don't need the bike to be registered then just let
us know. It will save you about £60 off the price.
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Got any more
questions? Let us know and we can add them to the list.
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