this post was submitted on 14 Jul 2025
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I am aware and years ago I thought it was ok. After watching YouTube videos of yahoos, I think we need to get rid of 2 and 3. Throttle puts you into a different mentality, which I don't think works well with mingling with pedestrians.
This has to be easy to differentiate and enforce without pulling up product sheets and testing it (because who knows what's coming from China anyway): Throttle? Banned*. 20 mph. Anything above that should be a clear ~~moped~~ scooter.
You know that thing a rule is only as good as it's enforced? This needs to be dead easy for everyone, police and users.
Throttle puts me in a mentality where I don't care about losing gained speed, because gaining it again is so easy. On a regular bike, I try to speed through dangers because "this speed was made with my sweat and I'm not giving it up".
You'd think that would be the common case but seems to be the opposite. And all these diy and random imports, people are not limiting throttle control to 20. Purely for enforcement reasons, both users and police, I say get rid of throttle*.
In Germany, getting caught with a modified scooter or e-bike is definitely not fun and is considered as a criminal offence (driving without insurance).