Timothy Klukowski has been handed a 10-month driving ban and fined after a court heard he was riding a modified 1,000-watt e-bike that was not legal for use on the road. The case, heard at Swindon Magistrates Court, turned on a simple but important point: once an e-bike goes beyond the legal limits, it is no longer treated like an ordinary bicycle.
Klukowski, 64, pleaded guilty to driving while disqualified and driving without insurance after a police officer saw him leaving Lidl on the bike at around 11.40am on May 17, 2026. He had already been banned from driving before that incident, with a previous three-year disqualification beginning in April 2023 and a later disqualification imposed in January after he was found driving a van during that earlier ban.
Why the e-bike was not road legal
The court was told that electric bikes can be ridden without a licence or insurance only if they meet specific rules on pedals, wheels, speed and power. In this case, the bike was described as a 1,000-watt machine, far above the 250-watt limit that keeps an e-bike in the legal cycle category.
That meant the bike had to be taxed and insured as either a motorcycle or a moped. In practical terms, it could not be used on the road in the same way as a standard pedal-assisted bike.
Keith Ballinger said the machine “is not something that should be on the road”. Moses Taiwo added that Klukowski “has a catalogue of physical and mental illnesses and is lucky to have close support from his son and daughter.”
The background to the case
Taiwo also told the court that “the daughter purchased this e-bike for use as a mobility scooter.” He said that “unbeknown to them and a lot of people, e-bikes come with classifications,” adding that “anything 250 watts and above is a vehicle and needs a licence and insurance.”
He further explained that Klukowski “did not know the strength of the bike, the Amazon listing does not spell out the bike’s strength.” Even so, the legal position was clear. “Ignorance of the law is not an excuse, so he has pleaded guilty,” Taiwo said.
The sentence included a 10-month ban from driving, along with a £200 fine, an £85 surcharge and £80 in costs. For a case that began with a shopping trip to Lidl, it ended with a reminder that modified e-bikes can quickly move from convenience item to motor-vehicle offence if they break the legal limits.
