
Simon Cowell reportedly broke his back in August 2020 after falling from an electric motorbike at his Malibu home. Cowell was riding a Swind EB-01, which has a top speed of 60mph and a 15 kW motor. The Swind EB-01 is classed as an electric motorbike in the EU, requiring full type approval, registration, tax, licence, insurance and a motorbike helmet to be worn. However, many media outlets incorrectly described the vehicle as an electric bicycle.
Characteristics | Values |
---|---|
Name | Swind EB-01 |
Top speed | 60 mph |
Motor power | 15 kW (20 hp) |
Retail price | £16,000+ |
What You'll Learn
Simon Cowell's electric motorbike was a Swind EB-01
The Swind EB-01 is described by Swindon Powertrain as "brutally fast". It is an extreme off-road electric motorbike meant to climb big dirt jumps and survive massive drops. It is not street legal. Cowell was riding the Swind EB-01 in his driveway when he lost control and crashed, breaking his back.
Cowell had the bike far out of its element and lacked the experience needed to operate it safely. He reportedly saw the pedals and thought it was an electric bicycle, which he has experience riding. However, the Swind EB-01 is much more of an electric motorcycle that happens to have pedals attached to it instead of foot pegs.
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The Swind EB-01 has a top speed of 60 mph
Simon Cowell was riding a Swind EB-01 electric motorbike when he broke his back in an accident at his Malibu home. The Swind EB-01 has a top speed of 60 mph (97 km/h) and a motor power of 15 kW (20 hp). This is significantly faster than most e-bikes in the US, which are pedal-assisted and limited to providing power up to 20 mph. In the EU, the top speed assistance allowed for most e-bikes is 15.5 mph.
The Swind EB-01 is classed as an electric motorbike in the EU, requiring full type approval, registration, tax, licence, insurance and a motorbike helmet to be worn. It is described by its manufacturer, Swindon Powertrain, as "brutally fast". The bike retails for £16,000 and is capable of going from 0 to 50 mph in less than five seconds.
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Cowell was riding the bike in his driveway
Cowell was reportedly riding the bike in his driveway, which is presumably close to a public road. This is not a street-legal motorbike. Cowell had the bike far out of its element and lacked the experience needed to operate it safely. He saw the pedals and thought it was an electric bicycle, which he has experience riding.
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The bike is classed as an electric motorbike in the EU
The Swind EB-01 electric motorbike that Simon Cowell was riding when he broke his back is classed as an electric motorbike in the EU. This means that it requires full type approval, registration, tax, licence, insurance and a motorbike helmet to be worn.
The Swind EB-01 has a top speed of 60 mph and a motor power of 15 kW (20 hp). This is much faster than most e-bikes in the US, which are pedal-assisted and limited to providing power up to 20 mph. In the EU, the top speed assistance allowed for most e-bikes is 15.5 mph.
The Swind EB-01 is described by its manufacturer, Swindon Powertrain, as "brutally fast". It is an extreme off-road electric motorbike meant to climb big dirt jumps and survive massive drops. Cowell was riding the bike in his driveway, which is presumably close to a public road, and this is not a street-legal motorbike.
Cowell has experience on several electric bicycles and may have assumed that the Swind EB-01 was an electric bicycle because it has pedals. However, the bike's performance puts it into a very different category.
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Cowell has experience on several electric bicycles
Cowell was reportedly riding the Swind EB-01 in his driveway, which is presumably close to a public road. This is not a street-legal motorbike. Cowell had the bike far out of its element and lacked the experience needed to operate it safely. It seems that Cowell made a simple mistake: he saw pedals and thought the Swind EB-01 was an electric bicycle.
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Frequently asked questions
Simon Cowell has several fleets of electric bikes, with machines in his homes in the U.S. and the U.K.
Simon Cowell broke his back on a Swind EB-01 electric motorbike.
The Swind EB-01 has a top speed of 60 mph.
The Swind EB-01 retails for £16,000+.