Two online product listings for Cyrusher electric bikes have been banned by the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) for irresponsibly promoting the illegal use of its bikes in public places.
Both of the product listings featured on Cyrusher’s website – for the XF900 and the XF650 models – promote electric bikes with 750 Watts of power. The Department for Transport’s Guidance states that electrically assisted pedal cycles (EAPCs) should not exceed 250 Watts of power or 15.5mph of maximum speed. Therefore, the listed bikes were likely to be classed as motor vehicles that were subject to a range of legal requirements, including that they could not be used on public roads unless they were licensed, registered, taxed and insured.
The Cyrusher ads include images and videos of the bikes being used as normal EPACs would be, ridden on both public paths and roads.
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“Because the ads omitted material information regarding conditions of the advertised bikes’ legal use, and gave the impression that they were equivalent to compliant EAPCs, when that was not the case, we concluded that they were misleading,” the advertising watchdog said.
The ad regulator also added that it was “concerned” by Cyrusher Outdoor Sporting’s lack of response to its enquiries and its apparent disregard for the Committee of Advertising Practice (CAP) code.
The ASA concluded: “The ads must not appear again in the form complained of. We told Cyrusher Outdoor Sporting Ltd to ensure their future ads were socially responsible and did not misleadingly imply that the advertised bikes could be used as electrically assisted pedal cycles and were not subject to the same legal requirements as motor vehicles.”
