I've already mentioned this before, but Bosch CX and Bosch Speed (pre-2020) is
the same motor, just with different firmware. Yet, for some reason, R&M charged €500 more for the Speed version, which looks like a blatant cash grab.
Best option is to buy a 45 km/h bike. The extra expense for a 45-bike instead of a 25-limited version of the same is not that much. Only drawback is that there are hardly any 45-bikes in the lower price segments.
It's not really an issue to buy a 45kph bike, I can even tolerate the markup. The issue is not even riding it. The issue is crossing international borders. You need, at the very least, to replace the Speed plastic shield with the CX and also replace the certification sticker on the back of the bike for it to masquerade as 45kph.
The great thing about derestriction is that once you remove the BadassBox, your bike becomes road-legal again from the view of any agent that would seek to inspect the bike.
What I find particularly interesting is that, in adapting to new legislation, we see
- No public consultation whatsoever. Ideally you'd expect cycling clubs and societies to be in discussion with EU regulatory bodies.
- No evidence of any actual harm of derestriction on traffic accidents/incidents.
It's not very scientific and feels a bit one-sided. I understand that from the point of view of business, the last person whose opinion you want to ask is the consumer, but then it's silly to expect the consumer to play by the rules. When I buy a bicycle, I essentially buy a piece of hardware (much like a hammer) and it's entirely up to me to decide the responsible limits of how that hardware is being used.
Now, try this thought experiment: imagine if cars came with a speed limiter. Would that be considered a safety feature or insanity? In practice, cars routinely exceed the speed limit by around 20kph (as matter of norm) yet this is viewed as acceptable margin around baseline values. On the other hand, people are free to drive their cars at 200kph if they want to, and if they kill themselves or others it's entirely their fault. And yet, when it comes to ebikes, we suddenly have these pieces of nonsensical regulation. I don't know, it's all far too artificial.