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In August 2020, Cowell broke his back in a crash while test riding a Swind EB-01 at his home in Malibu, an uber-powerful machine that is far closer to an electric motorcycle than an e-bike. That incident resulted in Cowell undergoing a six hour surgery to insert a metal rod into his spine. It also sparked heated debate over the differences between electric bicycles and electric motorcycles, with Cowell’s team briefly weighing legal action against Swind, according to the Daily Mail.

This time, the bike Cowell crashed appears to be a bonafide e-bike. Reports say Cowell was riding a Das Spitzing Evolution S-Pedelec, a full suspension eMTB with a 500W mid-drive motor and 1050Wh battery.

With a top pedal assisted speed of 27 mph, the Das Spitzing is street legal in the UK, where this crash happened, but only if it’s taxed, insured and if the rider is licensed to ride them, In the U.S., the Das Spitzing is street legal in most states without any restrictions.

Though this time on an apparently street-legal e-bike, Cowell’s crash is a reminder of the importance of wearing a helmet and careful e-bike use. There’s little that’s exceptional about riding an e-bike at 20 mph on wet roads — it’s a legal speed achievable by most e-bikes sold in the U.S. and likely something many e-bike riders and traditional cyclists do on a regular basis — but it doesn’t take an exceptional situation for a rider to go down.

While Cowell’s August 2020 crash resulted in a hospital stay and extensive recovery, this time the star was seen leaving the hospital the same day with his arm wrapped in a bright yellow cast. His spokesperson told The Sun this latest crash hasn’t scared him off e-bikes, “but he will start wearing a helmet.”




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