But when he tried operating the Swind EB-01 in the driveway of his Malibu mansion in front of his family members, he was reportedly unprepared for the extreme power. Ultimately, Cowell’s accident, which Electrek‘s Michelle Lewis reported about on August 10, was most likely caused by this inexperience and unfamiliarity with the bike.Ĭowell has several other true electric bicycles with much lower power levels. He indicated that the bike required specialist training and demonstration, saying, “That thing is a death trap and should never have been sold to Simon without him being taught how to use it.”Īnother anonymous source at the company said, “I said to my boss, ‘Are you showing Simon how to use this?’ He said he was just dropping it off and I said, ‘Are you serious?’” One former Swind employee apparently claimed to the British tabloid the Sun that he worried that Cowell could “break his f***ing neck” on the bike. However, a new whistleblower report reveals that there was some hesitation from certain employees in the company about whether Cowell would be risking his safety on the highly specialized motorbike. Arrangements were made to ship the Swind EB-01 to Cowell’s California home. He became one of the company’s first customers for the approximately $22,000 electric motorbike. The TV personality apparently discovered the bike at a UK motor show in January and created significant buzz with his purchase. The bike takes significant experience and skill to ride safely, as it packs approximately 60x the power of a legal electric bicycle in Cowell’s native UK. With a top speed of 60 mph (97 km/h) and a motor power of 15 kW (20 hp), the Swind EB-01 is much more of an electric motorcycle that happens to have pedals attached to it instead of foot pegs.

In fact, the bike’s performance puts it into a very different category. Much of the media has misreported the story by describing the Swind EB-01 as an electric bicycle. The electric motorbike Cowell was riding is known as a Swind EB-01. His wealth, estimated at around £385 million, mainly comes from his development of the hugely successful reality TV shows X-Factor and Britain’s Got Talent, with local versions of both formats now airing in dozens of countries around the world.TV personality Simon Cowell is apparently considering taking legal action against an electric motorbike (not ebike) manufacturer after suffering serious injuries in a crash. In June 2021, the Sun reported that Cowell was nearly involved in a collision with a motorist after he took a wrong turn while riding his e-bike in London.Ĭowell began his career in the music business and rose to fame through his appearance as a judge on Pop Idol and US spin-off American Idol. “ was more an electric motorbike – these are called pedal-assist bikes and they're brilliant.” “I’ve still got to pedal and I do about ten miles a day, even though I had an accident on one. “My most creative time is now when I cycle, because I cycle even though it's an e-bike,” he said. The Swind EB-01, which contains 15 kilowatts of electric power and can reach up to 60mph, is banned on public roads in the UK and should not be used without specialist training.Ĭowell referred to the crash and his newfound preference for the Das Spitzing Evolution model during a television interview last year. This latest incident comes less than 18 months after Cowell broke his back while riding a Swind EB-01 near his house in Malibu. It is not clear which version Cowell was riding. The brand also produces an EU/UK-legal version of the bike with 250 watts of continuous power and limited to an assisted speed of 15.5mph (25km/h). However, this bike in its S-Pedelec form would be illegal to ride on the public highway in the UK without wearing a moped helmet and having a licence, insurance and number plate. A source told the newspaper that the record executive was flung over his handlebars and was “lucky to be alive”.Īccording to the Daily Mail, at the time of the crash Cowell was reportedly riding a M1 Das Spitzing Evolution S-Pedelec, which has a maximum top speed of 28mph (45km/h) and a power output of 500 watts. He was photographed leaving hospital that evening with a cast on his arm and has reportedly been advised to rest.

The Sun reported that Cowell was rushed to hospital after the crash, which happened last Thursday. Music mogul Simon Cowell has broken his arm, suffered facial cuts and sustained a suspected concussion after falling off an electric bike near his west London home.

Simon cowell e bike accident