Simon Cowell Breaks His Back After Falling Off an Electric Motorbike
Editor’s note: We originally reported that Cowell injured himself riding an e-bike, however that has been found to be untrue. Forbes confirmed with Cowell’s company SVP Syco Entertainment US that he was in fact riding a SWIND EB-01 electric motorbike. We’ve updated this piece to reflect this information.
British television personality Simon Cowell underwent surgery for a broken back, suffered in an electric motorbike accident. The 60-year old was testing it outside of his Malibu, California, home on Saturday when he fell, the Associated Press reported.
“Some good advice...If you buy an electric trail bike, read the manual before you ride it for the first time,” Cowell said in a Tweet on Sunday. “I have broken part of my back.”
Cowell was taken to an undisclosed hospital and underwent a six-hour surgery overnight, which included the insertion of a metal rod.
“Simon has broken his back in a number of places,” a spokesperson for Cowell confirmed to NBC News. “He’s under observation and is doing fine.”
“And a massive thank you to all the nurses and doctors,” Cowell added in a second Tweet. “Some of the nicest people I have ever met.”
Some good advice...
If you buy an electric trail bike, read the manual before you ride it for the first time.
I have broken part of my back.
Thank you to everyone for your kind messages.— Simon Cowell (@SimonCowell) August 10, 2020
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The injury will delay Cowell’s appearance on NBC’s live-aired talent show America’s Got Talent, which is currently in its 15th season.
Cowell’s company, SVP Syco Entertainment US, confirmed to Forbes that Cowell was riding a SWIND EB-01 electric motorbike at the time he was injured—not an electric bicycle, as was originally reported here and widely throughout other media outlets.
There’s a big difference between Cowell’s e-motorbike and standard e-bikes, too.
E-bikes are classified into three groups according to their type of power assist and top speed: Class 1 e-bikes offer pedal-assist up to 21 mph, Class 2 e-bikes have a throttle for up to 20 mph, and Class 3 e-bikes have pedal-assist up to 28 mph. All three classes of e-bikes are limited to motors with a maximum power of 750w. By comparison, Cowell’s SWIND EB-01 motorbike has a 15,000w motor.
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