The electric bicycle, or e-bike, is a fantastic tool. You can use an e-bike to commute, to go on an off-road adventure, or to do all sorts of fun stunts. There are e-bikes for all walks of life and budgets. But there’s a sort of weird side to the e-bike, and it’s that some companies build e-bikes that are arguably just motorcycles, but they’re still classified as e-bikes because they have pedals. Washington state wants to change that with a bill that seeks to better define what truly is an electrified bicycle and what is a motorcycle.
Back in 2002, the federal government enacted Public Law 107-319. This law amended the Consumer Product Safety Act to declare that low-speed electric bicycles are consumer products, and thus would fall under the purview of the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC).
The law also sets the definition of a “low-speed electric bicycle” as follows:
‘‘(b) For the purpose of this section, the term ‘low-speed electric bicycle’ means a two- or three-wheeled vehicle with fully operable pedals and an electric motor of less than 750 watts (1 h.p.), whose maximum speed on a paved level surface, when powered solely by such a motor while ridden by an operator who weighs 170 pounds, is less than 20 mph.”
The federal government currently recognizes e-bikes under a three-class system. These classes are defined as:
“Electric-assisted bicycle” (e-bike) means a bicycle with two or three wheels, a saddle, fully operative pedals for human propulsion, and an electric motor. The e-bike’s electric motor must have a power output of no more than 750 watts and must qualify as one of the following classes of bicycle:
“Class 1 electric-assisted bicycle”: has a motor that provides assistance only when the rider is pedaling and stops providing assistance when the bicycle reaches a speed of 20 miles per hour (mph).
“Class 2 electric-assisted bicycle”: has a motor that may be used exclusively to propel the bicycle and stops providing assistance when the bicycle reaches a speed of 20 mph.
“Class 3 electric-assisted bicycle”: has a motor that provides assistance only when the rider is pedaling and that stops providing assistance when the bicycle reaches a speed of 28 mph, and is equipped with a speedometer.
States have generally adopted this system as well. In theory, the three-class system has rigid rules. You cannot have an e-bike with a motor generating more than 750 watts (1 HP) and, at most, assist stops at 28 mph. So what’s the problem here?
Blurring The Line Between Bicycle And Motorcycle
There have been machines out there that really stretch the definition of “electric bicycle.” Take a look at this bike above, it’s called the Evoque Streetster RR. What do you think this is? If you guessed motorcycle, you’d be technically incorrect.
The Evoque Streetster RR is advertised as being a legal e-bike, and sure enough, if you look closely, you’ll even see a set of bicycle pedals. However, you’ll also note that the bike has motorcycle pegs.
This bike gets interesting when you dig into it. Evoque’s spec sheet does not mention motor output, top speed, or type of assist. But Evoque does note about how motorcycle-like the machine is, with its steel frame, hydraulic disc brakes, adjustable 33-core hydraulic damping, infotainment system, and 600-pound load capacity. It even has motorcycle-style mirrors, lighting, and controls.
Now, these bikes deliver from the factory with a limiter that keeps them from going faster than 20 mph. There you go, it’s a Class 2 e-bike then, right? Well, apparently, the limiter can be removed, and when done so, the top speed rises to roughly 60 mph. But because it was sold as an e-bike, the rider who removes the limiter can now ride this thing on the street without a license, registration, or insurance. It is, after all, an “e-bike.”
Don’t think the Streetster RR is an anomaly, either. There was also the Tao Tao Leo, which has a 4000-watt (5.36 HP) motor, a motorcycle body, and a top speed of around 68 mph once the 20 mph limiter is deleted. This machine was also sold as an e-bike. These bikes are generally marketed to Canadians, but can be imported into the States.
Last year, I wrote about the Beachman ’64 E-Bike, a bike that looked like a cafe racer electric motorcycle and had a top speed of 45 mph, but was advertised and sold in the States as an e-bike. That bike’s limiter was set by the rider, so nothing was stopping a Beachman rider from just going into the off-road mode when on the road or a bike path.
After I published my article, Beachman CEO Ben Taylor emailed me to note that the ’64 E-Bike was more or less a stopgap as Beachman worked to get certified as a motorcycle manufacturer:
Just wanted to say that I totally get your criticism of the platform. Our intention is to have people register the bikes, but we are transitioning from e-bike company to actual motorcycle manufacturer right now, and so the bikes is a hybrid in order to allow maximum flexibility to our customers. Lots of people just leave it at 20mph and ride happily as an e-bike, and since we don’t sell to children we hopefully aren’t contributing to the madness of kids on surrons.
In Canada we are right now swapping over to a legitimate low-speed motorcycle with no pedals, but in the US we still have work to do before we can fully do that jump.
Sometime next year we’ll be dropping the e-bike thing entirely and becoming a bonafide moped/motorcycle company. It just takes a lot of work and huge resources to do that process legally & operationally when you don’t have the resources of Harley, honda etc.
To Beachman’s credit, it did launch a true electric motorcycle in the ’64 Light Motorcycle, which is awesome! Like a regular electric motorcycle, you have to have a motorcycle license, you have to register the motorcycle, and you have to carry insurance.
But I think you get my point, dear reader. There are electric two-wheelers out there that are marketed and sold as e-bikes, but are turned into electric motorcycles with only the deletion of a limiter. These bikes have top speeds too high and motors too powerful to be considered e-bikes from the start, and only software limiters are used to comply with the letter of e-bike classifications. Or, these bikes are easily modified to become motorcycles, but are still considered e-bikes.
Surron bikes are often used as examples of how e-bike regulations are abused or otherwise unenforced. It’s worth noting that Surrons do not have bicycle pedals and are not marketed as legal e-bikes, even though some of their riders do take them onto roads.
These bikes can be enticing because of their low cost of entry and minimal barriers. That Streetster RR costs only $6,414, while the Tao Tao was only $3,700 when it was on the market. These are cheaper than proper electric motorcycles and don’t even require a license.
The problem with those other bikes is that the end user can delete the limiter and then ride their electric bike at high speed, either on the road or on bike paths. Yes, depending on the jurisdiction, you can register some e-bikes as mopeds. But again, that requires the owner to go forward with doing that rather than just ripping down a bike path at 45 mph. That rider probably doesn’t have a license or insurance. If that rider isn’t acutely aware of the dangers of riding a two-wheeler fast, maybe they might forgo wearing motorcycle gear.
The Bill
Lawmakers in Washington state have had enough of this and are deciding to take action. On January 9, 2026, Representatives Janice Zahn (D – District 41), My-Linh Thai (D – District 41, Position 2), Julia Reed (D – District 36), Liz Berry (D – District 36, Position 2), Zach Hall (D – District 5), Davina Duerr (D – District 1), and Beth Doglio (D – District 22), filed HB 2374.
The lawmakers believe that the current e-bike classifications leave open a sort of legal gray area where you can buy a bike that looks like a motorcycle and can perform like a motorcycle, but was sold as an e-bike.
A substitute version of the bill, SHB 2374, passed the Washington House on February 13. The substitute bill is largely similar to the original bill, but is clearer about its intent. That bill states:
Modifies the definition of “electric-assisted bicycle” to exclude any vehicle capable of exceeding 20 miles per hour using only its electric motor, and any vehicle that is designed, manufactured, or intended by the manufacturer or seller to be easily configured to not meet the requirements of an electric-assisted bicycle (e-bike).
Provides for a definition of “electric motorcycle” that includes vehicles with characteristics that do not meet the requirements of e-bike.
Establishes a work group to evaluate steps that could be taken to facilitate adherence to the laws applicable to e-bike and electric motorcycles, as well as to explore establishment of civil infractions and penalties related to use of these vehicles by youth between the ages of 12 and 16.
Requires the work group to submit a final report, including recommendations or draft legislation, to the Transportation Committees of the Legislature and the Office of the Governor by December 15, 2026.
If enacted, the bill would change Washington’s definition of e-bike and motorcycle to:
“Electric-assisted bicycle” does not include:
– Any vehicle capable of exceeding 20 mph on solely its electric motor; or
– Any vehicle that is designed, manufactured, or intended by the manufacturer or seller to be easily configured to not meet the requirements of an e-bike.“Electric motorcycle” means a motorcycle that uses propulsion units powered solely by electricity, and which meets one or more of the following criteria:
– It is not equipped with fully operable pedals capable of propelling it (foot pegs are not considered pedals).
– It has a motor with a power output that exceeds 750 watts.
– It has a motor that provides exclusive electric assist to propel the vehicle over a speed of 20 mph.
– It has a motor that continues to provide assistance when the vehicle reaches a speed greater than 28 mph.The definition of “motorcycle” is updated to clarify that “electric motorcycles” are a type of motorcycle.
Technically, if this bill were to become law, all of the aforementioned e-bikes would no longer be legal e-bikes. The wording of the bill is designed to reclassify those bikes as motorcycles. That would mean either selling them as off-road only, like a dirt bike, or proper labeling, lighting, tires, and other requirements to become road-legal motorcycles. Of course, then the buyers of these machines would need to register them, insure them, and have the proper endorsements to operate them.
The state would then have to lean on enforcement to keep illegal e-bikes off the streets. Granted, existing e-bikes are already illegal to use in the manner that some riders use them, so I’m not entirely sure how effective this bill will be. But taking these bikes out of the e-bike classification is a start.
The framers of the bill say that the bill is in the name of safety. The bill says that e-bikes have been great for accessibility and urban mobility, but dangerous because their riders are speeding down trails that have pedestrians, toddlers, strollers, and other folks not expecting to see a bike blasting past them at high speed. The bill claims that injuries from these situations are increasing.
The bill has passed the state House and, as of February 17, had its first reading in the state Senate. Now, it sits at the Senate Transportation Committee for further progress. The bill has lots of steam with supporters, with the Seattle Bike Blog reporting bike organizations, trail organizations, and high school students backing the bill.
Are These E-Bikes?
I get why these lawmakers are trying to do this. I am a fan of high-powered e-bikes. I find it awesome that you can get a lightweight bike with an insane power-to-weight ratio and a death-defying top speed. Those kinds of shenanigans fuel my soul.
However, these machines have a dark side, as they can be abused by their riders as they storm down bike lanes and pedestrian/bike paths at dangerous speeds. These bikes can travel at the same speeds as motorcycles, yet don’t require the same training or financial responsibility as motorcycles. It seems logical that if there’s a two-wheeler that is more or less just a motorcycle, adding a set of bicycle pedals and a software limiter to it shouldn’t be a loophole out of motorcycle rules. Maybe there should be a third category here.
Of course, should this bill become law, it would impact only Washington state. It will be interesting to see how this plays out. Sometimes, a new law in a single state could inspire similar laws elsewhere. It will also be interesting to see if these definition changes might cut down on the issues noted above. So, this is a subject I will have to return to on a different date.
If you do own a high-powered e-bike, please ride it responsibly! These bikes are no doubt insanely capable and fun, but please try to keep that fun in places where folks aren’t going to get hurt.
Topshot graphic image: Evoque E-Bikes
As a motorcyclist, I hate these things… Just like I hate all the delivery scooter riders in San Francisco with their fucking Hippo Hands and one foot scooting 3″ above the ground (it’s ok if you don’t get that reference).
However, as dangerous as they seem to both rider and innocent bystanders, how many incidents have there been where someone has been injured or killed by one, where it was going above 20mph?
Clearly there have been some horrible accidents, but how many? How many happened where a rider crashed into someone at 15mph and they hit their head? How many would likely have happened with a legal e-bike?
I’m wondering if they may ‘feel’ dangerous but perhaps the statistics don’t bear this out?
More than happy to be shown wrong on this.
Most of the worries about all types of small vehicle issues are a canard to distract from the real killers on the road; distracted and drunk driving. Following those, if we want to get into dangerous vehicles, it’s anything with a hood height taller than a 5 year old.
You’re not wrong.
But still, my question remains – there’s lots of articles about how dangerous these things SEEM, and they’re almost certainly correct that they ARE dangerous, but I’d really like to see some data – something showing that, for example, since e-bikes have become common, ERs are seeing more injuries/deaths etc.
Fair, I’m curious as well. My wager would be low single digits for rider fatalities, and a big fat goose egg for bystander fatalities in the US. Harder to make guesses about injuries, because like those car reliability studies they include a ridiculous range of outcomes.
Yeah – I think that if there had been any bystander fatalities, we would all have heard about it.
It really seem like a massive moral panic kind of thing, without much hard evidence of bad things occurring. Lots of articles by well-meaning people saying “I was standing there and this thing came along REALLY FAST and scared me. Someone’s gonna get killed before you know it” and we go from there…
So (as someone who personally really doesn’t like them), I kinda don’t see the big deal. Kids will do stupid shit, and some of them will get badly injured or even killed. There are more important things to worry about, frankly.
I missed the part where all the 2-wheel things with over 750W motors can still be marketed as e-bikes, regardless of speed limiters, under the current federal regs. It looks pretty clear to me that anything over 750W is already not an e-bike, full stop. Like many others have stated, seems more like an enforcement issue.
I also appreciate the commentary about cargo bikes which can have a legitimate use case for 1000W or more while being limited to 20 or 28 mph. There is probably a gross vehicle weight where some additional licensing/insurance requirements need to kick in regardless of top speed.
Enforcement of the current rules is a problem though. Can you tell at a glance if an ebike is <750W? And even if you can tell, how do you prove it on the spot? There are ebikes shipping with stickers that straight up lie about what class they are *cough*Amflow*cough*.
They could ride this on the street, yes, but they will most likely only ride it at Mach Jesus speeds on local bike trails while blasting the worst music you’ve ever heard from a Bluetooth speaker with RGB lights.
It truly just sucks that there’s like nowhere left where you feel actually safe riding a normal bicycle any more.
That’s because bicyclists are a nuisance and deserve to die. /s
I still think it is patently absurd that you can get a DUI while on a regular bicycle. Sure, hand one out if someone injures another person or causes an accident resulting in injury or significant property damage. But otherwise I think anyone who made the choice to only endanger themselves vs getting in a car and potentially harming others shouldn’t get the same punishment as if they made a much worse choice.
I’m personally fine with that. No, they’re not going to be mowing down pedestrians on a bike, but they could very well get themselves in a situation where they get killed accidentally by a person in a car, who then has to live with the guilt of killing another person for the rest of their life.
While I generally agree and would much rather see drunks on 10 lbs. bikes rather than 6000 lbs. trucks, if you look at those stupid driver videos scattered across social media, you see lots of times where the idiot causes an accident but isn’t involved because other drivers swerved to avoid them. So saying they are only a danger to themselves is inaccurate. Yes, the risk to others is lower, but not zero. So if someone is so sloshed they can’t stay in a bike lane or ride in a reasonably predictable manner, then they probably should be ticketed at a minimum. Some penalty between a full-fledged DUI and nothing.
I mean they give drivers a DUI even if they never got in an accident.
Heck you can get a DUI for being drunk in the car, not moving, but because you have the keys and are in the driver’s seat you’re “in control” of the vehicle.
That’s because bicyclists are a nuisance and deserve to die. /s
What drove me crazy was in Austin, they would block intersections to protest more rights, but didn’t want to carry insurance, follow laws or pay registration fees.
I mean OK I get it, bikes are better than cars, but change starts from within. Lance Armstrong wannabes riding 4 abreast on a country road is NFG, as is riding in the center of the travel lane flipping me off, then running the red-light.
Welcome to the great E-Bike arms race. Even the traditional bike industry is just flagrantly violation the class system at this point. You’ve got objectively very bike looking E-bikes just cranking out the power. Recently DJI came into the market with a bike that will hold 1000 watts, the Big S followed. And now all hell is breaking loose. Which to give you an idea. Humblebrag I’m good at bikes. 1% of 1%, I’ve got UCI points to my racing license. Best hour I’ve ever had was little over 340 watts. And that’s after thousands of hours of riding. You learn how to handle a bike in that time. Putting some dude who hasn’t ridden a bike since high school and just instantly dropping 3x times the ftp of the highest end user is wild. Ain’t nobody needs to push 1000 watts on bike unless your about 300 meters from finish line. Now throw in some innocent by-standers and you got a recipe for disaster. And realistically neither the grey-market pop-up brands or now the traditional industry (Trek, Giant, Big S etc.) seem to have any interest doing the reasonable thing. They’re going to have to regulate it, or we’ll just have to wear helmets every time we go hiking, walking or existing in any sort of area one could consider outside and public.
There’s a ton of these e-mopeds whose pedals literally cannot make a full rotation without the pedal or the rider’s foot colliding with another part of the bike. They’re 1:1 ratio legality shims.
This is probably the right pathway — saying “anything that isn’t in the existing category is a moped or motorcycle.”
The one interesting catch that I think this bill addresses is the fact that there’s cargo bikes now with >1000w motors (and you need them for some bikes, laden with hundreds of pounds, going uphill). But they are all limited to Class 3 performance. It also looks like this law allows for “walk” functionality, where those same bikes have throttle buttons that allow a user to have motor assistance when pushing the bike on foot (in a place where riding would be inappropriate) or to break stiction when starting out. It’s very hard to move a fully-laden cargo bike from a stop.
“ It has a motor with a power output that exceeds 750 watts”
You know that’s going to confuse the hell out of people who don’t know the difference between between power consumption and output.
Unless the motor catches fire at 750 watts, it’s the power supply that is the limiting factor, and having a motor that’s rated that’s thermally limited seems like a terribly bad idea.
Defining a torque limit seems like a better idea.
I recently bought an ebike and went out of my way to buy one that looks like a bicycle and not a motorcycle. Because even the ones that adhere to the class 2/3 categories, if they look like motorcycles on the hike and bike trail it will just stir up trouble.
the AAMVA is reported to have responded to this issue by releasing a statement: “KEI CARS ARE DANGEROUS!!”
/s
I have to register an EV-converted kayak that can’t exceed the speed I can paddle it (though it can do it for longer) and not just because I live in MA, next door NH also requires it (I checked, not so much to weasel out of registration, but because I didn’t have a required receipt for a 20+ year old kayak. Turned out to not be an issue because the Environmental Police who handle boats are far more reasonable and intelligent than the RMV). There’s no reason that these things that can easily exceed pedal speed and are used in potentially crowded, multi-use areas shouldn’t require moped standards of registration.
The last time I tried, I got over 30 mph on a regular bicycle in prospect park. And it had fenders and a basket.
I’ve done around 50, but that takes intention and calls for awareness, it’s not something I can regularly do without effort, can’t sustain it for long, I can’t accelerate up to that within a few feet, and I’m well aware of the risks of the speed. Any fat kid smoking a blunt can do those speeds or more on these things without any effort or care whatsoever and they ride them accordingly.
That’s sort of my point. I realize that speed is easy to measure, but up until now generally bikes on roads weren’t subject to speed limits other than whatever cars were subject to. In NYC for example there’s a 15mph speed limit for e-bikes and they have been extending it to pedal bikes which is crazy.
The last thing I want is to have to ride at 15mph in traffic with cars.
In the other hand e bikes and scooters or even pedal bikes really shouldn’t be going that fast in the protected bike lanes.
It seems that limiting speed based on where you are riding makes more sense than basing it on what you are riding.
Ah, yeah, the only limit to a pedal bike speed should be the overall speed limit except on rail trails or whatever, where 15 is probably about right (when clear) with all the other users on there. It always pisses me off (admittedly, this is a common condition) when I see the spandexers weaving past wobbly kids trying to learn how to ride or old people going for a walk with their entitled and haughty “on your left” as if it excuses excess speed, especially when they come up behind people and call out all of a sudden. I miss the days when it was just them as they at least took riding seriously and didn’t want to crash for their own sake or their 5-figure bike’s. The e-bike kids and degenerate DUIs DGAF about anything, though, and they’re faster with no effort.
Speed limits are ideal, but there are kids riding these things (and dying, as one did just before Christmas around here, he was in the same class as my BiL’s cousin’s kid) at high speeds and there seems to be little legal repercussions for kids so young even if the police decided to enforce the limits. Parents should be parents, but that’s really screaming at clouds, so the more realistic way to regulate them is to define class 3 as mopeds and require them to be registered and the riders licensed as such as the class 3 vs 2 isn’t a distinction that’s spotted easily and the software speed limiters are a joke, so that should make enforcement easier in that these mopeds would be more readily identifiable. Someone could still build their own overpowered law-breaker on a bike frame, but they’d be subject to following speed limits and I don’t think they’re a significant part of the problem, particularly with the DIY barrier.
I owned and rode the ebike in the first pic of this article (not including the top pic). It was just called an ebike and it was from the EV Global Motors (or Global EV Motors, or whatever) that was associated with Lee Iacoca. It weighed about 90 lbs and had (of course, that long ago) a lead-acid battery. It was a friggin’ hernia to lift into the back of a hatchback, etc… but was pretty fun to ride once you got used to the weight. It was the first ebike I had/owned/rode. I think I ended up selling it for about $300 many years ago. I haven’t gotten another ebike since, but I’m more fragile that I used to be.
I’ve got the smaller, folding version of this, a 2004 EV Global Motors Mini-E-Bike. Here’s a closeup of its frame in a partially-folded position, highlighting the facsimile of Lee Iacocca’s signature that appeared on them:
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/55113091080_30e2dfe59a_c.jpg
I mostly use it as a pit vehicle at Lemons races.
I didn’t know (or remember?) that there was a folding version. Does yours have a lead-acid battery or something newer?
It originally had a 24 V, 8 Ah sealed lead-acid battery of proprietary elongate design but these haven’t been available for years. I’m running it with a pair of small 12 V sealed lead-acid batteries in series that give me about half the original amp-hours but at least they fit inside the unusually-shaped built-in enclosure with enough room left over for carrying a charger, too.
I mostly remember how heavy the lead acid battery make it. Back then (this was years ago) heaving 90 lbs of ebike into the back of a Golf was possible for me… but not anymore. My limit these days (with a bad back) is about 42 lbs. …just enough to transport 5 gallon water bottles. With new batteries, there are probably ebikes in that weight range, should I ever feel the urge again. 😉
There is no loophole, they use the 3 class system in law in Washington already. None of these e-motos are legal bicycles. Just enforce the laws already established.
The loophole is that you can sell an e-moped as an e-bike if it has a button that software limits it to 20mph.
Of course, the manufacturers know and advertise it assuming nobody will ever actually enable that limiter. And they don’t!
But is that actually written into the law or are the manufacturers claiming it is and relying on the fact that it’s nearly impossible to enforce, as currently written? Because it seems to me that if you have a 1000W motor and a built-in setting to use all of it then you are by definition not a class 1.
A 1000HP supercar doesn’t suddenly become a 100HP shitbox just because you pinky swear not to use all 1000HP.
Things that are not inherently illegal are legal. That’s a basic tenet of our legal system. The law (and regulatory structure derived from it) only applies to the condition of the bike at the time of sale.
Many cars have a button to turn traction control off, despite the fact that it’s required for FMVSS. The rules don’t require the bike to never be able to exceed the Class-rule they’re sold under, only that they’re configured to comply from the factory.
The three classes literally have a power cap, the 750w is a cap and its across all three classes.
It’s not a loophole, because the motor power has to be under 750w to be an ebike. Even if the motor is a 3k and limited to 20 mph it’s not a legal ebike. It’s not just the speed, the motor wattage is capped at 750w. They can sell the all day but that does not mean its a legal ebike.
The wattage of an electric motor is capped by the wattage the motor controller will deliver. These e-mopeds are all programmed to deliver a maximum of 750w in “e-bike” mode, but often over 1000w in “e-moto” mode.
Besides, 750w is plenty to get a small, light, non-compliant moped up to extralegal and unsafe speeds.
The controller limits how much power is delivered, but it doesn’t define what the motor is physically capable of. Motor output is determined by winding design, magnet strength, thermal capacity, and mechanical limits. You can’t “software” a 750W motor into a true 1000W continuous machine. Push it that hard and heat and material limits become the real constraint. The nominal motor rating is what it can operate at continuously safely.
The regulatory authority only cares how the motor is actually used, not what it is capable of. They expect motors to be somewhat overbuilt to reduce failure.
This is the same way most automotive engines are detuned for reliability, etc.
i wanna see someone pedal one of these things and see how stupid they look.
To me, this seems like an enforcement problem. On city bike paths and multi-use trails where I’ve been (Denver), the speed limit was 15 mph and pedestrians had the right of way. Sometimes you’d see the city police patrolling the paths on motorcycles. Your option if you wanted to go faster was to ride on streets and roads. Bicycles weren’t allowed on sidewalks. I guess my point is, there are existing ordinances that can be enforced to make the shared use spaces safer without making new ordinances.
Bicycles are allowed on most sidewalks in Washington with the exception of some business districts, downtowns, and unless otherwise where signage is posted.
Off, other than little kids, I don’t think bikes belong on the sidewalk.
I agree, its just that a lot of people think its illegal but its mostly legal. It’s why we should push for more bike lanes on more roadways.
Endless regulation isn’t the answer. I remember when some areas made you buy a bike tag for your pedal bike. It’s always for “safety” but it’s really to assert control and tax people. There are more wing nuts around me on race pedal bikes that think they are lance Armstrong with two nuts. They have a bike path and a bike lane many places but they choose to ride in the middle street that is basically a divided highway. Absolutely insane wrong coast behavior. They go every bit of 45 to 50 down hill on those stupid things. And probably 15 to 25 up hill of they are really trying.
The only thing that worries me about kids on ebikes is you can’t hear them and sometimes can’t see them. Having a slow one isn’t going to help when the wrong coaster runs them over and drives away while chugging their $9 mermaid crappuccino.
All the anti skateboard stuff governments payed up the wazoo for 20+ years ago because kids were outside. Then they spend billions on studies and ads to ask why the kids aren’t outside. Then they figured out just build them a skate park. Just build the kids a track for their e dirt bikes. You can even call it a bike track and just say no gas and leave it at that.
These are the same people that will look you in the face and tell you how disadvantaged people and kids have a hard time and we need to do blah blah wrong coast idiocy. Then they go and add another barrier because they saw them somewhere they didn’t want to see them.
Yeah, I once lived in a city that required bike registration! I probably wouldn’t have even known that was a thing if someone hadn’t told me, but like a good citizen, I (illegally! Unlicensedly!) biked down to the police station and dropped off an envelope with cash and some information, and got some valid City of Waukesha bicycle stickers in the mail later! Waste of money and effort, and I don’t think I ever saw another bike there with a tag, but I guess it’s a cool souvenir? Made me look slightly more law-abiding on my 66cc 2-stroke bike kit, at least!
Local park had an open BMX track when I was an ’80s kid. Dad loaded the bikes in the station wagon at times and took us there to play. I suspect the lawyers and insurance companies are to blame.
My sisters neighborhood built a bmx track a few years I couldn’t believe it because it had been years since I had seen a public one that didn’t involve a liability waiver let alone in a park from free but I guess they figured it out. I see kids there all the time so seems loke money well spent. I’ve seen a few more open around but probably a lawsuit or two away from closing like all the old ones did.
It’s unsafe and often illegal to ride a road bike at road bike speeds on the bike paths. Those bikes belong in the road.
I promise you they’re safer than the drivers who are full on watching Tik Tok while nominally in control of a 3 ton vehicle.
When you get to the point of riding 20+ miles an hour on a bike, the road is by far safer and also legal place to be. Bike paths often have unpredictable traffic on them, like people walking with dogs and kids. Roads have more predicable rules, and the speed of bike and a car is closer then a walker and a biker will be. I’ve commuted by bike for years and by far the most dangerous part of the commute has been separate bike path.
Rollerbladers. The single most dangerous thing on a bike path. Even moving at a slow pace, I’d rather stop and wait than deal with some dumbass on rollerblades.
As a Seattle resident (a city with extensive and expanding bike infrastructure) the faster end of e-bikes break the system. I have no problem with these being sold but I think it’s reasonable that anything that a reasonable person could buy as an alternative to a moped be limited to street use only and require some kind of licensure to be legally operated.
Of course I also know as a Seattle resident that none of this will be enforced in any meaningful way.
I am all for this. I just want an E bike that has a loaf seat (scooter style) that I can ride with a throttle and peddle if needed and 750w/20mph is just fine.
That sounds great. I am also down for a 2000w version that will do 30mph that comes with a VIN so I can register/plate/insure it as a scooter, or a 4000w/35mph version I can register as a motorcycle. But right now it seems like they’re content selling them as “e-bikes” right now and letting people ride them illegally.
I want to still use the bike lanes and trails.
This one is 750w/20mph, unlocking it to go faster requires multiple passwords to enable off-road mode.
https://electrek.co/2023/03/02/ride1up-revv1-fs-review-electric-bike-moped/
Given the class I/II/III system was laid out when e-bikes were expensive niche curiosities it’s frankly impressive they got us as far as they did, but we’re overdue for this update.
I almost wonder if there needs to be some kind of requirement that the pedals propel the bike forward at X speed given no more than Y watts of pedaling power to root out the “motorcycle with a set of bike pedals for regulation” problem.
I have seen children ripping about on the dirtbike ones…as well as people using them as DUI bikes since many municipalities in my area have begun banning clip-on motors for being used by the same bunch.
I was even tailgated into a Cars & Coffee by a guy who’d caught up to me (I was doing 30!) On a 2000s Redline BMX chopper bicycle with an e-motor on it. I thought it was a Harley the way he caught up!
The regulations need to be significantly tightened, as does enforcement. It’ll make the streets and trails safer for those of us with no assist, from roadies to ’70s 20″ kids bikes. I applaud Washington State’s efforts.
I’m fine with an E-bike at 15 mph with pedals, etc… Start adding fairings, windshields, phantom pedals – that’s a motorcycle.
I’ve seen several of these keeping up with 45 mph traffic while being ridden on sidewalks terrorizing pedestrians. Not to mention startling drivers attempting to exit parking lots. None of these “e-bike” riders wear safety gear or pay attention to basic traffic signs.
Things were so much simpler when you had to actually pedal a bicycle. Back when I was riding in the 90’s (1990’s not 1890’s) bike riders would be courteous to each other and motorists as it was understood that we had to co-exist. Now the e-bike riders act like they are the only one entitled to the space and everyone else has to yield to their whims.
One of the few regulations my state has that I feel they seem to have gotten right is the laws around motorcycles and mopeds. Any electric bikes with a motor of 751-2000 watts is a moped, anything above 2000 watts is a motorcycle, anything under 751 is treated as a bicycle
Wow, this sounds simple and well thought out.
Common sense has no influence here.
Also, for internal combustion, anything 55cc and under is a moped, there’s no horsepower or speed restriction or a requirement to have bike pedals, its just engine size, so, an Aprilia RS50 can be driven with a regular driver’s license, you just can’t take it on a limited access highway. Which, again, seems pretty reasonable to me. I’m currently in the market for a vintage Yamaha RX50 myself
Oh Suzuki RK67 for me then.
That’s fantastic!
I think a problem though is that current regs do define a max 750W motor. However a lot of these motorcycles have a much larger motor, but the argument is being made that because there’s a big resistor on the power line into the motor, it can’t physically output more than 750W, so it’s an “ebike”, at least until the end user jumps the resistor that’s totally not designed to be bypassed with the spare parts included.
^^ Very valuable context here ^^
That would explain how they get past the 750W limitation.
Seems sensible.
It will never catch on in the US.
I applaud the attempts of the Washington Legislature to do something about this. I mean, I’m a fan of exploiting loopholes, and part of the reason these loopholes exist is the fault of lawmakers (mostly due to their inability to keep up with technology).
OTOH, if e-bike manufacturers hadn’t been so egregious with their exploitation of the loopholes, they wouldn’t have gotten busted.
Buying an e-bike that looks like a motorcycle seems really, really stupid. You’re practically begging a cop to pull you over to ask where your license plate is.
If you want to keep a low profile, the Lightbee seems to be doing it right. It’s still a little too motorcycle-y, but at least from a glance it kind of looks like a high-end mountain bike.
The Lightbee is from Surron, the posterchild for the e-bike menace; though I don’t believe they have pedals and definitely aren’t an ebike by any definition.
Right. I’m just saying if you want to get away with an illegal e-bike, a motorcycle that looks like a bicycle is a much stealthier option than a bicycle that looks like a motorcycle.
A Lightbee doesn’t look anything like a mountain bike. It looks almost indistinguishable from a dirtbike, which is exactly what it is: an electric dirtbike
If you don’t need to pedal: it’s not a bicycle IMHO. It becomes a low-speed e-motorcycle.
Having come across many of these marvels trundling along at astounding speeds with their high-mass along city trails & parks – they’re the new apex predator for mowing down pedestrians & other cyclists.
There’s a beautiful mixed-use trail/path called the Gordon River Greenway that winds through 2.5 miles of mangrove forests and pine scrub through the heart of Naples, FL. People come to walk their dogs, bike, bird watch, jog, etc. Despite “no motorized vehicles” signs at all the entrance points, you still get morons on e-bikes slaloming through a sea of dogs, kids and old people at 20+ mph.
I’m sure it happens everywhere. Gangs of teenagers riding in protected nature areas with no bike signs still riding that shit around. they should get ticketed and their bikes impounded and then have to explain to their parents why they got their bikes impounded.
It sounds like next time I’m visiting my family in Naples I should bring my long distance push longboard and cruise around there! Thanks for letting me know about it.
The one wheel riders are my nemesis
Guy on my street has one of those one wheeled things, he can do 30mph no problem. He wears a motorcycle helmet and full motorcycle gear at least, but it seems nuts to me.
I believe you can get 96mph e-unicycles, there’s a racing series in Spain that has some amusing YouTube videos.
I think the limitation is that as you lean forward enough against the wind eventually you are flying and there isn’t enough traction.
Where were these things when I was in my 20s?
Florida is cracking down on these on the user side big-time, and I have seen a couple of “e-bikes” pulled over by the local “county mounties”. I think it is now crime to remove the limiter. I have definitely seen plenty of people on bikes with pedals (not pedaling, of course) keeping right up with 50mph traffic on Rt 41 – that ain’t right…
I got pulled over in high school for 39 in a 25 on my decidedly NOT electrified bicycle in my cycling prime. Those were the (very long time ago) days – but I still have the bike! Still pretty after all these years too:
https://photos.fife.usercontent.google.com/pw/AP1GczPoyxgtHeWEYluQ3UCgHaK_LEk1qgBsZofnJxBXuppMMlpzIst7lacPyg=w1644-h1233-s-no?authuser=1
When these first started popping up in the Naples area we referred to them as “DUI bikes” and nothing in the intervening decade or so has changed my mind. The biggest drunk I know uses one of these to commute 10+ miles per day. It’s a minor miracle he hasn’t died (yet).
Do you mean the guy in work boots, jeans, and a flannel hoodie smoking a cig. is not on the bike for his health?
It took me a while to catch on to that when I’d see people I knew riding around on bikes. Once it was pointed to me it made sense.
LOL – that is SO true of so many of the bicyclists here! But not the e-bikers, they can’t afford them I imagine. It’s all idiot kids doing mach 1 on them around here.
The deadbeats are all on Walmart Mountain bikes and whatnot.