E-Motorcycle or E-Bike? Confusion Continues Following Impounds
Jan 02, 2025 07:53PM ● By Jeanne Fratello
An e-motorcycle confiscated by Manhattan Beach Police in December. Photo via MBPD.
When Manhattan Beach Police announced that they had impounded several e-motorcycles on local streets since Christmas, residents responded with appreciation - and confusion.
"We
continue to come across these e-motorcycles ridden by juveniles around
the city," shared the Manhattan Beach Police Department in social media posts on Facebook and Instagram. "Parents, please make sure those Christmas presents are being
used legally and responsibly so we don’t have to play the role of the
Grinch."
The announcement generated multiple reactions and questions: Is MBPD impounding e-bikes? Are e-bikes the same as e-motorcycles? What determines whether one gets impounded? .
Short answer - e-motorcycles and e-bikes are different, and it's the e-motorcycles that are being seized, because unless they are specifically modified and driven by someone with a license, they are not street legal.
What is an E-Motorcycle?
E-motorcycles are, in simplest terms, motorcycles/dirt bikes that run on
electric power and are designed for off-road use. They are able to travel at speeds up to 60 miles per hour, and they have motors that are between 3000-6000 watts (compared to a max of 750 watts for an e-bike). Popular e-motorcycle brands include Talaria, Sur Ron, and ERidePro.
E-motorcycles are not
street legal because they lack headlights, tail lights, mirrors, and turn
signals. They can be modified with those safety items for street use, but they need to be registered with a license plate and the driver must
have the appropriate license.
Previously, it was easier to to tell an e-motorcycle from an e-bike because e-bikes have pedals. Now, increasingly there are kits available to add pedals to e-motorcycles, making them harder to distinguish from a regular e-bike. (Literally, on the Sur Ron website, it sells a pedal kit that "makes your Sur Ron look like an e-bike.")
(Photo via MBPD)Manhattan Beach Police have publicly shared multiple instances of seizing e-motorcycles being driven illegally on the street. After one previous impound of an e-motorcycle, MB News estimated the cost of ticket, towing, and impound to reach $1,000.
What is an E-Bike?
E-bikes, however, are street legal. E-bikes are defined as bicycles equipped with fully operable pedals and an electric motor of less than
750 watts. The state of California defines three classes of electric bicycles:
Class
1: A low speed pedal-assisted electric bicycle equipped with a motor
that provides assistance only when the rider is pedaling and ceases to
provide assistance
when a speed of 20 mph is reached.
Class
2: A low speed throttle-assisted electric bicycle equipped with a motor
used exclusively to propel the bicycle and NOT capable of providing
assistance when
a speed of 20 mph is reached.
Class
3: A low speed pedal-assisted electric bicycle equipped with a
speedometer, and a motor that provides assistance only when the rider
is pedaling and ceases
to provide assistance when a speed of 28 mph is reached.
The operator of a Class 3 electric bicycle:
- Must be 16 years old or older.
- Must wear a bicycle safety helmet.
- Must not transport passengers.
- May ride an electric bicycle in a bicycle lane if authorized by local authority or ordinance.
E-Bike Safety, Enforcement Emphasized
Manhattan Beach residents (and those in neighboring cities) have
increasingly expressed concerns about e-bike safety, especially for
young people. A local e-bike safety campaign known as "Ride Safe, Ride Ready"
has given assemblies and talks about bike safety to every school in
Manhattan Beach as well as summer Junior
Guards classes.
Meanwhile, police have been working to remind e-bike riders to follow all applicable safety rules, including wearing a (buckled) helmet; and they have carried out directed enforcements targeting e-bikers.
Additionally, this fall, MBUSD instituted a requirement for students who ride their e-bikes
to school to display a sticker demonstrating that they have completed
an approved safety course.
