Post #2205174

2026-05-03 20:52 UTC

I'm a bicyclist and I think this is not a bad idea. Class 3 e-bikes have engines which can accelerate to a top speed of nearly 50 km/h which makes them practically slow motorcycles at that point. A collision between a pedestrian and an e-bike accelerated to top speed will send at least one person to the hospital. And the risk of cyclists who blatantly flaunt traffic laws is also present, even though most people in my city tend to follow the law. There's a bike path in my city which is used as both a commuter route and a recreational route, and some people ride their e-bikes at crazy speeds just centimetres away from children riding their tricycles. What I wouldn't support is the extra paperwork burden. Opponents of this law are right when they say that it should be made easier to switch from driving to using an e-bike, not harder. But minimal registration formalities are probably fine, as long as they are made relatively easy. Maybe something like a registration plate which is affixed at the factory and which you have to register using the DMV website or an app. This would also make tracking down stolen bikes easier.

Replies (4)

@infinitesunrise@slrpnk.net 2026-05-03 21:04

I'm a cyclist and I'm against this. If they're effectively electric motorcycles then just license them as motorcycles, end of story. People are getting brain fog over the fact that they're cheap and popular with kids. We don't speed cap any other vehicles, we just license them appropriately. Let's just continue doing that. It's wacky to me that this isn't obvious to most people.

Open ##2205231
@ElectricAirship@lemmy.dbzer0.com 2026-05-04 02:00

That is the *maximum* speed they can go which is like saying people drive cars at the top speed consistently when most people ride an e-bike at 15-20mph. Frankly I think these bills are eroding solidarity in the bike community...

Open ##2205232
@Treczoks@lemmy.world 2026-05-03 21:37

Ebikes here are capped at 25km/h, but many people, especially food couriers, tune them up. And they regularly ride through pedestrian zones. Yes, number plates are a good idea.

Open ##2205233
@farmgineer@nord.pub 2026-05-04 13:15

Japanese moped laws cap them at 30 kph even. All ebikes must be peddle assist, may not have a throttle, and the assist will turn off at a designated speed (17kph I think?) as a point of reference.

Open ##2205234