When an E-Bike Becomes a Motorcycle: The Growing Problem on Australian Roads and Footpaths

The current conversation about e-bikes often overlooks an important point. Traditional bicycles and many e-bikes now found on Australian streets are fundamentally different. Treating them as if they are the same leads to significant issues.

Bicycles have long been integrated into a broader system with clear goals. Governments built cycling infrastructure to encourage health, fitness, and sustainable transport. Bike lanes, shared paths, and road provisions were intended for lightweight, human-powered vehicles with limited speed. These bicycles do not strain public infrastructure and, once produced, have no ongoing environmental impact.

This framework does not extend to high-powered e-bikes. The assumptions surrounding cycling infrastructure, such as speed, weight, and stopping distance, are based on human-powered transport. When these assumptions no longer hold, the entire system is compromised. Vehicles that exceed these parameters do not fit the intended use of that infrastructure and should not be treated as bicycles within it.

What is now appearing on roads and footpaths is quite different. Many e-bikes, especially those used by teenagers, seem to surpass Australia’s legal limits for power and speed. Many models can reach at least 50 km/h, and some up to 100 km/h, making them substantially faster than traditional bikes. At these speeds and given their greater weight than human-powered bicycles, they are effectively motorcycles rather than bicycles. As such, their use must be strictly regulated and enforced.

This change brings significant safety concerns. The existing infrastructure was never designed for vehicles of such weight or speed. Bike lanes and shared paths were created for low-speed, human-powered travel. The introduction of high-speed electric bikes increases the safety risks for pedestrians and other cyclists.

For example, the fastest human-powered cyclists, athletes on lightweight racing bikes, are still required to ride on the road rather than on footpaths. If skilled riders on slower, lighter bicycles are not allowed on footpaths, it is inconsistent to permit minors on much faster, heavier e-bikes to use the same spaces.

There is also a relevant comparison with petrol-powered bicycles, once more common but now banned due to the risks they posed. Although they could reach higher speeds than legal e-bikes, they were generally less powerful, slower, and lighter than today’s non-compliant e-bikes. Petrol-powered bikes had one safety advantage: the engine noise served as a warning to others.

Modern high-powered e-bikes lack even this minimal safeguard. They can reach high speeds while remaining nearly silent, allowing heavy, fast-moving vehicles to approach pedestrians or other riders with almost no warning. This makes them more dangerous than the petrol-powered bikes that were banned.

The environmental aspect also warrants closer examination. Traditional bicycles remain among the most environmentally friendly modes of transport. E-bikes, however, use electricity, placing extra demand on energy systems. More significantly, they rely on lithium-ion batteries that degrade and must be disposed of, creating environmental costs often ignored in broader discussions.

This is not an argument against all e-bikes. When properly regulated and within legal limits, pedal-assist bicycles offer real benefits, especially for older riders or those commuting longer distances. The concern is the increasing number of high-powered, non-compliant bikes and the lack of enforcement regarding their use.

Vehicles with motorcycle-level speed should be regulated as motorcycles. This requires appropriate regulation, licensing, and restrictions on their use. Allowing these vehicles in the bicycle infrastructure undermines the original purpose of that system and introduces unnecessary dangers.

A more responsible approach is to encourage young riders to develop skills on standard bicycles before moving to regulated vehicles as they mature. Without clearer rules and enforcement, the distinction between bicycles and motor vehicles will continue to fade, and the consequences are already evident on our streets.
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Responsibility is another key issue that deserves attention. If an e-bike is imported and fails to meet Australian standards, such as lacking speed limits or exceeding power restrictions, the primary responsibility should rest with the rider, or with the rider’s guardian or parents if the rider is under 18. If a non-compliant e-bike is purchased from an Australian retailer, the retailer should be held accountable. However, if the buyer is aware that the bike is non-compliant, responsibility should be shared between the buyer and the seller. Retailers have a duty to ensure that what they sell complies with national regulations. In private second-hand sales, responsibility typically falls on the buyer, as private sellers are not subject to the same standards and obligations as businesses. In Australia, a legal e-bike must be pedal-assist, with the motor disengaging at around 25–30 km/h. When a bike is heavier and capable of much higher speeds, it aligns more closely with a motorcycle than a bicycle. Such vehicles should be excluded from bike paths and footpaths, or regulated for road use under proper licensing and registration.