Re: "eMotos"

[Pete van Nuys]

Serge and all, howdy.

Grandfather in existing Class 2 as bicycles:  
1.) No grandfathering. Too cumbersome and costly for too few-- compared to zillions of old cars under new CARB standards-- to be practical.
2.) It's not really a problem for riders 16+, they'll just need to get a license or endorsement from DMV. 
3.) It will be a problem for the parents of kids under 16, who will need to deal with the whatever police action-- if any-- their kids bring home. 
Because, let's face it, the law will be largely ignored. In time it will de facto sunset itself.
But after passage, kid riders on new bikes will be safer-- way safer-- cause most of em are not fit enough to pedal that thing up to 20. 
And they'll have to learn how to PEDAL their wheelies. Since most of em are too lazy to do that, life will be better for everyone. 
[sounds of birdies tweeting...]

On 12/1/2025 11:58 AM, Serge Issakov wrote:

Wouldn’t there have to be a provision to grandfather in the existing class 2 e-bikes out there?  We can’t make them suddenly illegal just like we can’t outlaw the unsafe gross-polluting cars of the past. 

On Mon, Dec 1, 2025 at 9:58 AM William Sellin <wase...@gmail.com> wrote:

Lots of national coverage now on electric motor vehicles sold ‘posing' as electric bicycles…and the crash and injury rates that have resulted…

We can’t just wait for the ‘study’ or carve out local ‘test cases’ and local counties and cities writing all kinds of local ordinances 

impacting Californians’ rights to travel as they cross city boundaries...

 

If Class 2 electric bicycles were NOT codified in the CVC as BICYCLES, they would automatically and obviously be "MOTORIZED BICYCLES" and require a driver's license, DMV Moped registration, VIN and have a 30 mph speed limit under CVC 406. 

ALL the "eMotos” (and no - we don't need to start using another undefined name!) that now are sold falsely as "eBikes” 

would clearly be at least Mopeds under CVC 406. 

If they go over 30 mph they would be MOTORCYCLES under CVC 400 & 405, with or without pedals...

If they are not street legal, they are clearly  off highway dirt bikes under CVC 436.  

(Yes that means any throttle electric mountain bikes, or those that exceed the Class 3 pedal assist speed & power limits, 

could NOT be legally driven to a trail head on any public street or bike path)

ONE CHANGE TO OUR VEHICLE CODE - just delete the Class 2 from the CVC 312.5 - would make a world of difference.

NO able bodied child NEEDS a throttle. 

"People for [selling] Bikes" is an industry marketing front - pushing unsafe throttles to unsuspecting people for profit, not health nor safety. 

CalBike knows where there funding comes from so they want to carve out "eMotos" from "eBikes" instead of fixing the problem: Let ADULTS drive motorized bicycles with all the obvious benefits, but under the common and existing laws for Mopeds and Motorcycles. 

Could CABO find a sponsor to simply DELETE the Class 2 Electric Bicycle from CVC 312.5?

 

Bill Sellin 
714.943.3678
WASe...@gmail.com

Infrastructure Review Committee

“Complete Streets Expert" 

OCBike.org

Area Liaison to Caltrans District 12

CABOBike.org

League of American Bicyclists
Certified Bicycle Advocate

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