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E-bikes have become a common sight on Hawaii roads, and by March 2023 there were 5,300 registered electric bikes. The actual number is probably much higher since many owners don’t register their e-bikes, especially if bought online.

E-bikes are categorized into three broad classes: Class 1 e-bikes are limited to 20 mph and only work when the rider pedals. (Some small e-bikes have a top speed of less than 16 mph.) Class 2 e-bikes are also limited to 20 mph but have a throttle. Class 3 e-bikes are the most common and can travel up to 28 mph.

Most full-size e-bikes have electric motors ranging from 250 watts to 750 watts. An e-bike with a 350-watt motor will have a top speed of 25 mph and be powerful enough for most hills. E-bikes in Hawaii are allowed on most bike paths.

Typical e-bikes are no more dangerous than regular bicycles unless they are motorcycles masquerading as e-bikes. These e-bike motorcycles (really e-motorcycles) are becoming the rage in Hawaii and elsewhere.

While supposedly designed to be ridden off-road, they are common on city streets. Typically ridden by adolescents between 12 and 17, the bikes are often ridden at 40-50 mph. Some are even ridden on sidewalks.

I’ve seen adolescents trying to impress a girlfriend by riding on a roadway at 45-plus mph while weaving across lanes to escalate the thrill. I’ve also seen riders doing “wheelies” (riding on only one wheel) for miles along major roads like the Kalanianaole Highway.

These cyclists are a menace to themselves and to the drivers who must look out for them. A driver who kills or injures a child riding one of these bikes will live with the trauma for the rest of their lives, even if it wasn’t their fault. They may also face civil litigation around the accident.

Reaching Top Speeds

The sheer power and speed of these e-motorcycles are impressive. High Power Cycles Revolution X can travel 60-plus mph with an 8,000-watt motor. The popular Talaria Sting can reach a top speed of 68 mph with an 11,000-watt motor.

The top speed of the Surron Storm Bee is almost 70 mph, powered by a 22,500-watt motor (64 times greater than a standard 350-watt e-bike). These e-motorcycles don’t come cheap, with price tags ranging from $3,500 to $18,000.

E-motorcycle companies are covering their behinds while circumventing the law by calling these motorcycles dirt e-bikes and warning that they should only be ridden off-road. Some companies also cover themselves by including superfluous pedals and a switchable restrictor that can temporarily make it a legal Class 2 or 3 e-bike.

Based on an honor system, the rider can unlock the top-speed restrictor (an easy process) on the promise that the bike won’t be ridden in bike lanes and only on private property.

These warnings are ridiculous since people who purchase e-motorcycles buy them for their speed. Moreover, the target audience is adolescents who often have more hormones than common sense and a deluded sense of their invincibility.

Plus, no sane person would ride on mountain bike trails at 50 mph. Despite claims to the contrary, e-motorcycles were meant to be ridden fast on public roadways, and it is only a matter of time before the companies are sued for selling a dangerous product targeted at adolescents.

Hawaii law defines an e-bike as a “low-speed electric bicycle” whose assisted maximum speed is less than 20 mph. By Hawaii law, persons 15 years and older can operate an electric bicycle if it is registered to an adult member of the household.

Helmets are required for anyone under the age of 16. This is clearly not happening since children are riding e-motorcycles at 50 mph on city streets without helmets. 

To close the loophole, any e-bike with a top speed of more than 30 mph should be treated similarly to a moped that requires operators to have a valid driver’s license. Like mopeds, they should not be permitted on city streets unless they are registered and safety-inspected.

Hawaii needs to close the loophole that lets these dangerous toys fall into the hands of adolescents ill-prepared to manage them responsibly. The law is clear about forbidding minors to own firearms, and most parents would not buy their children a handgun.

The same logic should apply to a dangerous e-motorcycle that can go from 0–60 mph in 4 seconds or less.