Belleville Police – Know The Difference Between a E-Bike and Electric Motorcycle

Pete Fisher
10 hours ago
• Categories: Police Blotter

Total calls for service – Belleville Police responded to 63 calls for service over a 24-hour period beginning at 5:00 am on October 16, 2024 to 5:00 am on October 17, 2024.

Electric motorcycle driver charged

The owner of an electric motorcycle – not an e-bike – was charged with a number of offences following a traffic stop, Wednesday afternoon.

An officer with the Belleville Police Service Traffic Unit pulled over the driver of the electric motorcycle on Church Street after he was spotted running a red light around 2:30 p.m.

The vehicle was determined to be unsafe to drive.

The 37-year-old Belleville man operating the vehicle was charged with the following offences under the Highway Traffic Act and the Compulsory Automobile Insurance Act:

· Drive Motorcycle no licence;

· Drive vehicle with not licence plates;

· Drive vehicle with no insurance;

· Failing to stop at a red light.

The driver was issued a November 18, 2024 date in Traffic Court to face the charges.

Police would like to remind the public that an e-bike operates under specific regulations, listed below.

If it exceeds the speed or specific criteria for an e-bike, it is considered a motorcycle under the Highway Traffic Act and subject to additional licensing and regulations.

Additional information about e-bikes

A power-assisted bicycle, also called an electric bicycle or e-bike, is a bicycle with an electric motor that has:

· a handlebar for steering

· working pedals

· two or three wheels

· an electric motor

· braking systems

E-bikes must meet certain requirements to be legally operated on roads in Ontario. This includes weight and speed limits.

When riding an e-bike, you must:

· be 16 or older

· wear an approved bicycle or motorcycle helmet

· keep your e-bike in good working order

· follow the same rules of the road as other cyclists

To operate an e-bike in Ontario, the e-bike must have:

· a maximum assisted speed of 32 km/h

· a maximum weight of 120 kg (includes the weight of the bike and battery)

· an electric motor not exceeding 500 watts

· no modifications to the motor to allow it to exceed a power output greater than 500 watts and an assisted speed greater than 32 km/h

· battery and electric motor securely fastened to the bicycle frame to prevent them from moving while the e-bike is operating

· all electrical terminals properly insulated

· minimum wheel width of 35 mm and minimum diameter of 350 mm

· two independent braking systems that applies force to each wheel and is capable of bringing the e-bike, while being operated at a speed of 30 km/h, to a full stop within 9 metres, on a level asphalt surface, from the point at which the brakes were applied

· Removing the pedals makes the e-bike a motor vehicle, which requires a licence, insurance and registration to operate. It is also illegal to modify your e-bike’s electric motor to make it more powerful or to increase the assisted speed of the bike.

For more information, visit: https://www.ontario.ca/page/riding-e-bike#section-2