E-bike or e-motorcycle? WDM warns parents about high speeds
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An electric motorcycle model. Photo: Magnus Andersson/TT News Agency/AFP via Getty Images
The next time an electric bike zooms past — know that it may not be an e-bike at all.
Why it matters: Parents in the Des Moines metro are unknowingly buying their kids electric motorcycles, which can move at 30-60 miles per hour, says Ryan Penning, director of West Des Moines Parks and Recreation.
- West Des Moines city officials want to educate families on the difference between e-bikes and "e-motos" to improve trail and park safety.
- E-bikes typically travel at 20-28 mph, but e-moto speeds (electric versions of motorcycles) can go up to 65 mph.
How it started: The city received complaints this summer about teenagers using e-motos in between Western Hills Elementary and a nearby park, essentially creating their own "dirt track," Penning says.
- Other complaints include a person who was knocked over on a trail by a "reckless" e-moto rider who sped up in a blind curve, said Bobby Kennedy, who works for the Street Collective and sits on WDM's bicycle advisory commission.
- The issue spans across the whole metro, but Kennedy says WDM hopes to help model best practices that other cities can emulate.
- "We get lots of people who don't realize that they bought one of these things and that they're significantly different from a normal bike," Kennedy says.
How it works: Most retailers in town sell traditional low-speed e-bikes, which are allowed on local trails and require pedaling to move forward.
- But unaware online consumers searching for e-bikes are accidentally purchasing weightier high-powered e-motos, often from direct-to-consumer overseas sellers.
- This is a problem especially for parents wanting to buy e-bikes for their kids, because heavy e-motos can easily overwhelm a young person's ability to control them, Kennedy says.
- Some even have fake pedals and move forward with a throttle, which can lower a child's reaction time when slowing or stopping.
Zoom in: Iowa code allows e-bikes to have a motor up to 750 watts, producing speeds up to 20 mph or 28 mph, and be equipped with a speedometer.
- Meanwhile, e-moto riders are supposed to remain on the streets and be licensed to operate the vehicle.
What they're saying: Penning says the city doesn't want to accidentally restrict traditional e-bike users by instituting bans. Residents have shared stories about e-bike benefits, including a cancer survivor with mobility issues and kids whose parents can't drive them to school.
- Regulation and speed limits would also be difficult, he says, because multiple municipalities share the trails.
What's next: The city's bicycle advisory commission and the Street Collective say they are planning on launching an education campaign.
- "We don't want to make a knee-jerk reaction," Penning says.
Go deeper: Differences between e-bikes and e-motos