hi who has experience with canadian police and ebike spec issue?

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May 18, 2018
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HI , Iive in canada and here it is said that max power for ebike legally is 500w. usa is 1000W.

NOw that being said,
do the canadian police check this ?
can i have a contravention to pay for this ?
would riding a 1000w deny me acces to bicycle path (piste cyclable)?

thx
 
Short answer is, they will not pull out a watt meter (to measure electrical power input) or a dyno (to measure mechanical power output) out of their pockets, but... If you fly by at 40 mph or if you eBike looks like this, then yes they might stop you...

In USA, I think the legal max is 750W (only a few states are 1000W).
 

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The general consensus is that in most Canadian jurisdictions, police will leave you alone as long as you are not obviously speeding and riding aggressively. I have not heard of any instances of police giving ebike riders a hard time in Canada. Where in Canada do you live? Perhaps those with direct experience ebiking in your area could chime in. Some cities are overpoliced and bored police officers will find things to keep them occupied. I'd be more careful in such places.

Some things in the back of my mind when I ride are what happens if I'm injured in a collision and not at fault. Would being on a overpowered ebike lead to legal problems or problems with insurance claims? Again, I have not heard of such instances, but insurance companies are well known to use any circumstance to their advantage to avoid a payout.

My daily commute is about 15 km each way. I have done this with both 3kW system and 500W system. I only save about 5 min each way with the more powerful ebike owing to need to navigate heavy traffic, many stops etc. I now commute almost exclusively with a (mostly) legal build.
 
lmao, love the pic!
Matador said:
Short answer is, they will not pull out a watt meter (to measure electrical power input) or a dyno (to measure mechanical power output) out of their pockets, but... If you fly by at 40 mph or if you eBike looks like this, then yes they might stop you...

In USA, I think the legal max is 750W (only a few states are 1000W).
 
I live in Ottawa, have been riding my ebike for 10 years. My bike is 'not legal' 3000 watts. I have never been stopped by police. As mentioned you need to be responsible and drive with accordance to laws. Here in Ottawa only the 'moped type ebikes' are banned from the NCC bike path
 
Matador said:
In USA, I think the legal max is 750W (only a few states are 1000W).
Some (like AZ) don't even have a power limit. ;)

But some other states, ebikes are completely illegal. Others they are not bicycles, but are mopeds/etc., and require licensing and registration (and probably insurance).
 
amberwolf said:
Matador said:
In USA, I think the legal max is 750W (only a few states are 1000W).
Some (like AZ) don't even have a power limit. ;)

But some other states, ebikes are completely illegal. Others they are not bicycles, but are mopeds/etc., and require licensing and registration (and probably insurance).

Right. I think there is a US law limiting the power of what you can import and/or sell, but what is actually legal to operate on the road is determined state by state as well as by cities and towns. That can lead to some odd things. For instance Tempe, AZ has e-bike speed limit laws that allow speeds faster than do the state laws. Its anybodies guess which take precedence. You'd think the Tempe Police would go by the city code, but what if you get stopped by a County Official?

Anyway its best to double check for any laws specific to your province, territory and city/town. For instance another AZ city, Scottsdale, does not permit e-bikes on mixed use paths. A Segway is fine though. Go figure. Anyway, as others have said, the second most important thing is to simply ride in a manner generally in keeping with riding a fast bicycle. If you ride like a slow motorcycle or a very fast bicycle, you are probably more likely to attract unwanted attention. I've ridden my e-bike on multi-use paths in Scottsdale and nobody gives me a second glance because I ride at speeds appropriate to the situation on the path.
 
Exactly, be a good ambassador of the cause to promote the most efficient land transportation man has created, and police aren't going to mess with you. OTOH, if you're a menace to other users of multi-use byways, then (and I think most others here will agree), you don't deserve the privilege of owning an ebike. While I ride some of the fastest and most powerful ebikes on the forum, and live where the related laws are quite liberal, I ride in such a safe, courteous, and responsible manner that no one could ever complain...except maybe jealous motorcycle riders that I slaughter on a daily basis.
 
As it happens, I just got pulled over by the RCMP for the first time ever on my ebike. There was an event going on along my commuting route (Cloverdale Rodeo) and some bicycle cop tapped me on the shoulder while I was waiting for a green light. Seems he was not impressed with my decision to swap my helmet for a pair of closed studio headphones.

So I got the lecture about the helmet, and the headphones. He ran my name to make sure I wasn't wanted by the law. Pointed at my battery and asked "Is that a battery?".

I said "yup" and that was the end of the ebike related conversation.

No tickets, he made me stow my headphones (at least until he couldn't see me anymore). And off I went.

They really don't care about the power spec of the bike. Just don't get caught being a dink.
 
markz said:
Helmets are law for adults in BC and an east coast province, probably pei.
Every other province its not law for adults.

Same with headphones. Not allowed when riding a bicycle and that applies to e-bikes as well.

I don't necessarily agree with the law, but I agree with both things as a matter of personal choice. I wear a helmet and won't wear headphones while riding.
 
Helmets for Ontario also. (No mention yet re neck braces or male codpieces...)

Just to clarify, Canada and provincial laws specify 500 watts - pony powered - CONTINUOUS... w/zero mention re any PEAKS. :wink: But see also "faux pedaling". :)
 
In Montreal, helmet law for adults on ebike, since last year. They don’t bother the power of your bike, as long as you do your stops and lights. Cycle path are forbidden to scooters, ebikes must be bicycle style.
 
for usa i found this https://www.electricbike.com/electric-bike-law/
extract:
if you are operating as a moped in California, you DO need a moped license plate.



It can get really confusing, and very seldom does any one place you look have all the information you need. You need to get your information from official state websites or publications. Looking at the wiki for California, it contains a very obvious mistake. Lots of misinformation on sites that try to summarize the laws for you.



Don’t just trust what a person that wants to sell you an e-bike says. There is no substitute for digging up the law in your own state to figure out if what you plan to buy, or have bought is legal for you to ride in your state.



Summarizing the three states we just looked at, the example e-bike is not a “bike” in any of the three states. It’s not a bike in Texas and California because it can motor to 23-MPH. In New Mexico, there simply is no such thing as an electric bicycle.



But it’s pretty easy to limit any e-bikes speed, so the e-bike could be slowed down enough to be legal in any state with a 20-MPH limit. In New Mexico though, nothing will make it a “bike” IF the motor is turned on. With the motor off, nothing prohibited carrying a motor you are not using on a “bike”. What’s the difference? You could pedal legaly on the street, then once off the street, motor happily off road.



In two states, California and New Mexico allow riding as “moped” class. The moped class in both states allows 30-MPH. Both require a drivers license but only California required a motorcycle endorsement for the license. California required a registration, New Mexico does not.
 
want to build said:
HI , Iive in canada and here it is said that max power for ebike legally is 500w. usa is 1000W.

BTW... Believe US Federal law is one "horsepower" as 750 watts. NOT "1000W".
 
There is no USA federal law about ebikes.

Just a CPSC regulation about what can be sold as an ebike.

Lots of discussion about it if interested (search on CPSC)
 
To look at the history of enforcement in Canada (and Quebec), I searched the Canadian court registries (https://www.canlii.org/en/qc/) using key words and came up with very little. Based on past court proceedings, there hasn't been much in the way of enforcement, and I couldn't find anything regarding overpowered DIY builds. This could change as ebikes gain popularity, and certainly, I do not want to be the poster boy in a precedent setting case. Caution is definitely warranted.
 
Regardless of the law, it is the police who does enforce it, or not. If you ride clever, you will not be bothered. If you ride like a criminal they will see you as one, and will enforce all the law they can against you.

I believe this is the same almost everywhere.
 
^^ Watt he said. :wink:
 
I had several encounters with the police here in Calgary.
Rather friendly.
All they want to know about my ebike, lots of questions,
Technical questions,
never any legality issues or something
One time there were break ins , steeling and I just happened to be there.
I avoid pathways on weekends , too busy, I ride industrial areas on weekends.
 
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