Out of all this time, there have only been a handful of such news stories come to our attention. It makes me wonder what the real numbers are for people getting hassled and harrassed for their ebikes in Canada and the US. Are the ebikers drawing attention to themselves, in this threads case, that is 100% the case.
Similar case motorcycle/moped that are "ebikes" case
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/cyclists-getting-ticketed-for-no-insurance-blame-confusing-e-bike-legislation-1.5278601
A guy was using a moped as an ebike, not a good idea even if its legal why bother. People seeing a motorcycle on a sidewalk or in a park grabs unwelcomed attention fast.
I know there is another case out of BC, but there is not much that pops up on search for any cases (Spent 15 minutes looking).
The case I am thinking about, is not related to ebikes, but rather a motorized bicycle 80cc. The fuzz saw him abnormally fast and not pedaling on his bicycle with motorzied ki. I think it was on a highway but cant be sure, how fast question remains. The rider got pinched, but how bad, need the news clip. So that pig might have been on the hunt to get quota filled for the day, but dunno the exact circumstances as it relates to speed, goofing off, not pedaling or riding somewhere not good like a highway.
https://www.vancouversun.com/Vancouver+Island+wins+court+battle+over+motorized+bicycle+tickets/6296114/story.html
OK found a dead link, but the snippet gave name, Shawn Gordon Ryan, motorized Schwinn bicycle for an evening ride near Courtenay last summer, he believed he was in full compliance with the law,
Looks like the gasser forums picked up on it.
https://motorbicycling.com/threads/canada-legal-or-illegal.21425/page-3
Judge orders tickets tossed out for motorized bicycle
By Kim Bolan, -Vancouver Sun March 16, 2012
When Shawn Gordon Ryan took his motorized Schwinn bicycle for an evening ride near Courtenay last summer, he believed he was in full compliance with the law.
But Ryan was stopped by an RCMP officer in Royston and ticketed for driving a motor vehicle without a licence and without any insurance.
The problem? Ryan's pedal bike had a gas motor instead of the electric "motor assisted cycles" exempted under the Motor Vehicle Act.
Provincial Court Judicial Justice Hunter Gordon ruled Tuesday the tickets given to Ryan should be tossed because he had mistakenly believed the bike was the type permitted under B.C. road rules. And he had taken steps to check out what those rules are.
"From the evidence in the case I find that Mr. Ryan has established due diligence. He asked those who reasonably might be expected to know, including police officers, if he was operating a motor assisted cycle. They advised him it was a motor assisted cycle," Gordon said.
"To be fair, others who also would be knowledgeable had advised him it was not. This is a grey area of law and even in the administration of the provisions, it is not surprising that he received conflicting advice. Both he and his mother had researched the matter fairly extensively. They mistakenly put too much reliance on what might be acceptable federally under its standards than what is required under provincial law. I find Mr. Ryan made reasonable efforts to learn what this vehicle was or was not. He was mistaken and that mistake led him to believe he was a bicyclist and not a motorcyclist."
Gordon noted that Ryan, then 45, was riding "on a bucolic section of highway 19A in Royston, south of Courtenay. At this time of day on July 19 it was still daylight."
RCMP Staff Sgt. Andrew Isles was driving northbound on the same highway in an unmarked police car about 7: 30 p.m.
"He spotted what he described as a gentleman, about his age (Mr. Ryan was then 45), pedalling a motor assisted bicycle southbound along the shoulder of the highway at a 'higher rate of speed than someone who was pedalling a bicycle' and he did not 'see any leg movements, indicating that the person was not pedalling their bike,'" Gordon said in his ruling. "When he stopped the gentleman, Staff Sgt. Isles could see that the bicycle was a Schwinn Mountain Series bicycle that had a gas motor conversion added to it."
At a hearing in Courtenay last December, Ryan told Gordon about the bike modification - that "he had added to the stock Schwinn 21 gear pedal bicycle a 49 cc gas motor that he had bought over the Internet."
"From pictures of the bicycle entered in evidence, in addition to the drive chain to the rear hub from the sprockets on the shaft of the pedal on the right side of the bicycle, there is a chain drive from a small gas motor attached to the inside of the frame to the rear wheel hub on the left side of the bicycle," Gordon said.
Ryan testified that his bike can't go more than 32 kilometres an hour even with the motor assisting.
Gordon said even though the bike was actually a motor vehicle under the Motor Vehicle Act, "it is the kind of vehicle that could not be insured, even if Mr. Ryan had wanted to. He did inquire and was advised that it could not be insured."
© Copyright (c.) Postmedia News
edit - I edited the highlighted area in the quote, but wanted to add, I bet the fuzz knew it was a motorized bicycle when he first saw it, the motor sticks out quite a bit from the sides. Since when do the cops take pictures at a traffic stop, unless the defendant added it, but then that photo could have been "adjusted" or edited and would not be admissable in court. Who knows. I doubt the cop took pictures on the side of the highway, unless the pig knew it was a grey area, and his case was very light at best, so starting snapping pictures on the side of the highway, again who knows.
Things to learn
Go electric, hide the rear hub behind pannier bags like Sunders ebike.
Pedal, if its fake/ghost pedaling or installing pedal assist, or actually pedaling with no pas and just a throttle.
Dont go too fast
Dont ride on a highway
Royston British Columbia
https://www.google.com/maps/place/Royston,+BC/@49.6452669,-124.949827,2898m/data=!3m1!1e3!4m5!3m4!1s0x54886b3cf540308f:0xd861d03a182c63c1!8m2!3d49.6458193!4d-124.9464183
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