Los Angeles Weighs Sales Ban: When an E-Bike Counts as a Motorcycle

• The city council unanimously adopted a review motion on 25 August 2026, with recommendations due within 90 days.
• Among the items under review are sales bans on unregistered e-motos and a ban on converting e-bikes.
• Models such as the Sur-Ron and Talaria have officially counted as electric off-highway motorcycles in California since 1 January 2026.

More and more lightweight electric two-wheelers are on the streets of Los Angeles that look like bicycles but are as fast as motorcycles. Many of them are advertised as e-bikes and end up with teenagers. The city now wants to change that and has instructed several agencies to draw up proposals for stricter rules. A great deal is on the table, up to and including sales bans. So far, however, nothing has been banned. The decision is a request for a report, and the proposals will still have to go through the usual political process later on.

What has the Los Angeles city council decided?

On Tuesday, 25 August 2026, the Los Angeles city council unanimously passed a motion on regulating e-bikes, e-motos and electric mopeds. There was no debate on it.

The motion was introduced by three council members, Heather Hutt, John Lee and Traci Park. Several bodies have been tasked with the work: the city transportation department, the Los Angeles Bicycle Advisory Committee, the city attorneys, the Los Angeles Police Department, the Bureau of Street Services and the transit authority LA Metro. Within 90 days they are to set out how these vehicles can be regulated.

In addition, the council has required the Los Angeles Police Commission to publish annual data on crashes, injuries and deaths involving e-bikes, e-motos and electric mopeds. The data is meant to be detailed enough for policymakers to adjust course if needed.

Which bans is Los Angeles examining for e-motos?

The report is to cover six points, including three possible sales and conversion bans. At its core, the aim is that only vehicles meeting all legal requirements may be sold.

In detail, the list contains the following points:

• All e-bikes, e-motos and electric mopeds in the city must meet the legal standards.
• The sale and resale of vehicles that do not meet those standards is prohibited.
• Converting an e-bike to a higher class, or into an e-moto or electric moped, is prohibited.
• Selling e-motos or electric mopeds that are not street legal out of the box, or that may only legally be ridden with an M1 motorcycle licence, is prohibited.
• Riders under 18 or without a licence must complete a training course.
• Rules apply to storing and charging the vehicles in order to avoid hazardous waste and battery fires.

City analysts are also to examine whether Los Angeles should support any of the nine bills still pending at California state level on e-bikes, e-motos and similar vehicles.

Why are the authorities cracking down on e-motos?

The reason is a clear rise in crashes involving electric mopeds and electric motorcycles in Los Angeles and the rest of Southern California. According to the motion, local authorities are reporting considerably more serious injuries such as head injuries and broken bones, above all among underage riders.

The three council members are not calling e-bikes into question as such. In the motion they explicitly acknowledge their benefits: riding is good for the cardiovascular system, cuts commuting costs and is easier on the environment. They see the problem with a different group of vehicles. The motion says: “Electric motos and mopeds, on the other hand, are not street legal out of the box. They are marketed to teens and parents of teens as a fun, efficient way to get around, but they often lack the required elements to make them legal, such as turn signals, proper lights and license plates. Additionally, they require that riders have a M1 (motorcycle) license, which is not disclosed to those purchasing them. Nearly all reported crashes are from illegal devices, not legal e-bikes.”

The vehicles affected are above all lightweight electric dirt bikes from manufacturers such as Sur-Ron, Talaria and E Ride Pro. They are fast, powerful and very popular with young riders. That places them squarely in the grey area between bicycle and motorcycle that is currently occupying many legislators in the United States.

What is the difference between an e-bike and an e-moto in California?

In California, an e-bike has working pedals and an electric motor of less than 750 watts, which corresponds to roughly 1.0 hp (0.75 kW). Anything significantly more powerful, or without pedals, is legally no longer a bicycle.

The three e-bike classes

California divides e-bikes into three classes. Class 1 assists only while pedalling and only up to 20 mph (around 32 km/h). Class 2 additionally has a throttle but is likewise limited to 20 mph. Class 3 again assists only while pedalling, but up to 28 mph (around 45 km/h).

Classes 1 and 2 may generally be ridden on bike paths. Class 3 is mostly restricted to the road, and riders must be at least 16 years old. On a class 3 bike everyone must wear a helmet; on classes 1 and 2 that applies to everyone under 18.

Where e-motos such as the Sur-Ron and Talaria stand legally

Since 1 January 2026 California has had its own definition for these vehicles. The basis is SB 586 by Senator Brian W. Jones, which Governor Gavin Newsom signed on 10 October 2025. It defines the electric off-highway motorcycle by six characteristics: it is built by the manufacturer for use away from the road, has an electric motor without an engine number, handlebars, a seat, two wheels and no pedals from the factory.

In an information sheet for law enforcement, California’s off-highway vehicle agency explicitly names manufacturers such as Sur-Ron, Talaria, Ventus, E Ride Pro, Stacyc and Stark Future. According to the sheet, these vehicles are often wrongly described as e-bikes and advertised that way by dealers. Yet they meet neither the definition of an e-bike nor that of a moped. In California a moped may have at most around 4.1 hp (3 kW) and must not exceed 30 mph (around 48 km/h).

A comparison table from the agency shows how wide the gap is. The Sur-Ron Light Bee X reaches 47 mph (around 76 km/h) and a peak output of 8.2 hp (6 kW). The Sur-Ron Storm Bee manages 68 mph (around 109 km/h) and 30.6 hp (22.5 kW). The Talaria Sting MX4 does 53 mph (around 85 km/h) with 10.9 hp (8 kW), and the E Ride Pro-S 50 mph (around 80 km/h) with 8.2 hp (6 kW).

Retrofitted pedals make no difference, because the motors are far above the 750-watt limit. According to the agency, converting them into road vehicles is not possible either. Vehicles built for off-road use cannot subsequently be registered for the road unless the manufacturer built them for both from the outset.

Where may e-motos be ridden in California?

E-motos such as the Sur-Ron or Talaria may only be ridden in designated off-highway areas or on private property in California. They are banned on roads, pavements, bike paths and bike lanes.

For off-highway areas they need identification from the DMV registration authority. Depending on the manufacturer that is a green or red sticker, the so-called Green Sticker or Red Sticker. Only those riding exclusively on private land with the owner’s permission need no identification. Among the legal locations, the agency lists California’s state off-highway parks as well as approved federal land.

What penalties apply to e-motos on the road?

Anyone riding an e-moto on the road can be cited for an unregistered vehicle and for riding without a motorcycle licence. Since the start of 2026, police can also have such vehicles towed.

That is made possible by AB 875. It allows police to remove vehicles with fewer than four wheels that are not e-bikes, that can exceed 20 mph on motor power alone and that are ridden by somebody without the appropriate licence. This also applies to class 3 e-bikes if the rider is under 16. The authorities can then make release conditional on the rider proving that they have taken a safety course.

Parents bear responsibility too. Under the agency’s information sheet, a parent who knowingly allows their child to ride an e-moto on the road can be cited themselves. For e-bike violations, fines since 2026 can go either to the underage rider or to the parents, depending on the case. Minors caught without a helmet can clear the fine by taking a safety course recognised by the Highway Patrol.

Sales are strictly regulated as it is. Since SB 1271 was passed in 2024, it has been a criminal offence in California to advertise, sell or label an electric off-highway motorcycle as an e-bike. That also covers vehicles the manufacturer designs so that they can be made to exceed 20 mph on motor power alone or 750 watts.

What further laws are planned in California?

Nine bills concerning e-bikes and e-motos are currently pending in California. They tackle the issue from different angles.

SB 1167 by Senator Catherine Blakespear targets the manufacturers. According to reports from June 2026, it was with the governor for signature at that point. It would prohibit describing products above the 750-watt limit as an e-bike or electric bicycle, whether online or in store. Blakespear argues that more powerful and faster electric motorcycles are being marketed as e-bikes and that this is dangerous for children and adults alike. Buyers should be able to see clearly whether they are buying an e-bike with fixed limits on power and speed, or something else. E-motos could still be sold, but without the e-bike label. Anyone riding one on the road needs a licence, registration and insurance.

Another bill, AB 1942, sought to introduce registration with number plates for most e-bikes. According to Streetsblog it is stuck in committee. The cyclists’ organisation CalBike is calling for a focus on misleading advertising and the illegal use of e-motos instead of creating hurdles for legal e-bikes. California’s attorney general has also warned consumers about falsely advertised e-motos.

Los Angeles itself already acted in May 2026. At that point the city council instructed the city attorneys to draft an ordinance banning e-bikes from bike paths as well as bridle and hiking trails. The basis for this is AB 1909, also known as the OmniBike Bill. Assembly member Laura Friedman introduced it in 2022 and it has been in force since 1 January 2024. It allows municipalities to exclude e-bikes entirely, or individual classes, from certain paths.

Which other US states are cracking down on e-motos?

Los Angeles is not an isolated case. Several states, and Congress in Washington, are working in 2026 on rules intended to draw a clearer line between e-bikes and e-motos.

On 19 January 2026 New Jersey passed a law making almost every bicycle with an electric motor subject to registration. Riders need a licence and must carry both licence and registration. Critics such as the advocacy group PeopleForBikes object that the law hits legal e-bikes while faster vehicles such as electric mopeds and electric motorcycles are left without additional rules.

The state of Washington has taken a different route with SB 6110, in force since 11 June 2026. It keeps the three classes and sets the 750-watt limit. Anything more powerful or faster counts as an electric motorcycle. Also excluded are vehicles the manufacturer builds so that they can easily be set beyond those limits via a switch, software or an app.

In New York, Senator Kristen Gonzalez and Assembly member Diana Moreno introduced bill S.10700 in September 2026. It would ban the sale of e-motos in the state. Electric off-highway motorcycles could only be sold by licensed ATV dealers, and dealers would have to point out that the vehicles are not permitted on New York streets. Violations would carry fines of up to 250 US dollars (around 220 euros) for a first offence and up to 1,000 US dollars (around 875 euros) for each subsequent one. One trigger was a crash on the Queensboro Bridge in May in which two people died after an e-moto hit a bicycle.

In July 2026 Hawaii signed a law defining e-motos and banning them in certain places. At federal level, a bipartisan group of representatives introduced the Safe SPEEDS Act in March 2026. It is intended to establish a nationwide class system for e-bikes and to prohibit marketing e-motos as e-bikes.

What happens next in Los Angeles?

Next, the agencies that were tasked with the work have to submit their recommendations; the deadline is 90 days from the decision of 25 August 2026. Only then will the city council decide which rules actually arrive.

Electric dirt bikes from Sur-Ron, Talaria or E Ride Pro are therefore not banned in Los Angeles. On the road, though, they were not permitted in California before this either. What is new about the city’s plans is that they start with the point of sale. Anyone offering a vehicle that can only be ridden legally with a motorcycle licence, or that is not street legal out of the box, could in future be barred from selling it in Los Angeles. For the growing market in lightweight electric off-roaders, that would be another step towards clear boundaries between bicycle and motorcycle.

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