e-Bike Safety and Legality

Regardless of where you’re located, we recommend that you visit your e-Bike rental provider or drop in to a bike shop at regular intervals for a bike-check

In addition, some councils also provide periodic bike checks:

• NSW: City of Sydney provides periodic free bike checks which occur at accessible points around the city: see here for more information.
• VIC: City of Darebin hosts regular monthly bike checks: see here for more information
• WA: City of Vincent occasionally hosts ‘Bike Month’ which includes bike checks: keep an eye out here for more information

There are some features that you might notice on an e-Bike which may indicate that it is not compliant with local laws. These include:

• Push or twist throttles visible on the handlebars
• Footrests which indicate that pedalling is not required
• The e-Bike maintaining or gaining speed without the rider pedalling
• The e-Bike looks heavier or the rider is in a chair-like seated position (close to a moped)
• The e-Bike accelerates extremely fast, particularly up hills

Riders using a non-compliant e-Bike risk being the subject of police fines.

Additionally, a non-compliant e-Bike may be classified as an illegal motorbike. This means that a rider may be issued with police fines for riding an unregistered motorbike, riding without a motorbike license, and/or riding without an appropriate motorbike helmet.

No, e-Bikes do not need to be registered in any states or territories of Australia.

Riders are not required to obtain a licence to ride an e-Bike

What are the key differences between riding a normal bicycle and riding an e-Bike?

e-Bikes look different to normal bikes

The key difference is the addition of an electrical motor on an e-Bike. The addition of this motor is used to assist the rider in pedalling and propelling the bike forward. Besides this, both types of bikes are generally equipped with similar wheels, handlebars, pedals, brakes and mechanical functions.

You must make sure your e-Bike is compliant

You do not need a driver’s licence or registration to ride an e-Bike or a normal bicycle.

However as an e-Bike rider, there are a set of standards and requirements that your e-bike must meet to be compliant. Check the fact sheets in the page above for more info on how to check if your e-bike is compliant

Specific safety concerns for e-Bikes

When you ride an e-Bike for the first time, you will notice one big difference: acceleration. e-bike motors are designed to deliver their power to get you up to speed (25km/h) as efficiently as possible. When riding an e-Bike we recommend that you:

1. Be careful when first taking off. An e-Bike will accelerate faster than a standard bike.
2. Choose a lower power setting until you feel safe on your bike.
3. Do not accelerate too quickly especially if the road or path is slippery, or has sharp corners.

Service your bike every 4-6 months

Both a normal bicycle and e-Bike should be serviced at least every 4-6 months, and even more frequently if you ride more than 100kms a week (which is the case for many food delivery riders)

The same road rules apply to e-Bikes

When riding an e-Bike, the safety guidelines and road rules for riding a normal bicycle apply. It is your responsibility to obey local road laws, and for your safety and the safety of pedestrians around you, only ride where allowed by local law.

We encourage you to check out the series of videos we’ve made outlining how you can stay safe while delivering food on a bike, along with the bike road rules that apply in your local state or territory on this page.

Non-compliant e-Bikes can go at speeds much greater than the 25km/h maximum. This causes a number of safety concerns, including:

• Illegal modifications (eg. to the motor) create excessive amounts of power and speech which may subject several components of the e-Bike (eg. chains, brakes and handlebars) to significant stress which increases the risk of technical malfunctions and compromises the safety of the e-Bike, rider and road-users.
• Many e-Bikes don’t have brakes which are designed for stopping effectively at high speeds
• Riding at excessively high speeds also places the rider and other road-users at risk of serious injury

• e-Bikes should be professionally serviced at least every 4-6 months and even more frequently if you ride more than 100kms a week (which is the case for many food delivery riders).
• e-Bikes with any noises, rattles or malfunctioning electric systems should be checked ASAP. You need to become attuned to the regular patterns and feeling of your e-Bike and if there are any meaningful changes you should schedule a bike check
• If you rent your e-Bike, the rental provider should be your first and best choice of contact.
• Otherwise, our preferred e-Bike partner Zoomo and other bike chains (e.g. 99 Bikes and other smaller stores) can perform bike-checks and make sure that your e-Bike is regularly serviced to the proper standard

• Always wear a helmet that meets at least the minimum requirements (see here). Note that many e-Bike riders will even use scooter/motorcycle helmets
• High-visibility clothing (e.g. fluro vests, tracksuit pants, extra lights).
• Wet-weather-appropriate clothing (e.g. cold weather jacket, grip gloves to prevent handlebar slipping)
• Water
• Sunscreen
• Identification
• Medication (if applicable)
• Small calorie-dense foods to keep you going