Legal defination and status

The legal definition and status of motorized bicycles varies by jurisdiction. Legal terms for motorized bicycles include "Power Assisted Bicycle (PAB)" (Canada), MOPED, "Electrically assisted pedal cycle (EAPC)" (United Kingdom), or (commonly) "electric bicycle", frequently abbreviated as "ebike". In comparison some custom designs of electric bike have a range of up to 40 miles (64 km) and a maximum speed of +55 mph (89 km/h).

While generally not known it is possible to register a Cyclemotor or motorized bike for legal use on the UK's roads.If the machine is from a known manufacturer such as Rudge or Francis-Barnett this is a fairly simple procedure.It becomes much more complicated if this is not the case with current law requiring an SVA (Single Vehicle Approval) test for each individual machine.

In the United States low-speed electric bicycles (top speed under 20 mph and under 50 cc's or in the case of electric models 750 watts) are not considered motor vehicles by the federal government and are subject to the same consumer safety laws as unassisted bicycles. Their legality on public roads is under state jurisdiction, and varies; see the main Electric bicycle laws article for details on the law in individual states.

Eight provinces of Canada allow electric power assisted bicycles. The province of Ontario introduced a three-year trial ending October 2009 for these bicycles. In seven of the eight provinces, e-bikes are limited to 500W output, and cannot travel faster than 32 km/h (20 mph) on motor power alone on level ground. In Alberta the maximum output is 750W, and the max speed is 35 km/h. Age restrictions vary in Canada. All require an approved helmet. Some versions (e.g., if capable of operating without pedalling) of e-bikes require drivers' licenses in some provinces and have age restrictions. Vehicle licenses and liability insurance are not required. E-bikes are required to follow the same traffic regulations as regular bicycles. The rules for bicycles assisted by a gasoline motor or other fuel are not included in the regulations government e bikes. These are classified as motor cycles regardless of the power output of the motor and maximum attainable speed.

Generally they are considered vehicles (like motorcycles and pedal cycles), so are subject to the same rules of the road. In a few jurisdictions, motorized bicycles must be licensed and display vehicle registration plates. Regulations may define maximum power output and for electric bikes may or may not require an interlock to prevent use of power when the rider is not pedalling. In some cases regulatory requirements have been complicated by lobbying in respect of the Segway HT.

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia