QLD e-Bike Laws

The bikes we sell at Antidote Bikes are classed as electric bikes or  e-bikes because they use a motor to give you a boost while you ride. That's handy and why we like to think of them as the antidote to a sweaty commute or hill climb. 

You’re allowed to ride an e-bike on all roads and paths in Queensland unless there’s a sign saying bikes aren’t allowed. Just like any other road user, you have both rights and responsibilities when you ride and it's important that you know what you're doing before you hit the streets on your new bike. Make sure you buy the bike thats right for you. We sell both road legal and offroad e-bikes.

You’ll need to follow all the usual bike and road rules, but the good news is you don’t need a licence, registration, or third-party insurance to ride an e-bike.

How E-Bikes Work

E-bikes help you out while you pedal. The motor gives you a bit of extra power—great for hills or windy days.

Some people believe a throttle is not legal but if you’re going 6km/h or slower, it is completely legal to use a throttle to power the bike instead of pedalling (handy for starting off).. Once you’re going faster than 6km/h, you have to pedal for the motor to keep you moving.

Once you hit 25km/h, the motor must stop helping Now it’s up to you and your legs amd you can travel as fast as local speed limits permit, or just keep cruising along at 25km/h. 

What Powers an E-Bike

To be road-legal in Queensland, your e-bike must:

• Have an electric motor that puts out no more than 200 watts (if it is not powered  by the pedals) or
• Be a pedal-assisted e-bike with up to 250 watts of power, where the motor cuts off at 25km/h. 

Your bike isn’t allowed on public roads if it doesn't meet these requirements and should be used for off road use only. 

My dual motor beast eats up the trails and was built for the offroad use, so I have no problem with this. That's why we say, buy the bike that's right for you and your circumstances. 

If you want to ride your hogh powered offroad e-bike on the streets, that's on you and we can't stop you doing that. Just as long as you know you could face a fine if you're caught. 

You should also know that police tend to target young kids on e-bikes, mainly when they spot  reckless riding that could endanger others on the roads.  So if you are buying a bike for your son or daughter, maybe reconsider anything too high powered or limit them to the types of places you would be happy for them to ride a dirt bike

Some examples of what could get you in trouble with the law are:

1.) Riding an e-bike on the road and allowing the motor to propel you at speeds over 25km/h

2.) Riding an e-bike on the road using only the throttle to reach speeds in excess of 6km/h

3.) Letting your kids under 16 take your beast out for a blat with their mates.

Our bikes can help you stick to the first 2 rules above but the 3rd I'm going to leave to the parents. 

So be sensible, stay safe and  try not to give all e-bikers a bad name. That way we can continue to lobby the government to see a bit more reason and relax the laws a little. Let's face it, electric power is going to be sticking aroumd a while and 250W may be enough for a young child or someone's gran but is not getting me up a steep hill at any great pace