Understanding Maine's Ebike Regulations For Safe Riding

Have you noticed these little bikes popping up everywhere lately?

The quiet ones, that at one point you thought it looked like they belong in the future but then realize, the future is now… well, Maine police are reminding people there’s actual laws surrounding e-bikes in Maine you must follow.

Not to mention the motorized bikes and the rules for both, are not the same!

Rockland Police Department recently published a reminder for all motorbike riders to check out.

Police say one of the most common misconceptions is that not every motorized bike is an e-bike. If there are no pedals, it doesn't qualify as one.

A few other highlights are as follows:

E-bikes must be 750 watts or less.
Age matters. Riders under 16 are only allowed to ride Class 1 e-bikes, up to 20mph
Mopeds and scooters have different rules. If there’s no pedals, you need a drivers license, or registration, or insurances, and you can’t ride it on sidewalks.

Maybe it's gas prices or it could just be convenience? Maybe it's because the weather is finally nice or maybe we're all just one tank of gas away from becoming e-bike owners.

The thing that gets me is how fast some of them are.

You'll be sitting at a stop sign and suddenly a guy in flip flops and quickly passes you at the speed of a very determined squirrel.

No engine noise. No warning. Just gone.

But then, there are the bikes with the loud motors. Don't even get me started on those.

I actually had a neighbor years ago who rode one of these things everywhere. They would work in there garage making them and in the middle of the night, they would open it up and everyone was awake.

Maybe e-bikes are better because of the silence or because they are helping the environment?

What's your take? Are e-bikes the future?

Or like me, are you still trying to figure out if it's a bicycle, a motorcycle, or some mysterious third category someone invented to keep us guessing?