The O’Shannassy Aqueduct Trail fire caused by an e-motorbike sent fear throughout Warburton as the community braced for the one of the state’s worst fire risk days on Friday.
It also sparked up the longstanding conflict between those who think e-bikes are fine, and those who see them as a threat to Warburton.
It’s no secret that the topic of e-bikes riles up a portion of people in Warburton as one group defends the bikes while the other vehemently denounces them.
But, I believe both groups share a common frustration – the e-motorbike.
After I published the article on the fire, people have questioned my use of the term “modified e-motorbike”.
But there’s a vital difference between regular e-bikes and modified e-motorbikes, and it’s the latter that both sides of the coin are angry at.
An e-bike is an electric bicycle. It’s simply a regular bike with pedals, but an electrical motor assists with pedalling.
These bikes generally have 250 watt motors and only offer assistance up to 25 km/h.
They’re expensive to buy, because its manufacturing meets safety standards to ensure it doesn’t blow up. Just like any other electrical appliance.
These are what you see riding along the Warburton Bike Park trails.
But, an e-motorbike holds an entirely different level of power.
They’re classed as road vehicles like petrol powered motorbikes, cars and trucks. But, they’re powered by electricity.
Motors ranging from 700-3000 watts power these e-motorbikes.
These bikes go fast (often up to 60-70km/h), riders must be licensed, the bike must be registered. They must be used on roads alongside other vehicles like a regular motorbike would.
As soon as these bikes are on trails or paths, it’s illegal.
While there are some legitimate manufacturers of e-motorbikes, too many of them fail to meet safety standards, resulting in the fire risk commonly associated with them.
Still confused? Think of it like this:
E-bikes have a 25 km/h cap and are mainly powered by pedalling.
E-motorbikes are mainly powered by a throttle and can reach high speeds.
I spoke with Yarra Ranges Mountain Bikers (YRMTB) president Andrew Howieson who explained why e-motorbikes are causing a problem across the country.
Mr Howieson said companies selling e-motorbikes are cashing in on a lack of knowledge surrounding the difference between the two. They’re selling e-motorbikes as e-bikes and that’s primarily why they’re so prolific.
“But unfortunately, it comes down to these people that are selling them. I’d wager that they know they’re doing the wrong thing, technically, ethically, but there’s this legal loophole that allows them to do it and make a lot of money at the expense of a lot of other people.”
On the other hand, there’s conversion kits, which enable people to override an e-bike’s power limits.
“People are buying these conversion kits. That’s like skipping the electrician and wiring up the house yourself,” he said.
“If you want an e-bike go to a bike shop and speak to someone that rides bikes. Yes, they’re not cheap, but they’re not cheap for a reason. They’re safe, they pass all the legal laws.”
“As soon as you go online and buy one of these cheap nasty things, it’s gonna cause issues.”
E-motorbikes are a “wolf in sheep’s clothing”, Mr Howieson said, as they can look incredibly similar to an e-bike and sometimes even have defunct pedals still attached.
So why are people so riled up about e-bikes?
It’s because there’s no consistency in the terminology being used. A company selling high-powered e-motorbikes as e-bikes is an example.
The media too has failed to use the right terminology. This is partly the reason why I feel responsible to make sure I’m using the right term.
Anti-tourist sentiment has also fuelled the hate towards e-bikes, but Mr Howieson said visitors to Warburton aren’t riding e-motorbikes.
“I’ve never seen a tourist ride anything like this before. I see a lot of tourists coming to town and renting legitimate e-bikes from Ride Time and having a good time.”
“People aren’t buying them to go mountain biking. They’re buying them to commute and zip around on them and whatever.”
“The mountain bike community has been very, very consistent and staunchly against these bikes for a good reason. We’ve always said they’re not welcome on our trails. We don’t support them.”
What’s the solution? Mr Howieson reckons e-motorbikes should be outright banned, and encourages people to call for stronger regulations around e-motorbikes, rather than blaming legitimate and safe e-bikes.
