California is moving to cut off the last easy path for turning an electric bicycle into a de facto motorcycle, tightening rules on power, speed and batteries just as e-bike use explodes on city streets. Lawmakers are now layering a new crackdown on high powered models and illegal modifications on top of a sweeping 2026 safety package, aiming to keep vulnerable riders, especially kids, out of the trauma ward.
The result is a fast evolving legal landscape that will reshape how e-bikes are sold, tuned and ridden in the state, from big brands to backyard tinkerers. I see a clear throughline: California wants the convenience and climate benefits of micromobility, but it is no longer willing to tolerate machines that blur into motorcycles without the training, equipment or oversight that come with a license plate.
The “loophole” e-bikes that ride like motorcycles
For years, the core problem has been simple: some models marketed as bicycles can accelerate and cruise like small motorbikes, yet still slip into bike lanes and onto multi use paths. Reporting on the latest enforcement push describes how certain machines ship with nominal power limits but can be unlocked through hidden menus or aftermarket controllers, letting riders blow past the standard 28 mile per hour cap and reach much higher real world speeds, a pattern that has drawn scrutiny from Micah Toll. In that account, the tension is not just about top speed, it is about machines that look like bicycles to a police officer at a glance while performing like scooters in traffic.
California’s three class system was supposed to prevent exactly this scenario by capping assist speeds and defining what counts as an electric bicycle, yet lawmakers now concede that the framework left a gap for high torque, throttle heavy designs that technically fit the rules on paper. Coverage of the new legislative push notes that California lawmakers are explicitly targeting that gray zone, where a product can be sold as a bike but behaves like a low end motorcycle in the hands of a teenager. I read that as an acknowledgment that enforcement based only on labels and spec sheets has failed to keep up with what riders and manufacturers are actually doing.
A new bill to “close dangerous e-bike power loophole”
The political response is now coalescing around a fresh proposal from the Capitol. In SACRAMENTO, a release titled “Assemblymember Diane Papan Introduces Bill to Close Dangerous E-Bike Power Loophole” lays out how the measure would clamp down on models that quietly exceed the state’s intended performance envelope. The document describes how Assemblymember Diane Papan to “Close Dangerous” “Bike Power Loophole,” arguing that unregulated power levels have created unacceptable risks for young riders. The framing is blunt: if a product rides like a motor vehicle, it should be regulated like one.
A separate notice from SACRAMENTO shows how the same lawmaker is also pushing Assembly Bill 1557 as a broader effort to strengthen California’s electric bike rules. In that account, Assemblymember Diane Papan, a Democrat from San Mateo, positions the bill as a way to keep kids safe without shutting down access to affordable transportation. I read that as a sign that the power crackdown is not an isolated skirmish but part of a coordinated campaign to rewrite the rulebook around who can ride what, and where, in California.
SB 1271 and the 2026 safety reset
The new power bill lands on top of a major law that already started reshaping the market at the start of this year. Under California Senate Bill 1271, the state now treats “Electric bicycles, powered mobility devices, and storage b…” as a single regulatory package, with detailed requirements for how batteries are built, certified and sold. The enrolled text specifies that, commencing January 1, 2026, the law prohibits a person from selling or distributing an e-bike or battery in California unless the battery meets specified requirements, a shift that is already rippling through importers and retailers who relied on cheaper, uncertified packs.
Consumer facing explainers on What Changes in California’s 2026 rules emphasize that SB 1271 is not just about fire safety, it also tightens the definition of what can legally be sold or used as an e-bike. One breakdown of the new Bike Laws notes that starting this year, any device that exceeds the state’s power and speed thresholds is no longer treated as a bicycle at all, which means it cannot simply be ridden in a bike lane without registration or a license. That is the legal foundation that makes the new “loophole” bill so potent: once the definitions are locked in, lawmakers can go after products and modifications that try to dodge them.
AB 1774, modification bans and helmet crackdowns
Even before the latest power bill, California had already started targeting the culture of DIY upgrades that can turn a compliant bike into something far more aggressive. A detailed breakdown of California’s AB 1774 explains how that law introduces stricter rules that prohibit modifying an e-bike to increase its speed or power beyond its original class. The same analysis, framed as “New” “Bike Laws Explained,” makes clear that riders who install off the shelf tuning kits or swap in oversized controllers are now squarely in violation, even if the bike still looks stock from the curb.
Advocates have been tracking these moves closely. A legislative recap from Here describes an “E-Bike Modification Bill” that CalBike supports, aimed at stopping exactly the kind of after purchase hacks that let riders bypass factory limits. At the same time, a separate safety package has tightened behavior rules on the street: one overview of California e-bike laws highlights new helmet requirements, including penalties for under 18 riders who skip protection, while another summary of the enforcement push notes that, under Assembly Bill 544, every minor must complete a safety course or face fines, with one provision allowing helmet related penalties to be waived if they complete a state approved class, according to According Electrek. Together, these measures show a state that is no longer content to focus only on the hardware; it is now policing how people ride and modify these machines as well.
Injuries, kids and the political case for a clampdown
The political momentum behind the crackdown is rooted in a visible spike in crashes involving young riders on powerful machines. A local TV segment on the new bill to rein in high powered models quotes a lawmaker telling CBS, “But if you want to buy a motorcycle, go buy a motorcycle. There’s always that option,” as she argues that e-bikes exceeding the 750-w threshold should not be treated as bicycles. That line captures the core political argument: the state is not trying to ban speed outright, it is trying to push the fastest machines into a regulatory category where training, licensing and insurance already exist.
Public facing explainers on the 2026 rules reinforce that safety framing. One guide to Battery Safety Certification under SB 1271 stresses that the law targets the fire risk from cheap packs and gives manufacturers until January 1, 2028 to comply, while another overview of Avoiding Illegal Modifications warns riders that tuning their bikes can now carry real penalties. A separate summary of New California rules notes that the state now requires a rear red light or reflector day and night, stricter battery certifications and tougher enforcement of helmet use, all framed as part of a push to balance innovation with public safety. I see that as the political sweet spot lawmakers are chasing: keep the climate friendly benefits of e-bikes, but make the most dangerous edge cases harder to buy, harder to modify and harder to ride without consequences.
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