With the summer holidays just around the corner, police are warning that the use of petrol-powered bicycles on roads is illegal and can result in serious injury to users.
The fitting of internal combustion motors to bicycles has become extremely popular over the past year.
Police have reiterated that petrol-powered bikes are not allowed to be used on the road. Photo: Supplied.
However, Senior Sergeant Ian Campion says they cannot be used on a road and there has already been a crash resulting in injury to one rider.
Typically, the petrol-powered motors come in three sizes (50, 60 and 70cc) and are supplied with a mounting kit and drive system for bicycles.
'A bicycle fitted with the 50cc (or smaller) petrol-powered motor falls within a moped classification,” explains Ian, 'and those with larger engines fall within a motorcycle classification.
'In both cases the rider has to hold an appropriate drivers licence, wear an approved motorcycle helmet and the vehicle need to be registered and licenced.
'In the case of motors greater than 50cc, a warrant of fitness is required.”
In either case, a bicycle fitted with any of these motors is simply unable to meet the safety standards and legislative requirements for mopeds and motorcycles.
'For that reason, they cannot be used on a road,” says Ian, 'and this is clearly specified by the suppliers of these engines.”
Ian says that these petrol-powered bicycles can reach speeds of over 50km/h and can become difficult to control.
When coupled with their inherent braking inadequacies and low rated tyres, they are dangerous.
Ian also warns riders could amass significant fines for using petrol-powered bicycles on the road, and riders can expect to be stopped by police.
Ian encourages all riders to stay off the roads and asks parents and care givers to keep their teens safe by making sure they do so.
9 comments
What,s the Point
Posted on 27-11-2015 16:31 | By Taffy
If they can,t use them on the road does that mean they can ride them on the footpath .I hope NOT. In which case why put on one of these kits onto your bike it defies logic. Bikes are supposed to be on the road so how come these things aren,t banned seems they are like the old mopeds we used to have long ago. Where to next?
border control
Posted on 27-11-2015 16:56 | By hapukafin
It appears that this another one of these items that is illegal to use but allowed to be imported into the country.eg leser lights. Lets get these things stopped at the border to prevent complications.
Fun Police are out again
Posted on 27-11-2015 20:15 | By Surfwatch
Most of these motors are 50cc and under. They are usually not direct drive like a moped, so hardly high powered. Why not on the road, surely not on the footpath. Nevertheless give them a break, and try to co operate with only a few of these that I have seen.
Surfwatch..........
Posted on 27-11-2015 23:32 | By groutby
You, in my opinion, are a complete birk. ...we have enough problems with cyclists continually breaking the law simply because they know there is little or no chance of them being caught by the law..and they will indeed get a "break" as you request, probably to many parts of their body after being involved in an accident, and no doubt complaining that it "was the paying motorists fault" eh?
now now groutby
Posted on 28-11-2015 07:59 | By Surfwatch
No need for personal attacks, I am entitled to my opinion. Obviously you have a bias against cyclists, and apparently think they are all criminals and louts. I would suggest you are the birk.
As a bike rider...
Posted on 28-11-2015 08:47 | By SonnyJim
I'm a bike rider and you quickly learn what the safety limitations are and for those riders venturing outside those boundaries their lives are on a knife edge. Travelling in bunches and speeding along with the traffic beyond the braking limit of the rear brake is scary. Look at the pictured bike - capable of 50km/hr and the brakes are just small rubber pads on the rims, not even a disc-brake bike.
Grrrrrrr!
Posted on 28-11-2015 09:07 | By How about this view!
Cyclists again. This time it's the lazy ones ignoring and defying the law. I recognize and accept that it is only the moronic few on the roads that taint all. But with cyclists it seems to be "Monkey see, monkey do!" and there are some real apes using pushbikes.
Nothing new
Posted on 28-11-2015 12:23 | By penguin
Variants of these have been around since the late 1800's. Google motorised bicycles. Of course traffic was somewhat different back then!
Well well
Posted on 28-11-2015 16:51 | By gaswaihibeach
What about the electric bikes they go faster tan these old bangers and there heaps of them here now!!!
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