They should first off allow people who have already purchased electric motorcycle to register them and have them plated and insured so that there is no loss, they should do this after the bike is inspected by the government entity that is allowed to do so. Also if it does have a Vin number you should be able to upgrade and take the pedals off and register it just like a real electric motorcycle, like Harley Davidson and other reputable companies that make electric motorcycles. I don’t mind having mine inspected to ensure it’s safe then pay to have plates put on it and pay insurance for liability reasons. The government wants electric by 2035 or something like that but then are gonna ban electric motorcycles which to me makes zero sense. The bikes already on the road should be “grandfathered” in so they don’t lose they’re investment and are still able to ride under stringent rules.
Entierement daccord, J’ai deux Eagle Daymak avec plus de 4000 klm de fait , je fait quoi avec au Quebec ? Daymak devrais engager un Lobyiste pour aider leurs client ! Ils préfere s’en laver les mains…La norme 1.2.1 de la Sécurité des véhicule automobile du canada afficher sur un auto collant sur mes machines proviens de quel document Canadien ? le manufacturier HU DAYMAK CHINA semble sourde a cette situation surtout ses représentant en Ontario.
Thank you, Nathan,
Unfortunately, we are not an official source for this type of information. In fact, we are among those affected by the lack of public disclosure. Had this information been made public four years ago when Power Assisted Bicycles were revoked from the CMVA, it could have had a significant educational and deterrent effect, preventing the exploitation of loopholes through the import and sale of illegal vehicles. There would be no need now for special laws to ban these vehicles that have proliferated over the past four years.
I got stopped on my Rawatron beast and issued a very expensive ticket because it was not an “e-bike” and had no insurance according to the cops – had pedals but looked like a motorcycle. made me get it registered and insured and now it’s 100% good to go according to ICBC
Hi Craig,
According to ICBC, all CMVSS non-compliant motorbikes that were registered with them had fraudulent registration documents provided by the merchant. This calls into question both their registration and insurance. Moreover, ICBC has confirmed that regardless of registration or insurance status, owners of CMVSS non-compliant motorcycles are still liable to enforcement authorities, as their vehicles do not meet Canadian safety standards.
Safety First! This mantra supposed to be the leading idea in business and private life in our society. But looks like ICBC and Ministry of Transportation are allowing 400 pounds beasts to ride illegally on the roads with 120 km per hour and became deadly dangerous for pedestrians. This needs to stop immediately!
I have an Armada Predator and that’s the only means of transportation for me since I don’t have a DL.I drive it up to 32km max in the city and only faster off road..I won’t be happy if this passes and I have to take it off the road!Who’s going to give me my money back if it happens!?
It’s surprising that you paid over $5,000 for a 300 lb motorcycle-style “bicycle” limited to 32 km/h, when you could have spent less than $2,000 on a standard electric bicycle.
Motorcycles like yours are fraudulently imported under the category of non-regulated vehicles, which many Power Assisted Bicycles fall into after Transport Canada revoked the section of the CMVA regulating them. Companies exploited this loophole by adding a wire jumper and pedals to electric motorcycles capable of over 100 km/h and 8,000 watts, then marketed them as no-license-required electric bicycles.
These businesses grew so rapidly that the MTQ eventually had to intervene to stop this illegal practice.
What do you consider off-road? This bike is not designed for off-road use, and Transport Canada explicitly states that motorcycles built for road use cannot be classified as off-road. They must be CMVSS-compliant and bear a compliance label.
I live in Kelowna and I wanted to buy electric motorcycle, but locally so I can have the support when I need it. Nobody here is selling your motorcycles and that’s why I bought Armada.
Hi Gerard,
We reached out to several dealers to offer our CMVSS-compliant motorcycles, but they told us that they only carry models that don’t require any driver’s license. When we mentioned that this isn’t legal, they laughed.
We do ship to Kelowna and throughout Canada. If you had contacted us before purchasing another bike, we would have let you know that we have a service center in Kelowna for our motorcycles.
I was in the market for an electric motorcycle for my daily commute when a friend of mine, who owns an Armada, suggested I consider buying one. I had seen his motorcycle, but I thought it was too big for me. I still visited their website and was surprised that they were marketing these motorcycles as electric bicycles that can be ridden without a driver’s license.
I found this hard to believe, especially since my friend told me his bike, with the battery, weighs 350 lbs. I couldn’t understand how such a large, heavy bike could be classified and used as a bicycle just because it had small pedals. My friend’s bike didn’t have pedals, but he had a license plate and mentioned that he had it insured.
After doing more research, I discovered that in Quebec, all e-bikes that resemble motorcycles and are not CMVSS compliant were recently banned. This prompted me to start searching for CMVSS-compliant motorcycles, and I found Jouel Motorcycles. I found the information here very useful and that can save money to potential buyers from illegitimate sales . So many dealers in Canada, even giants as Walmart, Bestbuy and others are selling illegal bikes and misleading customers into thinking it’s their choice to ride them as bicycles with pedals or register them as motorcycles with a license plate.
If these motorcycles don’t meet safety standards, who will be held responsible if they cause an accident? Will ICBC cover injuries or, God forbid, a death, if these bikes don’t comply with safety regulations?
I’m happy to hear that Quebec is moving to clean up the lawlessness we see in e-bikes that are not complying with regulations. The excess speed and recklessness that I see endangers pedestrians as well as the riders. I would like to see stronger enforcement here in BC as well!
When you look around the world you see ebikes, scooters and the such being randomly seized because of all rampant problems of speed and crime. BC has been so grey on what is allowed and not allowed, even different jurisdictions have different rules. I have an ebike that complies with power and speed but there are others on bike paths and the seawall that are riding the equivalent of E-motorcycles that should be regulated, insured and possibly plated. Some of these bikes need to be restricted from certain public spaces and stick to roadways. I don’t like over regulation but that fact you can buy anything online, have it shipped here and ride it anywhere is becoming a problem.
It’s disturbing to hear there are dealers out there selling vehicles not certified by Transport Canada, especially given the risk to public safety. And to do so fraudulently by producing fake registration documents- this only serves to demonstrate a deliberate attempt to circumvent the system. And let’s face it- this is happening because there is little to no enforcement. This needs to change!
Never mind a Class 6…..it goes without saying that if people without even a Class 5 license can operate an e-motorcycle and do so without having to register, insure and put plates on it, that poses serious problems. Categories of e-bicycles and e-motorcycles are quite well defined so far as I know. There’s no grey zone. And regulations seem to be in place already. So it should just be a matter of enforcing them. What they’re doing in Quebec is a step in the right direction as far as I’m concerned and BC should follow suit.
Electric motorcycles are regulated in the same way as Internal Combustion Engine (ICE) Motorcycles. The only difference with the electric cycles is that under 32km/h speed they are non-regulated. This means that every Electric Cycle with a speed over 32km/h must comply with the CMVSS for its class.
There are two categories in the Canadian Motor Vehicle Act that are fraudulently used to import illegally street motorcycles in Canada:
1. Non-regulated cycles which are conventional pedal bicycles with motor assist designed to operate at speeds no greater than 32 km/h – Transport Canada The importers install a speed limiter to 32km/h and bogus pedals to Motorcycles and some scooters which after crossing the border are removed and the actual speed restored.
2. Restricted Use Vehicles – Electric cycles designed to operate on undeveloped roads. If there is no clear design intent for the vehicle by the manufacturer regarding on or off-road use, Transport Canada considers the vehicle to belong to a regulated class of on-road vehicles which must comply with the CMVSS for its class.Transport Canada The importers declare their electric motorcycles design for road use as off-road ones.
These two categories are clearly defined by Transport Canada, leaving little room for any “grey zone.
Over the past 7 years I’ve purchased 5 bikes from Steve with no issue. He understands the evolving murky e-bike category. Shops skirting the regs is risky and can be expensive. I’ve got a couple buddies that started out with “better deals” they later regretted.
The folks at Joule Motorcycles in Burnaby, BC (Keti and Steve) were terrific to work with. They were able to provide assurance that every bike they sell is compliant and will not be affected by this policy change. Further, they made the purchase of my Super Soco not only easy, but downright pleasurable. anyone in the market for an electric bike should check this place out before purchasing elsewhere.
I fully support the Quebec government’s recent decision to ban the use, sale, and import of non-compliant electric motorcycles, mopeds, and scooters. This move is crucial for maintaining road safety and ensuring that all vehicles on the road meet rigorous Canadian Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (CMVSS). For too long, the loopholes exploited by certain importers and dealers have put both users and other road users at risk. By closing these gaps, Quebec is setting a strong precedent that other provinces should follow.
The fact that some importers have been passing off high-speed, heavy electric cycles as simple bicycles is deeply concerning. This not only undermines safety regulations but also puts the public at risk by allowing vehicles that should require licenses and insurance to be used improperly. It’s essential that all electric cycles meet the standards set by Transport Canada to ensure they are safe for highway use and properly insured.
The experience shared by the author highlights the need for more stringent enforcement and adherence to safety standards across the country. I commend the efforts of those who have invested in bringing CMVSS-compliant electric motorcycles to Canada and hope this new regulation will help level the playing field. It’s time for other provinces to take similar actions to protect consumers and uphold the law.
They should first off allow people who have already purchased electric motorcycle to register them and have them plated and insured so that there is no loss, they should do this after the bike is inspected by the government entity that is allowed to do so. Also if it does have a Vin number you should be able to upgrade and take the pedals off and register it just like a real electric motorcycle, like Harley Davidson and other reputable companies that make electric motorcycles. I don’t mind having mine inspected to ensure it’s safe then pay to have plates put on it and pay insurance for liability reasons. The government wants electric by 2035 or something like that but then are gonna ban electric motorcycles which to me makes zero sense. The bikes already on the road should be “grandfathered” in so they don’t lose they’re investment and are still able to ride under stringent rules.
Entierement daccord, J’ai deux Eagle Daymak avec plus de 4000 klm de fait , je fait quoi avec au Quebec ? Daymak devrais engager un Lobyiste pour aider leurs client ! Ils préfere s’en laver les mains…La norme 1.2.1 de la Sécurité des véhicule automobile du canada afficher sur un auto collant sur mes machines proviens de quel document Canadien ? le manufacturier HU DAYMAK CHINA semble sourde a cette situation surtout ses représentant en Ontario.
Great information
Thank you, Nathan,
Unfortunately, we are not an official source for this type of information. In fact, we are among those affected by the lack of public disclosure. Had this information been made public four years ago when Power Assisted Bicycles were revoked from the CMVA, it could have had a significant educational and deterrent effect, preventing the exploitation of loopholes through the import and sale of illegal vehicles. There would be no need now for special laws to ban these vehicles that have proliferated over the past four years.
I got stopped on my Rawatron beast and issued a very expensive ticket because it was not an “e-bike” and had no insurance according to the cops – had pedals but looked like a motorcycle. made me get it registered and insured and now it’s 100% good to go according to ICBC
Hi Craig,
According to ICBC, all CMVSS non-compliant motorbikes that were registered with them had fraudulent registration documents provided by the merchant. This calls into question both their registration and insurance. Moreover, ICBC has confirmed that regardless of registration or insurance status, owners of CMVSS non-compliant motorcycles are still liable to enforcement authorities, as their vehicles do not meet Canadian safety standards.
Safety First! This mantra supposed to be the leading idea in business and private life in our society. But looks like ICBC and Ministry of Transportation are allowing 400 pounds beasts to ride illegally on the roads with 120 km per hour and became deadly dangerous for pedestrians. This needs to stop immediately!
I have an Armada Predator and that’s the only means of transportation for me since I don’t have a DL.I drive it up to 32km max in the city and only faster off road..I won’t be happy if this passes and I have to take it off the road!Who’s going to give me my money back if it happens!?
It’s surprising that you paid over $5,000 for a 300 lb motorcycle-style “bicycle” limited to 32 km/h, when you could have spent less than $2,000 on a standard electric bicycle.
Motorcycles like yours are fraudulently imported under the category of non-regulated vehicles, which many Power Assisted Bicycles fall into after Transport Canada revoked the section of the CMVA regulating them. Companies exploited this loophole by adding a wire jumper and pedals to electric motorcycles capable of over 100 km/h and 8,000 watts, then marketed them as no-license-required electric bicycles.
These businesses grew so rapidly that the MTQ eventually had to intervene to stop this illegal practice.
The Armada Predator does not have a 8000 watt motor or anything near that, and won’t go 100km/h even unrestricted.
What do you consider off-road? This bike is not designed for off-road use, and Transport Canada explicitly states that motorcycles built for road use cannot be classified as off-road. They must be CMVSS-compliant and bear a compliance label.
I live in Kelowna and I wanted to buy electric motorcycle, but locally so I can have the support when I need it. Nobody here is selling your motorcycles and that’s why I bought Armada.
Hi Gerard,
We reached out to several dealers to offer our CMVSS-compliant motorcycles, but they told us that they only carry models that don’t require any driver’s license. When we mentioned that this isn’t legal, they laughed.
We do ship to Kelowna and throughout Canada. If you had contacted us before purchasing another bike, we would have let you know that we have a service center in Kelowna for our motorcycles.
I was in the market for an electric motorcycle for my daily commute when a friend of mine, who owns an Armada, suggested I consider buying one. I had seen his motorcycle, but I thought it was too big for me. I still visited their website and was surprised that they were marketing these motorcycles as electric bicycles that can be ridden without a driver’s license.
I found this hard to believe, especially since my friend told me his bike, with the battery, weighs 350 lbs. I couldn’t understand how such a large, heavy bike could be classified and used as a bicycle just because it had small pedals. My friend’s bike didn’t have pedals, but he had a license plate and mentioned that he had it insured.
After doing more research, I discovered that in Quebec, all e-bikes that resemble motorcycles and are not CMVSS compliant were recently banned. This prompted me to start searching for CMVSS-compliant motorcycles, and I found Jouel Motorcycles. I found the information here very useful and that can save money to potential buyers from illegitimate sales . So many dealers in Canada, even giants as Walmart, Bestbuy and others are selling illegal bikes and misleading customers into thinking it’s their choice to ride them as bicycles with pedals or register them as motorcycles with a license plate.
If these motorcycles don’t meet safety standards, who will be held responsible if they cause an accident? Will ICBC cover injuries or, God forbid, a death, if these bikes don’t comply with safety regulations?
Thank you
I’m happy to hear that Quebec is moving to clean up the lawlessness we see in e-bikes that are not complying with regulations. The excess speed and recklessness that I see endangers pedestrians as well as the riders. I would like to see stronger enforcement here in BC as well!
When you look around the world you see ebikes, scooters and the such being randomly seized because of all rampant problems of speed and crime. BC has been so grey on what is allowed and not allowed, even different jurisdictions have different rules. I have an ebike that complies with power and speed but there are others on bike paths and the seawall that are riding the equivalent of E-motorcycles that should be regulated, insured and possibly plated. Some of these bikes need to be restricted from certain public spaces and stick to roadways. I don’t like over regulation but that fact you can buy anything online, have it shipped here and ride it anywhere is becoming a problem.
It’s disturbing to hear there are dealers out there selling vehicles not certified by Transport Canada, especially given the risk to public safety. And to do so fraudulently by producing fake registration documents- this only serves to demonstrate a deliberate attempt to circumvent the system. And let’s face it- this is happening because there is little to no enforcement. This needs to change!
Never mind a Class 6…..it goes without saying that if people without even a Class 5 license can operate an e-motorcycle and do so without having to register, insure and put plates on it, that poses serious problems. Categories of e-bicycles and e-motorcycles are quite well defined so far as I know. There’s no grey zone. And regulations seem to be in place already. So it should just be a matter of enforcing them. What they’re doing in Quebec is a step in the right direction as far as I’m concerned and BC should follow suit.
Electric motorcycles are regulated in the same way as Internal Combustion Engine (ICE) Motorcycles. The only difference with the electric cycles is that under 32km/h speed they are non-regulated. This means that every Electric Cycle with a speed over 32km/h must comply with the CMVSS for its class.
There are two categories in the Canadian Motor Vehicle Act that are fraudulently used to import illegally street motorcycles in Canada:
1. Non-regulated cycles which are conventional pedal bicycles with motor assist designed to operate at speeds no greater than 32 km/h – Transport Canada The importers install a speed limiter to 32km/h and bogus pedals to Motorcycles and some scooters which after crossing the border are removed and the actual speed restored.
2. Restricted Use Vehicles – Electric cycles designed to operate on undeveloped roads. If there is no clear design intent for the vehicle by the manufacturer regarding on or off-road use, Transport Canada considers the vehicle to belong to a regulated class of on-road vehicles which must comply with the CMVSS for its class. Transport Canada The importers declare their electric motorcycles design for road use as off-road ones.
These two categories are clearly defined by Transport Canada, leaving little room for any “grey zone.
Very informative. I believe first step is education. A lot of the information here are not waste to find
It’s questionable
People who want to buy electric motorcycles should know if it is legal to drive in the road and by this information they will be more educated
Over the past 7 years I’ve purchased 5 bikes from Steve with no issue. He understands the evolving murky e-bike category. Shops skirting the regs is risky and can be expensive. I’ve got a couple buddies that started out with “better deals” they later regretted.
The folks at Joule Motorcycles in Burnaby, BC (Keti and Steve) were terrific to work with. They were able to provide assurance that every bike they sell is compliant and will not be affected by this policy change. Further, they made the purchase of my Super Soco not only easy, but downright pleasurable. anyone in the market for an electric bike should check this place out before purchasing elsewhere.
I fully support the Quebec government’s recent decision to ban the use, sale, and import of non-compliant electric motorcycles, mopeds, and scooters. This move is crucial for maintaining road safety and ensuring that all vehicles on the road meet rigorous Canadian Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (CMVSS). For too long, the loopholes exploited by certain importers and dealers have put both users and other road users at risk. By closing these gaps, Quebec is setting a strong precedent that other provinces should follow.
The fact that some importers have been passing off high-speed, heavy electric cycles as simple bicycles is deeply concerning. This not only undermines safety regulations but also puts the public at risk by allowing vehicles that should require licenses and insurance to be used improperly. It’s essential that all electric cycles meet the standards set by Transport Canada to ensure they are safe for highway use and properly insured.
The experience shared by the author highlights the need for more stringent enforcement and adherence to safety standards across the country. I commend the efforts of those who have invested in bringing CMVSS-compliant electric motorcycles to Canada and hope this new regulation will help level the playing field. It’s time for other provinces to take similar actions to protect consumers and uphold the law.
Kudos to Quebec for leading the way!