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California Wants to Put License Plates on E-Bikes and Slow Them Down. Cyclists Are Not Happy About It
(guessingheadlights.com)
this post was submitted on 03 May 2026
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[Analog] cyclist here. I'm of the opinion if it has a throttle, it needs some sort of registration and maybe even minimal insurance.
Class I (in the US), you don't need anyone's permission to ride. Just like a regular bicycle.
Class III, you need some sort of registration/license. Might as well be a motorcycle.
Class II is where we can have some discussion and disagreement.
Unclassified: the 40mph+ e-bikes and no-pedal scooters ruining it for everyone else.
I'm of the opinion it doesn't matter because enforcement will be spotty and the reckless assholes will still be reckless assholes while the responsible <25mph riders will be regulated. There are e-bikes with weight and speed exceeding the lowest of registration-required motorcycles (Aniioki A9 vs Honda Cub/monkey/grom, yes I watch Fortnine)
Maybe I am mistaken on e bike ratings but can’t you have a class 3 without a throttle? And isn’t the definition of a class 2 that it does have a throttle?
I think you'll find the definitions of what constitutes each class is fairly moot when there's no-one enforcing the differences. You're right, not all class IIIs have throttles, but the ones that are causing the most problems definitely do.
You don't have that correct. Not your fault, the system is very confusing.
Class III can't have throttles by definition. They have a max speed of 28mph.
Class II have throttles but a top speed of 20mph.
Class I have no throttles and a top speed of 20mph.
You are thinking of unclassified bikes (electric dirtbikes, mopeds, and motorcycles).
Fair enough, thanks for the correction. At least from my revisiting of the classifications, class III seem to allow (but not require) throttles in most places, but– to your point– not allowed in California.
My incorrectness proves a larger point, I think, that the unclassified bikes are often grouped into “e-bikes” and those at least need to be regulated. That we don’t allow class III e-bikes on multi-use trails muddy the water between III and unclassified, at least to me.
Let's work on gun registration, then I'll be open to it.
Not sure where you are in the world, but where I am guns are most certainly registered.
Give you ONE guess 🤣🤣🤣
Your country already seems sensible, so I'd probably be ok with registration.
Somewhere in the American South? If so, I can see how you have such a pessimistic view of the US. My view from California is also pessimistic, but maybe not quite as much as if I were from, say, Florida or Texas.
Getting back to the original point, I'm not thrilled with the idea of any bike registration. But do have to agree with the idea of something being done about the dangerous class IIIs.
I live in the northeast and my state does not require firearms to be registered, and you only need to be 16 to purchase a firearm. My state is in the top 3 for least school shootings and among the lowest per capita gun deaths. Culture makes a big difference!
East, but not south. I'm fully against any sort of internet ID until we can at least talk about gun registration. I'm all for guns, I've owned a few, pistol, rifles, etc, currently only own 2, but if we can't talk about limiting who can get a firearm, then they can fuck off about ID bullshit.
Figured you'd be in a more developed country by the way your comment read.
It’s certainly not Norway or Finland, but I like to think California is at least on the right side of “developed.” However, CAs push for age verification is most certainly misguided (at best) or downright wrong.