COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KOAA) — E-scooters and e-bikes have surged in popularity in recent years, and now, e-motorcycles are quickly catching up, especially among younger riders.
One Gleneagle parent reached out to News5, asking a simple question: What are the rules?
For Thuy Lanane's son, riding has always been part of his life.
“He learned to ride when he was, I think, 13. We had a dirt bike for him, a gas one, and that’s what he learned to ride on,” she said.
Her son started riding an e-motorcycle, something she says he enjoys.
“He likes it, and his dad grew up riding motorcycles and has a dirt bike. It’s just something for them to do in his free time,” Lanane said.
But as the technology evolves, so do the questions.
“From understanding, these e-motos are more like a dirt bike,” she said. “Kids ride their dirt bikes around, and they’re not licensed… then there’s e-bikes, and there’s so many different classifications. It’s very confusing.”
To get answers, News5 spoke with the Colorado Springs Police Department (CSPD).
According to CSPD, e-motorcycles are not treated the same as e-scooters or e-bikes under Colorado law.
“Legally, the state defines these e-motorcycles as off-highway vehicles, or OHVs,” said Ira Cronin, Public Relations Manager for CSPD.
That classification comes with important restrictions.
“OHVs are not allowed on city sidewalks, in city parks, on city trails, or on city roadways,” Cronin said. “They’re designed and meant to be taken out into the country, up into the mountains, and ridden there.”
Police say riders who break the rules could face enforcement action. CSPD will enforce OHV violations whenever possible and appropriate.
CSPD says enforcement can range from a warning to a citation for operating an OHV on public roads, which is a petty offense under Colorado Law (Colorado Revised Statutes 33-14.5-108) that carries a $50 fine and court costs.
Operators may also be charged with careless or reckless driving, registration violations, and safety equipment violations.
“The biggest thing for parents to recognize is that these are not toys,” Cronin said. “They are recreational vehicles, and parents should use every precaution when it comes to safety gear.”
For Lanane, understanding the rules is important.
“I want to know because I want to make sure I’m teaching him what he can and cannot do,” she said. “We definitely want them to be safe.”
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