Steamboat Recommends E-Motorcycle Education to Clarify Rules

Steamboat Springs —The obvious takeaway from the recent surge in e-bike usage is that more bikes mean more trouble. But to hear Police Chief Mark Beckett tell it, the real problem isn’t the volume of riders — it’s the confusion.

Confusion between what is legally an e-bike and what is actually an e-motorcycle.

That distinction is the primary reason the Parks & Recreation Commission is recommending increased education and safety outreach to City Council. The recommendation comes after a series of high-visibility incidents, including a police chase involving three youths on e-dirtbikes, which highlighted how quickly technology has outpaced local legislation.

“[E-motorcycles] are a bane in this community,” Beckett said during the Wednesday meeting.

The legal lines are blurred because big corporations like Walmart and Amazon market these vehicles as e-bikes. They often feature added pedals, making them visually indistinguishable from standard bicycles. Yet the requirements are stricter. E-motorcycles must be registered and insured, require mirrors, and mandate that the driver be 16 or older with a motorcycle endorsement.

E-bikes do not have these same burdens. They can be operated by users under 16 and require no Department of Motor Vehicles registration.

When a youth on an unregistered e-motorcycle speeds past police without stopping, officers face a regulatory headache. Under current ordinances, an unregistered e-motorcycle is illegal to drive on the road. However, police cannot confiscate it unless they catch the user actively riding it. If the rider hops off and walks, or if the bike is parked, enforcement becomes difficult.

“We’ve had to give directions now to slow down for my officers because we’ve chased some kids and it has created dangerous situations,” Beckett noted.

The police department has tried unorthodox solutions, including using drones to assist in chase situations. But Beckett believes the most effective long-term solution lies in updating local ordinances, potentially allowing for a total ban on unregistered e-motorcycles to facilitate easier removal.

While the focus has been on enforcement, the Parks & Recreation Commission is looking at education. Drew Pickle, the city’s deputy director of recreation, argued that there is a clear opportunity to clarify these differences for residents.

“I think we’ve got some opportunity to do some education on that differentiation as well,” Pickle said.

The E-Bike Safety Committee has already begun this work. Since their last update in May, they have conducted community outreach at the Steamboat Free Summer Concerts at Howelsen Hill and along the core trail. They gathered survey responses from residents, asking about riding habits and helmet use, with an open box for written comments.

According to Pickle’s presentation, the police department is “generally doing better” with standard e-bikes. The issue remains concentrated on the misclassified e-motorcycles that are causing friction between youth, parents, and law enforcement.

The commission’s recommendation to City Council aims to address this head-on. By focusing on education and potential ordinance updates, the city hopes to reduce the chaos of unregistered e-motorcycles on local roads. The goal is not to ban these vehicles, but to make sure everyone knows which rules apply to which bike.

As for what comes next, the commission will present its findings to City Council for a final decision. The hope is that clearer rules and better awareness will lead to safer streets, fewer chases, and a community that understands the difference between a bike and a motorcycle.

“The math holds up,” Beckett said, referring to the potential for updated ordinances to streamline enforcement. “If we can get the registration right, we can manage the traffic.”