Illegally modified e-bikes run amok and break speed limits across Sydney

Dozens of popular e-bikes are being illegally modified by owners in order to greatly increase speed, creating a highly dangerous environment for members of the public.

Dozens of popular e-bikes are being illegally modified by owners in order to greatly increase their speed.

Teen hoons on jailbroken electric bikes are playing chicken with cars and pedestrians – and have been caught speeding through Sydney at alarming rates.

Armed with a speed gun, The Sunday Telegraph hit the streets of Sydney in a multi-day investigation recording the speeds of dozens of e-bike riders with a shocking 86 per cent exceeding the mandated 25km/h speed limit.

The investigation caught riders reaching speeds of up to 36km/h as some teens revealed they had “jailbroken” their bikes to exceed enforced limits.

Watch the full video here:

Three teenage boys who were riding their bikes around Bronte said all three of their DiroDi bikes had been jailbroken with relative ease, and were capable of riding much faster than bikes with locked throttles.

The risk of pedestrian death rises exponentially with collision speeds above 30km/h, according to walking advocacy group VictoriaWalks.

Locals expressed frustration with the reckless riders, claiming their presence was a threat to public safety.

Father of one James Hargrave expressed concern for the safety of his two-year-old son Levi.

“I’m quite concerned for Levi because he’s almost been wiped out a few times by people riding bikes on the sidewalks. A few close calls to many,” Mr Hargrave said.

James and Heidi Hargrave with their 2-year-old son Levi. Picture: Nathan Smith

“It’s too unsafe to ride on the road and too unsafe on the footpath.”

Maria Arturi, a young Melbourne mother who visited Sydney for Easter, said that e-bikes may as well be “a motorbike anyone can ride without regulation”.

“They need to be treated a little bit like motorbikes because of the speed and weight. They’re practical until they become unsafe because of a lack of regulation,” she said.

While Bronte local Graeme Mulroney believes throttle-operated e-bikes can be dangerous in the wrong hands.

“The throttle sets the speed control, but it can be easily removed and so people are travelling at every speed on those things.I have a colleague at work who says you can flip the speed on and off with the cap,” he said.

“I’ve been riding for a long time, and so I feel like I can say that they are quite dangerous for people. I don’t think anyone should be riding them on the paths.”

Electric bicycles, or e-bikes, are powered by small electric motors and an attached battery pack.

Bronte local Graeme Mulroney and Miriam Castellanos. Picture: Nathan Smith

In NSW, power outputs must be cut off when an e-bike reaches speeds of 25km/hr.

Manufacturers typically build their bikes with a maximum speed of up to 50km/hr, before applying throttle locks that ensure riders cannot ride faster than the speed limit without switching to their pedals.

However, several manufacturers allow users to unlock, or “jailbreak” their bikes - a process that is legal in NSW provided the user only rides off-road or on a private property.

The standard of proof to undergo this process is shockingly low - one popular manufacturer, DiroDi, unlocks bikes upon email request irrespective of the rider’s age.

In a foreword to the recently concluded parliamentary inquiry into the use of e-scooters, e-bikes and related mobility options, Chairperson Cate Faehrmann said NSW laws and infrastructure were lagging behind the development of e-bikes.

“Without a shift to forward-thinking, comprehensive strategy, the opportunities promised by e-mobility could be overshadowed by safety risks, public frustration and preventable incidents,” she said.

“The issues we are seeing with e-mobility devices are not so much about the devices themselves - they are signs that the rules and the way we enforce them are outdated or ineffective. Action is needed now.”

Shadow Minister for Transport and Roads Natalie Ward said the current approach “clearly isn’t working”.

Rider on the fat boy-style e-bike in Manly. Picture: Tim Hunter

“Pedestrians shouldn’t have to cop a bureaucratic shoulder shrug. We need to empower the police and community, not leave them hanging out to dry,” she said.

Last month, two serious accidents involving E-bikes occurred in the Northern Beaches area, one of which resulted in a 15-year old boy sustaining a compound fracture to his leg.

A spokesperson for Transport for NSW said the government is “considering the recommendations” made in the inquiry, which is due on May 13.

The Daily Telegraph used a Bushnell speed gun for its testing.