Spike in dangerous-driving complaints highlights concern over illegal e-bikes in B.C.

An RCMP logo is seen on the shoulder of a superintendent during a news conference in St. John's, N.L., on Saturday, June 24, 2023. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Adrian Wyld

Police in North Vancouver are reminding the public that e-dirt bikes and other high-powered electric motorcycles are not permitted on public roads after a spike in complaints about dangerous driving over the weekend.

The North Vancouver RCMP says officers responded to five separate reports of youths riding electric motorcycles in a dangerous manner on April 17.

The complaints included riders allegedly weaving in and out of traffic and performing wheelies on public roads.

In one case, riders were reportedly driving the bikes on a turf field at Delbrook Recreation Centre, police said in a news release Tuesday.

Later that evening, officers located several bikes parked outside a fast-food restaurant in the Lynn Valley area.

Police seized a 2026 Surron bike that is not street legal, according to the release.

The youth’s guardian later claimed ownership of the bike and retrieved it from the RCMP detachment the following day.

Mounties say previous attempts to stop e-dirt bike riders have led to riders fleeing at high speeds, placing themselves and others at “extreme risk.”

“We’re seeing more cases where parents are purchasing these bikes without realizing their child cannot legally ride them around the neighbourhood or to school,” said Cpl. Mansoor Sahak, spokesperson for the North Vancouver RCMP, in a statement.

“There is a responsibility on adults to understand what they are buying and to ensure youth are educated on the rules and the very real consequences,” he added.

Police say they have been taking an education-focused approach to enforcing e-dirt bike and motorcycle regulations because the vehicles are still new, but penalties will increase for those who repeatedly violate the rules.

Anyone who is considering purchasing an electric bike is urged to review B.C.’s rules and requirements for the vehicles.