Queensland Motorcycle, Road Scooters, Moped, Electric Bike, EScooter ( PMD ) Licence Requirements

In A Nut Shell:

QUEENSLAND MOTORCYCLES & MOTOR SCOOTERS including E-Bikes and E-Scooters

Moped

• Permitted to ride a 50cc speed restricted 50km/h automatic scooter, a moped, on a Open Car Licence (C Class)

• You cannot carry a passenger

Learner (RE Class)

• Must have held a provisional or open car licence for a minimum of one year

• Must pass a Q-Ride Pre-Learner Course 12 hours (est $570)

o If 100km outside of a Q-Ride training facility you can claim exemption from the course but must hold your RE Class licence longer (at least one year)

• Pass motorcycle knowledge test

• Be medically fit

• Must be supervised by a rider with a RE O Class licence for at least one year

• Zero Blood Alcohol Concentration (BAC)

• You cannot carry a passenger

• Must be held for minimum or three months

Motorcycle Licence –

RE Provisional Licence:

• Held Learner’s licence for three months

• Pass motorcycle hazard perception test

• Must pass the Q-Ride restricted (RE) course or the Q-Safe riding test (est $320)

• Can ride LAMs scooter for minimum of two years unaccompanied

• Zero Blood Alcohol Concentration (BAC)

• Can carry a passenger after one year

R Open Licence:

• Must pass the Q-Ride open (R) course (est $285)

• Open completion free to ride any open (R) class motorcycle and be fully unrestricted

Overseas Licence Holders:

• Requirements to transfer vary depending on where your licence is from

o Tourist or temporary overseas visitor can use overseas licence up to three months

o Temporary Visa Holders residing longer than three months must convert to a local licence

ELECTRIC BICYCLES

Powered Assisted Bicycles – classified as bicycles

• Bicycle with one or more auxiliary motors which has combined maximum ungoverned continuous rated power output not exceeding 200W.

• Electric powered-assisted cycle (EPAC) with electric motor that has maximum continued rated power of 250W. The power-assistance progressively reduces as the speed increases and cuts off once a top speed of 25km/h is reached. EPACs require the rider to pedal to access the power (formally known as a Pedalec).

o Must comply with European Standard (EN15194) with permanent marking

o The rider must pedal

o Motor may operate without pedalling up to 6km/h

NOT Powered Assisted Bicycle

• Motor is not an auxiliary source of power (rider must still be able to propel the bicycle via pedals without the motor operating).

• Motor’s power output exceeds 200W

• Classified as motorcycles requiring registration and a licensed rider if:

o Bicycle with petrol-powered motor attached

o EPAC has been modified:

? to allow more than 250W to be produced;

? to exceed 25km/h assisted speed

o High powered motorised bicycles designed for off-road use, typically exceed 200W

Continuous motor power of 250W (Pedal-assisted e-bikes)

If an e-bike is operated using pedals, then the maximum continuous motor power for a road legal bike in Australia is 250W (except in NSW, where the max legal motor power is 500W). The motor power has to cut off as soon as the bike reaches the speed of 25 km/h. There is a misconception that these e-bikes cannot have a throttle. Actually, these bikes can be equipped with a throttle as long as the throttle max speed is locked to 6 km/h. So you can use the throttle as a start aid to get some momentum, and then you need to start pedaling as the throttle will turn off as soon as the bike reaches the 6 km/h speed.

Continuous motor power of not more than 200W (Throttle-assisted ebikes)

If the bike is going to be operated using a throttle without pedaling at speeds over 6 km/h, then the maximum continuous output of the motor cannot exceed 200 watts, and the max assist speed is 25 km/h, meaning the motor has to turn off as soon as the speed reaches 25 km/h. A 200W e-bike is usually not powerful enough to even climb average hills, and therefore, 200W bikes are rarely made.

ELECTRIC L-SCOOTERS / E-SCOOTERS

• Personal Mobility Devices

o 16+ years of age

o 12+ years of age and supervised by an adult

o Single use only

o Maximum weight 60kg

o Give way and keep left

? Foothpaths 12km/h

? Shared paths 12km/h

? Separated paths 25km/h

? Bicycle paths 25km/h

o Road riding: