Michigan's E-Moto Clarification Push: What HB 6340 Would Mean for Class 2 Riders
If you read our Michigan e-bike law guide last week, you know the state is in the middle of a busy legislative season for electric mobility. There's a new development worth a closer look: House Bill 6340, a bipartisan proposal that would draw a sharper legal line between real e-bikes and the high-powered electric mopeds and motorcycles that sometimes get marketed as e-bikes — and extend Michigan's age and helmet rules to Class 2 riders.
Important framing up front: HB 6340 is a proposal, not a law. It was referred to the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee on September 24, 2026, and as of early October it remains in committee. Nothing below has taken effect. But the bill got a fresh public push on October 9, and it tells us a lot about where Michigan lawmakers think the rules need to go. Here's what it would do, in plain English.
What HB 6340 would actually do
The bill has two main pieces, according to sponsor statements and press coverage:
1. Classify high-powered electric devices by what they really are. Right now, Michigan's 2017 e-bike law defines e-bikes as having motors of 750 watts or less, with the familiar three-class system. But the market has filled with faster, more powerful electric two- and three-wheelers — throttle-driven machines that look a bit like bicycles but perform like mopeds or motorcycles. HB 6340 would make sure the age, licensing, and other requirements that already apply to mopeds and motorcycles also apply to their electric versions, instead of letting powerful machines slip through a definitional gray area.
As the bill's sponsor, State Rep. Bradley Slagh (R-Zeeland), put it: high-powered electric devices capable of high speeds should not be treated the same as a bicycle just because they have pedals or look similar to an e-bike. The goal, in his words, is clear rules so riders, parents, and law enforcement all understand what these devices are and where they should be operated.
2. Extend age and helmet rules to Class 2. Under current Michigan law, Class 3 e-bike riders must be at least 14 years old, and Class 3 riders and passengers under 18 must wear helmets. HB 6340 would extend both requirements to Class 2 devices — the throttle-equipped e-bikes capped at 20 mph. So a teenager on a Class 2 e-bike would face the same minimum-age and helmet rules that already apply to Class 3.
The bill is bipartisan: Slagh introduced it alongside State Rep. Veronica Paiz (D-Harper Woods), and Slagh has stressed that the plan isn't meant to take e-bikes away from anyone — just to match the rules to the capabilities of the devices.
Why this matters to trike riders
If you ride a compliant electric trike — 750 watts or less, operable pedals, fitting one of the three e-bike classes — this bill isn't aimed at you. That's the whole point of the exercise: lawmakers are trying to separate genuine e-bikes from e-motos, so that the rules for each make sense. A stable, pedal-equipped electric trike used for transportation, recreation, or mobility is exactly the kind of device the current e-bike framework was written for, and HB 6340 doesn't change that framework for compliant riders.
What it does change is the landscape around you. Clearer lines between e-bikes and e-motos mean fewer dangerously overpowered machines sharing your bike lane under e-bike rules — and clearer expectations for law enforcement about what's allowed where. For anyone who rides where faster devices mix with bicycles, that's good news.
The Class 2 provision is the one piece that could touch everyday riders directly. Many electric trikes are Class 2 machines (throttle plus pedal assist, capped at 20 mph). If you have grandkids who ride, the takeaway is simple: under this proposal, the 14-and-up and under-18-helmet rules would apply to Class 2 just as they already do to Class 3. Helmets for young riders are a good idea regardless of what the law says — but it's worth knowing the direction the rules are heading.
What happens next
HB 6340 sits with the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee. From here it would need a committee vote, passage by the full House, then the same process in the Senate, and finally the governor's signature before any of it becomes law. Many bills never make it out of committee — so treat everything here as a proposal to watch, not a rule to follow yet.
We'll update our Michigan coverage if HB 6340 — or any of the other pending Michigan e-bike bills — moves forward. In the meantime, the current law described in our Michigan law guide is what actually applies today.
Quick answers
Is HB 6340 a law?
No. It's a bill in the Michigan House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee. Nothing in it has taken effect.
Would HB 6340 change the rules for my compliant electric trike?
Based on what's been publicly described, no. The bill targets the classification of high-powered e-motos and extends existing age/helmet rules to Class 2. Compliant e-bikes — including electric trikes that meet the 750W, three-class definition — stay under the current e-bike framework.
What's the Class 2 change, exactly?
As proposed: Class 2 riders would need to be at least 14, and Class 2 riders and passengers under 18 would need helmets — matching rules that already apply to Class 3 today.
Why are lawmakers doing this?
In the sponsor's words: to make sure high-powered electric devices aren't treated like bicycles just because they have pedals or resemble e-bikes, and to give riders, parents, and law enforcement clear rules matched to what each device can actually do.
This article is for general information only and isn't legal advice. E-bike laws change, and local ordinances can add rules on top of state law — when in doubt, check with local authorities.
