New York Wants to Ban High-Speed E-Motos After a Fatal Bridge Crash

In May 2026, two people died on the Queensboro Bridge bike path in New York City. A cyclist was struck head-on by a high-speed electric two-wheeler traveling inside the narrow shared lane — a machine capable of exceeding 50 miles per hour, being ridden where only bicycles and pedestrians belong. Both riders were killed.

Now New York lawmakers want to stop the problem at the cash register instead of on the street. Senate Bill S.10700, introduced in September 2026 by State Senator Kristen Gonzalez and Assemblymember Diana Moreno, would ban the sale of so-called "e-motos" in New York — the motorcycle-speed electric two-wheelers that are routinely marketed and sold as ordinary e-bikes.

To be clear from the start: this is a proposal, not a law. The bill has been referred to the Senate Rules Committee and has not passed. But it is active, it has fresh momentum, and it fits a national pattern that every trike rider should understand — because the same crackdown that targets e-motos is exactly what keeps compliant electric trikes legal and welcome.

What happened on the Queensboro Bridge

According to the bill's sponsors, the crash involved an e-moto traveling more than 50 miles per hour on the bridge's bike and pedestrian path. It collided head-on with a conventional bicycle. Both riders died. The machine was not a bicycle in any meaningful sense — it was an electric motorcycle being used, illegally, in a space built for human-powered and low-speed electric bikes.

Under New York law, these devices are already illegal to ride on public roads, bike lanes, and sidewalks. Electric scooters and e-bikes in the state are capped at low speeds — and e-bikes must have motors under 750 watts and fall into one of three classes: Class 1 (pedal-assist under 20 mph), Class 2 (throttle-assisted up to 20 mph), and Class 3 (throttle-assisted, with motor assistance cutting off at 25 mph).

The problem, as Senator Gonzalez put it in her sponsorship memo, is that while these high-speed machines are banned from the streets, they are still being sold — often deceptively marketed as e-bikes or e-scooters — through distributors and online retailers. Shoppers believe they are buying a safe, legal vehicle. They are not.

What S.10700 would do

The bill takes aim at the point of sale. Here is what it would do if it becomes law:

Define "e-moto" in law. An e-moto would be an electric two-wheeler with a motor capable of propelling it faster than 20 mph that does not qualify as a standard e-bike or e-scooter under existing law and is not registered with the DMV.
Ban e-moto sales in New York. Both online and brick-and-mortar retailers would be prohibited from selling e-motos to New York buyers, with civil penalties of up to $1,000 per violation.
Ban deceptive marketing. It would be unlawful to falsely market an e-moto — or an electric off-highway motorcycle — as an e-bike, e-scooter, or other legal micromobility product when the vehicle does not meet the legal definition.
Require retailer warnings. Sellers would have to post clear warnings that e-motos cannot legally be ridden on public roads, bike lanes, or sidewalks anywhere in the state.
Restrict off-highway electric motorcycles. Electric off-highway motorcycles could only be advertised, offered for sale, or sold by ATV dealers physically located in New York and registered with the DMV.

Supporters, including the New York Bicycling Coalition, argue the logic is simple: if a vehicle is illegal to ride on public roads, it should not be legal to sell to the public. Stop it at the sale, not after the crash.

Again: none of this is law yet. The bill sits with the Senate Rules Committee. Meanwhile, the New York City Council is separately reviewing more than twenty e-bike safety bills. We will update this post if S.10700 moves.

The 2026 e-moto crackdown, state by state

New York is not acting in a vacuum. 2026 has become the year states started drawing a hard legal line between bicycles and electric motorcycles:

California signed SB 1167 in late September 2026, cracking down on e-motos marketed as e-bikes. California's approach focuses on marketing and labeling — the machines can still be sold, but as what they actually are (mopeds or motor-driven cycles), not as e-bikes.
New Jersey has moved to replace the three-class system with licensing and registration requirements for faster devices.
Illinois has new rules taking effect January 1.
North Carolina adopted the three-class system for the first time, effective December 1, 2026.
Michigan has a bipartisan package in committee that would clarify high-powered e-motos fall under motorcycle and moped rules.

The direction is consistent: lawmakers are not coming for bicycles. They are coming for motorcycle-speed machines wearing a bicycle costume. New York's proposal would go further than California's — an outright sales ban rather than marketing rules — but the target is the same.

What this means for trike riders

Here is the reassuring part: compliant electric trikes are on the right side of every one of these laws.

A proper electric trike — three wheels, pedals you can actually use, a motor under 750 watts, and assistance capped at 20 or 28 mph depending on class — is an e-bike under the law in New York and every other state with a three-class system. These bills are written to exclude exactly that kind of vehicle. The legal line being drawn is between bicycle-like and motorcycle-like, and a step-through trike ridden at bicycle speeds is firmly bicycle-like.

If anything, the crackdown helps honest trike riders. Every e-moto sold as an "e-bike" muddies the public's understanding of what an e-bike is — and invites the kind of blanket restrictions that could eventually sweep up legitimate riders. Clear legal lines protect the good actors.

When you shop for a trike, the things to check are the same ones these bills are built around: a motor at or under 750 watts, a clear class designation, working pedals, and realistic speed ratings. If a seller cannot tell you the wattage or the class, that is your warning sign — and under proposals like S.10700, failing to tell you would soon be illegal.

Quick answers

Is New York banning e-bikes?
No. S.10700 targets high-speed e-motos — electric two-wheelers capable of exceeding 20 mph on motor power that do not meet the legal definition of an e-bike. Standard Class 1, 2, and 3 e-bikes, including electric trikes that meet those definitions, are not affected.

Is the bill law yet?
No. It was introduced in September 2026 and referred to the Senate Rules Committee. It is a proposal with momentum, not an enacted law.

What counts as an e-moto under the bill?
An electric two-wheeler with a motor capable of propelling it faster than 20 mph that does not qualify as a standard e-bike or e-scooter under existing law and is not DMV-registered. The bill's sponsors describe the worst offenders as machines capable of 40 to 50+ mph.

I ride an electric trike. Should I be worried?
No. A compliant electric trike — under 750 watts, class-designated, with working pedals — meets the legal definition of an e-bike and is explicitly the kind of vehicle these laws are written to protect, not restrict.

This post is for general information only and is not legal advice. Laws and proposals change — check current New York state law or consult an attorney for guidance about a specific vehicle or situation.