EAGLE, Idaho — Concerns over reckless riding on electric bikes and motorbikes brought Eagle neighbors and local law enforcement together Wednesday night at the Avimor Community Center for an E-Bike 101 session.
The meeting was led by Clint Sandusky, a retired police cyclist with 24 years in law enforcement. After retiring, Sandusky spent 30 years as a certified police bike patrol instructor in California, teaching hundreds of officers through the International Police Mountain Bike Association, where he also wrote the curriculum and policy on e-bike use for public safety cyclists. He is also involved with the American Bicycling Education Association and its Cycling Savvy program, which offers online and in-person courses for conventional and electric bike riders.
Sandusky moved to Avimor about two years ago and said he wanted to give back to his new community by sharing his expertise.
"With great speed comes great responsibility, and I'll admit I stole that from Spider-Man," Sandusky said.
The session covered e-bike classifications, illegal e-motorbikes, lithium-ion battery safety and proven strategies for riding legally, safely and respectfully. Sandusky explained the three classes of e-bikes: Class 1 is pedal assist only with a maximum assisted speed of 20 mph; Class 2 offers both pedal assist and a throttle, also capped at 20 mph; and Class 3 is pedal assist only with a maximum of 28 mph — the class Sandusky recommends for law enforcement use.
Under Idaho law and in most states, a legal e-bike must have an electric motor under 750 watts — roughly one horsepower. Anything exceeding those speed or wattage limits is not an e-bike and requires a license, registration, and insurance to operate legally.
Sandusky said kids are also illegally modifying legal e-bikes to exceed their programmed speed limits — a trend he said parents need to be aware of.
A major concern for attendees was kids riding high-speed electric motorbikes — such as the Surron — through parks and neighborhoods. Sandusky said these vehicles can reach speeds of 50 mph or more and weigh around 125 pounds, making them dangerous in the wrong hands.
He cited a case in California where a teen on an electric motorcycle struck and killed an 81-year-old Vietnam veteran, and the Orange County District Attorney charged the mother with involuntary manslaughter.
"Sadly, it's going to take stuff like that where parents are going to have to be charged to get the message out that you've got to manage your kids, whether it's electric bicycle use or keep them away from these illegal things where they can really hurt themselves or kill somebody else," Sandusky said.
He said parents are the ultimate line of defense in their teens' safety.
Eagle Police Sgt. Justin Elliot made clear during the Wednesday nigth course that law enforcement is watching.
"If we catch you being reckless on an electric motorcycle, we will enforce the law," Elliot said.
"It's more than just kids being kids, it's kids being reckless," Elliot said.
The session also covered lithium-ion battery safety — a growing concern nationally, with fires in apartment buildings and bike shops linked to improper storage, charging, and care. The Eagle Fire District attended the meeting to assist Sandusky in informing the community.
Sandusky said he hopes to take the E-Bike 101 presentation to other communities across the Treasure Valley to help get ahead of the issues already playing out in states like California and New York, and to help prevent local authorities from restricting e-bike access to trails and greenbelts.
Sandusky also added that the broader goal of the session was to show riders that education makes cycling safer and more enjoyable... not to take bikes away.
"Better riders today, better drivers tomorrow," Sandusky said.
