The following letter was sent to the Attorney General of Colorado, asking for enforcement of the law HB25-1197 “Sale of Electrical Assisted Bicycles Requirements.” The letter is signed by 49 organizations and community leaders from across Colorado urging the Attorney General’s office to enforce HB25-1197 and curb the deceptive marketing of high-powered electric motorcycles and mopeds as legal e-bikes.
As the letter explains, sellers—particularly online retailers—continue to market “e-motos” and “e-mopeds” as e-bikes even though these vehicles do not meet Colorado’s legal definition of an electrical assisted bicycle. This misrepresentation contributes to the growing presence of illegal, high-powered vehicles on Colorado’s roads and paths, creates serious safety risks—especially for young riders—and unfairly damages the reputation of legal e-bikes.
August 27, 2026
Dear Attorney General Weiser,
In 2025, Governor Polis signed House Bill 25-1197, a law making it illegal for manufacturers and retailers to falsely market and sell high-powered electric vehicles — such as electric motorcycles commonly known as “e-motos” or “e-mopeds” — as legal e-bikes, which by law must have operable pedals, be below 750 watts of power, and conform to certain classifications. Despite this law, numerous brands and retailers, mostly operating online, continue to falsely market and sell these products, creating a public safety risk on our roads and paths – a risk that is especially acute among youth riders.
We are writing as a coalition of organizations deeply concerned about the adverse safety impact of these devices on the public right-of-way, and we request that your office enforce House Bill 25-1197 and take steps to inform the public about the prevalence of falsely marketed products.
Much of the public’s growing concern about e-bike safety has little to do with legal e-bikes. Many of the devices causing crashes or near-crashes on roads and paths are electric motorcycles or electric mopeds, which sometimes resemble e-bikes but are meaningfully different: they are heavier, accelerate faster, reach higher top speeds, and are illegal to operate on the public right-of-way. We are seeing a growing number of these illegal, high-powered devices in Colorado — often operated by teenagers — in part because consumers believe they are purchasing a legal e-bike.
Beyond the immediate safety risk, illegal e-motorcycles tarnish the reputation of legal e-bikes, risking legislation that could restrict Coloradans’ access to affordable, climate-friendly transportation. This is what occurred in New Jersey earlier this year, when the Governor signed into law Senate Bill 4834 / Assembly Bill 6235, which significantly restricts access to class 1, 2, and 3 e-bikes while failing to squarely address e-moto safety concerns. We do not want to see Colorado follow New Jersey’s lead. Additionally, failure to enforce HB25-1197 feeds into a narrative propagated by the U.S. Department of Transportation, which attempts to delegitimize biking as an essential means of transportation and to cut funding for bike and pedestrian infrastructure.
Community members deserve safe streets and trails, and consistent enforcement of HB25-1197 is a necessary step to protect that right. We, the undersigned organizations, strongly urge you to:
- Issue a consumer alert, similar to the one issued by California’s Attorney General in April 2026, to help Coloradans differentiate between legal e-bikes and illegal e-motorcycles before they buy or ride one;
- Direct your office’s consumer protection investigators to examine the online retailers most responsible for mislabeling and selling e-motorcycles as e-bikes to Colorado consumers; and
- Coordinate with the Colorado Department of Revenue and local law enforcement agencies to ensure HB 25-1197’s point-of-sale disclosure and labeling requirements are enforced consistently statewide.
Sincerely,
Pete Piccolo, Executive Director, Bicycle Colorado
Teri Vogel, Bicycle/VRU/Roadway Safety Advocate
Bike Colorado Springs
Mike Moses, Executive Director, Bike Fort Collins
Bike Jeffco
Darcy Kitching, Executive Director, Boulder Chamber Transportation Connections
Michael Bowers & Mark Velat, Co-owners, Campus Cycles
Lee Barger, Transportation Engineer, City of Glenwood Springs
Amanda Abramczyk-Thill
Clean Energy Action
Michael Dee, Executive Director, Coalition 4 Cyclists
Brad Tucker, Founder/Attorney, ColoBikeLaw
Steph Vigil, Committee to Elect Stephanie Vigil
Sue Prant, Executive Director, Community Cycles
Renée Larrarte, Climate & Transportation Campaign Manager, Conservation Colorado
Denver Bicycle Lobby
Jill Locantore, Executive Director, Denver Streets Partnership
Mark Wood, E-Bike Safety Advocates
Amy Paschal, Representative, General Assembly
Grand Valley Streets Alliance
Triny Willerton, President, It Could Be Me
Christopher Anderson, Owner, Kind Bikes and Skis
Gregory Cobble, Owner, Manitou E-bike Co.
Judith Chandler, Mayor Pro Tem, Manitou Springs City Council
Gloria Latimer, Ward 3, Manitou Springs City Council
J Shada, Councilmember, Manitou Springs City Council
Medicine Wheel Trail Advocates
Phillip Brown, Director of People and Culture, Mike’s Bikes
Melissa Hunter, Mobility for All Programs Coordinator, Mobility for All
John Crandall, Owner & President, Old Town Bike Shop
PaCMan (Pedestrian and Cycle Manitou)
Pedego Fort Collins
Zurit Horowitz, People Centered COS
PeopleForBikes
Tara McCarthy, Executive Director, PikeRide
Nathan Nassif
Ride Broomfield
Corey Piscopo, Owner, Ride Workshop
Roaring Fork Transportation Authority
Routt County Riders
Salida Mountain Trails
Lesley Smith, Representative, State of Colorado
Summit County Mountain Bike Alliance
Ashley Jordan, VP, The Bike Shop
Andrew Phillips, Attorney, TheCyclistLawyer.com
Glenn Carlson, Executive Director, Trails & Open Space Coalition
Kayla Sankovich, Store Manager, Trek Bicycle Fort Collins
Vibrant Littleton
Brian Weiss, Attorney, Weiss Law LLC – Bike Law Colorado
