Fire up the crusher: Illegal e-bike riders on notice over seizures

NSW Police and Transport Authorised Officers will be empowered to seize illegal e-bikes and Transport for NSW will be able to pulverise them.

The Road Transport Amendment (Non-registrable Motor Vehicles) Bill 2026 facilitating the new approach passed NSW Parliament on Thursday.

This law is part of the NSW Government drawing a clear line on e-bikes: we want young people outdoors and active, but we will not tolerate illegal, high-powered e-motorbikes putting lives at risk and being part of anti-social behaviour.

As well as introducing the crushing machinery, the Minns Labor Government has invested in a number of 'dyno units' that measure whether the speed of an e-bike is beyond the legal maximum.

The portable test units can determine whether the e-bike's power assistance cuts out completely at 25km/h as per the law in NSW.

If an e-bike is found to be non-compliant at the roadside, Police will be empowered to seize it and ultimately crush the bike to ensure it does not return to the road.

Police in Western Australia have confiscated and crushed dozens of bikes since adopting tougher laws there.

The first dyno unit from Europe has been received by Transport for NSW, with more on order.

The seize and crush laws build on a series of key initiatives from the Minns Labor Government to crackdown on illegal e-bikes and dangerous behaviour:

• Sustaining Strike Force Puma to target dangerous e-bike and e-motorbike rideouts.
• Reducing the 500-watt e-bike power limit to 250-watts - bringing NSW into line with other states.
• Bringing NSW into line with the rest of Australia by bringing in the EN15194 standard after a transition period.
• Implementing a minimum age limit for e-bike use.
• Introduced Australia's first shared scheme legislation giving councils the powers to enforce no-go and go-slow zones, control parking, ensure helmet provision and insurance for riders.
• Introduced new safety standards for lithium-ion batteries and banned modified e-bikes from trains and metros to reduce the risk of fires.

Minister for Transport John Graham said:

"If you are riding an illegal e-bike, we are coming for you.

"This law allows us to turn an e-bike that does not comply with power output rules to be seized and transformed into a useless, twisted wreck.

"We want to encourage the safe and healthy use of e-bikes which are very popular in NSW. By drawing a line in the sand on unsafe, illegal e-bikes, this new law assists us to do just that.

Minister for Police and Counter-terrorism Yasmin Catley said:

"The message is simple: if you're riding an illegal e-bike, police now have the power to take it off the street for good.

"We know our police have better things to do than chase illegal bikes through our suburbs, streets and regional communities.

"These tough new laws give police a hard edge. Not another warning. Not a slap on the wrist. If the bike is illegal, it can be seized and crushed.

"Break the law, lose the bike."

Minister for Roads Jenny Aitchison said:

"This law marks an important step in strengthening public safety across NSW.

"For too long, illegal e-bikes have posed a serious threat on our roads and footpaths, leading to serious injuries, and in some cases, tragic deaths.

"This legislation gives police the ability to take back control of our streets by destroying illegal bikes and sends a strong message to anyone thinking of doing the wrong thing in the future."