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Thunder V29 Dual-Battery
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Not every E‑Bike sold in Australia is road legal
Being legal to sell isn't the same as being legal to ride. Here's what the law actually checks, how to spot a bike that won't pass, and where ours stand.
Published by Thor Ebikes. Yes, we sell E-Bikes. The rules below come from official sources, linked at the bottom of the page.
Certified to EN 15194Shop E-Bikes
The short version
- Shops can legally sell E-Bikes that are illegal to ride on public roads and paths.
- The law looks at the motor: continuous power, a 25 km/h assist cut-off and no motor-only riding above 6 km/h.
- A bigger motor held back by software doesn't count as legal in NSW or Queensland.
- Over the limit, it's no longer a bicycle. It can be treated as an unregistered motor vehicle. In NSW it can be seized and crushed.
- EN 15194 is the clearest proof a bike meets the limits. Ask for the certificate.
01 · Legal to sell, not to ride
How can a shop sell an illegal E‑Bike?
Transport for NSW says it plainly: not all E-Bikes sold in Australian shops or online are legal for road use. The ACT and Victorian governments give the same warning.
Selling a high-powered bike for private property use isn't illegal. Claiming it's road legal when it isn't is. In NSW, every E-Bike listing now has to carry a green "EN 15194 compliant" tag or a red "Not EN 15194 compliant" tag, and the red ones can still be sold.
So the question isn't whether you can buy it. It's whether you can ride it where you want to.
02 · What the law checks
It comes down to three things
-
250W
Continuous power
The most the motor can sustain. NSW allows up to 500W until 28 Feb 2029.
-
25 km/h
Assist cut-off
The motor stops helping at 25 km/h. Faster than that is all you.
-
6 km/h
Without pedalling
Walk or start-up assist only. No riding on the motor alone.
Sources: Transport for NSW (read 5 Oct 2026), Queensland Government (26 Aug 2026), Victoria Police (15 Jun 2026).
Those limits define a power-assisted bicycle, known as an EPAC. Stay inside them and the law treats your E-Bike as a bicycle: no rego, and no licence in NSW or Victoria (Queensland riders need at least a learner licence). Go over them and it isn't a bicycle any more.
Peak watts don't count, and neither does the number in the model name. The legal limit is the motor's continuous rated power. Numbers like 750 or 1000 in a model name often describe the battery, not the motor.
03 · Software limits
"Restricted to 250W" isn't 250W
Plenty of bikes are sold with a powerful motor that's "locked" for the road and unlocked with a code, an app or a switch. NSW and Queensland both say that doesn't make it legal. If the bike can exceed the limits, it's illegal even when software holds it back.
Tampering counts too. The first batch crushed under NSW's new laws included well-known brands that had been modified to override their speed limits. A bike that left the factory legal stops being legal once it's unlocked.
04 · Fat tyres
It's the motor, not the tyres
Fat tyre E-Bikes have a reputation, and the NSW Government has singled them out, because many sold here are overpowered, throttle-only or easy to unlock. But no legal test mentions tyre width.
A fat tyre E-Bike is judged on exactly the same limits as any other. It isn't legal because it has pedals, or illegal because it has big tyres. What counts is the motor and how it behaves.
Road‑legal E‑Bike or e‑motorbike?
| Feature | Road-legal E-Bike | Illegal e-motorbike |
|---|---|---|
| Motor | 250W continuous (NSW: 500W to 2029) | Often 1,000W+, or software "locked" |
| Motor help | Stops at 25 km/h | Keeps going to 45 km/h or more |
| Without pedalling | Walk assist to 6 km/h | Full throttle, no pedalling needed |
| Settings | One legal setting | Unlock codes, apps, off-road mode |
| Paperwork | EN 15194 certificate (the clearest proof) | A sticker, or "private property use" |
| In public | Treated as a bicycle | Can be treated as an unregistered motor vehicle |
A general guide based on NSW, Queensland and Victorian rules. Limits differ slightly between states.
05 · Over the limit
Then it's no longer a bicycle
An E-Bike that breaks the limits isn't treated as a bicycle any more. It can be treated as an unregistered, uninsured motor vehicle, and many can't be registered at all because they don't meet vehicle standards.
- NSW: police and Transport for NSW officers can seize illegal E-Bikes used on roads, paths and other public places, and unclaimed bikes are crushed. Fines can include $867 each for riding an unregistered and an uninsured motor vehicle.
- Queensland: riding a prohibited device in public is a $621 fine, and police can seize and destroy it.
- Victoria: fines of more than $1,000 each for an unregistered vehicle and unlicensed riding.
- WA: a $500 fine, and the bike may be seized and disposed of.
Insurers warn an illegal device may also affect your home and contents cover, and it sits outside compulsory third party (CTP) insurance if someone gets hurt. Fines are as at October 2026.
Quick check
Is your E‑Bike road legal?
Five questions. Answer them for the bike you own, or the one you're looking at.
Answer every question to see your result.
Sounds like a road-legal E-Bike
Keep the receipt and certificate somewhere safe. Rider rules like age, licence, helmets and footpaths still depend on your state.
Check before you ride
Ask the seller for the EN 15194 certificate and the motor's continuous power rating in writing. If they can't give you both, treat that as a warning sign.
That may not be a road-legal E-Bike
If it's over the limits, riding it on roads, paths or in other public places can mean fines, and in NSW and Queensland it can be seized and destroyed. Check your state's rules before you ride.
A general guide, not legal advice. Rules differ between states.
Red flags when you're buying
- "Private property use only" in the listing or the fine print.
- Big motor numbers like 1,000W or more, or "750W restricted to 250W".
- Top speeds above 25 km/h in the ad, the specs or the reviews.
- A throttle that works at any speed without pedalling.
- Unlock codes or an off-road mode mentioned by the seller or in the manual.
- Missing or token pedals a legal E-Bike is mainly powered by pedalling.
- A sticker and nothing else fake EN 15194 stickers have been offered online, so ask for the certificate.
06 · Where we stand
Our fat tyre E‑Bikes are road legal
No fine print, no unlock codes, no private property setting.
All four, the Pulse RSE, Pulse EB8 Step-Thru, Thunder V20 Pro and Thunder V29, are certified to EN 15194. That's the standard named in NSW and Queensland rules and in Australia's E-Bike import rules, and it means they'll still be legal in NSW after the 2029 change.
- 250W continuous motor inside today's NSW limit and the 2029 one.
- Pedal assist cuts out at 25 km/h the motor only helps while you pedal.
- Walk assist up to 6 km/h no riding on the motor alone.
- One setting only no unlock codes, apps or hidden modes.
- Safety certified electrics electrical system to UL 2849, battery pack to UL 2271.
Rider rules still apply: you'll need an approved helmet, and in Queensland riders must be 16 or older with at least a learner licence, unless supervised or exempt.
Thor Ebikes
Road legal, out of the box
Certified to EN 15194, delivered about 90% assembled and ready to ride after roughly 30 minutes of setup.
- Certified to EN 15194
- 1 year warranty
- Ships from Brisbane
- Afterpay or Zip available
Thor fat tyre E-Bikes
Pick your ride
All four certified to EN 15194, with pedal assist that cuts out at 25 km/h.
Save $500
Thunder V20 Pro
Sale price $1,999 Regular price $2,499
or 4 interest-free payments of $499.75 with Afterpay or pay later with Zip
Save $500
Pulse RSE
Sale price $1,899 Regular price $2,399
or 4 interest-free payments of $474.75 with Afterpay or pay later with Zip
Save $500
Pulse EB8 Step-Thru
Sale price $2,099 Regular price $2,599
or pay later with Zip
Questions
Common questions
If a shop sells it, isn't it legal?
Not necessarily. Shops can sell E-Bikes for private property use, and in NSW, bikes that don't meet EN 15194 can still be sold with a red "Not EN 15194 compliant" tag. Look for the green tag and ask for the certificate.
The listing says 1,000W, or 750W restricted to 250W. Is that legal?
Not for public roads or paths. NSW and Queensland both say a bigger motor held back by software is still illegal.
I already own a 500W E-Bike in NSW. Is it illegal now?
If it meets today's NSW rules, you can keep riding it until 28 February 2029. From 1 March 2029, only EN 15194 E-Bikes will be legal on NSW roads and paths. A 500W E-Bike isn't legal in Queensland or Victoria now.
Are throttles legal?
Only as walk or start-up assist up to 6 km/h. Above that, the motor should only help while you pedal, and only up to 25 km/h.
Does a UL certification prove an E-Bike is road legal?
No. UL 2849 and UL 2271 are electrical and battery safety standards. They're worth having, but they don't test whether a bike is road legal. For road legality, look for EN 15194.
Do I need a licence or rego?
A legal E-Bike doesn't need registration. Licence and age rules depend on your state. In Queensland, riders must be 16 or older with at least a learner licence, unless supervised or exempt. NSW and Victoria don't require a licence.
Are Thor's E-Bikes legal in my state?
Our four fat tyre E-Bikes are certified to EN 15194, with a 250W continuous motor, pedal assist that cuts out at 25 km/h and walk assist to 6 km/h. That meets the national EPAC definition of a power-assisted bicycle. Rider rules such as age, licence, helmets and footpaths still vary, so check yours.
Check your state's rules: NSW · QLD · VIC · WA · ACT. In SA, Tasmania or the NT, check your state transport department.
In NSW? Read how the new seize-and-crush law works.
Sources
- Transport for NSW, E-Bikes (read 5 Oct 2026)
- NSW Government, E-Bike FAQs (23 Sep 2026)
- NSW Government, crackdown on illegal E-Bikes (9 Feb 2026)
- NSW Government, first batch of illegal E-Bikes crushed (1 Oct 2026)
- NSW Fair Trading, E-Bike information requirements (26 Jun 2026)
- Revenue NSW, penalty notice amounts 2026-27 (spreadsheet)
- Queensland Government, electric bicycle rules (26 Aug 2026)
- Queensland StreetSmarts, E-Bikes
- Victoria Police, E-Bike safety (15 Jun 2026)
- WA Road Safety Commission, bicycle riders (6 Feb 2026)
- ACT Government, cycling
- Insurance Council of Australia (13 Apr 2026)
- ABC News, fake compliance stickers (11 Feb 2026)
- Bicycle NSW, towards safe, legal E-Bikes
- Bicycle Network, rules for rideables (23 Sep 2026)
- NSW Government Gazette No 291 (17 Jul 2026)
- Federal Register of Legislation, import rules F2025L01649 (19 Dec 2025)
- Victorian Department of Treasury and Finance, penalty units 2026-27
Last checked 5 October 2026. Rules change, so check the official source before you ride.
