On Australian roads and paths, a legal electric bike's motor helps you up to 25 km/h and then stops adding power, though you can keep pedalling faster on your own. Electric trikes follow the same idea.
This guide covers what the rules say, what changes your speed, and how to choose an e-bike that suits the pace you like to ride. It's written for the rider and for anyone helping them choose.
By the Ridewave team, updated October 2026
What speed limit applies to e-bikes in Australia?
A legal e-bike gives motor help only while you pedal, and that help stops once the bike reaches 25 km/h. A throttle that works without pedalling is limited to 6 km/h, which is there to help you get moving. The exact power limits still differ by state.
New South Wales. A legal e-bike has a maximum continuous rated power of 500 watts, falling to 250 watts from 1 March 2029, a throttle-only function that cuts out at 6 km/h, and a motor that gives no power above 25 km/h. Transport for NSW says an e-bike that exceeds any of those limits is illegal even if its power or speed is restricted by an app, switch or software (Transport for NSW e-bike rules). New seizure laws took effect on 21 August 2026, giving NSW Police wider powers to take illegal e-bikes off roads and road related areas.
Queensland. A legal e-bike has a motor of up to 250 watts maximum continuous rated power, gives pedal assistance up to 25 km/h, uses a throttle only up to 6 km/h to help you start, and meets EN 15194 with a compliance label. Since 31 August 2026, e-bike riders in Queensland must be 16 or older and hold at least a learner licence (Queensland Government e-bike rules).
Queensland has one more detail worth knowing for riders with disability. The Queensland Government describes adaptive e-bikes as e-bikes or e-trikes designed or modified for people with disability. An adaptive e-bike that does not meet EN 15194 has to be verified through the state's E-Bike Assurance Scheme before it is ridden in public, and a rider aged 16 or over whose disability stops them holding a licence may be able to apply for an e-mobility licence exemption (Queensland Government e-mobility licence exemptions).
Other states and territories set their own rules. Our state by state guide to e-bike laws links each one to its official source.
How fast does an e-bike feel to ride?
Relaxed and steady. A pedal assist e-bike is made for pedalling at a comfortable pace, with the motor taking the work out of hills and headwinds rather than pushing you along quickly.
When people take their first ride at our showrooms, the thing they notice first is how smooth the pedal assist feels. The motor adds its help as you pedal, so you set the pace with your legs and the bike follows.
On an e-bike, you balance as you would on any bicycle, so the first few pedal strokes from a stop matter most. Lower assist levels make that start gentle while you get used to the motor joining in.
Can you ride faster than 25 km/h?
Yes, under your own power. On a downhill or with a tailwind you can go faster than 25 km/h on an e-bike, but the motor adds nothing above that point. Nothing in the rules stops you pedalling faster yourself.
What the rules do stop is changing the bike to get more motor help. Transport for NSW says hacking or tampering with an e-bike may make it illegal, and Queensland says after-market conversion kits make a device illegal to ride in public. Ridewave never offers to remove or raise the speed limit on any e-bike.
Whatever you ride, brake early on downhills and give yourself room. The Miniwave folding e-bike has hydraulic disc brakes with 180 mm rotors front and rear.
How fast can you ride on footpaths and shared paths?
Where footpath riding is allowed, the limit is much lower than 25 km/h. In Queensland, e-bike riders must keep to 12 km/h on all footpaths, and on shared paths they must keep to the signed limit and slow to 12 km/h when passing a pedestrian (Queensland Government e-bike rules).
Whether you can ride on the footpath at all depends on your state and sometimes your age or circumstances, so check your state page before you set off. On any path, a bell, a slower pace near people and room to pass make the ride better for everyone.
What changes how fast and how far you go?
Your speed comes from your legs, the assist level you choose and the ground under you. The same things change how far a charge takes you: range varies with load, terrain, assist level, tyre pressure and weather.
- Assist level. A higher level gives more help and uses more of the battery. On flat paths a lower level is often all you need.
- Gears. Gears let you keep pedalling at a comfortable rhythm on hills and flats. The Miniwave has a Shimano Altus 8 speed shifter and rear derailleur.
- Load. A full rack or basket and a heavier rider ask more of the motor. The Miniwave has a max total load (rider plus cargo) of 155 kg, including its rear rack.
- Tyres. Firm tyres at the pressure printed on the sidewall roll more easily. Wider tyres grip loose ground but roll differently on smooth paths.
- Terrain and weather. Hills, gravel, sand and a headwind all slow you down and use more battery.
On pedal assist level 1 on a flat road, the Miniwave has a range of up to 110 km with its 10.4Ah battery or up to 140 km with its 13.2Ah battery. Real rides vary with everything in the list above.
What should you check about speed before you buy?
Five questions are worth asking about any e-bike, wherever you buy it:
- Where will it be ridden? Public roads and paths mean your state's rules apply. Private property and off road use is a different situation.
- What is the motor's continuous rated power? Ask for the rated figure, not a peak figure, and compare it with your state's limit.
- Does the throttle stop at 6 km/h? A throttle that keeps pushing without pedalling above that is not legal on public roads and paths in NSW or Queensland.
- Does the motor stop adding power at 25 km/h? And is that set by the design rather than a setting someone could change?
- Do you need a licence or exemption? In Queensland, the answer for e-bikes is yes from 31 August 2026, so check what applies to the rider.
If a seller offers to raise the speed limit, that tells you what you need to know about the bike.
Which e-bike suits your pace?
Let the kind of riding choose, rather than speed.
- For two wheels that fold away: the Miniwave folding e-bike. A 250W rear hub motor, certified to EN 15194 and holding a NSW certificate of approval, with a front suspension fork and 20 x 3.0 inch puncture-resistant tyres.
If three wheels suit you better, you can compare the trikes in the electric trike collection.
When an e-bike isn't the right pace
If you want to keep up with road traffic, cover long commutes quickly or ride fast for sport, a pedal assist e-bike isn't built for that, and the rules in NSW and Queensland allow no motor help above 25 km/h. It suits riders who want steady, relaxed rides with help on the hills.
Feel the pace for yourself
Numbers only tell you so much. The quickest way to know whether an e-bike suits your pace is to pedal a few metres and feel the motor join in.
Test rides run at our showrooms in Vermont (Melbourne), Girraween and Marrickville (Sydney). Most visits take 30 minutes to an hour, and you're welcome to bring someone along. Call ahead so we can have the right model ready for you: book a showroom test ride, or call us on +61 468 095 888.
Sources
- E-bikes, Transport for NSW, checked October 2026
- Electric bicycle rules, Queensland Government, checked October 2026
- E-mobility licence exemptions, Queensland Government, checked October 2026
Related articles
- E-bike and electric trike laws in Australia, state by state: power, speed and footpath rules for every state and territory.
- E-bike motors explained: how hub motors deliver their help as you pedal.