Dee Why was among the Northern Beaches communities visited during a new e-bike operation, with police combining roadside checks with education for riders as authorities turned their attention to illegal and modified bikes.
E-Bike Patrols Reach Dee Why
Police and Transport for NSW officers were in Dee Why, Manly, Curl Curl and Avalon on Friday, 11 September 2026, after recent incidents of illegal, dangerous and reckless e-bike use across the Northern Beaches.
The operation brought both enforcement and community engagement into the four areas, with officers checking bikes and speaking with riders about the rules that apply when using e-bikes on public roads and paths.
Across the wider Northern Beaches operation, 36 e-bikes were seized. Police also issued 16 penalty notices and 46 cautions for offences including helmet and mobile phone breaches.
A portable dynamometer was used where officers suspected a bike did not meet legal requirements. Three of the seized e-bikes were found to be non-compliant through that testing.
Riding Rules Extend Beyond Speed
For riders using e-bikes around Dee Why and elsewhere in NSW, the rules cover more than how fast a bike can travel.
A legal e-bike can currently have a maximum continuous rated power of 500 watts. Throttle-only assistance must stop at 6km/h, while motor assistance during pedalling must cut out once the bike reaches 25km/h.
Bikes that exceed those limits are illegal even if their higher speed or power can be restricted through an app, switch, code or other software.
The same everyday road rules applying to bicycle riders also apply to e-bikes. Riders must wear an approved helmet and comply with mobile phone restrictions, while those aged 16 or older generally cannot ride on a footpath unless supervising a child under 16.
Illegal Bikes Can Be Taken Off The Road
The patrol was the first joint NSW Police and Transport for NSW operation of its kind since expanded seizure powers became enforceable on 21 August 2026.
Those powers allow illegal, modified and high-powered e-bikes used in public places to be seized and disposed of.
The wider operation also turned up some of the more extreme examples officers were looking for. At Warriewood, police seized an e-bike from a 14-year-old rider that was allegedly capable of exceeding 90km/h. A food delivery rider was also stopped with a bike police alleged had been modified and did not comply with the rules.
Further operations are expected, with riders and families being encouraged to check that an e-bike is road-legal before it is used on public roads or paths.
Published 12-September-2026
