What is a motorized bicycle ?

2025-06-26

Many people wonder what a motorized bicycle is and what category is required to drive a motorized bicycle?

According to the Lithuanian Road Traffic Safety Law. A motorized bicycle is a vehicle with at least two wheels, which is propelled by the muscular power of the person riding it, using pedals or handles, and has an auxiliary internal combustion engine or electric motor, the maximum net power of which does not exceed 1 kW, and the maximum design speed of which does not exceed 25 km/h. The auxiliary engine stops working when the vehicle reaches a speed of 25 km/h.

According to the road traffic regulations and the aforementioned law, a motorized bicycle with a gasoline engine and exceeding 50 cm3 cubic capacity and traveling faster than 25 km/h will become a moped. If the motorized bicycle has an electric engine with a power of up to 4kW, but also exceeds 25km/h, it will become a moped and will require an AM category to drive.

If you have purchased or built a bicycle with an electric or gasoline engine and plan to use it in public traffic, it is important for you to ensure that its maximum speed does not exceed 25km/h. This is the most important aspect of safety for you and those around you. If the motorized bicycle has a gasoline engine, the maximum achievable speed can be adjusted by selecting the front and rear sprockets, limiting the travel of the accelerator cable, limiting the area of the carburetor air intake, and limiting the area of the muffler exhaust. A good way is to choose wheels with a smaller diameter. Complete kits are available for building a motorized bicycle from a regular bicycle. 50cc, 80cc, 85cc, 100cc with two-stroke engines and 53cc, or 53cc with four-stroke engines.

If the motorized bicycle is electric, then the maximum speed is usually limited by the controller by programming it accordingly. Special equipment is required to program the controller. To make it easier, controller manufacturers often provide additional wires, which, when connected/disconnected, limit the maximum speed. Measuring the power output will not be easy. If the motorized bicycle engine is gasoline, then its power varies depending on the revolutions and the previously mentioned things. In reality, power can only be measured in a laboratory on a special stand. It is similar with electric motors - their power output is variable because it is limited by the sinusoid of the controller signal.

Advantages of a motorized bicycle over other vehicles. You will get to the desired place quickly and effortlessly. Riding a motorbike does not require a license, registration, or technical inspection. This saves a lot of money and administrative hassle. Riding is very economical, if the motorbike engine is an 50cc-100 gasoline engine, its fuel consumption is about 1.5L-2L per 100km. If it is electric, the cost of driving 1 km is less than 1 cent. Building a petrol motorbike from scratch costs from 128 EUR. A motorbike can stand for many years with little use and does not age because its engine design is simple, it does not have many rubber and plastic parts that age like a motorcycle or car. If your motorbike meets the above-mentioned characteristics, no category is required to drive it. The motorbike driver must comply with the duties of an ordinary bicycle driver.

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