A group of riders took their electric two-wheelers onto a Southern California freeway Saturday evening, where dashcam video caught them weaving through traffic and doing wheelies between considerably larger vehicles.
The riders were recorded at about 6 p.m. on the 91 Freeway in Long Beach, according to ABC7.
Several riders can be seen spread across the freeway lanes as ordinary traffic continues around them.
ABC7 described the machines as e-bikes, although California makes an increasingly important distinction between legal electric bicycles and more powerful electric motorcycles commonly called e-motos.
Two Wheels Up
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The dashcam footage shows traffic moving along the freeway as a group of riders travels among the cars.
Some stay upright. Others repeatedly lift their front wheels off the pavement, including riders traveling between traffic lanes.
At points, riders pass cars on both sides, while others appear farther ahead across several lanes.
ABC7 reported that it contacted police seeking more information and asking whether the riders were being sought.
What’s An E-Bike?
Exactly what the riders were riding may matter.
Under California Highway Patrol guidance, a legal electric bicycle has fully operable pedals and an electric motor that does not exceed 750 watts.
California also now separately defines an off-highway electric motorcycle, commonly called an e-moto. Those machines are designed primarily for off-highway use, have a straddle seat and two wheels, and do not have manufacturer-provided pedals.
CHP says e-motos are prohibited on public roadways and must be registered as off-highway vehicles.
The distinction has already come up in Long Beach.
In March, the Long Beach Police Department responded after learning of roughly 50 people riding what police described as illegal e-motos, pocket bikes, and e-bikes recklessly around the city.
Police arrested one 17-year-old, cited five other people for vehicle violations, and towed five illegal e-motos and one pocket bike.
Saturday’s freeway riders have not been publicly identified, and ABC7’s report did not identify any arrests or citations connected to the video.