Canadian Letter Writing Campaign

The potential penalty cost of operating a motor vehicle without insurance, license, headlights, tail lights,and signal lights can easily add up to thousands of dollars if I happen to get a cop who had a fight with his wife that morning or a bad cup of coffee. This is more risk than I wish to assume.

I think the only chance we have in changing this situation is a letter writing campaign to our Minister of Transportation, MP and MLA's. We need to have a few members submit template letters which can easily be cut and pasted along with a directory of MP's and MLA's email addresses. If we make it easy to do and these politicians get hundreds of letters it may make a difference.

You can start by emailing the Minister John Baird of Transport Canada at [email protected]

Followup with letters to your MP and MLA....be sure to include your name and address.

For background information see the thread "Attention Canadians"

Good luck !!!

Here is the letter I wrote to my MLA: Please feel free to modify, cut and paste it and use.


I have have recently become aware of the new legislation regarding powered assisted bicycles. See http://www.transportation.alberta.ca...PowerBikes.pdf

I applaud the elimination of the weight restrictions for electric bikes.

However, I am deeply troubled by the removal of engine driven bicycles from the definition of a power assisted bicycle to the reclassification of the same to "moped" . I am specifically referring to bicycles that have been modified with a small gasoline engine (less than 50cc) for pedal assistance, see http://img1.classistatic.com/cps/kj/...816l8l_19.jpeg. Under the previous legislation these bike did not require license or insurance. Under the new legislation they are classified as a "moped" . Therefore if one puchases a engine kit (see Zoombicycles SOLD OUT - Jet Stealth 49cc Gas Bicycle Engine Kit | Bicycle Engine Kits | RuiHong Enterprises Ltd. ) he must also do the following to meet the vehicle equipment requirements for a moped:

* Obtain a VIN (cost $52)
* install headlamps, tail lamps, signal lamps,
* install brake lamps, mirrors, and a side mirror
* pay for a mechanical inspection (more $$)
* obtain insurance (impossible)

The performance of of an 49 cc gasoline engine driven power assisted bicycle is no different from that of a 500 watt electric bicycle (I know because I have both). It is clear that the electric bicycle lobby was influential in this legislation at the expense of the engine driven bicycle community. It is also interesting to not that the picture of the bike on the left of the official Alberta Government webpage http://www.transportation.alberta.ca...PowerBikes.pdf depicts a gasoline engine powered bike (Revopower see RevoPower - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia) which does not meet the moped vehicle equipment requirements. Clearly the legislators don't no what the **** they are doing and\or have shown a blatant disregard and prejudice of gasoline engine driven power assisted bicycles.


The following link is to an internet blog where all comments and replies have been against this legislation. http://motorbicycling.com/f17/attention-canadians-14421.html
Please take the time to review some of the contents and familiarize yourself with this issue.

I previously voted for you but you have lost my support for voting for the currently flawed legislation when it was in the proposal stage. You didn't do your research and voted to appease the electric bike community at the expense of the internal combustion motorbicyling community.

Sincerely,