RIGHT NOW. WE’RE WORKING TO FIND OUT IF ANYONE IS IN CUSTODY. VIDEOS LIKE THIS ARE POPPING UP ALL OVER SOCIAL MEDIA. PEOPLE BEHAVING BADLY ON E-BIKES IN 2022. U.S. SALES HIT 1.3 BILLION DOLLARS WHILE IT’S CONSIDERED TO BE A MORE ACCESSIBLE MODE OF TRANSPORTATION. IT’S CREATING ISSUES BOTH ON AND OFF THE ROADS. GULF COAST NEWS REPORTER JALEN BEAR AND FOUND OUT HOW TO MAKE A SMOOTHER RIDE FOR BOTH E BIKE ENTHUSIASTS. >> AND DRIVERS. >> FOR SPEED HAS EXPANDED OFF THE RACE TRACK AND ONTO THE SIDEWALK AS THE POPULARITY OF E-BIKES AND MOTOR CYCLES GROWS AT MIND BOGGLING SPEED SAFETY FOR RIDERS WALKERS AND DRIVERS IS TOP OF MIND. >> IS SEVEN-SPEED JUST GET OUT. JUST UPRIGHT. COMFORT BIKES ARE GOT DINO OWNS PARADISE BIKES IN CAPE CORAL SINCE HIS TEENAGE YEARS IN BOSTON. HE LOVED BIKES. I SAID, HEY, LET’S FIND A JOB AT A LOCAL BIKE AND I JUST CONTINUE. YOU FELT MORE AND MORE LOVE WITH THE INDUSTRY AND NOT BIKING GENERAL, WHICH HAS LED ME TO DO THIS FOR OVER. 25 YEARS OF MY LIFE, FLORIDA LAW PUTS E-BIKES AND THE MOTORCYCLES INTO DIFFERENT CATEGORIES. ONE HELPS YOU GO FURTHER ON YOUR RIDE, THE OTHER. YOU NEED A LICENSE TO LEGALLY OPERATE BY BICYCLE. BASICALLY IDENTICAL TO A REGULAR BICYCLE. THE MOTORCYCLES THAT REACHED SPEEDS OF 28 OR HIGHER ARE CONSIDERED A VEHICLE WHICH SOME CLASSES OF E-BIKES CAN HIT. 25 MILES AN HOUR, PUTTING SOME PEOPLE ON THE WRONG SIDE OF THE LAW. IT’S THE SAME IDEA IS A CAR AT THAT POINT. SO YOU CAN’T TAKE A CAR ON THE SIDEWALK JUST LIKE YOU CAN’T TAKE AN ELECTRIC MOTORCYCLE ON THE SIDEWALK IN CAPE CORAL. WHEN YOU’RE RIDING AN E-BIKE ON THE SIDEWALK, THE MAXIMUM ALLOWED SPEED. >> IS 10 MILES PER HOUR. HOWEVER, IF YOU EXCEED PAST THAT LIMIT, YOU MUST RIDE ON THE ROAD. PARENTS JUST MIGHT NOT BE AWARE OR ART. >> VIA ONLINE OR WHATEVER IT MAY BE THAT THEY’RE REALLY NOT BICYCLES RIGHT THERE. NOT BICYCLES GOT DINO HAS SEEN HIS FAIR SHARE OF ISSUES. >> WHETHER ITS BAD BEHAVIOR OR ACCIDENTS, HE WANTS YOU TO KNOW WHAT YOU’RE GETTING INTO THE THE FURTHEST THING FROM BICYCLES. THEY’RE ESSENTIALLY ELECTRIC MOTORCYCLES, WHICH ARE NATURALLY OUT OF THE BOX PRETTY FAST. CAPE CORAL POLICE HAVE SEEN A SURGE IN INCIDENTS OVER THE LAST COUPLE OF MONTHS, ESPECIALLY WITH TEAM. THAT’S NOT NECESSARILY THE BIKE OR THE BIKE TYPE OF ITSELF. IT’S THE BEHAVIOR. IT’S RIGHT FRONT OF CARS DOING DANGEROUS STUNTS LIKE BEHAVIOR IN FRONT OF CARS. >> RIDING ON THE SIDEWALKS IT AT A VERY UNSAFE SPEED FINDING DATA ON E-BIKES. ANDY MOTORCYCLES IS DIFFICULT RIGHT NOW. THE STATE LUMPS 2 WHEELS INTO 2 CATEGORIES. >> IN OUR 6 COUNTIES IN 2025, FDOT REPORTS 658 BICYCLE CRASHES WITH 15 DEATHS. MOTORCYCLE CRASHES, EVEN MORE DEADLY WITH 519 REX RESULTING IN 43 DEATHS AS KEY BIKE POPULARITY RISES. SO DOES THE RISK EXPERTS REMIND YOU TO STAY AWARE AND TO WEAR A HELMET HE COME FROM UNDERNEATH CONTINUES. PUSH BACK UP, ID KNOW, SEES THE BENEFITS. >> AND HOPES A LITTLE EDUCATION CAN GO A LONG WAY. IT’S JUST THE COMMUNITY ASPECT THAT I REALLY REALLY ENJOY. BUT WITHOUT THE E-BIKES THEY ARE ABLE TO RIDE 5, 6.10, MILES OUT ALL NOW THEY CAN JOIN THE COMMUNITY. THEY CAN GET OUTDOOR. THEY CAN ENJOY THE BEAUTIFUL SUNSHINE OF, YOU KNOW
Cape Coral sees rise in e-bike and e-motorcycle incidents
As e-bikes and e-motorcycles gain popularity in Cape Coral, safety concerns grow, with local experts urging riders to be aware of regulations and wear helmets.
Updated: 10:43 AM EST Feb 3, 2026
The growing popularity of e-bikes and e-motorcycles in Cape Coral is raising safety concerns for riders, pedestrians and drivers. Arsenio Godinho, owner of Paradise Bicycles, has been passionate about bikes since his teenage years in Boston. “I said, ‘Hey, let’s find a job at a local bike shop,’” Godinho said. “And I just continually fell more and more in love with the industry and mountain biking in general, which has led me to do this for over 25 years of my life.”Florida law categorizes e-bikes and e-motorcycles differently. E-bikes are similar to regular bicycles, while e-motorcycles, which can reach speeds of 28 mph or higher, require a license to operate legally. “An e-bicycle is basically identical to a regular bicycle,” Godinho said. Mercedes Simonds, Public Affairs Officer for the Cape Coral Police Department, explained the legal requirements for e-motorcycles: “So, for an e-motorcycle, because it’s something that needs to be registered for the road, it has to stay on the road. It’s the same idea as a car at that point. So, you can’t take a car on the sidewalk, just like you can’t take an electric motorcycle on the sidewalk.”In Cape Coral, e-bike riders must adhere to a maximum sidewalk speed of 10 mph, and exceeding this limit requires riding on the road. Godinho noted that parents might not be aware that e-bikes are not traditional bicycles. “They’re the furthest thing from bicycles. They’re essentially electric motorcycles, which are naturally out of the box pretty fast,” Godinho said.Cape Coral police have reported a surge in incidents involving e-bikes and e-motorcycles, particularly among teens. “Especially with juveniles. Right now, we’re seeing a lot of issues related to whether it be regular bicycles, e-bicycles, e-motorcycles. We’re having issues with behavior in general. It’s not necessarily the bike or the bike type itself; it’s the behavior. It’s riding in front of cars, doing dangerous stunt-like behavior in front of cars, riding on the sidewalk, sit at a very unsafe speed,” a police representative said.Finding data on e-bikes and e-motorcycles is challenging, as the state categorizes them into two groups. In 2025, FDOT reported 658 bicycle crashes with 15 deaths and 519 motorcycle crashes resulting in 43 deaths across six counties. As e-bike popularity rises, so does the risk, prompting experts to remind riders to stay aware and wear helmets.Despite the challenges, Godinho sees the benefits of e-bikes. “It’s just a community aspect that I really, really enjoy. And again, there are a lot of people who want to join those communities,” Godinho said. “But without the e-bikes, they aren’t able to ride 5, 6, 10 miles at all. So, they don’t do anything. They sit in the house, become, you know, couch potatoes, as we say. Now, they can join the community, they can get outdoors, they can enjoy the beautiful sunshine of, you know, Florida.”DOWNLOAD the free Gulf Coast News app for your latest news and alerts on breaking news, weather, sports, entertainment, and more on your phone or tablet. And check out the Very Local Gulf Coast app to stream news, entertainment and original programming on your TV.
CAPE CORAL, Fla. —
The growing popularity of e-bikes and e-motorcycles in Cape Coral is raising safety concerns for riders, pedestrians and drivers.
Arsenio Godinho, owner of Paradise Bicycles, has been passionate about bikes since his teenage years in Boston.
“I said, ‘Hey, let’s find a job at a local bike shop,’” Godinho said. “And I just continually fell more and more in love with the industry and mountain biking in general, which has led me to do this for over 25 years of my life.”
Florida law categorizes e-bikes and e-motorcycles differently. E-bikes are similar to regular bicycles, while e-motorcycles, which can reach speeds of 28 mph or higher, require a license to operate legally.
“An e-bicycle is basically identical to a regular bicycle,” Godinho said.
Mercedes Simonds, Public Affairs Officer for the Cape Coral Police Department, explained the legal requirements for e-motorcycles: “So, for an e-motorcycle, because it’s something that needs to be registered for the road, it has to stay on the road. It’s the same idea as a car at that point. So, you can’t take a car on the sidewalk, just like you can’t take an electric motorcycle on the sidewalk.”
In Cape Coral, e-bike riders must adhere to a maximum sidewalk speed of 10 mph, and exceeding this limit requires riding on the road. Godinho noted that parents might not be aware that e-bikes are not traditional bicycles.
“They’re the furthest thing from bicycles. They’re essentially electric motorcycles, which are naturally out of the box pretty fast,” Godinho said.
Cape Coral police have reported a surge in incidents involving e-bikes and e-motorcycles, particularly among teens.
“Especially with juveniles. Right now, we’re seeing a lot of issues related to whether it be regular bicycles, e-bicycles, e-motorcycles. We’re having issues with behavior in general. It’s not necessarily the bike or the bike type itself; it’s the behavior. It’s riding in front of cars, doing dangerous stunt-like behavior in front of cars, riding on the sidewalk, sit at a very unsafe speed,” a police representative said.
Finding data on e-bikes and e-motorcycles is challenging, as the state categorizes them into two groups. In 2025, FDOT reported 658 bicycle crashes with 15 deaths and 519 motorcycle crashes resulting in 43 deaths across six counties. As e-bike popularity rises, so does the risk, prompting experts to remind riders to stay aware and wear helmets.
Despite the challenges, Godinho sees the benefits of e-bikes.
“It’s just a community aspect that I really, really enjoy. And again, there are a lot of people who want to join those communities,” Godinho said. “But without the e-bikes, they aren’t able to ride 5, 6, 10 miles at all. So, they don’t do anything. They sit in the house, become, you know, couch potatoes, as we say. Now, they can join the community, they can get outdoors, they can enjoy the beautiful sunshine of, you know, Florida.”
DOWNLOAD the free Gulf Coast News app for your latest news and alerts on breaking news, weather, sports, entertainment, and more on your phone or tablet. And check out the Very Local Gulf Coast app to stream news, entertainment and original programming on your TV.
