Let’s be honest - every e-bike rider has thought about it at least once.
You’re cruising at 32 km/h, the wind feels great, but you can’t help wondering: what if my e-bike could go just a little faster?
That’s where the idea of removing the speed limiter comes in. It sounds simple — a tweak here, a wire there, and suddenly your e-bike is flying past traffic. But here’s the catch: that small modification can turn your “e-bike” into something the law no longer recognizes as one.
Once you cross the legal limits set by Transport Canada (500 W motor, 32 km/h assisted speed), your bike becomes a motor vehicle under federal and provincial laws. That means you now need registration, insurance, and a licence, the very things most riders choose an e-bike to avoid.
So in this post, we’ll walk through:
- Why speed limiters exist in the first place,
- What the law actually says about modifying them,
- And what really happens when you decide to “unlock” your bike?
We’re not promoting or endorsing limiter removal. Just explaining how it works, what it means legally, and why staying within the limit is usually the smarter (and cheaper) call.
If you’re curious how e-bike classification affects licensing and street use, check out Do You Need a Licence for Electric Bikes in Canada?, it gives a good overview before diving into this topic.
What the Law Says in Ontario & Canada About E-Bike Speed and Modifications
In Canada, the law is actually quite clear on e-bike performance. To qualify as a power-assisted bicycle (PAB), your e-bike must:
- Have working pedals,
- Use an electric motor not exceeding 500 watts, and
- Have a maximum assisted speed of 32 km/h on level ground. 📘 Source: Ontario.ca — Riding an E-Bike
These limits aren’t arbitrary, they’re written into federal law by Transport Canada, which ensures that e-bikes stay in the same class as bicycles rather than motor vehicles.
Once you remove or bypass the limiter, your e-bike technically stops being an e-bike. Under the Highway Traffic Act, it becomes a motor vehicle, which means you’d need:
- A driver’s licence (usually Class M2 or Class 6),
- Insurance and registration,
- Compliance with safety and lighting standards for motor vehicles.
If caught, you could face fines for operating an uninsured, unregistered vehicle — and, in serious cases, have your bike impounded.
Some riders argue that “just removing the limiter” doesn’t count as a full modification, but the law doesn’t see it that way. Any change that makes your bike exceed 32 km/h assisted speed means it’s no longer licence-free.
If you’d rather keep your freedom to ride without paperwork, stick to e-bikes designed for Canadian standards, like the Movin ebike Series, which are built to meet Transport Canada’s compliance out of the box.
Why Speed Limiters Exist: Safety, Certification & Liability
Speed limiters aren’t there to annoy you. They exist to protect you, your bike, and everyone sharing the road with you.
Here’s why:
- Safety Engineering
E-bikes are tested for handling, braking distance, and frame strength based on that 32 km/h speed. When you push beyond that, the brakes, tires, and motor control systems may not respond as intended. Even a small overspeed on a downhill or wet surface can make the bike unstable.
- Certification & Legal Classification
Every e-bike sold in Canada must pass certification as a power-assisted bicycle (PAB). This certification is only valid as long as the original settings remain intact. Remove the limiter, and your bike no longer meets federal manufacturing standards, which also means your warranty becomes void.
- Insurance & Liability
In an accident, modified e-bikes complicate insurance coverage. If investigators find out your limiter was removed, you could be considered at fault or even charged for operating an unlicensed vehicle.
Manufacturers can often detect limiter tampering through diagnostic data or firmware inspection, even if you restore factory settings later.
So while the internet might make limiter removal sound easy, the real-world cost can be much higher than expected, in fines, repairs, or lost warranty coverage.
For context, our post Are Dirt Bikes Street Legal in Ontario? explains how similar classification issues affect other electric rides that go beyond e-bike limits.
How to Remove an E-Bike Speed Limiter (For Informational Purposes Only)
Alright, let’s talk about the part everyone searches for: how riders actually remove speed limiters.
But before we dive in, a quick reminder: this section is for informational purposes only. It’s not a step-by-step guide, and we don’t recommend removing or tampering with your limiter. Still, understanding how they work helps you make smarter, safer choices.
What a Speed Limiter Really Does
Your e-bike’s speed limiter isn’t a single switch. It’s a set of electronic rules inside your controller that keeps the bike compliant with Transport Canada standards. These limits ensure that:
- Your motor stops assisting once you hit 32 km/h.
- The controller and sensors regulate power flow to prevent overheating.
- The bike stays legally recognized as a power-assisted bicycle (PAB), not a motor vehicle.
How Riders Commonly Bypass It (and Why That’s Risky)
If you search around online, you’ll find people talking about tuning kits, firmware changes, and sensor tricks.
Here’s what they’re usually referring to, without the technical how-to:
- Tuning chips that alter speed sensor data so the controller “thinks” you’re going slower.
- Firmware flashes that lift or raise the factory-set limit.
- Sensor modifications (for example, moving or disabling the magnet) to confuse the system.
These methods may work temporarily, but they all share the same outcome: Your e-bike is no longer legally an e-bike. It becomes an unregistered motor vehicle. Meaning you’ll need a licence, insurance, and registration to ride it on public roads.
What Happens After You Modify It
Even if the change seems harmless, removing the limiter triggers a few big issues:
- Warranty void: Manufacturers can detect limiter removal via controller data or firmware logs.
- Safety risk: Your brakes, frame, and tires were tested for 32 km/h…not 50+.
- Insurance denial: In an accident, a modified e-bike may not be covered.
- Legal trouble: Ontario’s Highway Traffic Act treats it as an unlicensed motor vehicle.
The Smart Alternative
If your goal is better performance, there are safer routes:
- Buy an e-bike that already pushes close to the legal limit, like the Movin Max, which gives powerful pedal assist without crossing the 32 km/h cap.
- Consider off-road or private property riding if you truly want higher speeds.
- Or, move up to a certified light electric motorcycle, which is built and insured for those speeds.
The takeaway? Limiter removal might sound exciting, but it usually ends in fines, voided warranties, or worse, a seized bike.
Ride smarter, not faster.
Legal Use and Compliance in Canada
Once an e-bike exceeds its factory speed limit, it leaves the “power-assisted bicycle” category under Canadian law and moves into “motor vehicle” territory.
That single change shifts everything about how you can legally ride it.
Federal Standards (Transport Canada)
Transport Canada defines a Power-Assisted Bicycle (PAB) as having:
- A motor of 500 W or less,
- A top assisted speed of 32 km/h, and
- Fully operational pedals.
If any one of those limits is broken, like removing the limiter to go faster, the bike is reclassified. That means:
- You now need a licence (usually Class M2 or 6),
- The vehicle must be registered and insured,
- It must meet lighting, mirror, and brake standards for motor vehicles.
Provincial Rules (Ontario Example)
In Ontario, once the limiter is removed, the bike can’t be used on public roads, bike lanes, or multi-use paths.
Under Section 7 of the Highway Traffic Act, riding an unregistered or uninsured vehicle can lead to fines and impoundment. Some municipalities go even further. For example, Toronto bans non-compliant e-bikes on public rights-of-way entirely.
Where You Can Ride
You can still use modified or de-restricted e-bikes on private property, farms, driveways, or closed tracks, as long as it’s not open to public traffic. But the moment you enter a public road, all motor-vehicle requirements apply.
So the bottom line is simple: you can remove the limiter, but you can’t ride it legally on the street afterwards.
If you want faster performance without paperwork, you’re better off with a high-efficiency but fully compliant e-bike like the MovinEV, which hits top legal speed while keeping you licence-free.
Conclusion: Ride Smarter, Not Just Faster
The temptation to unlock more speed is easy to understand — every e-bike rider feels it at some point. But once you realize what’s at stake — your licence-free status, your warranty, your insurance — it’s not worth the risk.
If your current ride feels limited, look for legal performance options instead of breaking compliance.
Modern models like the Movin Pulse and Movin Max already deliver strong acceleration, long range, and assist up to the legal cap, perfect for commuting or weekend rides across Ontario.
Remember, the limiter isn’t holding you back; it’s what keeps your e-bike street-legal, safe, and affordable.
So keep your ride within limits, enjoy the assist, and let speed come from your legs, not a firmware hack.