Peter James Dawes fined after putting too powerful motor on bicycle for transport

A man who installed a 900-watt motor on to his bicycle to get around after losing his license has been sentenced for a series of driving charges.

Peter James Dawes, 39, appeared in Bunbury Magistrates Court on Monday where he pleaded guilty to no authority to drive, use of an unlicensed vehicle and driving a motorcycle without a helmet.

Dawes was seen by police driving his motorised Diamondback bicycle on September 25 without a helmet.

Upon seizing and testing the engine, it recorded a voltage of 900 watts and was deemed a motorbike as it exceeded the qualifying motorcycle engine power of 200 watts.

Dawes was using the electric bike as a result of losing his license and its classification as a motorcycle put him in breach of driving without a license and driving an unauthorised vehicle.

When asked by the court if he had anything to say about the offending, he told the magistrate “nah you’re right darl, my bad”.

Magistrate Sandra De Maio, who quickly informed the accused she was not his “darl”, handed down fines of $1000 for the charges.

“I appreciate you were trying to do the right thing but by putting a motor (of that power) on the bike, it becomes a motorbike,” she said.