Pedal to Peril: The Outlaw Rise of Urban Minibikes

Published on August 08, 2025

They approach silently behind you emitting a soft buzz, much like that of a mosquito in your ear. And suddenly, it’s a swarm: not bugs, but bikes – minibikes, which suddenly materialize within your traffic lane or along your sidewalk. The teens and pre-teens riding them make spastic, abrupt and awkward movements to get around your car. They form a tottering crew of under-age bikers atop silent motors. Drivers honk. Pedestrians shout. And for good reason: these minibikes are illegal, and the inexperienced bikers’ behavior can be deadly.

The typical, street-legal bicycle or e-bike has pedals and travels under a top speed of 28 MPH. If a bike doesn’t have functioning pedals, it’s not street legal. And, these pocket bikes and mini motorbikes are not considered electric e-bicycles, either. Their electric motors are just too powerful. They aren’t allowed to operate on roads, sidewalks, dedicated bike lanes, or public right of way. Yet, they’ve become quite popular, zipping along San Antonio streets and sidewalks from the southside to the northside and all parking lots and sidewalks in-between.

Social media is crowded with posts from neighbors who had sudden encounters with these young bikers. The videos provided are often scary, recording the near-deadly, near-misses that occur frequently.

A young biker lost his life last year when police say he darted into traffic after traveling along a sidewalk – an unlawful maneuver, regardless of your mode of transportation—that had him colliding with an SUV. The driver never saw him coming.

In the last few weeks, Bexar County law enforcement has begun issuing citations on the north side of town, not just to the riders, but to their parents, too. It’s time to understand the legal and long-term impact of a parent’s decision to allow their children to ride illegally.

1. Pocket bikes and minibikes are considered motorized vehicles in the State of Texas. That means a Class M license is required to operate it. (“M” is for motorized, as in motorcycle.) An unlicensed driver faces a citation for No Drivers License. Having this type of citation on your child’s record could affect the young teen’s ability to obtain any future driver’s license. Even folks with the typical, Class C drivers license to drive cars can be cited for operating a pocket or minibike for not having the correct driver’s license.
2. Operating these bikes on sidewalks is off-limits, too, because sidewalks and paths are considered part of the street’s right-of-way. There’s a citation for that: “Operation of Pocket Bike or Mini motorbike Where Prohibited” or “Operating a Motor Vehicle on a Sidewalk.”
3. If your son or daughter tries to elude law enforcement on one of these pocket or minibikes, they can be charged with Evading Arrest with a Motor Vehicle, a state jail felony.

“Allowing your children to operate these vehicles in and around public roadways is dangerous and could lead to serious bodily injury or death of your child,” said Bexar County Precinct 3 Constable Mark Vojvodich. His social media post on NextDoor had an educational FAQ about pocket and minibikes and was shared by numerous residents.

“The average gross weight of a car is around 4300 pounds,” said Vojvodich. “Your child’s safety is our priority, and we are out enforcing these laws.”

So, where can a teenager (or anyone else) legally ride a pocket or minibike? On private property, with the owner’s permission. That’s it; that’s the law.

And parents who permit their children to operate these pocket and minibikes illegally can be cited for allowing it to happen. Ignorance of the law isn’t a defense.