Illinois Sets Registration Rules for eMotos, Rad’s New Owner Launches a Crowdfunding Campaign, Trek Reveals the 2027 Allant+ FS │ TWR Ep 99

Illinois has signed a new law that requires e-bikes and eMotos capable of exceeding 28 mph to be registered, and it defines those devices as the legal equivalent of motorcycles. Riders will need to carry registration, and the vehicles themselves will have to comply with federal road safety standards.

Secretary of State Alex Giannoulias said the stakes are “simply too high to leave them unregulated” as high-powered devices get faster and more common on streets and sidewalks. He framed the law as a way to bring accountability and common-sense safety standards to Illinois roads while helping riders, parents, and communities understand how to share the road safely.

We first covered this bill back in episode 80, when it had just cleared the Senate and was headed to the House. Illinois has adopted the three-class system, and Class 1, 2, and 3 e-bikes remain legal without registration or special documentation. The law doesn’t outlaw eMotos, either. They can still be ridden on the street with a license, registration, and insurance. Everything takes effect on January 1st, 2027.

Our Take:

We’re glad to see that Class 1, 2, and 3 e-bikes are left alone here. Drawing a clear line between e-bikes and eMotos is the right instinct, and giving eMoto riders a legal path to use their vehicles beats banning them outright.

That path may have some holes in it, though. Micah at Electrek pointed out that many eMotos were never designed as full road vehicles. They don’t meet federal safety standards and they don’t have VIN numbers. A rider who wants to do the right thing and register their eMoto could find there’s no practical way to get it done. We’ll see which direction Illinois goes from here, but for now, legal e-bikes are unaffected, which is more than we can say for New Jersey’s new laws.

Rad Power Bikes’ parent company has started raising money in an unusual way. Life EV acquired Rad for over $13 million, with the sale finalized on March 5, 2026, then picked up QuietKat this past June. It has also purchased a 100,000 square foot facility in Tennessee to handle assembly and distribution for Rad.

Now operating as Rad Life Mobility, the company says it’s building a multi-brand e-bike platform by combining Rad Power, QuietKat, and Signal 1, with sales running through direct-to-consumer channels, retail stores, and dealers.

The funding method is the interesting part. According to Bicycle Retailer, a regulation crowdfund is an SEC rule that lets private companies raise money from the general public, sitting somewhere between a traditional private placement and a full IPO. Both accredited and non-accredited investors can participate.

Our Take:

This is a unique approach to funding, and not one we see often in this industry. Rad Life is asking the riding public to help bankroll the next chapter of a brand that plenty of those riders already own bikes from. Whether that’s a sign of confidence in the community or a sign of how hard traditional capital has been to come by, we can’t say yet. We’ll be watching to see what the company does next.

Trek has introduced the 2027 Allant+ FS, a full-suspension, SUV-style e-bike built for the European market. That last part stings a bit for those of us on this side of the Atlantic.

Two builds are available. The R11 Auto gets autoshifting, an 11-speed Cues drivetrain, and a Fox 36 AWL fork with 140mm of travel for 5,250 British pounds. The R10 drops the autoshifting and runs a 10-speed Cues drivetrain and a SunTour XCR 36 fork, also with 140mm of travel, for 4,500 British pounds.

Both builds share Bosch’s Performance Line CX mid-drive with 120 Nm of torque, a 250W nominal rating, and 750W of peak power. Both also carry 800 Wh batteries, Magura Louise Elite four-piston brakes, an MIK rack, several mounting points for bags, locks, and racks, and compatibility with Bosch’s Smart System app.

Our Take:

This feels like Trek’s answer to the Specialized Turbo Vado 3X, and it’s a strong one on paper. We reviewed an older version of the Allant back in 2024 and loved it, particularly its handling and overall ride quality. So, Trek, if you’re reading this: please give us a North American version.

Back in May, Eurobike announced that its 2027 show would run later than usual, from September 1st through 3rd, along with a shift to a biannual schedule and a heavier focus on business-to-business connections.

That plan has changed. Citing extensive feedback from the international bicycle and ecomobility sectors, the show has moved back to an early summer slot. Eurobike 2027 will now run June 30th through July 2nd at the Messe Frankfurt exhibition grounds in Germany.

The move may have something to do with a new competing show, Towards Tomorrow, which was announced in June and will be held in Cologne.

Our Take:

A September show would have put Eurobike well outside the window brands are used to planning around, so the reversal makes sense. The competition angle is hard to ignore, too. Whether Eurobike sticks with this schedule, or makes further changes to its location and frequency, remains to be seen.

The Drift Minna is a handcrafted, waterproof mountain biking sneaker, built along the same lines as the Arc model we highlighted back in Episode 91. It’s designed to clip into SPD-compatible pedals, so it works as a riding shoe without looking like one.

The upper is full-grain leather with a waterproof lining, and there’s a composite shank inside for efficient power transfer to the pedals. The toe box is reinforced for structure and foot protection, and a lace cover with a snap keeps the laces clean and out of the way of anything that might snag them. A full rubber outsole handles the walking-around portion of the ride.

They also just look good, which counts for something when you’re wearing them off the bike. At $189, they’re reasonably priced for what you’re getting.

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