The 15-year-old boy from Worongary was riding an electric dirt bike along Broadbeach Boulevard in Broadbeach about 3am when he lost control outside the local surf lifesaving club.
Police said he hit a raised pedestrian walkway before striking two poles, the impact throwing him 10 metres.
He died at the scene. Friends laid flowers at the site as police issued an urgent warning.
“This particular bike, though, is being sold as an e-trail bike. They can sell for over $10,000,” Kylie Rigg from Queensland Police said.
“They can travel over 60 kilometres an hour, they are not bicycles.
“[Teens] do not have the skill level, they do not have the protective clothing to ride them.”
Legal e-bikes can be ridden on paths unless otherwise signed, as long as riders obey bicycle rules such as wearing a helmet.
They must have a maximum continuous power output of 250 watts and be pedal-powered with motor assistance up to 25km/h.
There are no age limits for riding e-bikes in Queensland.
Bike motors with more than 250 watts are illegal, as are throttle-powered bikes without pedals, which are technically electric motorcycles and require registration, insurance and a licence and cannot be ridden on paths.
