Owning one
Farm Bike Safety
Vehicle choice is a genuine safety decision on a New Zealand farm, not just an operational one.
The short answer
WorkSafe New Zealand records farm vehicles as a leading cause of serious injury and death on farms, with quad bikes and side-by-sides accounting for a large share.
Two wheels are not risk-free either. The honest framing is that the two machines fail differently - and that your helmet probably is not rated for the speed you ride at.
This is the one page on the site where we are not going to argue the bike is better. Every farm vehicle carries risk, and the useful thing is understanding which risks attach to which machine.
What follows is what the regulator records, and the design decisions that follow from it.
Weight matters in a rollover
An adult quad can weigh up to around 400 kg. A Galvbike is 112 kg. Where the documented mechanism of harm is being pinned under a machine, that difference is meaningful.
That is not a claim about our bike specifically - it applies to any two-wheeler. If you are choosing between a quad and a two-wheeler and the country is steep, this is a real part of the decision, and it is worth reading alongside farm bike versus quad.
Where everyday incidents actually happen
A large share of routine farm bike incidents involve inexperience and awkward dismounts rather than dramatic crashes - getting on and off, swinging a leg over a loaded rack, stalling on a slope.
No leg over a loaded rack
Break fencing and stock work involve dozens of dismounts a shift. Removing the leg swing removes one of the moments where things go wrong.
Nothing to stall or lurch
On a slope there is no clutch to slip and no gear to miss. The bike either goes or it does not.
New staff are competent quickly
Calving brings extra people onto the farm. A machine somebody can genuinely ride within five minutes is safer than one they are still learning in week three.
Wear a helmet rated for the speed
This one catches people out. An agricultural helmet to NZS 8600 is not rated for use above 30 km/h. The Galvbike does 50 km/h.
For riding at speed, use a helmet meeting NZS 5430, AS 1698 or ECE 22. It is a cheap fix for a real gap, and the same applies on any farm bike capable of more than 30 km/h - which is most of them.
The things worth doing regardless of machine
None of this is specific to an electric bike. It is the ordinary discipline that WorkSafe guidance and farm experience both point at, and it applies whatever you ride.
Before the first solo run
Especially at calving, when farms bring on people who may not have ridden on a farm before. Ten minutes of supervised riding is worth more than a written induction.
Know where not to go
Most farms have faces that are simply not worth riding, and the people who know which ones are usually the people who have been there longest. Say it out loud to new staff rather than assuming.
Secure, low and central
An unsecured load that shifts mid-climb is a genuine hazard on two wheels. The deck is flat and low for a reason - use it that way.
Where you are going
The oldest advice on the list and still the one that matters most on a farm where you are working alone.
Two wheels are not risk-free
WorkSafe is clear that two-wheeled motorbikes carry their own risks, particularly when carrying loads or passengers. Nothing about an electric drivetrain changes that.
The ordinary advice holds: ride to the conditions, tell someone where you are going, and do not carry passengers. Quiet running has one genuine safety benefit worth naming - you can hear what is happening around you, including your dogs and anyone calling out.
Quiet has a safety argument too
It is usually sold as a stock-handling benefit, but the safety side is real and rarely mentioned: on a near-silent machine you can hear what is happening around you. Your dogs, someone calling out, a gate swinging, a vehicle coming down a race.
On a petrol bike all of that sits underneath engine noise, and you are relying on line of sight for information you would otherwise get by ear. It is a small thing that becomes a large one when you are working alone.
Commonly asked
What is the biggest cause of harm on New Zealand farms?
WorkSafe New Zealand records farm vehicles as a leading cause of serious injury and death, with quad bikes and side-by-sides accounting for a large share.
Is a two-wheeler safer than a quad?
They fail differently. The documented mechanism of harm on quads is largely rollover and crush; a 112 kg two-wheeler is a very different proposition to a 400 kg quad in that scenario. But WorkSafe is clear that two-wheelers carry their own risks.
What helmet do I need?
An agricultural helmet to NZS 8600 is not rated for use above 30 km/h, and the Galvbike does 50 km/h. For riding at speed use a helmet meeting NZS 5430, AS 1698 or ECE 22.
Does a step-through frame make a difference?
A large share of everyday farm bike incidents involve awkward dismounts and inexperience. Removing the leg swing over a loaded rack, and removing the clutch, takes out two of the moments where those things happen.
Pre-orders open
Ready to put one to work?
Built for New Zealand farms, delivered anywhere in the country.
- $7,790+ GST
- 3 yearsWarranty
- 200 kgPayload
- 80 kmRange
First batch sold out - taking pre-orders for December 2026 delivery.