Ideas for building a trailer

eDJ · #21 (**permalink**) 08-12-2008, 02:49 PM

I would imagine any Judge interpeting a motor vehicle as: If it has a motor attached to it and it assist in the propulsion while on a road or highway....then it's a motorized vehicle.

On the question of a motorized cart with one or two wheels, I've seen drawings in old Mechanics Illustrated Magazines from the 1930's where a small one wheel motor assist trailer was attached to the upper rear forks of the rear tire. Today I see something similar for a child to ride with it's own pedals etc that attaches to the bike mom rides in the same way.

But again in the 1930's there were so fewer people, laws, and law enforcement agencies that kids could do things in a bigger way without restriction. They may have had greater access to open spaces to test
and work on their projects or enjoy them as well.

deacon · #22 (**permalink**) 08-12-2008, 03:05 PM

let me just say this one thing.... dui on a riding lawn mower.... Everything is a motor vehicle...

jasonh · #23 (**permalink**) 08-12-2008, 03:40 PM

You can get a DUI on a pedal bicycle even

I'm curious about the Ohio 3-wheel law. Most places do have the 3-wheel law. But really if you think about it....the VEHICLE only has 2 wheels. The TRAILER can have as many wheels as you want, as long as it's a trailer and not actually part of the bike. So just a ball and hitch method would allow you to have a 2-wheel trailer. At least that's my logical interpretation of it. And we all know how logical lawmakers/authorities can be

eDJ · #24 (**permalink**) 08-12-2008, 04:49 PM

You could be on to something there Jason. Here's a link to the Ohio BMV's
code:

Moped Information

The question of a motorized bike trailer isn't addressed by the Ohio BMV. I know they allow larger motorcycles to pull trailers and sell license plates for those trailers.

The fly in the ointment would be on operating in that 3 feet from the right edge of the road zone. I figured the one wheel trailer I sketched out would do it comfortably.....but the BMV's code states "one wheel ahead of the other in tamdem or two behind the one front as in a trike". With the big basket on the back of the trike that would offer the utility of a trailer.

I haven't been able to find out anything from BMV about it. I'm beginning to think I'd be better off installing saddle baskets like the paper boys use on the back of my bike and forgetting the trailer.