becoming frightened by these bikes

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GearNut

Active Member
Aug 19, 2009
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San Diego, Kaliforgnia
One of the nice things about cali laws is there is no displacement limit. There is however a horsepower limit of less than 2 horsepower.
You could stuff a 1300cc Suzuki Hyabusa engine into a bicycle frame and legally get away with it if it only produces 1.9 horsepower...
And.... can go no faster than 30 MPH.
 

biknut

Well-Known Member
Sep 28, 2010
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Dallas
I'm seeing a lot of these lately that look a lot more like motorcycles than like bicycles. 2/3 to 3/4 of my work is for folks that for one reason or another can not get a license.

I'm worried that as more of these begin to look less like bicycles that licenses will be required, and I'll have no income left.

How is it in other areas?
Personally I don't think it will be a problem. Most of the over powered motor bicycles have such a short life no one will have time to notice.
 

Sidewinder Jerry

Well-Known Member
Dec 19, 2011
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Rockwood, TN
and where exactly would "here" be?
What USA state are you in?

CA says: Automatic transmission and a motor with less than 2 gross brake horsepower.

All that means is that can not shift gears and frankly even the areas that enforce the motorized bicycle laws do not even care about the 2 HP part.
I'd have to look at California law again. Most of the states have the automatic clause in their laws. Some even go as far as to say no shifting by the operator to the engine primary drive system. Or no external shifting device (lever, twist shift etc). The legal loophole is to build a bike which shifts gears automatically. So far I haven't read any laws from any state, which won't allow you to do this.
 

crassius

Well-Known Member
Sep 30, 2012
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wherever one lives, it is the nature of legislators that when something catches their attention and they aren't getting registration/license/use tax/etc. out of it, they will pass laws that get them those things

if these all start looking like motorcycles, then they may get treated like motorcycles which will be the end of cheap trans for all and the end of the $100 or so a week I get in repairs

VA says I'm 'catastrophically disabled' and gives me $300/month, but I can still manage a few hours a day at this if I work carefully - but the work has to be there, which it won't be if these get legislated into the hands of the wealthy hobbyists
 

bluegoatwoods

Active Member
Jul 29, 2012
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Central Illinois
Here's my two cents; these bikes will not become common as long as crude oil hovers around $100/barrel. 21st century Americans, or other 'first worlders' will not take to a vehicle like this when they can ride around in something like a mini Starship Enterprise.

These bikes will remain confined to DUI cases, illegal aliens, nearly or fully unemployed and the really, really weird ones (like me!) who, for some crazy reason, want to avoid the automobile.

As rogergendron was getting at, if you look like a societal dropout the police will likely view you with suspicion and will likely hassle you sooner or later. But if you look like someone who is conscious of your own safety and that of others and look as though you wish to be cooperative with traffic, then they'll view you pretty sympathetically.
 

CTripps

Active Member
Aug 22, 2011
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Vancouver, B.C.
It's pretty easy... when you see you're going to pass a cop; cut the throttle back, smile, wave, and don't open it up until you're at least 100' past them.
 

mapbike

Well-Known Member
Mar 14, 2010
5,502
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Central Area of Texas
It's pretty easy... when you see you're going to pass a cop; cut the throttle back, smile, wave, and don't open it up until you're at least 100' past them.
Ditto.......... common sense goes a long way concerning everything we do in life and being a responsible motorized bike owner and rider is no different, people draw attention to themselves by how they dress and act in public and then blaim the negative attension on the onlookers.......lol!

"It's all about perception stupid....." that what I say, look repsonsible and act responsible and guess what..... odds are you'll get respect and the pole-ese will likely leave you alone.


Just my $.0.02

Map
.wee.
 

apex

Member
Aug 27, 2013
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indy
Why are you worried about others so much?

If they are breaking the law, its on them. If a law enforcement officer wants to pull you over, he/she will do it, and figure out the rational later.

Yes, there are those that are irresponsible riders, disregarding the law when it is in there way. But complain when that others behave the same. This dynamic plays out everywhere. Not just motorized bicycle riders.

For example, there are motorbike fabricators/mechanics that have a brick & mortar location, that have a business license, pay taxes on every cycle they sell or maintain.

They may feel that those that build bikes "under the radar" are going to impact their future business. And they may be right.
 
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GearNut

Active Member
Aug 19, 2009
5,104
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San Diego, Kaliforgnia
What are the motorized bicycle laws in your area, Huffydavidson?
Within those laws, what build qualities make the difference between a home built motorcycle and an motorized bicycle?
 

crassius

Well-Known Member
Sep 30, 2012
4,032
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USA
as mentioned, perception is the issue here

if it looks like a motorcycle, it may soon get treated like a motorcycle

folks seem split here between those that view this as a fun hobby and those that view this as ultra-cheap transportation for the masses

what little money I get out of it depends on that second view
 

miked826

New Member
Aug 6, 2011
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Los Angeles
as mentioned, perception is the issue here

if it looks like a motorcycle, it may soon get treated like a motorcycle

folks seem split here between those that view this as a fun hobby and those that view this as ultra-cheap transportation for the masses

what little money I get out of it depends on that second view
Actually that would take an Act of Congress to change current federal law as to what the legal definition of a "motorcycle" is. Everyone on this forum will be long dead an buried before that happens. We all know that is not high up on their To Do List. LOL
 

crassius

Well-Known Member
Sep 30, 2012
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USA
a quick stroke of the pen by a local DMV will do that

I used to own a motorcycle shop. How I managed to buy the place cheap was this; I was the head mechanic at the time that the owner started selling mopeds when they first came out. After selling a crap load of them to folks so their 12 - 15 year old kids could ride them to school & poor folks could use them to get to work, the DMV declared new rules saying the rider needed to reg the things, the rider needed to have a license to drive them, and the rider had to be at least 16 years old. After all the customer lawsuits, the owner was broke, and I bought the shop really cheap (and never sold a moped again).
 

Intrepid Wheelwoman

New Member
Oct 29, 2011
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I don't understand what there could be a lawsuit about. The mopeds were sold in good faith before the DMV ruling so how could it be the motorcycle shop owner's fault? As I see it the customers had no grounds on which to sue the shop owner.
 

Motorbikenewb

New Member
Mar 19, 2013
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Columbus, OH
Technically speaking the 66cc engines are illegal since anything over 50cc falls into the category under rules and regs. Just don't attract too much attention to yourself and ride safely and the cops will leave you alone.
 

CTripps

Active Member
Aug 22, 2011
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Vancouver, B.C.
In many regions, our bikes are still within the grey areas of the laws. Local regs here, for example, are focused primarily on electric bikes. The laws haven't been refined all the way yet.

Bad riding not only catches the eye of law enforcement, but gives grounds for legislation to be written based on the behaviour of those riders.
 

Motorbikenewb

New Member
Mar 19, 2013
52
0
0
Columbus, OH
I'm seeing a lot of these lately that look a lot more like motorcycles than like bicycles. 2/3 to 3/4 of my work is for folks that for one reason or another can not get a license.

I'm worried that as more of these begin to look less like bicycles that licenses will be required, and I'll have no income left.

How is it in other areas?
crassius... what State are you in? Where I live in Ohio, everyone, and I mean everyone stares at me wherever I ride. I've yet to see other motorized bicycles.

drn2
 

miked826

New Member
Aug 6, 2011
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Los Angeles
In many regions, our bikes are still within the grey areas of the laws. Local regs here, for example, are focused primarily on electric bikes. The laws haven't been refined all the way yet.

Bad riding not only catches the eye of law enforcement, but gives grounds for legislation to be written based on the behaviour of those riders.
I couldn't agree more. It's not the bike but the idiot riding it that will cause changes in the law if those changes ever happen.

My bike looks just like a motorcycle, especially viewed from head on. I had cops pulling u-turns in the middle of the street just to get behind me and see me pedaling. They also could not see any visible means of any type of exhaust when they were behind me. All I could is grin as they went by. LMAO