No DL for motorized bicycles

John the laws are different here in Georgia we do have to have a licence to ride a m/b. A legal bike has to be pedal assist and 50cc and under, also with a max speed of 30 mph. No matter where you are good brakes, lights and common sense pays off.

connecticut has a DL requirement but the scooter etc has to be be unregistered if under 50ccc or a motorized bike under 5hp.
opposite of that is where im standing now...Indiana where the driver needs nothing and the scooter receives a reg sticker.....here they call em liquor cycles..I guess because a dui lands you on one.
So here they ride because they have to and in CT its more along the lines of cheap or fun transportation.
It's a tough call...nothings cut in stone across the country. I like CT's system better.

Here in Cali we're supposed to have an M2 license and a license plate. I've ridden without either since 2008.

I started motorizing bicycles when I lived in North Dakota in 2006. They don't require anything there, not even a helmet.

I wear a helmet, but I just carry my North Dakota ID and ask the officer "what's this all aboot, hey?" if I get pulled over

I agree that we need to stick together to keep these bikes without the need for a DL here in Illinois. But someone is going to do something to mess that up sooner or later, I dont think we have to much of a voice here in this crooked state. (the only state where our governor's dont get voted out of office but go to prison, Quinn's day is coming just like the last how many).

Anyways, the bad part of this is, politics here are never looked at as whats good for the whole state, Springfield might as well be a suburb of Chicago because thats how they run the state based off of what is good for Chicago is good for everywhere else. Now with that being said, the spandex crowd and "purist elite scumbags" who cant wrap their mind around our "low speed gas" bikes want us off the road,but on the flip side of they they will back up the E-Bike crowd but shun us gasser guys. These people unfortunately are the majority,have deep pockets and some of them have better connections to political figures to screw up the whole damn thing.

I really hope that the law will stay the same other than maybe raising the limit to 30mph and something realistic like 5 hp but i got this gut feeling that there is way to much in the cards against us.

I am tired of you drunken drivers and others who can't keep a driver license messing things up for everyone else. I strongly think you need to have a driver license to operate a motorized bicycle. The only reason you lost your license was because you couldn't follow the rules. Stop coming on these forums and trying to get people to feel sorry for you. Call a cab or pedal. I don't care which!

BTW.....I live in Central Illinois. I do a lot of long distance rides along the Great River Road in Illinois, Missouri and Wisconsin. I am happy to have the right to see our great country at 20mph. I have that right because I play by the rules. These guys who lost their license forever is because they have done things wrong several times and don't learn from their mistakes.

brown said:

BTW.....I live in Central Illinois. I do a lot of long distance rides along the Great River Road in Illinois, Missouri and Wisconsin. I am happy to have the right to see our great country at 20mph. I have that right because I play by the rules. These guys who lost their license forever is because they have done things wrong several times and don't learn from their mistakes.

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i wouldn't go so far to make assumptions. You dont know how everyone lost their DL, and i can tell you right now you don't have any idea about your "rights" till you deal with your own fair shake with some a**hole cops with nothing better to do to show you that the only right you have is to remain silent as they make up laws on the spot to put you into the system hurt locker. You think because someone who lost their DL has it coming to them? you dont even know how they lost it, sounds to me like even if you had a broken tail light and got pulled over you'd expect the state to castrate them over it too?!??!

What,do you think you invincible to the system just because you havn't got shafted yet? Your gonna fall way hard off that high horse your riding right now bud.

Im not the only one who has been put thru the ringer with the system. I used to "play by the rules" too,and it didn't get me any further than hefty fines and a few trips to the county hotel.

But that's ok, you keep on thinking you got rights too and keep on playing by them rules,your day will come too, and when someone like you comes back to throw it in your face like "hahahaha F*** you", then you be singing a different tune.

People like YOU make me violently sick because how you think you got the right to judge ANYONE without any background on the subject.

outlaw is right ....its wrong to judge others without knowledge or assume they were driving drunk to lose a DL.... sometimes they never had or need one really and look at what they save! Kinda makes us all look wasteful.
I like CTs laws ..doesnt make me right or condescending of others.
Far as your right to see america at 20mph goes...im jealous you have that trail

once someone looses their DL,over anything,not just a DUI, looses everything these days. You cant even find work without one. So what,I am sposed to loose my job,my home,my wife,my kids and ability to get from point A to B. Oh,am i sposed to become an Olympic cyclist to have the kinda endurance to pedal 20 miles back and forth to a job everyday if im even that fortunate to land one with out my DL?

What difference does it make to you if someone like me rides a MB without a DL? Its my own ass im putting on the line everyday driving against worst idiots on the road that are worse than drunks,we got people who like to play grab ass while driving,texting,putting on make up ect ect... Ill be the scattered carcass out on the blacktop,not the car that hits me!

What are you afraid that as I lay bleeding to death on the road after my MB makes contact with your car your concern is more about the little dent i put into your brand new car VS a human life?

I just got ran off the road the other day by a SOBER driver who failed to put on his turn signal,then argued with me that he doesn't need to use his turn signal to make a left turn.

I'm sorry, but driving a motor vehicle w/o insurance is against the law and irresponsible.

Driving is a privilege not a right. If you choose to operate a motor vehicle that is capable of causing injury and property damage, you are financially responsible for that damage if it is caused by you. You can insure yourself with a bond or you can buy insurance or you just don't drive.

My position is anyone found driving w/o financial responsibility should have their vehicle impounded on the spot and not released until the driver presents the proper evidence of financial responsibility and pays the impound fees. After the fees exceed the blue book value the vehicle should be sold at auction.

Easy.

I apologize for some of my outrage but this crap really pisses me off, people who are getting on this we need to change the law and make everyone have DL's to ride a MB is making me bang my head against the wall with its stupidity.

First off,anyone paying close attention to the way the law here in Illinois, You'll notice the way it is drafted is kinda messed up. 170 lb rider etc etc. Anyways if you look at the Federal law its word for word verbatim. Thats because our state legislator plagiarized the whole damn thing, so in other words whats good for the county is good for Illinois apparently.

Next is the DL issue, why are you people so persistent about pushing for this? not just in this topic but in others as well? Heres a fun fact, my punishment for loosing my DL is over,I paided my debt to society for my unspeakable god awful sins and atrocities against the people and the state.OH! Lordy,lordy! Ill never do that again. <-- sarcasm. But because i cant pay the whopping 10 grand fine to crook county to release my DL to give it to the secretary of state, I should still be punished? Or are your trying to say ,well people who dont have a DL or cant get one shouldn't be able to do anything with their life as far as transportation goes. so no one should be allowed to even use a skateboard in Illinois without a DL? Better yet,no one can use ANY transportation without a DL! there,that way every avenue is covered for all you.

well **** boys,with that kinda of mentality,we should make riding a normal bicycle without a DL illegal too! What my kid cant ride a big wheel without a DL either?!? Well why not? You few people i see think we should take something the law already says and change it based on opinion and NOT facts. Oh,stupid me,we already have done that with the constitution too!

No,no, now i get it, you want to take any opportunity away from us,nah, lets not let people try and get around or find a job with a MB,lets keep pushing on people like me into the coroner like a pissed off dog,lets keep helping the state make money, rack up more fines and costs for something new, encourage cops to target other MB riders to look for moving and equipment violations, more tickets! more fines! yes, i finally see what you want, because remember this boys and girls, once you get your way and make everyone get on board with having a DL for these bikes, the S.O.S steps in,and now any infraction,ANY, on your bike is now held against your driving record.Because now you've just crossed the threshold from bicycle to motor vehicle.

So good,lets all jump in and drink the kool aid! lets see how far it gets ya, when your insurance rates go up,or you get one point to many and you get a summary suspension in the mail,or just when officer friendly wants to say you were 5mph over the speed limit or driving recklessly. blamo, right there on your drivers abstract with the state. wonderful choice boys,bravo!

And then when your sitting here with people like us,without a DL, we get to say,we told you so.

I don't think anyone is looking down on people that have lost their license, but I'm with Mike on the insurance thing. One accident that is your fault and someone gets hurt and you could loose everything you own.

Mike B said:

I'm sorry, but driving a motor vehicle w/o insurance is against the law and irresponsible.

Driving is a privilege not a right. If you choose to operate a motor vehicle that is capable of causing injury and property damage, you are financially responsible for that damage if it is caused by you. You can insure yourself with a bond or you can buy insurance or you just don't drive.

My position is anyone found driving w/o financial responsibility should have their vehicle impounded on the spot and not released until the driver presents the proper evidence of financial responsibility and pays the impound fees. After the fees exceed the blue book value the vehicle should be sold at auction.

Easy.

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Our law here in Illinois removes the definition that a motorized bicycle is a motor vehicle and treats it the same as a bicycle. So... My punishment is over for loosing my DL. I cant afford to pay the fine to get it back,so I shouldn't be allowed to ride a bicycle without a DL? hmm, nice.

example of our law as it stands today:

2009/2010 Law Update for Law Enforcement
Illinois Secretary of State Police
Training Section
17
625 ILCS 5/1-140.10 new, 625 ILCS 5/1-140.15 new, 625 ILCS 5/1-146, 625 ILCS 5/11-1516 new
“Low Speed Electric Bike”
Effective Date: 01/01/10
Public Act: 96-0125 Senate Bill: 0236
Synopsis:
Amends the Illinois Vehicle Code. Defines a low-speed electric bicycle as a 2 or 3-wheeled device with fully operable pedals and an electric motor of less than 750 watts (one horsepower), whose maximum speed on a paved level surface, when powered solely by such a motor while ridden by an operator who weighs 170 pounds, is less than 20 miles per hour. Excludes low-speed electric bicycles from the definition of "motor vehicle". Prohibits operation of a low-speed electric bicycle at a speed greater than 20 miles per hour upon any highway, street, or roadway. Prohibits operation of a low-speed electric bicycle on a sidewalk. Provides that, except as otherwise provided, the provisions of the Article of the Code dealing with bicycles also apply to low-speed electric bicycles. Adds a definition for a "low-speed gas bicycle" and treats a low-speed gas bicycle the same as a low-speed electric bicycle in a provision regulating the use of low-speed bicycles and a provision excluding low-speed bicycles from the definition of a motor vehicle. Removes the requirement that a person have a valid current Illinois driver's license to operate a low-speed gas or low-speed electric bicycle.

Greg58 said:

I don't think anyone is looking down on people that have lost their license, but I'm with Mike on the insurance thing. One accident that is your fault and someone gets hurt and you could loose everything you own.

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well if you can somehow manage to hurt someone on a normal bicycle and not need insurance, why would it be any different for a MB. MB or not, Its still a bicycle by our law,and its going to be the rider of the MB who's going to be injured.

So if thats the case then maybe you drivers out there should follow the rules of the road and yield to bicyclists and pedestrians.

I wasn't talking about m/b riders , I was talking about car drivers. Here in Georgia you don't have to insure a m/b if its under 50cc and top speed is under 30 mph.

Greg58 said:

I wasn't talking about m/b riders , I was talking about car drivers. Here in Georgia you don't have to insure a m/b if its under 50cc and top speed is under 30 mph.

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i apologize,my bad. I mis-understood you.

My comment was in regards to losing your DL for driving a vehicle w/o insurance that needs insurance. Easy. You violate the law you lose.

I said nothing re the need for a DL to ride motorized bikes. That's up to the state you live in and I don't live in IL.

I live in CA and you do need a M2 to ride a gas bike and nothing to ride an ebike. Which is fine with me.

Ebikes are safer. You are not stressing the frame with a vibrating POS engine that it was never designed for. You are not going as fast. The fenders are less likely to come off and cause you to slide out and cause an accident.

I can see every reason the lawmakers are going to be harder on gas bikes than ebikes and I have no problem with it.