CA. Law Info

[bairdco]

print out that form, fill it out, and bring it with you. i can just imagine the poor underpaid and overfed woman working there, trying to find the "motorized bicycle license plate registration form..."

oh, and i think they'll have to mail you a plate anyway, so it might be easier to just send it in.

someone on one of the other 50 threads about CA laws (might even be this one) said they sent in 18 and it was ok.

and, by the way, i sent in 18 bucks last week. still waiting...

 

[rcflier500]

It seems like there is a lot of convoluted information floating around. Here is the real deal on CA motorized bicycles. Here are some links that will answer all your questions. sorry i dont know how to add a hyperlink.

Motorcycles, Mopeds, Scooters defined
V.C. Section 406 - Motorized Bicycle
V.C. Section 23135 - Operation of Modified Motorized Bicycle
http://www.dmv.ca.gov/forms/reg/reg230.pdf

Technically speaking, anyone with a 66cc motor cannot register it in california as a motorized bicycle because it produces over 2hp, but who his going to check that?

 

[Scotchmo]

Technically speaking, anyone with a 66cc motor cannot register it in california as a motorized bicycle because it produces over 2hp, but who his going to check that?

In order to be producing 2hp, you have to go 36mph on flat ground. I can't do that on my 66cc bike.

 

[rcflier500]

In order to be producing 2hp, you have to go 36mph on flat ground. I can't do that on my 66cc bike.

What im saying is that the engines are rated and marketed as having over 2hp

 

[longhair]

What im saying is that the engines are rated and marketed as having over 2hp

Don't sweat it, just ride the thing! We rode past at least 6 different cops today in L.A. All you need is MB registration and license plate for $19.00 from Sacremento DMV.

 

[rcflier500]

Don't sweat it, just ride the thing! We rode past at least 6 different cops today in L.A. All you need is MB registration and license plate for $19.00 from Sacremento DMV.

Yup! already got mine in the mail. Open road here i come

 

[Scotchmo]

What im saying is that the engines are rated and marketed as having over 2hp

Some are and some aren’t. I would tend to go with the more conservative information as some of the optimistic ratings are done as marketing hype.

Here is a more conservative rating. This site shows 1.15KW or 1.6hp for rated power.
Gas Bicycle Kits - Standard 66cc Silver Bicycle Motor Kit

Most sites show the rated power at 1.5kw, and sometimes 1.6kw or 2.0kw and I have seen the maximum power as high as 5-6hp which is ridiculous. 1.5kw is 2hp. The 48cc and 66cc all use the same small carburetor and restrictive manifold. I don’t think the increased displacement makes much difference. Probably helps the low rpm power at the expense of high rpm.

Rated power is probably what it produces on a dyno. I’m not sure how they get maximum power. It could be like the 5hp shop vac ratings. They plug into a 15amp outlet. 2hp is the most that you can get continuously out of a 120v, 15amp outlet. These and the peak power of the bicycle motor may be flash readings which are almost impossible to measure in actual use. Maybe they are measuring peak cylinder pressure and plugging that into the BMEP equation. That would mean that it is only generating the peak power for a small portion of the stroke. Not a very useful measure of power. I don’t actually know what they do so I will go with the conservative ratings which seem to prove out in actual use.

I think we both agree that we do not have to worry about it. Law enforcement measures speed, not horsepower.

 

[rcflier500]

exactly

 

[Scotchmo]

i'd like to see your math on that one.
depending on how much you weigh, your bike will go different speeds. the hp doesn't have to change to go faster.

True. But unless you have a very heavy (200lb+) bike, large fairing, or a lot of drag, 2hp will easily push you over 30mph. On a typical mountain bike or cruiser bike 2hp can get you 36mph or more. Cutting weight can help a little. Aerodynamics help a lot. A low or tucked position makes a big difference on the speed that you can attain. I did not do the actual math. I used empirical data and a bicycle speed calculator. Remember that the power requirement changes with the square of the speed for any given bike. There are a lot of different bicycle speed calculators out there. Here is one:

Bike Calculator

From that calculator, 2hp on a heavy mountain bike gets you about 36mph but the same power on an aero bike with clincher tires get 47mph. So your right and I’m right. My point - If you are running at the legal moped speed limit of 30mph, you are probably under the legal horsepower limit as well.

 

[Venice Motor Bikes]

Don't sweat it, just ride the thing! We rode past at least 6 different cops today in L.A. All you need is MB registration and license plate for $19.00 from Sacremento DMV.

I concur! JUST RIDE THE THING!!!
There were 21 bikes on our LA ride yesterday & only 2 of them had those plates...
Most police don't care about us as long as you ride safe & wear a helmet. (Most of them don't even know about the plates!)
If they do mess with you about the plate, THEN mail away for one.

 

[Scotchmo]

yeah but that calculator doesn't take into consideration max rpm, sprocket size.
that's not a motorized bike calculator, it's a calculator to figure out your top speed from how many watts you make on bicycle trainers.

a stock 66cc 2stroker kit on top of the line road bike with a 100lb rider isn't gonna hit 47mph.
the rear sprocket won't let it

The calculators consider power only and assume an optimum gear ratio. That just confirms that the 66cc engine does not put out more than 2hp. Regardless of rpm and gear ratio, ultimately it is horsepower that determines the maximum speed of a given bike. Watts equates to power. It does not matter if it comes from a human, a gas engine, or an electric motor.

 

[bairdco]

it never ends. without arguing the actual displacement, wattage, rider weight, bike design, wind speeds, gear ratios, whatever, has anyone really gotten busted in california?

i know there's a few little cities that are banning them, or cracking down, but what about the rest of the state?

i've never been stopped. the closest i've come is a few bewildered looks by the police. and i was told to leave Mile Square Park in Santa Ana by the ranger. i told him it was legal, i just didn't have the plate yet, and he said "come back when you have a plate." he also said i had a cool bike.

if you get busted going over thirty, good luck with bringing your gear calculator to court...

 

[bairdco]

The calculators consider power only and assume an optimum gear ratio. That just confirms that the 66cc engine does not put out more than 2hp. Regardless of rpm and gear ratio, ultimately it is horsepower that determines the maximum speed of a given bike. QUOTE]

i guess i can't let this die either.

with the limited amount of horsepower available, which for the sake of argument i will say remains a constant, the only way to increase speed is with gear ratios.

just ask the 24 riders in LA yesterday.

now back to this weeks episode of "LA LAW"

 

[Scotchmo]

i guess i can't let this die either.

with the limited amount of horsepower available, which for the sake of argument i will say remains a constant, the only way to increase speed is with gear ratios.

just ask the 24 riders in LA yesterday.

now back to this weeks episode of "LA LAW"

If you don't have the power to go faster, changing the gear ratios will not help. The question is how fast can you gear your bike to go. You will need more than 2hp to make your cruiser or mountain bike go faster than 36mph.

 

[Venice Motor Bikes]

with the limited amount of horsepower available, which for the sake of argument i will say remains a constant, the only way to increase speed is with gear ratios.

It also helps to have a smaller 24" bike with a 135 lbs rider!!!

 

[MotorbikeMike]

Hi all, we just had a problem in OC. The bike is a 2.1 hp 50cc Honda, tranny is EZM Q-matic.

Problem, owner clocked by police at 45, no helmet. Totally stock ratios on the drive-train, I am going back to the drawing board, to try to fix this mess.

Mike

 

[longhair]

Hi all, we just had a problem in OC. The bike is a 2.1 hp 50cc Honda, tranny is EZM Q-matic.

Problem, owner clocked by police at 45, no helmet. Totally stock ratios on the drive-train, I am going back to the drawing board, to try to fix this mess.

Mike

Here's a suggestion, Wear a helmut at all times! And you should'nt be ridin at 45MPH constantly, remember the Law suggests 25MPH. If you cruise at 30MPH it's plenty fast and the popo don't see you wizzin by in a flash. Good Luck

 

[Venice Motor Bikes]

Hi all, we just had a problem in OC. The bike is a 2.1 hp 50cc Honda, tranny is EZM Q-matic.

Problem, owner clocked by police at 45, no helmet. Totally stock ratios on the drive-train, I am going back to the drawing board, to try to fix this mess.

Mike

"WE" just had a problem??? It sounds like his problem!
He shouldn't have been going that fast, past the cops without a helmet on!!

I said it right here only 10 posts ago... "Most police don't care about us as long as you ride safe & wear a helmet."

 

[bairdco]

yeah, i guess they musta accidentally shipped me the prototype model with 5 horsepower. i run a constant 40-45mph, (with a helmet.) there's 24 people that can back me up on that, too.

i know i'm pushing it with the law, but my license plate should be here any day now, and i'm gonna get my M1 permit this week. i know it still doesn't make my bike legal, but it'll be easier to skirt the law this way.

i'd almost bet that if the guy was wearing a helmet, he wouldn't have been hassled.

what did he get ticketed for?

 

[rockvoice]

after seeing bairdco in person yesterday i am one of the 24 that will back him up on his speed claims,
also agree with him that (and thru my own experimentation) weight makes no difference on top speed.
it takes longer to get to that speed but i hear these guy's telling newbees not to get a 48cc if they are over a certain weight , i have a grubee 48 that screams on my schwinn jag and i'm 250.

with the right rear sprocket 30,36,40,44 and many of the diff mods these speeds are possible and some members here are proving it. no just adding the sprocket alone wont do much but in combination with porting , jetting, chambers and all it happens. whether or not we should be is the question.
also just get your M2 endorsement and register it and friggen ride that thing
yeah i keep hearing about people getting tickets or warnings but they never say for what.