Hi everyone, I'm Luis from Sarasota County, FL, I'm 17 and wanna buy the engine kit but nobody here seems to know the rules 4 motorized bikes. Was told that if it's under 50 cc don't need a license but still need to be registered, went to the DMV and they know nothing!!! help! any advise for me? and, can I ride in the street or just on the bycicle lane? Thanks!!!
Need to know the law in FL!!!
- Thread starter Luis G
- Start date
Goat Herder
Gutter Rider
These links might help. I am not familiar with Florida law.. florida bike laws - Google Search
joabthebugman
New Member
Welcome to the club
There is so much disinformation, misinformation, and noninformation here that it is very hard to decipher through it all
here's what I do know
If it is less than 50cc there is no need for a motorcycle endorsement
If it has pedals it's a moped
here's what I have experienced
I have ridden mine so close to a police car that I had to put my hand on it as I passed around it. Cop looked up and paid no attention other than to nod to me
I ride it regularly through one of our speed traps and have never gotten a second glance
I have ridden both on sidewalks and on the street in front of our local cop without a second glance
My friend rides his 9 miles to my house both on sidewalks and on the street with no problem from LEO
My son rides his daily and has been stopped three times in teo different towns, both patrolled by the same sherriff
In one town he was asked the size of the motor, gave the right answer and was told to stay off the sidewalk at that speed
In the other town he was stopped and told he needed a license but not cited, another time he was told that he could only ride it on his own property and only if it was under 50ccs (dumbass cop)
I know none of that really answers your question, but I don't think there really is a good answer to your question
Fulltimer
New Member
You have to have a drivers license to ride one. But the bicycle does not need to be registered as long as it is under 50cc. Do a search for the bicycle laws of Florida. You are supposed to follow them. Some cities have their own laws pertaining to motorized bicycles too.
Terry
Terry
Ok...
This has been answered NUMEROUS times..
Make sure you have a front white light, rear red light, pedals and have it under 50cc and go to the DMV and have it registered (it MUST be) as a home made moped. (say nothing about a bicycle with a motor, it's a home made moped).
You may NOT ride it on the sidewalk under motor power (engine MUST be off).
You need a Drivers license to ride one.
With all that being said, in some towns, the police won't care.
In some towns, they'll just yell at you.
In some towns, they stop you every other day.
In some towns, they'll give you a summons for unregistered motor vehicle.
(If you don't have a license, they will ticket you for unlicensed driver, as well)
If it doesn't have operable pedals, (depending on size of engine) it's considered a scooter or motorcycle.
That's all there is to it.
If you really want EVERY STATUTE that I'm using as the basis of this discussion, let me know and I will (AGAIN) lay them all out for all to see.
IF you have an electric bicycle (with operable pedals) and it's not capable of achieving speeds greater than 20mph, then it's still considered just a bicycle.
This has been answered NUMEROUS times..
Make sure you have a front white light, rear red light, pedals and have it under 50cc and go to the DMV and have it registered (it MUST be) as a home made moped. (say nothing about a bicycle with a motor, it's a home made moped).
You may NOT ride it on the sidewalk under motor power (engine MUST be off).
You need a Drivers license to ride one.
With all that being said, in some towns, the police won't care.
In some towns, they'll just yell at you.
In some towns, they stop you every other day.
In some towns, they'll give you a summons for unregistered motor vehicle.
(If you don't have a license, they will ticket you for unlicensed driver, as well)
If it doesn't have operable pedals, (depending on size of engine) it's considered a scooter or motorcycle.
That's all there is to it.
If you really want EVERY STATUTE that I'm using as the basis of this discussion, let me know and I will (AGAIN) lay them all out for all to see.
IF you have an electric bicycle (with operable pedals) and it's not capable of achieving speeds greater than 20mph, then it's still considered just a bicycle.
Fulltimer
New Member
What I bolded above is NOT true. In any given locality it MIGHT be true. But as far as the state is concerned that is not the case.
GO HERE: http://www.dot.state.fl.us/Safety/ped_bike/laws/ped_bike_bikeLaws1.shtm
Terry
Last edited:
Terry, your statement WOULD be true, IF you were talking about a bicycle or motorized (ELECTRIC) bicycle.
However, we are discussing mopeds. (GAS powered "bicycles).
Here is the manual for the information needed, directly from the motorcycle/moped DMV manual.
http://www.dmv.org/fl-florida/motorcycle-handbook.pdf
If you wish to ride your moped, under power, on public roads, you NEED to register it. It's as simple as that.
There is only ONE town I found that describes a moped as a bicycle and that's Daytona Beach... Everywhere else (AFAIK) considers a gas powered bicycle a moped.
However, we are discussing mopeds. (GAS powered "bicycles).
Here is the manual for the information needed, directly from the motorcycle/moped DMV manual.
http://www.dmv.org/fl-florida/motorcycle-handbook.pdf
If you wish to ride your moped, under power, on public roads, you NEED to register it. It's as simple as that.
There is only ONE town I found that describes a moped as a bicycle and that's Daytona Beach... Everywhere else (AFAIK) considers a gas powered bicycle a moped.
worksmanFL
New Member
FYI,
I have a registered motorized bicycle, for the sole purpose of making riding it on public roads "legal".
Welcome and please search my posts for your answer.
decoherence
New Member
hmmm. it must have changed. i checked it a few months ago & it included combustion engines under 50cc.
w/o rereading everything if i remember in FL a moped can't have the ability to change gears.
so how much trouble & cost is it to register?
i would like to stop slowing down to 20mph when i see a cop.
w/o rereading everything if i remember in FL a moped can't have the ability to change gears.
so how much trouble & cost is it to register?
i would like to stop slowing down to 20mph when i see a cop.
Do you have a license?
What changed and when? What were you looking at?
decoherence
New Member
the subject part of the sentence was "combustion engines under 50cc"
the the deceleration of time was "i checked it a few months ago"
the reference was http://www.dot.state.fl.us/Safety/pe...bikeLaws1.shtm
but none of that is important my original statement was rhetorical.
for the moped no gears thing i got from the link you provided to the motorcycle handbook.
now what isn't rhetorical question is, how much & the procedure on getting it papered as a moped? please.
i like the idea of being "paper legal".