Colorado registration

[jasonh]

Just thought I'd post this up for any fellow Coloradians... According to law you're supposed to register your motorized bicycle. It's the same class as a 50cc scooter. (heck here in Longmont you even have to register a plain old pedal bike).

Since we still have pedals, you don't need to fill out the affidavit of motor size.

Cost is $5.25 for 3 years. I am finally going to register my bike, haha.

Here is the form:

http://www.colorado.gov/cs/Satellit...goBlobs&blobwhere=1191402789278&ssbinary=true


I do have one question though. I have 2 serial numbers on my bike. One is on the edge of the bottom bracket and is stamped. The other is on the bottom of the frame near the bottom bracket, and looks like it was laser etched or something, and it is a longer number I believe. Which one should I use on the application?

 

[jasonh]

I actually have one other question....apparently some type of proof of ownership is required (bill of sale, invoice, etc)...what the heck are you supposed to do when it's a bike your parents bought for you 10 years ago in a different state?

 

[2door]

Jason,
Thanks, good information but I have a question.
What if I don't register? If I'm stopped by the police do they want to see a registration or is this just another revenue generating device for the state?
My bike has no VIN number anywhere, I've looked. There is a serial number on the engine, presumably put there by Chris Hill but nothing on the bike frame. What do I enter where they ask for that number?
I went through this bull when I registered the car you see in my avatar. I built the frame and the old Ford body did not have a number so there was no VIN. I had to jump through hoops of fire for those idiots to get the thing titled and registered in Colorado. The problem with some of their rules is that they don't make provisions for vehicles that have been built or fabricated and not purchased from a dealer.
I think I'll just ride and if I have to explain myself to a cop, I will, but I won't do anything improper such as engraving a VIN on the frame or forging a bill of sale. Any thoughts?
Tom

 

[jasonh]

Um...beats me. I would assume it would be the same penalty as not having registration for your car, but your guess is as good as mine.

You can go here and click on the Colorado Revised Statutes, then put motorized bicycle in the search box and find all the junk about our bikes.

Legal Resources

Not much I personally didn't know, except that a horn or bell is required 100% of the time. Oops.

 

[thatsdax]

I too am in Colorado. I have never ever heard of what you are saying. Not where I live. I am south of Denver. I have never ever been stopped and I have been by at least 2000 cops in the past 4 years or so. What I ride is a motor assisted bicycle. It is not a moped, not a motorized bike, not a motor vehicle. I have been all through the CRS and there are no regulations that I can find for a motor assisted bicycle. I can find all kinds of regs for motorized bikes and in the CRS you will even find a target example of a motorized bike and it says, goped the motorized skate board things which is what the CRS was targeting . I think the date was 1992 or 1997.. I forget. But my point being.. These are bicycles with motor assist and are not regulated in Colorado. I have only found laws regulating them in the Cities of Boulder "no exceptions regs" and in Broomfield. Those are the only 2 cities governing motor assisted bicycles I have found. But now you are saying that Longmont is now added to the list of cities that regulate them? This is a bummer.. On the flip side.. As one more city regulates bicycles, one city locally has joined the non regulation side.. And that is Commerce City !!! Yes !!! What needs to happen is all of Colorado needs to adopt the Commerce city regs.. They are posted in here .. If you would like me to copy paste.. I can .. Let me know.. Also..Since I live in Colorado, there is no way I will give in to any regulations unless they state motor assisted bicycle. Period... That is me. And I will fight any police action that states other wise.. And..To keep me from being challenged by police on this.. I ghost pedal everywhere I go and I keep my engines off the chopper bikes. Those choppers are nothing but trouble.. Also..I looked at your form. It is for a motorized peddler or MOPED. Our bicycles are not mopeds. Not even close.. A moped comes with a DOT Horn, DOT Brake Lights, DOT Head light, DOT Tires, DOT and EPA CERTS, some even have blinkers..That is not what I ride.. I have one by the way... But I do not ride it. What I ride is a bicycle. . It was a bicycle when I bought it. Then.. I added a motor to assist me in pedaling. This by federal law is a motor assisted bicycle. IT is still a bicycle . MY Engine is less than 50cc. That form you posted is not applicable to bicycles with motor assist. Thanks..
Enjoy the ride...

 

[Large Filipino]

A few years ago I used to go to the fire stations to get a little old registration sticker for my bike in the event it gets stolen because those stickers are hard to remove lol.
The way I see it is that cops just wave back when I wave at them. On 104th when I ride on the sidewalk there's a cop with a radar gun right off the old Albertson's parking lot fishing for drivers. That's what I like to call it anyway. He always waves back and he's not always the same person.
One day he caught a fish and that fish was being irate to the cop. Then he saw me on my trike pointed me out and said "Why won't you ticket him?" I heard the cop say "Because he's on a bicycle!" Then I got close and said "It's a tricycle actually!" Then the cop waves at me.
I like him.
He's cool.
I guess I COULD register my bikes because it would make for nice conversation.
...naw.

 

[jasonh]

Dax,

Longmont requires registration for just plain old bicycles. I'd assume it's because there's so much spandex here, and bike theft is an issue.

I know our bikes fall under the "motor-assisted bicycle" catergory, but they also fall under the motorized bicycle category in Colorado. This is my interpretation anyway...

(56) "Motor-driven cycle" means every motorcycle, including every motorscooter, with a motor which produces not to exceed six brake-horsepower and every bicycle with motor attached, but not trail bikes, minibikes, go-carts, golf carts, and similar vehicles which are not designed for or approved by the department for use on the public roads or highways and not motorized bicycles as defined in paragraph (b) of subsection (59) of this section.

(b) "Motorized bicycle" means a vehicle having two or three wheels, a cylinder capacity not exceeding 50 cc, and an automatic transmission which produces a maximum design speed of not more than thirty miles per hour on a flat surface.

Then compound that with the fact that you have to certify the motor size is less than 50cc on the "motorized bicycle" form if there are no pedals.

So it sounds like a "motorized bicycle" is any 2 or 3 wheeled vehicle, with or without pedals, 50ccs, and auto (or single speed) transmission. Sounds like a duck to me.

The only time I move my pedals is when I'm starting from a dead stop. To me, ghost-pedaling is just a way to make it "look" like you're still riding a regular old bicycle. Now if one were to use the motor solely as a helper, then it would certainly fall under the MAB definition. But most of us use the motor for the main propulsion method.

No, we don't usually get harassed by the cops about registration. I see this as a matter of convenience for them. The registration is a sticker, not a plate. So they can't really see from the road whether or not you're registered. If I was a cop, I'm not going to stop every motorized bike or scooter I see without a plate just to check that they have their sticker. But if I stop a motorized bike or scooter for a traffic issue, I sure as heck would check for the sticker at that point.

So I think it's a CYA thing. Sure, you might be able to fight something in court if you need to (on the off-chance you have an issue), based on the difference between a motor-assisted bicycle and a motorized bicycle, but to save $5.25 for 3 years, is it really worth it?

One of these days I'll get around to talking to someone at motor vehicle and see what they say.

 

[thatsdax]

Since my motor assisted bicycle has no transmission for the changing of gears, then that second law is not applicable. Also.. I had no idea that Longmont requires bicycle registration. Wow !! That is bad for sure. Sorry there are so many regs up there. If I lived in Longmont, I would go and get the bicycle registration required for bicycles and then put it on my bike. Thanks..

 

[Large Filipino]

There just may be an advantage here as to getting our bicycles registered. If I remember right we can get those free stickers just so a certain number is tracked to their data base to track down bicycles or whatever.
If we ever get stopped then the very notion that our ride has a BICYCLE sticker should weigh in as a good reason to declare your ride a motor assist bicycle.
Yea,I'm gonna check here in Northglenn if I can still go to a fire station. Should be fun.

 

[Mshugge]

I've got a ruling from the department of motor vehicle that I will be happy to share (verbal ruling right now, will be following up with a written ruling next week).

IF A BICYCLE IS "BORN" A BICYCLE (WITH A REGISTRATION NUMBER, NOT A VIN NUMBER), THEN IT WILL ALWAYS BE A BICYCLE. THIS EVEN INCLUDES MOTOR-ASSISTED BICYCLES.

FROM BENJAMIN MITCHELL AT COLORADO DIVISION OF MOTOR VEHICLES.

 

[oldtimer54]

I've got a ruling from the department of motor vehicle that I will be happy to share (verbal ruling right now, will be following up with a written ruling next week).

IF A BICYCLE IS "BORN" A BICYCLE (WITH A REGISTRATION NUMBER, NOT A VIN NUMBER), THEN IT WILL ALWAYS BE A BICYCLE. THIS EVEN INCLUDES MOTOR-ASSISTED BICYCLES.

FROM BENJAMIN MITCHELL AT COLORADO DIVISION OF MOTOR VEHICLES.

Wow thats great cant wait to see your post, Ill print it and have it every time I ride.

 

[Drewd]

Wow thats great cant wait to see your post, Ill print it and have it every time I ride.

Please please print it out and share it with us. I had cop tell me my MB was a scooter and I respectfully disagreed wtih him. He didn't ticket me or hassle me and I didn't press the issue.

 

[steampunk]

yes please post up about that...im very interested...

 

[oldtimer54]

I've got a ruling from the department of motor vehicle that I will be happy to share (verbal ruling right now, will be following up with a written ruling next week).

IF A BICYCLE IS "BORN" A BICYCLE (WITH A REGISTRATION NUMBER, NOT A VIN NUMBER), THEN IT WILL ALWAYS BE A BICYCLE. THIS EVEN INCLUDES MOTOR-ASSISTED BICYCLES.

FROM BENJAMIN MITCHELL AT COLORADO DIVISION OF MOTOR VEHICLES.

Did you ever get that written ruling?

 

[Mshugge]

I got documentation from Title and Registration that this is a bicycle. I can attach this. I didn't get a letter from Benjamin and I'm still working on this. I went back to talk to Chief Hughes, mr idiot, at Lakeside Police and he told me he knew what the laws were, refused to look at the documentation I had from Motor Vehicle, and said that each time he saw my son riding the bicycle he would charge him with a felony. You've been seeing the reports on Channel 7 and Channel 31 about Mountain View? Wait until you see our suit against both Mountain View and Lakeside police for this "felony" charge for riding a bicycle ... and what they did to my son. They messed with the wrong family ... and the goofballs at Lakeside and Mountain View do not understand the laws. I will get the statement from Title and Registration to attach to a post. Give me one-two days.

 

[bandito]

FELONY! What did he get charged with? Doesn't matter what those idiots in lakeside think or mountainview, what matters is the DA and the judge. What happened in court this past monday?..........need more info and good luck.

 

[Mshugge]

He got charged with a felony for habitual traffic offender driving a motor vehicle (feloney class 6), failure to wear protective goggles for a low powered scooter, failure to have a headlight on a low powered scooter, and DUI. We are trying to get the first 3 items immediately dropped, as this was a bicycle. We have a ruling from motor vehicle that this is a bicycle. The last item will be argued in court, because we had dropped him off 10 minutes earlier. He was not drunk. My son had a seizure when he heard they wanted to give him a felony for riding this bicycle. Because of the seizure, which the officer claimed was self-induced, they refused to allow him to take a breathalyzer. They took him to the hospital and LIED to the doctor that he did not have a seizure. He again asked for a breathalyzer while at the hospital and they refused. They got their medical release, took him back to the jail, where he seized again. The police report says breathalyzer not given because he self-induced a medical condition. We are suing them. When we took him to court this past monday, they made him wear an alcohol monitor (SCRAM unit) and postponed the next court date until December. I am so angry at the system.

 

[Mshugge]

By the way ... I have the police report saying they saw him having convulsions. And I have the hospital report, with the doctor's notes that the police said they did not see him having a seizure.

I'm sure the police wouldn't lie.

 

[bandito]

You can get a DUI on a bicycle, not saying your son was but i've met 2 or 3 folks hit with that. In those cases the DMV did not get involved because there was no motor vehicle involved. WOW thats serious stuff you need a lawyer Mshugge because that class 6 felony carries up to 18 mo in prison. I don't know if this is wise but have you talked to the DA about this?

 

[Mshugge]

The class 6 felony is for habitual traffic offender ...... For driving a motorized vehicle. Problem is he was riding his bicycle.

You can get a DUI on any vehicle, including non-motorized vehicles. But the police must allow you to do a breathalyzer or blood test. They did not.

And for the posts that say a "motorized" bicycle is a low-powered scooter, they are wrong. I feel like I've become a legal expert on this,