Definition changing petition

[xXNightRiderXx]

Hey there folks. I just made a petition to the federal lawmakers to modify the definitions of a motorized bicycle, mostly to allow us to travel with traffic. I would greatly appreciate it if everyone here signed it and gave the link to friends. I'm asking to increase engine size to 80cc and speed to 45 mph. If this goes through, bikes will not be classified as motorcycles, or mopeds, and will require only a class D license.

http://gopetition.com/petitions/define-a-motorized-bicycle.html

 

[xseler]

Hmmm...........kinda reminds me of the time that I poked the sleeping bear.

 

[Chaz]

I have to say I'm with xseler... best to let sleeping bears alone. No government will support or condone home made vehicles at that speed. They just won't.

 

[xXNightRiderXx]

I have to say I'm with xseler... best to let sleeping bears alone. No government will support or condone home made vehicles at that speed. They just won't.

Except for the fact that there is a much higher chance of us getting rear ended because we're going much slower than traffic. All I'm suggesting is that we should be able to keep up with traffic. If you follow the link, that is made clear in the petition body.

 

[Chaz]

I get where you're coming from but I have little to no faith in government. I only ride on city streets and the speed limit is 30 mph. However, I do understand that 99% of drivers misinterpret this speed as the minimum. If you look closely at the regulations you will find that the posted speed limit is the maximum... which almost nobody follows.

 

[xXNightRiderXx]

I get where you're coming from but I have little to no faith in government. I only ride on city streets and the speed limit is 30 mph. However, I do understand that 99% of drivers misinterpret this speed as the minimum. If you look closely at the regulations you will find that the posted speed limit is the maximum... which almost nobody follows.

In Boise, the maximum speed on some roads is 50 mph. On some others, its 45 mph. On most, its 35 mph. Its different in every city, so I'm accounting for all of them, because there will always be more roads with 45 mph limits than roads with 50 mph limits. Most people here follow the limits because Boise and Idaho laws impose severe penalties for violations.

 

[malatious]

I also think this is something that should be left alone. I also don't think on a federal level that this would even be looked at, they would leave it up to the individual states. In California we are already at 3 hp, which is around 79cc, and 30 mph. This is fine with me. Of coarse my bike will go faster than 30, but I save that for places where there are usually no police. If I am riding in town I try not to go over 30 but it is nice to be able to if needed. Our motorized bicycles are kind of a grey area and if you bring to much attention to them the powers that be could crack down on the loop holes we use and make it so we can't ride at all.

 

[xseler]

Where I live, they leave you alone as long as you're not doing something stupid. All the cops just wave at me as I whiz by. Now why would I want to jeopardize that with more legislation?

 

[xXNightRiderXx]

Here in Boise, we have an inner city called garden city, and they will stop you for anything they think they can use. They will even stop you for crossing the street just a little late. So I do want some legislation for those cops who are either complete assholes or who are just having a bad day.

 

[malatious]

For something local like that, you could maybe try changing on a local or state level. In CA, most of the local police don't even know the regulations. I carry paper work around with me so I can show them. Most don't know that the state upped our motors from 49cc to 79cc. I try not to give them a reason to pull me over. I have lights, brake light, turn signals, a horn, and CA registration. I wear a motorcycle helmet. Mostly they leave us alone, but I do get questioned once in a while. Also, I had it wrong above, CA allows up to 4hp on a motorized bicycle, but speed is still limited to 30mph. It does allow for better hill climbing and extra horse power helps when moving around in traffic.

I've been to Boise and driven around in the garden city area, very nice place.

 

[dogcatcher]

Most states have basically not piled a bunch of rules and regulations on this issue and are semi motor bicycle friendly. I bet getting the feds involved will be the end of the motor bikes as we know them. EPA could easily cut the majority of the engines off the market as being pollutants.

 

[allen standley]

Where I'm at ... I wouldn't poke it with a 10 foot pole. Exseler is right... I run from Bears, never poke. Where you are at may be a good Idea. Certainly not NATIONAL. It's a bicycle we are talking about. Be fully reflectored, Keep to the right, Wear a helmet and don't "act the Fool". There are times when I must ride in traffic. When I do I claim my lane and use hand signals. I already have the same rights as a motorist. I would not want attention drawn to my last bastion of NON TAXED NON REGULATED transport. More Government is a terrible thought/suggestion.

 

[xXNightRiderXx]

Where I'm at ... I wouldn't touch it with a 10 foot pole. Exseler is right... I run from Bears, never poke. Where you are at may be a good Idea. Certainly not NATIONAL. It's a bicycle we are talking about. Be fully reflectored, Keep to the right, Wear a helmet and don't "act the Fool". There are times when I must ride in traffic. When I do I claim my lane and use hand signals. I already have the same rights as a motorist. I would not want attention drawn to my last bastion of NON TAXED NON REGULATED transport. More Government is a terrible thought/suggestion.

These are still taxed, because you are paying taxes when you buy the bike, and when you buy the engine, accessories, and fuel. These are also still regulated because the federal regulations state no more than 49cc and no faster than 30 mph or its a motorcycle and requires a class m license or endorsement. I'm only trying to loosen these current regulations to allow us to legally travel with traffic while reducing the dumbass risk. Epa is already involved with these things, because they are classified as motor vehicles. Epa doesn't want these on the roads. But the reason for the petition is to tell them "hey, the majority wants these changes. The majority wants to use these and be as safe as possible while riding them in traffic." To deny the majority is to deny democracy. Besides, if you have an expansion chamber on a two stroke, or are running a lean four stroke, these will easily pass smog.

 

[dogcatcher]

The majority? You must be kidding, The population is around 318 million, I doubt if there are even a million motorized bicycles in the entire country. They are a novelty, and a very long way from be near a majority. We are retired, and travel, I haven't seen one on the road in months.

 

[allen standley]

Hey Nightriderxx whatever - What You want is a Darn Motorcycle. GO BUY ONE!!! This forum is for Motor Assisted Bicycles...YOU GOT IT?

 

[MotorBicycleRacing]

Federal lawmakers have absolutely nothing to do with the individual State motorized bicycle laws and your petition is delusional asking for 45 mph and 7 gears.
Nobody will sign it anyway and if you got 50? signatures even your State would ignore you as one of the many crazy people that come up with stuff like this.

Hey there folks. I just made a petition to the federal lawmakers to modify the definitions of a motorized bicycle, mostly to allow us to travel with traffic. I'm asking to increase engine size to 80cc and speed to 45 mph. If this goes through, bikes will not be classified as motorcycles, or mopeds, and will require only a class D license.

 

[Chaz]

Nightrider, don't take our comments as personal. We are just trying to point out the reality of the situation. In a perfect world you have a great idea. The biggest problem is the regulation of our hobby, which would create huge and expensive problems. As soon as the government gets involved there will be rolls of red tape to deal with and even if that were somewhat tolerable (which I doubt would be the case) it would mean that our bikes are considered as motor-vehicles and we would never be able to get insurance on them.

I used to be a commercial insurance underwriter which means that I assessed risk exposure to the company and set the cost of the insurance policy based on that risk in respect of property and liability. I can tell you that I would never offer insurance coverage for home made vehicles and I can't imagine any other underwriter would do so. The exposure is just too great at any price.

So, we are not trying to rag on you. We are just giving you the straight dope. Like I said above, in an ideal world I would be on board with your concept. The reality is that we would be strangled by red tape and the catch 22 of the insurance aspect would put the expense of this hobby well out of the reach of anyone without deep pockets and sort of defeat the purpose of our hobby.

 

[MotorBicycleRacing]

These are also still regulated because the federal regulations state no more than 49cc and no faster than 30 mph or its a motorcycle and requires a class m license or endorsement.

Nonsense. CA allows motorized bikes to be 4 HP which is about 80 cc and they are not classified as motorcycles even though they require a M2 endorsement.
The States decides if you need a drivers license,what size engine and speed.

New York made all motorized bikes illegal and eBikes too.

 

[fasteddy]

My favorite sport. Poking angry bears in the backside with a short, sharp stick just to see who's faster. The bear or myself.

It sounds like the problem you have is an overly zealous local police department and the only people who can help you there are the city residents. There is 0 chance that the federal government who will hand it over to the national department of highways people who will look at it and laugh and place it in the round file beside someone's desk will do anything about it.

It would most likely have to be presented by congressman or woman from your area as a private members bill. They will then have to get it on the floor to be voted on and then I believe it goes to the senate to be passed and then it becomes law. The state and city most likely aren't bound by this because they can set their own speed limits in given areas.

Steve.

 

[xXNightRiderXx]

Revival:

This needs to be given a chance. There are so many different laws throughout the states, each either allowing or disallowing our favorite thing, that the federal government needs to step in and give us motorbicyclists a true definition, and force states to have one common set of rules besides that of "mopeds." I'm tired of having to go online and constantly have to fish through state laws about these things just to find some way of making my bike "legal," every time I move. I don't want to have to sell my bike every time I go to a new state, dammit!

Now to assess the concerns everyone has about this:

1. by defining a motorized bicycle as a road legal motor vehicle (which it would have to be considering the fact that it IS a motor vehicle), motor vehicle insurance companies are automatically required to provide insurance plans for that type of vehicle, provided that it meets legal standards.
2. by providing a standard definition for motorized bicycles, you remove the variables that would allow an officer to harass you for whatever they see as a violation, while also eliminating the confusion of the state laws, and the incompatibility between state laws.
3. homemade vehicles are insured by many insurance companies, especially with the legal definitions provided. However, the vehicle must be titled, and registered, because to do that, the vehicle must be safety inspected and given a VIN.
4. This federal definition will not only allow us to ride safer in traffic, but also do cross country tours, and let us have a wider range of motors to choose from before we have to get licensed and registered.

there are so many more reasons and advantages that i could list right now, but i don't have the time, nor the patience right now.

god, this is why i dislike closed minded people. you have to explain every tiny thing to them.

None of us should have to be riding between states for rides with that one thought in the back of our heads: is my bike legal here?

THIS IS AMERICA!!!! ITS TIME WE STARTED ACTING LIKE IT!!!

 

[dogcatcher]

i don't have the time, nor the patience right now.

You pretty well nailed, nobody has the time or patience, or is it really a case, "Hey, let someone else fix the problem".

 

[fasteddy]

Your going to have to change the Federal Law first and then the laws in every state and territory. Pack a lunch because you'll be gone a long time.