I can't get a straight answer!!!!!!!!!!!

[Greybeard]

I spent nearly 1/2 a day for a week talking to people from the State about licensing a "motorized bicycle". Was shuffled around from one person in one dept to someone somewhere else. DOT. Licensing Dept. Washington State patrol. I got nowhere and until yesterday was just coasting.
So I went down to the "licensing agent" in town.
"motorized bicycle" they said, don't need registration. When i said the law reads "all motorized vehicles" need to be registered, they said they'd call the State. "Bicycle with a motor on it?" yup. Doesn't need to be registered. I asked if some one could send me a letter to that effect and they said they didn't do that. AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!

I hope that all you guys out there have better people using up your tax money that are more responsive to the public than our particular group of culls.

OK, I'm better now

 

[Bikesnfire]

Sounds like the same response I have gotten here in Pennsylvania. I went to the local motorcycle dealer to ask about registering my one bike. Showed them a pic of the bike and they laughed in my face. Said, "it's a bicycle. You don't need registration for that". I talked to 3 different local town cops. All 3 said under 50cc you can run it without a plate. A retired State cop stopped by my shop one day and I asked him what he knew about the motor bikes. Same thing, under 50cc it's a peddle cycle. He even said he wouldn't mind getting one to harass the chief of police in the town where he lives.

Now on the other hand, I know some PA forum members have stated they are illegal in PA. So, it appears that it all depends where you live and what the attitude of the local law is towards them. They seem to be a moped, but actual mopeds were designed in such a way to be motorized at the time of manufacture. The bicycle has the motor added after the fact as an assist device. Then you have the motor driven cycle classification. Again, if the motor is running and the bike is being pedalled, the motor is an assist device. The point I'm trying to make is a matter of how it is interpreted Why they don' just write the law in plain direct English with pure facts and no gray area subject to interpretation, it would make things easier.

Now here is another twist in our law. An ATV used on a farm for agriculture, is legal to run on the road. They aren't subject or eligible for registration, but can use the highway. So, I actually live on a farm that is actively being farmed. My motorbike has knobby tires on front and rear for off road use. Would I now fall under the ATV ruling? I guess time will tell. If I ever do get pulled over, I plan to keep my cool, but politely argue my case. I think the motor bike rider actually knows more about the law than the lawmen themselves do. I look at it like a roll of the dice. Get a good cool cop, no problem. Get a cop with a bad attidude, could be trouble.

 

[SANGESF]

Getting a VIN in Washington State:

To get a VIN in WA, you go to the DOL and tell them you built a custom motorbike. They tell you to call the State Police to make an appointment to have a VIN inspection. You call them, they set a date, and they send you back to the DOL to get a Statement of Fact ( basically an Affidavit that you built the bike out of parts you obtained lawfully ).

With statement in hand, you go the the State Police appointment, they then take your statement, and put a VIN on the bike. If you have bills of sale for everything, they then send you to the DOL for a Vehicle Title. If you don't have a bill of sale, you get a Vehicle Registration ... and can get the title three years later.