Idaho Law Clarification / My First Motorized Bicycle

[BikerBen]

Hello! This is by first time on MotorBicycling.com!

I live in Idaho and I am currently a Senior attending High School. For my senior project I made my first ever Motorized Bicycle! ( nothing special though, just a simple Chinese 2 stroke 49 cc engine. I figured I'd start out cheap with my first project )

I want to make sure that my Bicycle is as legal as possible, but some of the laws regarding Motorized Bicycles in Idaho seem a bit unclear. Here is what I have already done with my bicycle.

- I have made sure that my engine displacement ( cc's ) is 49, so no greater than 50.
- I have front and rear reflectors
- I have a front light ( which is bright enough for the daytime )
- I have a rear light ( which is bright enough for the daytime )
- I am willing to install blinker lights on my bicycle, and I probably will sometime in the future.
- I am willing to order a horn and mirrors.
- I always ride with my Drivers License
- I always ride with a helmet

* I have also tested my Motorized Bicycle to see that it can go no greater than 30 miles per hour with a GPS, and I topped out at 30 MPH *

However, recently the Idaho Legislature made a change to a Statute ( Section 49 - 114 ) which applies to Mopeds. ( The Idaho legislature categorizes Motorized Bicycles as mopeds apparently. ) In Line (9) which they recently added at the beginning of this month, it says , " (9) "Moped" means a limited-speed motor-driven cycle having wheels less than twenty (20) inches in diameter "

My Bicycle has 26 inch tires, and one would assume that this new law would make my bike " Illegal ". Yet, 20 inch tires are about the size of the BMX bike I had when I was 12, and I have looked all over the internet for a bike frame that would be compatible with 20 inch tires and fit the engine inside of the frame, but I have found nothing. And on top of it this would make every Motorized Bicycle with tires bigger than 20 inches in Idaho illegal right?

I tried contacting my Local Authorities, and the Deputy there said that really as long as I don't have an engine bigger that 50 cc and I am not doing any crazy stunts on it, he wouldn't pull me over for having wheels 6 inches too big. ( I don't live in Boise so I am sure that the police are not as picky where I live )

I also have looked on the Idaho DMV website and it says that technically mopeds ( which a motorized bicycle falls under ) are required to have liability insurance. I don't know how I can yet vehicle liability insurance on something that is not considered a vehicle, but even if I could get it insured, I don't want to pay around 100 dollars a year to ride this bike every once and a while to a friends house, especially when I got the engine kit for less!

I am a very safe rider, I am easy going on the throttle, and I don't ride in the Bicycle lanes. ( despite me feeling like I am going to get ran over, and all the bicyclists ride on the sidewalk. ) I also usually don't ride at night.

So ultimately my question is, are there any motor bicyclists in Idaho that know if I need to follow this 20 inch tire rule, and get liability insurance?

BikerBen

 

[jburr36]

Looks like you have everything covered. The actual requirements are the bicycle itself must meet federal transportation guidelines (reflectors, brakes, structural, etc.) because the state just follows those. No problem if you buy it new because no newly manufactured bicycle can be sold in the US if it doesn't.

As long as the engine is less than 50 CC which yours is all you need is a driver's license. No endorsement required per page 7 of the Motorcycle Operator's manual

You cannot legally ride on a state highway (per same page of the handbook) as is states off highway use. What this means is that you are prohibited from using the motor while riding on any marked state highway even if the road goes through your town.

For example Much of State Street (State HWY 44), Chinden BLVD (State HWY 20, 26), Eagle Rd (State HWY 55), Washington Ave in Emmett (State HWY 52) Etc. are classified as marked highways.

Do people still ride these things down those roads? Yes but if a cop has a quota to meet he can issue a citation so pedal on those roads.

** Just an edit here. I highly recommend you go to the DMV and get a printed copy of the Motorcycle Operator's Handbook and keep it on your bicycle at all times while riding.

I live in Emmett and was stopped by a police officer who demanded my DL and proof of insurance. We are not required to be insured as we are not required to have our bikes registered and titled. No insurance company will insure a vehicle that cannot be titled and registered as the legal owner is not recorded with the state, etc.

The police officer had a printed guideline from the department which indicated that operators of motorized bicycles required the above and stated until proven otherwise I cannot ride with the engine on.

I pedaled home and printed out the relevant state statutes and definitions and walked to the police department at city hall and pleaded my case to them. I was told they would research it with the local district attorney and they would get back to me.

Turns out my interpretation was correct and the police department had to update their guidelines.

What they based their guideline off of was a court case in Boise involving a ticket for no DL and no insurance which was upheld by the lower court. The police didn't update the guideline when the lower court opinion was overturned on appeal.

Tip # 2. Keep it under 30 MPH because police, especially in places like Garden City and Meridian don't mess around. Police in other places don't really care as long as you are riding like a jerk

 

[xXNightRiderXx]

I just tried to get my bike vinned, but apparently it cannot be. I even went ahead and stated to the motor vehicle investigator that anything built to be used on public roadways and is over 49ccs is required to have a title, registration, and insurance, and that my bike was built to be used on public roadways and is over 49cc. She got back to me later that day after discussing it with someone, and told me that they can't assign a vin, which means it can't be titled, registered, or insured, but that I am unlikely to be pulled over for it. I do live in Boise. Kendra is the investigator I spoke to.