Im Going Legal in PA

[longjohnsilver]

Alriight, we know that Pensylvania considers motorized bicycles as a moped and in PA. mopeds have to be titled, TAgged and registered. Well bicycles are not sold with titles, therfore you can't get it tagged and so on and so on and so on.........
I believe I found a loophole...Anyone who reads this forum and reads this thread, who is in possesion of a wrecked/not running moped with a title and wants to sell, please contact me, I have cash!!! I don't even need the actuall moped, but just the title and a bill of sale, but having the moped would be a plus.
I figure I can tag and title my bike as a custom job moped.

 

[longjohnsilver]

I should have moved to Arizona!

 

[jbcruisin]

That would work. You also need the VIN plate with the vehicle identification number on it. The VIN plate is more important than the title because if you have a VIN plate you can get a title. Find an old Puch or something & take off the VIN plate , put it on your bike & apply for a lost title replacement at your local Notary. You get that & the notary looks at the title & gives you a moped tag & temporary owners card. you can get a tag without even having lights. The notary issues tags. They don't inspect your bike.

 

[commander]

what if you dont have an old Puch laying around ? is there another way to get a vin for a bike ?

 

[ebikemaster]

My son had the same problem. He was constantly hasseled by the police. On the third stop they impounded his bike. We bought an electric kit and it goes almost as fast, a lot quieter and no hasles. We bought the best one we could find on E bay called the pegasus power system. Fantastic and legal

 

[Jobarwo]

Thanks for all the info. I'm glad to see this research on the laws governing motorizes bicycles. I'm just getting started on a build.

 

[commander]

@Bikemaster, electric is not any more legal in Pennsylvania than a gas engine from what I have seen , what the differance will be is the noise level and that will make the bike less noticable to the local sheriff in this state we live in.

@Jabarwo, yea Im still looking the laws over and am new at the MB game also. I have 2 nice builds and I want to be legal , but our state seems to make it hard for us . But JBcruisin may have some solid answers for me when i give him a call.Will see and give update if I find anything new .

 

[Cabinfever1977]

My son had the same problem. He was constantly hasseled by the police. On the third stop they impounded his bike. We bought an electric kit and it goes almost as fast, a lot quieter and no hasles. We bought the best one we could find on E bay called the pegasus power system. Fantastic and legal

wait til the battery dies,then it will be real quiet.

its no fun when the winds stops you dead and a old lady in a motorized scooter passes you.

 

[Jobarwo]

@Bikemaster, electric is not any more legal in Pennsylvania than a gas engine from what I have seen , what the differance will be is the noise level and that will make the bike less noticable to the local sheriff in this state we live in.

@Jabarwo, yea Im still looking the laws over and am new at the MB game also. I have 2 nice builds and I want to be legal , but our state seems to make it hard for us . But JBcruisin may have some solid answers for me when i give him a call.Will see and give update if I find anything new .

From what I have seen here, only the motors under 50cc are legal most places where MB are legal at all. That is dissappointing, since I just bought a 66cc motor kit from SpookyTooth. I suppose I can fake up some sort of paperwork saying it is one of their 48's.

PS: I have no idea, yet, what the law will say in my area. I plan to keep a low profile.

I just scored a 1958 Schwinn Corvette to motor up.

 

[commander]

Hey Job, just use a metal stamp and on the side of both engine plates stamp 49 cc. No one but you would know the difference. i too have the bigger so called 80 cc engine.And my stamping is convincing

 

[NEAT TIMES]

I Heard The Stolen Melon Tastes Sweeter!! Good Luck All. Mab Lover = Ron

 

[commander]

haha Neat times , but ive heard that also

 

[Jobarwo]

Hey Job, just use a metal stamp and on the side of both engine plates stamp 49 cc. No one but you would know the difference. i too have the bigger so called 80 cc engine.And my stamping is convincing

Yeah, that should work. Hate to permanently deface the engine, but I might do that. The new AZ laws require 48cc, as I understand it, not 49cc. I wish the laws were more consistent.

 

[yodabob]

Well I finally did it. My bike is now legal for the street PA. Would I ever do it again? NO, but I was up to the challenge the state threw at me and I had got in it so far that I had to see it to the end. Very costly $265.00 for initial inspection, $65.00 for processing fees, $26.00 registration, $90.00 insurance and six months back and forth with the state in paper work. Final documentation was thirty pages most of it consisting on how the bike was built down to ever last bolt receipts of all purchases and proof of the maximum speed that the bike can reach. Sorry but the info on how that was down has to stay proprietary. Also like I had stated in the form earlier that the bike must meet ever criteria of sub chapter J of the Vehicle Equipment & Inspection Regulation of Penn dot.
Since I still can’t figure out how you folks post pictures on this site please see link below for a slide show of my bike.
Safe riding.

YouTube - motorized bike street legal in PA

 

[rmeloy34]

Very nice!!,sorry you had such a runaround,sounds like the Reg.almost equals the cost of the build.You have given me a reason to be thankfull I live in CT!!! LOL
Nice graphics on the clutch cover by the way

 

[commander]

so we have to make these stupid ass cheap Chinese motors that we install onto a 10 dollar garage sale bike into a freaking motor cycle before we can be legal in Pennsylvania ?

you paid $446 dollars excluding bike and the build kit just to make your bike legal in my home state of Pa ? This is totally retarded in my opinion, where is the cost savings then ? I might as well purchase a 800 dollar 100 cc moped from my local dealer and save all the headaches of making my own ride ? And have something that is actually reliable to ride.And i do have a motorcycle endorsement on my license also.

Im loosing my enthusiasm for this hobby very fast considering all the hoops we have to jump thru to make ourselves legal here.

Now that my rage post is done, tell me how you got your lights to work with your brakes and have blinkers. Your bike is very interesting to me.


OH By the way , that license plate and vin tag is super gay looking on your beautiful bike I know you earned them but yea , you know what I mean ..

 

[jbcruisin]

Hey Rmeloy, Where are you in CT. I'm going to Dan's rally next month. Will you be there? I also have relatives in Durham & North Branford.
Jay

 

[yodabob]

Commander
I converted a little rubber bellows switch that the rear brake cable goes threw. So when I apply the brakes this rubber spring comes together with a metal plate inside. Here is a link to light system I took the switch from.
Lights - Acclaim brake light turn signal directional light taillight bike horn bicycle ho | BikeWorldUSA | Bicycle Parts and Bike Accessories
By the way the bike also has coaster brakes but they would not pass inspection because it was not considered inspectable. So I also added rim caliper brakes that are what the switch is attached to. The lighting system is all 12 volts running off a little ups 5-amp hour computer back up battery. The math says it should last five hours with the lights on. There are no requirements in PA for the bike to have a charging system.

 

[Jobarwo]

Well I finally did it. My bike is now legal for the street PA. Would I ever do it again? NO, but I was up to the challenge the state threw at me and I had got in it so far that I had to see it to the end. Very costly $265.00 for initial inspection, $65.00 for processing fees, $26.00 registration, $90.00 insurance and six months back and forth with the state in paper work. Final documentation was thirty pages most of it consisting on how the bike was built down to ever last bolt receipts of all purchases and proof of the maximum speed that the bike can reach. Sorry but the info on how that was down has to stay proprietary. Also like I had stated in the form earlier that the bike must meet ever criteria of sub chapter J of the Vehicle Equipment & Inspection Regulation of Penn dot.
Since I still can’t figure out how you folks post pictures on this site please see link below for a slide show of my bike.
Safe riding.

YouTube - motorized bike street legal in PA

Unfortunately, by agreeing to do all of that you may have set a precedent where they will now force everyone else to go through the same ridiculous, overly-expensive process.

 

[commander]

ty, Job, I have added that to my favorite list and will look into it . But after reading what you went thru I am seriously thinking about selling these 2 bike kits I have and purchasing a motor cycle or scooter that would be alot easier to license