Just getting started in all this

[Bicycleman48]

Hello to everyone .... I recently became interested in motorized bicycles, after viewing several other
websites related to chopper bicycles, custom bicycles, etc. After viewing these sites, I thought how cool it would be to build a chopper and then place a small motor on it for pedal assist. Seems like there are others out there who have the same thought. I have just purchased my first kit and it should be arriving next week. I have become so interested in all this that I am going to learn how to weld and braze. In addition, I am also going to do something that I always wanted to do - get a motorcycle license and a motorcycle. I have always loved to bicycle and will continue to do it; I am just expanding my interests in the area of two wheel transportation. I look forward to posting info on
this site, when I have an opportunity. And I also look forward to enjoying motor assisted bicycling -in this area of New York state, you need motor assistance going up and down hills. If anyone can point me to sources of parts and any groups in New York state that do any riding, I would be interested in knowing about them. Thank you ... will see you all soon in this forum. All the best to you ....

 

[Dave31]

Welcome to the forum, glad you joined us.

 

[Bicycleman48]

Thanks for the welcome .... it should be a lot of fun !! I checked this website out and it looks like everybody is pretty cool ... look forward to putting my motor assisted bike on the road, when I get it done. And it looks as if this website can be an excellent source of information. Talk to you later - thanks again for the welcome.

 

[RedB66]

Welcome to the Forum.

 

[TexasDav]

Welcome to the forum, You can never go wrong learning a new skill. Good luck with your build, looking forward to see the completed project.

 

[Dan]

Hello and welcome. There are more then a few folks from out your way and am sure there will be some get togethers in NY. I am hosting one in CT in May. (near Hartford)

Post lots of pics of your build!

You mentioned Choppers. Someone posted this in chat a day or so ago. Scroll to the bottom. very cool bike.
http://cgi.ebay.com/BIKE-CHOPPER-BICYCLE-CRUISER-TOY-ANYONE-8-T0-80-YRS-OLD_W0QQitemZ110362728802QQcmdZViewItemQQptZLH_DefaultDomain_0?hash=item110362728802&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14&_trkparms=72:1205|66:2|65:12|39:1|240:1308|301:1|293:1|294:50

 

[Bicycleman48]

Thank you all for your positive welcomes, all of you. I had a feeling that this would be a good group. I hope that anybody in the Orange County area of New York state who sees this posting will reply. Dan, when is that get together up in Hartford in May ?? And Where ?? The chopper build is going to be a way off right now; right now, I am going to take an old Bianchi Mountain Bike and put the motor on it, so I can have some pedal assist going to to and from work, which is 20 miles each way. Get my exercise and make it to work in a decent amount of time. By the way, I am 60 years young - grew old but never grew up. Thanks again to everyone for their great replies - TexasDav, you're right !! You can never lose out by learning new skills - I am hoping that the welding and brazing can be easy to pick up. I only have a small workshop in my garage. All the best to all of you.

 

[Dan]

The CT get together is is May 2nd Hope ya can make it. Those things are a blast. Also there is one in the fall in Delaware and a few of us are car-pooling down.

Was just looking at Bianchi, wow! Nice bikes and steel! (most of the ones I saw online) Will make great Mbs. I noticed a lot have disk brakes, does your Bike?

 

[Bicycleman48]

Hey, Dan !! No, unfortunately my old Bianchi (circa 1991) does not have disk brakes. But it works and it should be okay for the conversion over to motor bike. That link did have a cool chopper !! I have a new issue that I have to deal with .... I was buying this motor to be used as a 'pedal assist' on the Bianchi. Now New York State DMV states that you cannot have any motor on a bicycle. I talked to the guy at Tech Services and he told me that I can't even register it as a moped. So now I have a motor and I am going to be unable to ride it in the streets; private property is okay. But it won't be street legal ..... so now I am trying to find a place where I can ride this thing around. I know that people are using Electric Assist bikes in NYC, with no problems. What a great state this is !! If you or anybody else knows where you can ride in either NYS or Connecticut, please let me know. As for May 2nd, I can't make it, due to a prior commitment. I will keep an eye out for the next one. What are other New York bicycle motorers doing about the NYS DMV restrictions ?? Thanks for the post - appreciate the response. Enjoy May 2nd !!!

 

[Dan]

Howdy Bman. I have ridden in the a lot around NY waving at cops thinking I was legal. They never bothered me. There are a bunch of NY MBers here and I hope they join in. If your a going wild and force their hand, I think they would make an issue. But tooling around, stopping at stop signs and not jumping curbs, don't think it would be a problem. I would have my license with me at all times though.

NY is the only State I know of where they have that catch 22 has to be registered but you can't register it. Drives ya crazy, eh? But typical of cops in the North East, you don't annoy them, they won't go out of their way to bother you. I mean that as a compliment to our law enforcement. Found a thread on some NY grass roots stuff. http://motorbicycling.com/f17/new-york-laws-1474.html

Hope it helps.

 

[Bicycleman48]

Thanks for the heads up, Dan. I really kind of hoped that the NE cops would feel that way, because the law is so 'Catch-22' and leaves room for interpretation. I feel more encouraged now. I read the thread that you provided and I saw that, in some areas of the state, they would lock you up for having an MB; that sounds a little extreme, to say the least. I was gonna give up on the whole thing, but your response made me feel a whole lot better. I know that the electric assist bicycle motor law kind of choked in the Senate, but it did make it through the New York Assembly. It's just that politics always drags along .... and leaves good people in its wake. I am not looking to put a slant 6 Plymouth engine on the thing, just a small motor to help me over the hills. Why does that have to be so difficult ?? But I do appreciate your positive response. Thank you. If you or anyone else hears something, please post it here. My best to you and everyone else. Bman

 

[Cabinfever1977]

I live in ny too,i had a electric bike for a year no problem with cops or any thing but my batteries were going dead and it didnt go very fast or far(10-15mph - 5 miles).Now i put a gas engine on a mountain bike and i watch out for cops,if i see any i push the kill switch and peddal,and i stay out of downtown,i will try to use side roads if i can.This bike will go 30-40mph and as far as i want.

 

[OldPutt]

Went today to DMV to inquire about motorized bikes, and was told that a bicycle can't be registered. If I wanted to motorize a bike, it wasn't legal on the roads! Meanwhile, mopeds are everywhere............

 

[Saddletramp1200]

All states, city's, towns, mule stops. If you ride like an Idiot your going to get stopped. Cops don't want to explain to a judge why they stopped a bicycle

 

[Hammond Egger]

Translation - we haven't figured out a way to tax them yet.

 

[Dan]

Could get the VIN off a junked moped and use it if it ever became an issue. Just a thought. They don't really care at the DMV and just want the paper work, to work and say "next" lol

OH! this is big time important!!! MBs are tiny lil foot notes in the rules and laws. Most DMV workers and law enforcement are not trained to know every small detail. I wrote extensive posts citing links and quotes from the CT DMV. Spent 6 hrs at the DMV looking this stuff up only to find out 2 yrs later that it had all been changed a month after all that research! Look it up for your self! Here in CT in the motorcycle hand book at the very beginning is what constitutes a "motor driven cycle"

"Motor-Driven Cycles (Mopeds)
C onnecticut law distinguishes the difference between a motorcycle and
a motor-driven cycle, commonly known as a moped. A motor-driven cycle is
defined as any motorcycle, motor scooter, or bicycle with an attached motor that
has a seat height of at least 26 inches and a motor that produces no more than five
brake horsepower. You must have a valid driver’s license to operate a motor-driven
scooter, but do not need a motorcycle endorsement."

Just saying don't trust what some one thinks and know for sure. Once a week I get told I am wrong and they have to be under 50cc here and do no more then 30 MPH. I carry the DMV hand book with me. Never once been asked by a cop. They just smile at em and ask how fast, snork.

I love CT