Massachusetts Registration Woes

Hello I live in north central Mass and was wondering is anybody has been to the Fitchburg RMV? My bike dosen't have a serial number so i don't know what to do about a VIN. DO you need to bring the bike with you when you register it? Also i am 15 now and i Know that you have to have your permit to ride it and i'm getting mine in a few months, but can i register it without having a license? I just want to get the sticker and be legal.
 
ya i kinda knew legally it is kinda not fully legal, but I've tried to make it more legal by adding brake and turn lights, ya i'll enjoy it and try not to draw too much attention to myself, i know it's not legal without a permit, but when i get mine would it still be non legal? I live in a rural town and law enforcement is slim so if i at least get it registered i will be more in the right than before.
 
i was wondering i read the laws again and i says that the engine must have an automatic transition, since my bike has a clutch would that be considitered automatic or not? if not how.can you go about registering it?
chris
 
NO it would not be considered automatic. My bike has a centrifgual(automatic clutch) an no gears to shift!
 
I am riding a motor assisted bicycle. I purchase a (motorized bicycle)Moped sticker with the numbers on the bike bottom bracket, make, model, color. I have registered 6 o7 bikes this way. I wear a Dot approved helmet and glasses. I have not had a problem. But this bike is governed by the Consumer Product Safety Commission( the lead paint people )not the DMV.
 
okay i'll probably try to register this week hopefully i have no problems.

.sno. i could sure use this today !!!!

chris
 
I dont know if any of you have tried to register a bike recently but i went to the one in Leominster/Fitchburg today and they looked up the make on their list of acceptable mopeds and it wasnt there, the woman later looked online and found none there either, I was wondering if i should just tell her it is a bike with a motor or not, well i did not and now have no sticker was wondering if i should go back and tell them it is a bike with a motor or what. Oh yeah I just used the make from the bike univega.
 
ailgup said:
I dont know if any of you have tried to register a bike recently but i went to the one in Leominster/Fitchburg today and they looked up the make on their list of acceptable mopeds and it wasnt there, the woman later looked online and found none there either, I was wondering if i should just tell her it is a bike with a motor or not, well i did not and now have no sticker was wondering if i should go back and tell them it is a bike with a motor or what. Oh yeah I just used the make from the bike univega.
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i'm really starting to think it doesn't count as a moped since its a manually activated clutch, one of my cities alderman said under 50cc was not an issue and didn't require anything like a license/permit or registration or insurance. others say i'm wrong although he told me this yesterday.

i'm sure some have registered theirs successfully but i'm starting to think it isn't at all necessary, and if i get stopped for being unregistered i'll fully utilize the applications requirement of an automatic transmission, to prove i a'm indeed not on a moped.

of course i'm also friends with the alderman so maybe i'm just being a little cocky knowing i got a bit of a fall back plan, who knows?
 
matthurd said:
i'm really starting to think it doesn't count as a moped since its a manually activated clutch, one of my cities alderman said under 50cc was not an issue and didn't require anything like a license/permit or registration or insurance. others say i'm wrong although he told me this yesterday.

i'm sure some have registered theirs successfully but i'm starting to think it isn't at all necessary, and if i get stopped for being unregistered i'll fully utilize the applications requirement of an automatic transmission, to prove i a'm indeed not on a moped.

of course i'm also friends with the alderman so maybe i'm just being a little cocky knowing i got a bit of a fall back plan, who knows?
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if you look at the 2nd page of the registration i think w/o a centrifical clutch it is a limited access vehicle because it meets both the req's 1. Be certified by its manufacturer to meet Federal Motor Vehicle
Safety Standards (FMVSS) for a motorcycle or motor-driven cycle
2. Have a speed on a paved level surface that can exceed 30 m.p.h..,
but is not capable of exceeding 40 m.p.h., IDK how to prove the 1st but mabey...

Here is a thought getting a vin number in mass is next to impossible since you need to prove that you bought all the parts and there is a crazy registration and inspection. New hampshire however is rather lax, if you get the vin in NH and then use than in MA you would be legal.
 
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ailgup said:
if you look at the 2nd page of the registration i think w/o a centrifical clutch it is a limited access vehicle because it meets both the req's 1. Be certified by its manufacturer to meet Federal Motor Vehicle
Safety Standards (FMVSS) for a motorcycle or motor-driven cycle
2. Have a speed on a paved level surface that can exceed 30 m.p.h..,
but is not capable of exceeding 40 m.p.h., IDK how to prove the 1st but mabey...

Here is a thought getting a vin number in mass is next to impossible since you need to prove that you bought all the parts and there is a crazy registration and inspection. New hampshire however is rather lax, if you get the vin in NH and then use than in MA you would be legal.
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limited access vehicles have to be able to do over 30mph, i kinda doubt mine will do over 30 stock given my weight + the bikes frame weight on the bike im using, full steel frames aren't light.
 
For what its worth I just sent an e-mail to RMV and asked about the process for registering a bike with a owner added 48.5 cc moter, no vin. Im hoping its not going to bee too difficult now,it used to be just go with 5 zeros added to the serial number for the vin and get your sticker. Im doing two new bikes and I want to be able to ride them.
Cheers
 
chainmaker said:
For what its worth I just sent an e-mail to RMV and asked about the process for registering a bike with a owner added 48.5 cc moter, no vin. Im hoping its not going to bee too difficult now,it used to be just go with 5 zeros added to the serial number for the vin and get your sticker. Im doing two new bikes and I want to be able to ride them.
Cheers
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good luck and let us know who it turns out, however putting false info on the form aka the "vin with all the 0's" will probably not go over well, and getting one in MA is apparently very difficult. I think if i would have showed the woman last night that it was on a bike frame they would be fine with it the only problem was that the make was not on their magic sheet.
 
I will post the reply, I was very specific with the mail. I said I had 2 1950's bicycles with just serial numbers/no vin and I was adding motors under 50 cc to them.
 
okay so i just got off the phone with the RMV people and the woman i talked to said that i should have been fine and that they don't have a list of all mopeds ever made and to try and go back and talk to the branch manager,BUT and it's a big but she said that i needed a Cert. of Origin I didnt think this was the case since right on the application it says this os only needed for new registrations and used ones require a bill of sale well, yes it is new to the state, but I have a bill of sale so I shouldn't need it right...trying to get a cert. of origin for the bike or motor but both are proving difficult.
 
I am really curious how this would all pan out if you were to fab up your own frames. I mean it is JUST a bicycle and any bozo with a welder can pretty much fab up a bicycle frame and then say you want to put an engine on it then what are you supposed to do?
Certificate of Origin for a one off bicycle built in the shed??? There has to be some provision for that. I always look for those kind of scenarios in laws and codes because the government MUST provide a remedy for legislature that they enact.
 
scottmanesis said:
I am really curious how this would all pan out if you were to fab up your own frames. I mean it is JUST a bicycle and any bozo with a welder can pretty much fab up a bicycle frame and then say you want to put an engine on it then what are you supposed to do?
Certificate of Origin for a one off bicycle built in the shed??? There has to be some provision for that. I always look for those kind of scenarios in laws and codes because the government MUST provide a remedy for legislature that they enact.
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this is exactly why i do not intend to register mine :D it doesn't qualify as a motorized bicycle due to a manually operated clutch, and in MA that's second on the list of requirements, right after does not exceed 50ccs. does not qualify as a limited use motorcycle either since i wont be doing 30+ mph with a stock kit when my bike weighs over 100lbs and im another 160-170lbs. since i made it i clearly can not provide a certificate of origin unless they'll take one written in crayon made by a 3 year old. xD
 
it is technically possible to get a cert. of origin if you made it yourself, the state can provide one if you go into the whole homemade vehicle arena, but this i have heard is next to impossible in Mass. so idk, I am going to try to go next week and talk to the people and try my hardest to get a sticker, in my opinion it will never be 100% legal but getting a sticker will at least get me rather close.
 
FINALLY registered my bike, it took 3 trips to the RMV but it finally happened, but it was mostly luck the issues I ran into the first 2 times were not even brought up the 3rd time just a walk in hand over the paperwork and the money, and done deal... truly shows that depending on which employee you get really matters. I did however procure an email from the RMV saying that you CAN legally register a homemade moped...it could have been useful, but i didn't need it.
 
Personally, I haven't had to register my 66cc. I have been pulled over because of not wearing a helmet.. but after i got one i had never gotten pulled over in over 2 years. Medford area btw.
 
ailgup said:
FINALLY registered my bike, it took 3 trips to the RMV but it finally happened, but it was mostly luck the issues I ran into the first 2 times were not even brought up the 3rd time just a walk in hand over the paperwork and the money, and done deal... truly shows that depending on which employee you get really matters. I did however procure an email from the RMV saying that you CAN legally register a homemade moped...it could have been useful, but i didn't need it.
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Did you happen to save that e-mail ? What did you guys with success do just add 6 zeros or digits? What about the bill of sale?
 
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