MB legal status varies: cross-State trip maybe "deal kill"?

nimblebee

Member
Oh boy! Like Yogi Berra said: It's like deja vu all over again.

Might have run into a legal "deal kill" with cross-State trip plans.


Kansas does not license motorized bicycles, but Missouri does.

Doubt one would make it across Missouri with an "unlicensed motorized bicycle," before even getting into Illinois, & discovering what legal conundrums MB faces there?

Kansas is "crazy country" when it comes to enforcement of confusing laws about motorized bicycles.

Some places you can get ticketed for having an unlicensed vehicle, and most jurisdictions/counties, you can't get MB licensed, so it's "damned if you do, and damned if you don't".

Aware of a few "difficult cases" where people did manage to cleverly get their motorized bicycles licensed, still for most of us, legally, it's a morass.

Instead of legislature fixing problem, people have resorted to loopholes and work-arounds in "MB friendly" districts to get motorized bicycles Kansas registered, but it is a major PITA (if you're successful in any manner).

Unless you happen to live in one of those "friendly & helpful" districts, you have to get your motorized bicycle licensed in the county in which you reside.

Sadly, Jefferson County, where I reside, registering a motorized bicycle is mission IMPOSSIBLE.

Enforcement is sporadic, contradictory, even sometimes paradoxical.

Depends upon law enforcement official & what they want to do, and how they feel about motorized bicycles.

One part of KS law says you can register your motorized bicycle in Kansas, if MB had to be registered in the state that you bought it from.

No idea why, but some districts will go ahead and register your motorized bicycle, even though they're not supposed to?

Other places follow (best they understand) confusing law (Jefferson County Kansas, I'm talking about you!) and compliance is a real mess.

In Kansas, you're taking a risk riding motorized bicycle, of being charged with having an "unregistered motor vehicle" while having MB that can't be registered.

It's a conundrum. Works out to being almost a prohibition on motorized bicycles. Crazy!
 
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Yup, your screwed in Kansas , looks like ya gotta be an Outlaw

To operate a Moped/Motorbike in Kansas it needs to be Titled, Registered and have Insurance
But it can be up to 130cc 3.5HP Top speed 30MPH But... we won't worry about the top speed
 
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