The best you can do for yourself (as a Cali MB rider) is read (& do) what Baird says in his first post on this thread!Hi Everyone, Just built my first bike 2 days ago...schwinn jaguar with a chinese 2 stroke...got about 80 miles on it and its great! I live in fresno and kinda woried about the riding laws though...i know nothing about it...so far i just stay in the bike lanes when possible and obey the traffic laws ,,,,been past 3 or 4 cops and they dont seem interested in me .... so far. Anyone from fresno that rides one of these? like to meet other enthusiasts if possible....
Hi Everyone, Just built my first bike 2 days ago...schwinn jaguar with a chinese 2 stroke...got about 80 miles on it and its great! I live in fresno and kinda woried about the riding laws though...i know nothing about it...so far i just stay in the bike lanes when possible and obey the traffic laws ,,,,been past 3 or 4 cops and they dont seem interested in me .... so far. Anyone from fresno that rides one of these? like to meet other enthusiasts if possible....
Welcome! And the next best thing to do would be to introduce yourself here:Introduce Yourself - Motorized Bicycle Welcome Forum at Motorized Bicycle ForumThe best you can do for yourself (as a Cali MB rider) is read (& do) what Baird says in his first post on this thread!
Actually, avnostlga is correct. The 2-stroke motors that most of us use are equipped with a simple in-out clutch, not a centrifugal clutch. There is no part of these motors that can be in any way mistaken for an "automatic transmission" or any part thereof.Also, I don't like to throw anyone down here, but the post by avnostlga, page 9 on CA. Law Info is the worst one I've seen. It's completely inaccurate and will get you into trouble so fast it will make your head spin if you follow it. Here's why:
These motorized bicycles [gas powered] have a centrifugal clutch that takes the place of the "automatic transmission" referred to in the section. I've only had one person try that in court; it didn't work and the result was a $181 fine.
You don't need turn signals. plain and simple.Where does it say that you need turn signals? Headlight and tail light are needed for night riding only. Brake light always.
They need to take everything in the code referring to mopeds, motorized bicycles, scooters, electric bicycles, and quadricycles, - and start from scratch. The way it is now , it is way to difficult to find out what you need for each.
You don't need turn signals!!!!!!!!!!Hallelujah! I too have gone round and round reading confusing and contradicting DMV rules.
It's very hard for me to believe the head/brake/turn lights requirement. That alone would be enough to put me off of a conversion.
The last detail my decision is hanging on is insurance. I've visited two police stations and called twice - still no insurance answer. Called the Calif Dept of Insurance a few minutes ago. Essentially, they didn't know zip, and I stopped talking to the guy after a semi-frustrating circular argument regarding insurance requirements (I won't try to recreate - gives me a headache!). Wish I had asked the traffic judge on Tues.
I've also talked to insurance companies, Progressive, for instance. They don't write "motorized bike" insurance.
So, where are you calif people getting your insurance (if you are)?
bluesjr