Cautioned in Adelaide South Australia

[jahmonn]

Not a child skylarking .. but a grown man comfortably motoring at 32 kph on what I believed to be a legal machine .. lights helmet etc. Pulled over by police claiming doing 39kph. Drivers license details taken and warned if pulled over again will be taken to court ordered to ride bike home under pedal power.
Court action details included charge of unlicensed,unregistered,uninsured and unroadworthy vehicle (lots of un's eh). Basically hinged upon 200 watt output
limit . Officer stating anything over 200 watt would be classed as a motorbike.
I need to find a dynamo printout for a 48cc engine showing max output of 200watt .. even if the engine has been governed to the max to produce this. If the law wants to say cannot govern to produce .. will cite that scooters and semi trailers are governed.Scooters are governed to 50kph and semi trailers to 100kph. I might have to get dynamo test done myself as I haven't been able to find the information I seek. So looking for someone with access to motorcycle dynamo for such purposes. Once this has been achieved it will pave the way. Since all motor vehicles are tested via dynamo giving power off driving wheel at point of contact with road, I would presume this to be the appropriate way to test a bike. All feedback welcome =)
Have been in contact with a few motored bike manufacturers.
Police registered official caution in their computer database!

 

[jahmonn]

attached info from motor registration

1135_power_assisted_bicycle.pdf

 

[fetor56]

200 watts is nothing.....that's about one person power(on a good day) & roughly 1/4 HP,so even the smallest petrol engine is going to produce way more than that.
Don't see how any amount of policeing can be inforced unless there's a blanket ban on ALL motorized bicycles,OR every single MB is officially dyno tested & approved.
Hope your case jahmonn doesn't become the rule rather than the exception & if anyone local is booked & taken to court i'll donate whatever(time/money) to help them fight it.......A FIGHTING FUND. :2guns:

 

[jahmonn]

clarification

I was not booked/charged however the incident details were entered in database so that if pulled over again it will show up on police vehicle computer that I have been officially cautioned and therefore am in breech ie to be charged with riding a motorcycle (over 200 watts) with no motorcycle licence and the vehicle being unregistered,unroadworthy(insufficient brakes), uninsured(third party).
200 watts max is the law here..this motor complies
http://www.rotarybike.com/rotarybike_products.asp?type=Petrol
The outer dimensions of my motor would suggest that the actual capacity should be much less than 48cc.
Claims made by the rotary engine are that at 30cc can be under 200 watt and still produce 25-30kph.
Am still researching to see if can reduce my output to under 200 watt on dynamometer.
The cautioning officer also mentioned that his sergeant and he had researched the subject.
There is also a supplier selling a different engine which they claim to be specially made solely for that store which complies but they didn't give details. Upon purchase I would recieve a certificate of compliance though minimum cost would be $550 to convert my own bike.

I'd prefer to modify my engine to comply than spend money which I don't have

 

[HybriPed]

Not a child skylarking .. but a grown man comfortably motoring at 32 kph on what I believed to be a legal machine .. lights helmet etc. Pulled over by police claiming doing 39kph. Drivers license details taken and warned if pulled over again will be taken to court ordered to ride bike home under pedal power.

jahmonn - Strange as it is, the most economical and climate-friendly motor vehicle on the planet is illegal on Australian roads. I've been following this issue for 12 months and I believe that the authorities are toughening up.

I believe that the time has come to fully state the case FOR light pedal/motor-assisted bicycles. See the thread "Australian legislation/regulations/ADRs"

 

[heathyoung]

Hmmm.....

The NSW legislation (http://www.rta.nsw.gov.au/registrat...and_power-assisted_pedal_cycles_july_2008.pdf)

is a little bit more open to interpretation. It doesn't specify a capacity for a power-assisted pedal cycle (alhough a capacity of under 50cc and under 50Kph for a moped is specified) its a lot more open than the SA laws (no max speed).

Potentially a 50cc could be restricted down (with an exhaust restricter or a rev limiter - eg a low pass 12db/octave filter on the CDI leads).

Does anyone have a torque/power/rpm graph for a HT engine??? I'm loathe to assume a linear power relationship - eg. 0 at 0 rpm, 1.2KW @ 6,500 rpm, 200W @ ??? rpm.

 

[HybriPed]

Hmmm.....

The NSW legislation (http://www.rta.nsw.gov.au/registrat...and_power-assisted_pedal_cycles_july_2008.pdf)

is a little bit more open to interpretation ...

I don't think so. That information sheet says; "Owners and users of pedal-assisted cycles should be able to prove that the motor power output is not more than 200 watts, and that the cycle's primary source or propulsion is pedal power."

if you've been pulled over by the boys in blue as you charged up the Great Western Highway at 30 kph because you could not hide 1000 watts of throbbing power, you would need to talk like a politician to wriggle out of it. It strikes me that they aren't particularly interested unless they're a nuisance or they have nothing else to do.

 

[Mountainman]

isn't the watt requirment for an elect motor bike only ?
here in the States we have
a watt max for elect
and HP max for gas

hope that you can ride that thing

 

[HybriPed]

isn't the watt requirment for an elect motor bike only ?

Australian road rules don't really make the distinction between electric and petrol on a bicycle. Australian authorities are currently looking at increasing power-assistance limit on bicycles from 200 to 300 watts.

MBs are illegal, but enforcement seems disinterested.

I think that the only option available would be create a motor vehicle category to fit between bicycles and mopeds (50cc light motorcycles).

 

[Mountainman]

that's a shame

I think that the only option available would be create a motor vehicle category to fit between bicycles and mopeds (50cc light motorcycles).

that's a shame that you all down under there
don't have some MB laws already in place

a category between bicycles and mopeds
might be called -- (motorized bicycles) instead of 50cc light motorcycles
the more that one can stay away from that motorcycles sounding THING
may be much better off

seems best to have the elect and gas separate
with elect having a max wattage output
gas having a max HP output

sure is nice to ride that THING