Ventura CA really cracking down on MBs.

[Zev0]

http://www.vcreporter.com/cms/story...rcement_on_illegal_gas_powered_bicycles/7450/

Be legal or get nailed is what they're saying I guess.

 

[augidog]

and so it begins. it looks like the tougher enforcement will still be on a case-by-case for now.

luckily, imo, for the CA riders, there is already some MB definition so there IS a way for them to keep riding...

this does worry me for riders in un-defined areas, they may face instant shut-down if things get too boisterous on their roads.

that was a fair news report of the situation, imo, not just anti-MB...thanks Zev'

 

[arceeguy]

If those are the rules in CA, you might as well drive a motorcycle since you pretty much need all of the same prerequisites.

 

[Happy Valley]

Thanks for picking up on this though it ain't the best kind of news for our interest. Gonna C+P it here just so it stays in print for reference. Everybody should read (into) it.

With gas prices in a constant state of flux, those who have limited budgets and a need for speed and freedom are opting for a different kind of transport: the motorized bicycle. Although electric bicycles - not scooters or motorcycles - are street-legal at the time of purchase, gas-powered ones are not, even if they have pedals and look just slightly different, with a small engine mounted on the frame, than human-powered regular bicycles.

Sergeant Ryan Weeks of the Ventura Police Department said that the number of complaints about motorized bikes has gone up over the last few months, with the main concern being the safety of these vehicles.

"The reason we were getting complaints... some motorized bikes go 30 miles an hour, and people were riding them like bicycles, flying through downtown in crowded areas," he said.

Although it may look and feel like a regular bicycle, California's Vehicle Code 406.A specifically addresses gas powered bikes, like the Kojak, and in order to be street legal, owners must follow certain laws. The laws include:

1.Registering with the DMV and displaying a special license plate (Vehicle Codes 5030-5035)

2.Have a motorcycle license (VC 12804.9)

3.Have the proper lights mounted for driving at night, a mirror and a horn (VC 24015)

4.Must wear a motorcycle helmet VC 27803)

5. Riders can't use bicycle lanes (VC 21207.5), due to the high rate of speed gas powered can go versus human powered.

Enforcement is ramping up, at least compared to when there were only a few people who owned these bikes. So far, only 10 tickets have been written in Ventura, but an officer can pull over anyone riding a gas-powered bicycle who has not complied with the law. Since there has been an influx of complaints, officers are keeping a lookout for violators.

The good news is that with the few tickets that have been given out, fewer violators have been spotted.

"Officers are reporting seeing fewer of the gas-powered bikes since we started enforcing," he said.

And that is to say, "buyer beware." The problem began when retailers started selling the bikes, telling consumers they were street-legal, as is. An officer spoke with the various business owners who sell the bikes, as complaints came in, telling them to be upfront with their customers.

"We sent an officer to a couple of places, and one said they would take into consideration, another place said they were legal," Weeks said.

However, Carol, manager of Treasure Chest Thrift Store on Main Street in Downtown Ventura, says she always informs her customers of the legalities of buying such bikes.

"I always tell them it is safety first," she said, relaying she gives every new bike owner a manual of safety tips and rules.

Despite efforts by certain store owners to talk to their customers, carelessness is still prevalent. One bike rider was seriously injured because he was not following the laws, specifically, not wearing a helmet.

Two gas-powered bicyclists had been riding together, one about 20 yards ahead of the other, Weeks said. As a driver went by one bicyclist, he became distracted, wondering what he had just seen. He then made a left turn and hit the other bicyclist. Because the rider wasn't wearing a helmet and was going at an abnormally high speed compared to regular bicyclists, he was seriously injured.

Although ticketing such individuals who are riding gas powered bikes illegally aren't necessarily a priority, Weeks cautions bike owners to abide by the vehicle codes in lace - and not just because it is illegal not to, but for the safety of everyone.

 

[ibdennyak]

Almost sounds like the police are being forced to take action in the interest of safety.

 

[Scotchmo]

If those are the rules in CA, you might as well drive a motorcycle since you pretty much need all of the same prerequisites.

The prerequisites are similar but not the same by a long shot. It is easy to build and register your own moped. Not that easy for a motorcycle. The motorcycle has more stringent title, lighting, pollution and equipment requirements. The motorcycle requires that it be registered every year in order to ride it and you must provide proof of insurance. You have ongoing costs owning and using a motorcycle. With a moped, you can leave it parked in the garage and haul it out once every few years if you want. Mopeds have a unique niche in the law.

The article was wrong about bike lanes. They should have said bike paths. Bike lanes are legal to use. And their use is dictated when the moped cannot keep pace with traffic. When you can keep up, you are allowed to ride in traffic.

 

[LostRider]

Not a Motorized Bike Under Section 406(a)

406. (a) A "motorized bicycle" or "moped" is any two-wheeled or three-wheeled device having fully operative pedals for propulsion by human power, or having no pedals if powered solely by electrical energy, and an AUTOMATIC transmission and a motor which produces less than 2 gross brake horsepower and is capable of propelling the device at a maximum speed of not more than 30 miles per hour on level ground.

The motorized bike doesn't have an AUTOMATIC transmission... Automatic transmission (not clutches) are the CVTs in mopeds...right? Or is an automatic transmission simply one that doesn't shift?

What do you guys think? Just register anyways?

Link to getting the plate:
http://www.dmv.ca.gov/pubs/plates/specialplates.htm

PS. The $18 fee is a one time only fee which I'd gladly pay not to be hassled.

 

[1 low 64]

That's it I quit! I'm going to go back to killing people at least that's not as frowned upon.

 

[Scotchmo]

406. (a) A "motorized bicycle" or "moped" is any two-wheeled or three-wheeled device having fully operative pedals for propulsion by human power, or having no pedals if powered solely by electrical energy, and an AUTOMATIC transmission and a motor which produces less than 2 gross brake horsepower and is capable of propelling the device at a maximum speed of not more than 30 miles per hour on level ground.

The motorized bike doesn't have an AUTOMATIC transmission... Automatic transmission (not clutches) are the CVTs in mopeds...right? Or is an automatic transmission simply one that doesn't shift?

What do you guys think? Just register anyways?

Link to getting the plate:
http://www.dmv.ca.gov/pubs/plates/specialplates.htm

PS. The $18 fee is a one time only fee which I'd gladly pay not to be hassled.

The “automatic transmission” requirement is not well defined in the California vehicle code. The California “automatic transmission” definition should be included in the code along the lines of other states. Here are a few other states:

Hawaii:
“a direct or automatic power drive system which requires no clutch or gear shift operation by the moped driver after the drive system is engaged with the power unit.”
Michigan:
“The moped must have a power drive system that does not require shifting gears and cannot have a top speed exceeding 30 mph on level surfaces.”
Oregon:
“Is equipped with a power drive system that functions directly or automatically only and does not require clutching or shifting by the operator after the system is engaged.”

The HT engine usually has a lever to disengage the engine so that you can pedal the bike. Once the bike is moving, you can engage the engine. The only purpose of the “clutch” lever is to engage or disengage the engine. No other action is required while you are riding. Since you do not have to use the “clutch” to take off, and since there is no shifting, it meets the intent of the law.

If your worried about it, you could always add the centrifugal clutch to the HT engine. You can still retain the manual “clutch” but now you also have an “AUTOMATIC transmission” too.

P.S. The fee was $18 last year, and $19 this year, and will be $20 next year. I think it goes up $1/year by law. But you only pay it one time and then your bike is "free" as long as you own it.

 

[fm2200]

I've read that in southern Arizona the cops have been ticketing gas bikes for excessive speed for about a year or more. Then citing them for improper use (not having been registered as a moped)