SoCal native saying whats up!

Paul E.

Paul E.

Member
Local time
9:30 AM
Joined
Jan 24, 2015
Messages
38
Location
SouthBay, sunny CA
Finally connecting with my people!!

Short and brutal:
My truck I've had for over 12 years finally blew up, so my local travelling rendered motorized biking logical, at least at first..

So here I am two and a half weeks later, and now I know why a FB friend became alarmed when I became eager to jump on, and go for a ride. Ironing out the little niggles that are inherent to these chinese kits (4G Timing, rag joint, beach cruiser.) has been eye-opening.

So thanks for getting this far, please feel free to go to my personal FB page, Paul Eric Mccarter, and check out my bike, and all the pics + my thinking while I did/do, what I do/did. I have a wrenching background, but not so much of actual fabbing.

I very much enjoy wrenching, but I'm trying to nail some niggle here and there, as well as deal with some inherent kit-specific issues, like the weak clutch and the new noise it's making..

otherwise, smooth sailing so far! have fun, ride safe
 
I see the last SoCal thread went to an early grave, but I promise to be responsive, at first. I am on FB everyday, so if you'd like to msg me there, or look at pics & thoughts as I documented them. thanks for reading

FB: Paul Eric Mccarter
 
Hi Paul

Paul, I just joined. I don't have a bike or engine, but I'm thinking of getting in as cheaply as reasonable. $120 Schwinn, $120 66cc China Girl (I believe is the term?) Maybe metal drive hub and change it to an "automatic" centrifigal clutch.... We are both in Southern California. I'm in Murrieta.... Can you tell me what you know about the legality of our motored bikes here in SC? I think 50cc is the limit?? I plan on having a 48cc receipt in my bike pouch...... good idea? I don't think anyone could tell a 48cc from a 66cc ???? Jim
 
Hey Jim, wecome to the 'club'!

The legalities have changed recently; the thing to do is see what DMV.CA has to say about it..Ive been riding around without any license or plate, or sometimes even lights and haven't been hassled yet. So long as you ride with some sanity, not going fast in bike lanes, not going on curbs unless you're pedalling, obeying traffic cues, etc you should be ok, but I say that with the caveat that there ARE legal requirements, just they are somewhat nebulous to the riders and cops alike.

Cent clutches are cool, very easy to use. The two-stroke clutchers are fun too, just noisier and messyier than the 4strokes, but you can pop the clutch. They are cheap too, but you have to deal with mixing gas. For my money, 4 stroke is the way to go for a beginner, only for ease of use. If you're handy, and don't mind extra tinkering, 2 stroke is fine.

be very careful about fit and finish: my advice is to start with a single speed, with good brakes front and rear. Make sure to have the triangle measurement (inside the frame where the motor goes) fit the kit. I don't have the link, but there is a pictograph of how to measure this.

50cc is the limit, for the moped M2 license. but like you said, unless there is some outward markings, there is no way to tell what the motor is unless the viewer is very familiar with makes/models of motors.

cheers, hope this helps.
 
Cent clutches are cool, very easy to use. The two-stroke clutchers are fun too, just noisier and messyier than the 4strokes, but you can pop the clutch. They are cheap too, but you have to deal with mixing gas. For my money, 4 stroke is the way to go for a beginner, only for ease of use. If you're handy, and don't mind extra tinkering, 2 stroke is fine.

I've read that the 4 cycles are better built, more dependable and quieter. I guess two reasons I was thinking of the 2 cycle is for the price..... and they are a much more suitable size around your ankles. Add to that, the 2 stroke looks more like a motorcycle (just cooler looking) Actually, if the 4 stroke comes with a centrifugal clutch, the cost would be similar.

50cc is the limit, for the moped M2 license. but like you said, unless there is some outward markings, there is no way to tell what the motor is unless the viewer is very familiar with makes/models of motors.

I would like to send you a private message about this. I don't know how to access a PM ?? What am I missing?

Jim
 
PocketBiker said:
50cc is the limit, for the moped M2 license. but like you said, unless there is some outward markings, there is no way to tell what the motor is unless the viewer is very familiar with makes/models of motors.
Click to expand...
There is absolutely no mention of 50 cc or any number of cc's in CA mb law.

It's a long standing piece of misinformation.

CVC 406 (a) now says 4 HP or less about allowed motor size.

The law used to say 2 HP or less but was changed this Jan.

A 66cc motor is perfectly legal now.
 
Thanks! Have I got it right?

Wow, you have really made my day", with that information.

Last week, I stopped by the California Highway Patrol and asked them point blank.. I think I remember one of the patrolmen saying 50cc was the "no registration limit" (but I sensed that he wasn't sure) They handed me 6 pages stapled together and said, "Here, read this. This will answer all of your questions. So, after reading your message, I dug deeply into the wording of these pages handed to me by the Highway Patrol. You are correct, there is NO mention of any cc limit.. The only time a cc limit is mentioned is that if the engine is 150 cc or more, it is a motorcycle, eg. Honda 150

The 2005 outdated information stated that there are two motorized bicycle categories, 406 (a) and 406 (b)

406 (a) It said that there is a 2 HP limit. You say it has just been increases to 4 this year. I believe you. (this probably explains why he told me the limit is 50 cc) Section (a) goes on to say that your vehicle can't have a top speed (on level ground) of over 30 MPH. And you must wear a certified motorbike helmet.

And, the section (b) type, is that your bike can't have a top speed of over 20 MPH. and, you must wear at least bicycle type helmet.

So, can someone please set me straight.. about documentation? Is it just no documentation if you always drive under 20 MPH and do you need to register the bike (and take a test) if you go faster than 20 MPH, but less than 30 MPH? And, if this is correct (please correct me if I'm wrong) What documentation is needed in either case?

I don't mean to beat a dead horse.. I just need to know what I'm up against.

Thank you for your help.

Jim
 
Last edited by a moderator:
PocketBiker said:
And, the section (b) type, is that your bike can’t have a top speed of over 20 MPH. and, you must wear at least bicycle type helmet.

So, can someone please set me straight….. about documentation? Is it just no documentation if you always drive under 20 MPH and do you need to register the bike (and take a test) if you go faster than 20 MPH, but less than 30 MPH? And, if this is correct (please correct me if I’m wrong) What documentation is needed in either case

Jim
Click to expand...
406 (a) is gas bikes like ours which can go 30 mph.

406 (b) is ebikes only that can only go 20 mph

You need a M1 or M2 extension on your drivers license.
DOT helmet
left side mirror and horn.

HERE IS THE FORM TO GET THE LICENSE PLATE FOR $20

https://www.dmv.ca.gov/portal/wcm/c...4063-a819-a5dfc8ff5691/reg230.pdf?MOD=AJPERES
 
Thank You

MBR,

You are worth your weight in gold. Thank you so much for that information. You've done everything but apply for me!

Now, I know what to do!

Jim
 

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