Is a motorized bike considered a motorized vechile - in GA ?

polo360x

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ok guys this is not really a stupid question if you think about it !!

where I live in GA there is a canal with like a 10 mile bike/walk way .. I went once and no one said anything ! today when I went there It was all good until I was leaving the place and a guy told me, motorized vehicle are not allowed here!!

So I said to him " well, I can just use it as a bicycle still"
he didn't comment back...

I have a the Schwinn OCC chopper and because the back tire is only 20inches its maximum speed is only 22mph, I love to just cruse at like 10-14 mph.. a biker can pedal faster than that. So I don't really use my bike in a bad way, and I usually turn it off when I get close to runners or ppl who are just walking ..

So what do you guys think ? I know it has a motor! but its still a bicycle that doesn't go over 22mph, which any biker can get that fast with a nice bike.

So, If I say to you that I have a right knee problem and that I can't really pedal for long time, would you insist that this bike shouldn't be allowed on the canal way or would you just be like oh ok, sorry and let me ride it around ?

Also!!! an Electric bicycle has a motor on it ! and it can go the same speed, then does this mean if my bike is not allowed on the trial way, the electric bike is also not allowed or whats the deal ?
 
toy vehicle?

Polo360x,

I'm assuming by motor, you mean gasoline motor, and not electric, right? The difference is important from a legal standpoint. There are federal regs (assoc with federal highway safety admin) that define a bicycle. Top speed is one criterion, but a bike with an electric motor with a top speed less than 20 mph is considered a bike. A bike with an ICE is NOT, regardless of its top speed.

If GA is anything like MS, the laws are not specific or clear about motorized bikes (even though MS requires a person with an electric wheelchair to register it if it has a top speed greater than 15 mph; for some reason the MS legislature saw this as a potential problem). MS doesn't even have a moped classification for motorized vehicles. I

saw a legal discussion forum online, in which a MS lawyer was asked your question about motorized bikes. His opinion was that a motor vehicle must have a VIN and thus be registerable in the state. In his opinion, because home-made motorized bikes do not have VINs, they cannot be registered and thus are not motor vehicles. He said they are considered "toy vehicles", analogous to those little electric scooters and such that wal mart is selling. In his opinion, they cannot be registered or legally ridden on the roads of Mississippi.

In my opinion, what needs to happen is that all states need to have a moped classification (based on engine size), and motorized bicycles with comparable engine sizes, top speed, and safety features (the latter being the bigger sticking point) should be classified as such. If their top speed is less than say 20 or 25 mph, then they should be classified as bikes. Wishful thinking.

hope this is somewhat helpful.

Steve
 
why delete ?? it's an alright question

Admin, please Delete .. Thanks..

most it seems if not all states do not let
anyTHING with a motor on a strictly bike and walking path only
if we thik about it for a minute
easy to understand why
zooming by the walker steps to the left
handle bars break his or hers elbow
etc etc etc
sure a pedal bicycle can almost do the same speeds at times

just no reason to open the door to much more troubles

here in Calif
to only be ridden on the side of the road -- no exceptions
no bicycle trails or paths -- no sidewalks -- no walking trails or paths -- no horse trails

ride that THING
 
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If a bike trail is marked no motorized vehicles, I turn my motor off, and keep it off until I exit the assigned area. Using your motor at anytime is IMO, not fair to the walkers, runners and bikers who wish to use the trail. You might wish to make the argument otherwise, but I wouldn't want a kid on a motor scooter or ATV riding along the same trail as I was biking, walking or running. There are too many people who don't have any common sense, so there must be some guidelines for use. Doing the right thing at the right time...has a sort of harmony in the universe. Trying explain questionable actions in the face of a sign that says "No Motorized Vehicles" sets you up for a confrontation and tons of bad kharma.
 
In Georgia, it is considered a "Motor Driven Cycle," and as such, it is considered a motor vehicle.

Go to the Legislation Listing thread, then, open the 'web pages' link, and navigate to the Georgia listings on page 6. The first link under Georgia is statute 40-1-1, article 30 within states:
40-1-1(30)'Motor driven cycle' means every motorcycle said:
Not much ambiguity there. Other GA statutes describe registration, brake lights and lighting requirements.

Here in Arizona, you CAN use a MB on bike lanes and paths, unless local ordinance prohibits their use on bike paths.
 
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