How to ride LEGAL in Colorado?

[rawly old]

You have a constitutional right to travel. Even though it was not specifically
included the the 'Bill of Rights', the Supreme Court has upheld that right
repeated down through the years. Judge Potter Stewart ruled "The right to
travel is a fundamental constitutional right"
He did not say the right to travel by car, or horseback,or by pogo stick. The right
to travel,period! Legally imposed insurance violates the 14th amendment in that
it is a form of involuntary servitude.
I'm all for safety, things like DUI, etc., but cars kill people, not bicycles.

 

[PhoobarID]

Not being a law student or a lawyer...not concerned with whether or not it's constitutional or not...just that the law that I and others must have insurance is enforceable if said companies who are there to provide the insurance are/will provide said service. It they refuse where the state says you are required to do so...that is an issue I do have.

This is like the old marijuana stamp in Arizona. You were required to have one to possess it...but the state either never provided them or made it prohibitively expensive...even if you could find one. I own a vehicle which is legal to ride in all states...but when the insurance companies refuse to allow you to possess the said policy because they don't want to take said risk...something needs to change. The state wants this law...they can/should force said companies to comply or provide the service themselves. For instance...the state requires car insurance...so they have what's called an SR-22 for those who are super high risk. I don't even have that option available to me.

 

[rawly old]

I hear ya. Situation's similar here. My solution: I put on a
reflective vest, helmet, a blinky light in back, and 'just ride'
in a safe sane manner. Bin doing that for 6 years here now;
all the cops know me, never bin hassled.
It's not exact like you're a Son of Silence on a drug run
at 49cc 20 mph.
P.S. I should mention that's on a rack mount friction drive.
they seem to dislike Chinese chain kits with a manual clutch.

 

[PhoobarID]

Heard this from quite a few others as well about just riding. Right now...this may be the only way I can ride...since this is just a money grab for the corporations. For instance...just got the renewal for my car tags. In many other states around the region...I would pay around $40 or less for a year on a 20 year old car. Not around here...mine's going to cost me $70 a year. One of my roommates drives a Saab which is only about 5-10 years old and she's paying $91 for the year.

Vest...got a nice flagman's vest from Tacoma Screw for free. It was a demo they had sitting in a drawer. Helmet...every time I leave the property. Light...check. The only difference in mine is going to be an NT carb with a Venice manifold they've started selling recently for a 4-stroke replacement for that HS carb. As for the clutch...mine's the 4-stroke with the Ez-Matic belt drive. Even have a drum on the front with a band on the back...so both levers are for my brakes. Funny that you mentioned a manual clutch...according to the law...they are illegal as well. Can run them on a 50cc+ motorcycle...but for less than this...they are illegal.

 

[rawly old]

Same thing with car plates here. they're charging us to replace them every
3 yrs. because 'the reflective coating wears off'. My plates from 9 years
ago look better that the ones I put on last year. we voted to have
registration go down, but they've just tacked on extra fees.
The laws here are vaguely written; to get a moped tag you have to have
a vin no., most engines have no vin, etc,etc. However, recently the
Mason county D.A. ruled the bikes under 50cc are legal, though clutches
are not.
I grew up in C. Sprs.; as a boy it had only 40k people. I cleared out
when it hit 150k and never looked back. Urban cops tend to be a lot
more up tight. Here there is little crime; it's more of an 'Andy & Barney'
scene.

 

[PhoobarID]

Sounds like the climate on anything you build yourself...car/house/bike...is becoming illegal. Wonder what would've happened 100 years ago or so if the same laws had been in place for inventors of the original horseless carriages and the first motorcycles?

 

[rawly old]

Anything not being taxed or fun is probably illegal.
Actually, until the late '60s, if you were 14 or older
and your ride was less than 6hp.,you were good to go
in Colorado. no license*, no insurance. Quite a few kids
at my junior high had Vespas or Cushmans.

*You didn't need a license, the ride needed a tag.

 

[PhoobarID]

Remember reading how someone came over from Ireland and was amazed how the government would have the gumption to tax you year after year on your own property. I could be wrong...but it seems to me this isn't the norm...except here in America.

 

[rawly old]

They may not have property tax, but the Irish are paying $8.05 a gallon
for gas.

 

[PhoobarID]

They may not have property tax, but the Irish are paying $8.05 a gallon for gas.

True. It's that way all over Europe from what I understand. At least 1 good thing about that...you don't lose your home when you can't afford to pay your taxes...but they do have great public transportation over there. With some sort of cheap transportation...I don't mind paying $8.05 a gallon. (Love pulling up to a gas station with a lot of big SUV's and such and making sure every one of them know out loud I'm going to get $1 of gas.) Plus...with lesser taxes on diesel...you would probably pay just a bit more for that than you do over here in America. Then...you have single-payer health care...won't go bankrupt when you get sick either. My taxes may be...along with this BS of requiring insurance (as a kickback to some corporate idiot) with nickel/diming me to death with ever expanding fees is making anywhere but America look good.