Has anyone tried to register as a Moped

ashorn

New Member
Local time
6:09 AM
Joined
Feb 9, 2008
Messages
5
Location
Bangor, PA
I am looking in to registering my rig as a Moped in Pennsylvania.
As far as a gray area from what I have read if it has a motor it
is a MV and that is that. No inspection, insurance of around
$70.00 a year is not to bad. I am just wondering how they are
going to handle the title. Bicycles do not have one and I really
do not know if Mopeds come with one either.

Anybody tried this or has any info it would be appreciated.

Anyway I have a Mongoose Bike and a GEBE on the way on Monday.

The plus side our township has no police force, BUT they use the State Police
and they do not let you off quickly.
 
You're going to get in trouble!
You must post in the Introduction Forum first. It is THE major rule here.
However, there is no rule YET that I MUST say hi 'n welcome.

Hi! ;)
 
My welcome as well. Hurry and post that intro, I'm interested in the feedback on this post.
 
I've been trying to register my '46 Columbia with a 48cc Grubee for some time now. PennDot regs seem to have bikes like ours in some kind of limbo. They say that anything with an engine of less than 50cc displacement need not be titled. Yet a few pages later in the same paperwork packet they go on to state that in order to be registered, the vehicle must be titled. With no VIN number, or for that matter no serial number (my bike is one that Columbia neglected to stamp a serial on), titling is certainly going to be a problem. Because the bike doesn't exactly meet all the criteria for a moped (no automatic transmission for one thing), I'm hoping to get an antique motorcycle plate for it. The bike is old enough, even if the engine is not. With that, I don't think I would need to fit turn signals to the bike.
 
There is a process that i checked into in PA, i first had to go to an advanced inspection station to get the signature from the mechanic saying that it was ok to be street legal. Then was the process of an application to the DMV for a title, then an application for registration. So basically is said pis on it i'll just take the chance to ride without anything lol.
 
UPDATE to my Original Post

Just an update to my own question.

First e-mail out to out local State Rep. came back stating: SEE BELOW)

She did call me back later that night saying that their may be ways to do
what I am asking. She looked in to it, and it my be possible. Could be registered without to much trouble. I have piqued some interest lets see where it goes.

Going to call her back today. This office is really good for lost titles and
County and State Paperwork help.


Mr. Horn,
Thank you for your e-mail with regard to your question about a bicycle with an engine to assist with pedaling. I will check your question with PENNDOT. My instinct tells me that it cannot be registered, nor can it be driven legally on the roads. Pennsylvania has very specific rules regarding mopeds and unless they are high powered and approved by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, qualifying as a motorcycle, it cannot be registered to be driven on the streets.
I will be in touch.
Sincerely,
Jaime Marie Whalen
Legislative Assistant for Rep.Richard T. Grucela
239 South Broad Street
Nazareth, PA 18064
Phone: (610) 614-1312
Fax: (610) 746-5602
E-mail: jwhalen@pahouse.net
 
Every state has different laws, and I don't know anything about PA--but just because they say it can't be registered, does not mean it isn't street-legal.

Motor vehicles are legal if they are titled and registered. Bicycles are legal, and they don't require titling or registration.

If they say that it cannot be registered as a motor vehicle, then the next thing to do is check the technical definition of a bicycle, and see if it prohibits adding motors at all.
~
 
I don't know about Pa. but where I live, if it has the means of mechanical power, it's a motor vehicle.
 
I've been trying to register my '46 Columbia with a 48cc Grubee for some time now. PennDot regs seem to have bikes like ours in some kind of limbo. They say that anything with an engine of less than 50cc displacement need not be titled. Yet a few pages later in the same paperwork packet they go on to state that in order to be registered, the vehicle must be titled. With no VIN number, or for that matter no serial number (my bike is one that Columbia neglected to stamp a serial on), titling is certainly going to be a problem. Because the bike doesn't exactly meet all the criteria for a moped (no automatic transmission for one thing), I'm hoping to get an antique motorcycle plate for it. The bike is old enough, even if the engine is not. With that, I don't think I would need to fit turn signals to the bike.
Just because Columbia did not stamp a serial number on it does not mean you cannot...
Just get a letter/number punch set and a hammer, and you are good to go.
I do not think the motor vehicle bean counters will know the difference :)
 
Back
Top