Helpful tips for registering your bike.

[zackwyldefan]

i have been trying to get everything figured out for street legal Mbiking at Nj and here's what i got so far. it should work fine.

1.) Motorized Bicycles (Mopeds) according to NJ laws.
A motorized bicycle (moped) is a pedal bicycle having a helper motor. Mopeds must be titled, registered, and insured in New Jersey―just like motorcycles. The title fee is $20, and the registration fee is $15.

One difference between mopeds and motorcycles, however, is that mopeds are exempt from the inspection requirements. To qualify as a moped and skip the inspections, a vehicle must meet the following conditions:

It must be a pedal bicycle.
The motor must be less than 50 CCs.
It must have no more than 1.5 brake horsepower.
Its maximum speed can't be greater than 25 mph on a flat surface.

here's the link where ig ot this info from: http://www.dmv.org/nj-new-jersey/motorcycle-registration.php

(make sure the bike you purchase has VIN. the good thing about NJ, unlike NY is that you dont have to have all the lights, horns and other stuff but it is always good to have them.)

2.) i have the serial number so i am gonna register my bike with national bike registry with the transferable coverage. link:http://www.nationalbikeregistry.com/

3.) i have to get insurance now. i am not sure if i have to get bicycle insurance or moped insurance. the latter would be hard to get.

4.) last thing (which i should have mentioned first) would be to get a moped license at NJ.

*feel free to add your thoughts and comments about what i think should be able to work.*this is just my rough outline which should help us MBers out at NJ to help us ride free of tension.

 

[arceeguy]

Here are some thoughts that I posted the other day:

........NJ defines a "moped" as a "pedal bicycle with helper motor". You say to yourself, OK, I'll just register my MB as a moped. But then you find out that your insurance company won't insure a "pedal bicycle with helper motor" and even if you could buy liability insurance, the bike does not have a valid VIN so it cannot be registered.

While I do not have any problems riding my MB around town, and have sold dozens of kits, the NJ definition of a moped needs to be clarified to separate motorized bikes from mopeds. A moped should be defined as a small, limited displacement motorcycle with pedals. A motorized bicycle is a pedal bicycle with a helper motor attached, and should be free from licensing and insurance requirements.

In theory, what you want to do sounds easy - but in reality it isn't.
I called my auto insurance company and my agent said that they cannot insure a bicycle with an engine attached to it. Strike one. DMV says (verbally) that my local police regulate bicycles with motors attached. Can't register a bicycle because it does not have a valid VIN with manufacturer code, etc. But maybe it could be registered as an experimental vehicle. Didn't want to go down that road, so strike two.

I think we should contact our state law makers to clearly define a moped, scooter and motorized bicycle. And clearly state that a motorized bicycle has NO licensing, registration or insurance requirements. (maybe a 16 year old age restriction) We should use AZ as a template. I like the wording in their laws. For example, the law says "operated at speeds of less than twenty miles per hour". Notice that it doesn't say that the maximum speed is 20, but it should be operated at less than 20mph. This is good old fashioned common sense. Something NJ and most northeastern states are lacking.

 

[SimpleSimon]

It isn't just the northeastern states, it is every state where the nanny culture dominates government.

Momma knows best, don't you know? She just wants to protect her little lads from their foolishness.

"Momma" can go p1ss up a rope.

 

[zackwyldefan]

arceeguy, i agree. insurance is hard/impossible to get. i have a vin on the bottom rod of my chopper bike. see arceeguy, the thing is that i want to have some sort of registration on the bike just so if cops asks me i can say "that atleast my bike is registered with someone. my bike is not something right out of the blue skies."
hear me out, nationalbikeregistery.com lets you register your bike as a scooter too, so even if someone asks us we would be able to show our registration of our bikes as scooters or mopeds. and since they r mopeds wont we be able to get insurance on them?
thanks both you guys for some real good comments. good advice. its always good to take n give advice.

 

[eddieclarke33]

seems fine but what about a license plate(to zack)?

arceeguy: hey! i am from jrz. did you ever got pulled over by cops for our bikes. i mean how do they react when they see your machine.? i was worried that lets say we got in a collision and there was damage to both party's vehicles then what will happen? do i have to pay outta pocket?

 

[sparky]

i was worried that lets say we got in a collision and there was damage to both party's vehicles then what will happen? do i have to pay outta pocket?

If you get in a collision on a MB... the other vehicles and your pocket book are the last things that will be on your mind, if you even have a mind anymore.

... But maybe it could be registered as an experimental vehicle.

I'd certainly like to hear more about this. The nationalbikeregistery.com idea would certainly be worth looking into, too. And I've heard of others saying that their homeowners insurance covers their [motorized] bicycles... but I'm not sure if they're still covered when you take 'em off your property.

...We should use AZ as a template. I like the wording in their laws. For example, the law says “operated at speeds of less than twenty miles per hour”. Notice that it doesn't say that the maximum speed is 20, but it should be operated at less than 20mph. This is good old fashioned common sense. Something NJ and most northeastern states are lacking.

It's a ton of common sense, but that's also common sense for the legal system to infer that if your bike DOES operate at 21 mph or greater (20 mph or more if you wanna get really literal), you are operating the other bike which they also have a definition for -- a motorcycle!

 

[eddieclarke33]

i think if we all put our knowledge together, we just might be able to work something real good out.

good response sparky.