Hey all! Its Jesse James!!!

[james912]

I've been in the other forum(motorizedbicycling.com) for quite a while and have been reading thru posts on this site for the past few days. I bought my 66cc china girl about a year ago. She's still runnin' and stronger than ever. I got ticketed last July in Washington county, get this, i live in Bay county, in lynn haven to be precise(30ish mile ride to where i got ticketed)for riding without a DL. I read the cop the tl-10 and he said he never heard of it and so he wrote me a ticket, and said if he catches me again with the motor on he'd jail me. So i pedalled all the way home(30ish mi). Ran outta gatorade before i got half way home, didn't feel like stopping cuz i was sooo mad. Glad i was ridin' my 18 sp mtn bike. I was in the highest gear the whole time cuz of all the hills. Got home under two hours sunburned and extremely mad. So I chatted on the other forum with a guy over in Ft Walton, Arnett, whose been up to tallahassee to see about getting the word "electric" taken out of statute. He gave me Paula Paxtons phone #. I called her and we had a great conversation about the laws and what she went thru when she was ticketed in Bay county. I got a copy of the ruling on her case, No Info case, bla bla, bla.

I went to court in august and they offered me this: write some long essay describing the dangers of riding without a drivers license and pay some small fine, I think it was like $60. I talked with a public defender and he took my case, i explained the whole deal with us motorzed cyclists being harrased by authorites all over fl. I showed him the dmv document. And so then he set me up a date for an appointment with him to discuss everything. I went to the appointment with the public defender at his office and we fully discussed every thing and he said get the dmv document signed or stamped and that'll be it.

So i took it to the dmv and they said exactly what i knew they would say: we can't and won't register or title a motorized bicycle. She said they had called a few weeks earlier to the head DMV office in Tally, they stand by and fully support the TL-10 DMV Doc. She got the tax collector to stamp it, dated it etc. Went to court gave it to my public defender, he took it straight to the district attourney, explained it, not ten seconds later, the public defender turned to me and said: Charges dropped, your free to go. They made a copy of the dmv doc. I'm still ridin'.

I never got a ending court document/final reading doc.
The case# is below if ya wanna check it out. They call it an adjudication, cuz i presented evidence to prove its legal to ride a bike with a motor(49cc and under)in a bike lane without DL, registration insurance, title etc. And by the way...I'm legally blind and color blind in both eyes, with 20/200 vision. If i can ride, u can ride too! I never told the State trooper that pulled me over i was blind, cuz i knew he'd use that against me and demand i call someone to come pick me up. I did have to say it in court when the public defender asked me why i didn't have a DL. Thats my story for the past year! I've been interested in motorized bicycle for like 3 years but i didn't have the money to buy anything since i didn't have a job. which i got back in august of '10.


Also....Peeps, just cuz Law Enforcement tickets u ya don't mean they are right. There are lots that use their "authority" abusively.
Here"s my case #: 11000162CTMA

The link to the stamped DMV Doc i used to "win" my court case is below. Feel free to print it out and use it!
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1sSEpxMYBxpxfBwpo6tP4QVHCRi9_K64ldufH8oomgTs/edit

 

[Sidewinder Jerry]

The 2011 Florida Statutes

Title XXIII MOTOR VEHICLES Chapter 316 STATE UNIFORM TRAFFIC CONTROL

316.003 Definitions.—The following words and phrases, when used in this chapter, shall have the meanings respectively ascribed to them in this section, except where the context otherwise requires:

(2) BICYCLE.—Every vehicle propelled solely by human power, and every motorized bicycle propelled by a combination of human power and an electric helper motor capable of propelling the vehicle at a speed of not more than 20 miles per hour on level ground upon which any person may ride, having two tandem wheels, and including any device generally recognized as a bicycle though equipped with two front or two rear wheels. The term does not include such a vehicle with a seat height of no more than 25 inches from the ground when the seat is adjusted to its highest position or a scooter or similar device. No person under the age of 16 may operate or ride upon a motorized bicycle.

(77) MOPED.—Any vehicle with pedals to permit propulsion by human power, having a seat or saddle for the use of the rider and designed to travel on not more than three wheels; with a motor rated not in excess of 2 brake horsepower and not capable of propelling the vehicle at a speed greater than 30 miles per hour on level ground; and with a power-drive system that functions directly or automatically without clutching or shifting gears by the operator after the drive system is engaged. If an internal combustion engine is used, the displacement may not exceed 50 cubic centimeters.

I'd carry a copy of these laws with me or a smart phone so I could pull them up to show to the police.

 

[Happy Valley]

That's great! If folks can establish a legal foothold in a state it seems the only additional advice necessary and foolish to ignore would be to keep it legal and observe what the current regs dictate. If that's under 50cc or 2 HP, auto trans, or under 30 mph top capable speed, stick to that, otherwise the risk is throwing away what you gained. Want more power or speed, get a scooter or motorcycle.

 

[fm2200]

Happy Valley, you are so right about this staying within the law. If you need to have more power don't use a bicycle. There are lots of alternative two wheel vehicles with more power than you will ever need. In the mid 80s here in new york city there was a number Mb riders that thought it to be ultra cool to put more powerful engines on their bicycles, in short accidents were on the rise and the powers that be banned all powered bicycles.

 

[Happy Valley]

Happy Valley, you are so right about this staying within the law. If you need to have more power don't use a bicycle. There are lots of alternative two wheel vehicles with more power than you will ever need. In the mid 80s here in new york city there was a number Mb riders that thought it to be ultra cool to put more powerful engines on their bicycles, in short accidents were on the rise and the powers that be banned all powered bicycles.

I know fm, it's a shame NY is still so tough because of it. It doesn't end there, Washington state just changed their laws in the last year too and all but banned any gas powered MABs for the same reasons.