How will you define "automatic transmission"?

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dmopedMA

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I was asking this question to myself today and I would like to get more answers...

In Massachusetts, for a moped to be legal has to follow these rules:
- Have a cylinder capacity of no more than 50 cubic centimeters.
- Have an automatic transmission.
- Be capable of a maximum speed of no more than 30 miles per hour.
- Comply with all applicable federal motor vehicle safety standards.

So, what is considered an automatic transmission? a direct drive 2-stroke, has a clutch, will that be considered automatic? or 1 gear manual? 4-stroke (centrifugal clutch) direct drive, I assume will be "automatic", but what about if you add a shifting kit?

This is all theoretical, just thinking about that, I understand that if you use a 49cc 4-stroke with a shifting kit, the problem here will be the maximum speed...

Thoughts?
 
Although I have no experience of these laws I can reason that they will be based on some idea of what a typical factory made moped is expected to be like.
I had a look at the Wikipedia page description of the Puch moped transmission. It suggests that one or two (so one or more) speeds is fine, the clutch is a centrifugal clutch.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Puch_Maxi
 
I was asking this question to myself today and I would like to get more answers...

In Massachusetts, for a moped to be legal has to follow these rules:
- Have a cylinder capacity of no more than 50 cubic centimeters.
- Have an automatic transmission.
- Be capable of a maximum speed of no more than 30 miles per hour.
- Comply with all applicable federal motor vehicle safety standards.

So, what is considered an automatic transmission? a direct drive 2-stroke, has a clutch, will that be considered automatic? or 1 gear manual? 4-stroke (centrifugal clutch) direct drive, I assume will be "automatic", but what about if you add a shifting kit?

This is all theoretical, just thinking about that, I understand that if you use a 49cc 4-stroke with a shifting kit, the problem here will be the maximum speed...

Thoughts?
I found these questions to be pretty mute after asking myself the same ones and looking for solutions.

More or less the absolute only 2 ways are with a single speed centrifugal (auto) clutch or with an automatically adjusting cvt, basically 2 pulleys that will shift their halves inwards or out to change the output gearing, and they do so with a certain amount of torque and rpm.

Even nuvinci's with their automatic shifter component won't do since you need to tell it to work and it probably isn't compatible with a jackshaft anyway.

Now in regards to me saying it is a mute point, well the reason is getting it full on registered and insured as a moped is really actually difficult. I know enough people to do it now but that took a good amount of digging, and it's still a runaround process since I won't have an automatic transmission so a couple things need some outsourcing. One fellow actually suggested that I set the bike up for a single speed automatic and then after all the paperwork convert back to multi-gear manual...

I don't know how MA does things nor how they go about giving you a plate and registration or if inspections are required, here in PA inspections are not a requirement for mopeds so modification back to manual wouldn't affect me in that regard. For me it appears I'll end up sleeving my spare bt cylinder down to 50cc and then sending out of the state to have some people stick stamps on it, bring it back and follow through with PA's titling and transfer crap, this way I can avoid certain requirements like DOT approved electrical systems or braking equipment or the automatic transmission rules.

So if you have everything else set for yourself you could probably get away with a 49cc 2 stroke with an automatic clutch kit, if you don't plan on actually acquiring plates or anything else then I honestly wouldn't bother because the cop who pulls you over for lack of plating will not care anything about the transmission nor the engine size or anything at all except for the fact that you didn't pay the state the money they wanted.

Yeah that's about all I can add to this I guess, good luck with this.
 
most places will call a centrifugal clutch an auto-trans

they usually seem to mean any bike that will start going as soon as you turn the throttle (also applies to electrics)

I do not use cent. clutch so that I am not required to register as a moped under that type of law.
 
most places will call a centrifugal clutch an auto-trans

they usually seem to mean any bike that will start going as soon as you turn the throttle (also applies to electrics)

I do not use cent. clutch so that I am not required to register as a moped under that type of law.
Does your state use a slightly different definition for something like a "motor driven cycle" which can be exactly the same as a moped but defined with a manual OR automatic transmission.

My state says an automatic transmission is part of the moped group and also under 50cc and 1.5 hp. The definition for a motor driven cycle is less definite than the moped description, all it says is it is a cycle with under 5hp... Since my bike is manual shift it is not a moped by definition and since the engine generates less than 5hp then it automatically falls into that category...

So if your state has an underdefined piece of code and the moped definition excludes you then your bike is technically the one it CAN fit into...
 
As far as I know, if it has 2 or 3 wheels and a motor, the "lowest" legal group is moped, the rest of the groups require inspections, VIN, etc. The only exception are electrical bikes running < 25mph, for that you don't need to register anything.

I already have one motorized bike registered, how to register my motorbike is not the question, since there is no inspection, you can register a bike or a plane... no one is gonna complain as long as you pay. Of course, if the officer that pulls you over see that you are driving a plane with a moped sticker he/she may say something...

I believe that we all agree that, even that you can register anything as a moped, in MA to be strictly legal, should be a <=50cc engine (2 or 4 stroke) with a centrifugal clutch and direct drive transmission or something like a torque converter.
 
As far as I know, if it has 2 or 3 wheels and a motor, the "lowest" legal group is moped, the rest of the groups require inspections, VIN, etc. The only exception are electrical bikes running < 25mph, for that you don't need to register anything.

I already have one motorized bike registered, how to register my motorbike is not the question, since there is no inspection, you can register a bike or a plane... no one is gonna complain as long as you pay. Of course, if the officer that pulls you over see that you are driving a plane with a moped sticker he/she may say something...

I believe that we all agree that, even that you can register anything as a moped, in MA to be strictly legal, should be a <=50cc engine (2 or 4 stroke) with a centrifugal clutch and direct drive transmission or something like a torque converter.
Aren't there any pedal-assisted or motor-driven classes of bikes? Missing those can make it rough, tho I'd expect the winters there keep politicians from thinking much about bikes.
 
Aren't there any pedal-assisted or motor-driven classes of bikes? Missing those can make it rough, tho I'd expect the winters there keep politicians from thinking much about bikes.
Nothing but electric bikes...

Yeah, winter hits MA hard, brace yourself...
 
I found these questions to be pretty mute after asking myself the same ones and looking for solutions.

More or less the absolute only 2 ways are with a single speed centrifugal (auto) clutch or with an automatically adjusting cvt, basically 2 pulleys that will shift their halves inwards or out to change the output gearing, and they do so with a certain amount of torque and rpm.

Even nuvinci's with their automatic shifter component won't do since you need to tell it to work and it probably isn't compatible with a jackshaft anyway.

Now in regards to me saying it is a mute point, well the reason is getting it full on registered and insured as a moped is really actually difficult. I know enough people to do it now but that took a good amount of digging, and it's still a runaround process since I won't have an automatic transmission so a couple things need some outsourcing. One fellow actually suggested that I set the bike up for a single speed automatic and then after all the paperwork convert back to multi-gear manual...

I don't know how MA does things nor how they go about giving you a plate and registration or if inspections are required, here in PA inspections are not a requirement for mopeds so modification back to manual wouldn't affect me in that regard. For me it appears I'll end up sleeving my spare bt cylinder down to 50cc and then sending out of the state to have some people stick stamps on it, bring it back and follow through with PA's titling and transfer crap, this way I can avoid certain requirements like DOT approved electrical systems or braking equipment or the automatic transmission rules.

So if you have everything else set for yourself you could probably get away with a 49cc 2 stroke with an automatic clutch kit, if you don't plan on actually acquiring plates or anything else then I honestly wouldn't bother because the cop who pulls you over for lack of plating will not care anything about the transmission nor the engine size or anything at all except for the fact that you didn't pay the state the money they wanted.

Yeah that's about all I can add to this I guess, good luck with this.
Hey Frankenstein you live in pa? If so can you give me a text I have a few questions maybe you can give me some info on.
 
Hey Frankenstein you live in pa? If so can you give me a text I have a few questions maybe you can give me some info on.
I deleted your phone number because it's probably not a good thing to post openly on the forum for the whole world to see. I am also locking this thread because the last reply before yours was over 5 years ago, and the person you are trying to talk to has a status listed as "In memory of" which is a good indicator that they are likely not going to be giving you a call anytime soon.

I am now locking this thread from further replies.
 
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