Is this real?

[JunkyardDog]

Actually bicycles don't have ANY right to use the road, at least not the traffic lanes. They must be in the bike lane, or to the far right. Traffic that actually uses the road is supposed to stay at least 3 feet from bicycles when passing them, but that rarely occurs. And a motorized bicycle is an actual bicycle. You don't get the same privileges as motorcycles and scooters, but you don't have to deal with all the red tape either. It you need to get around in a timely manner, you are using the wrong tool for the job. A motorcycle or a car would be much better. I don't know why you don't have a drivers license, but without one, going slow or taking the bus, are your only legal; options.

You don't have to pretend to pedal in AZ. Motorized bikes are legal here, but there are some strict laws that go with them. The legal speed limit is 20 mph. It doesn't say anywhere that that is negotiable. And yes, there is some very strong anti motorized bicycle sentiment in AZ. Many people think that riders of motorized bicycles are getting a free ride, not having to have a license, registration or insurance. And they get even more upset when they see them breaking the law on a regular basis. Pocket bikes and gopeds are pretty much gone, even skateboards are becomming more and more regulated. They are illegal on most private property, and they will soon be illegal on sidewalks. Sidewalks are intended for walking. When you annoy enough people with anything, something is going to happen.

 

[KCvale]

Actually bicycles don't have ANY right to use the road, at least not the traffic lanes.

Again, dead wrong.
It is 'polite' to ride to the right and encouraged, but not required.
Any bicycle is entitled to a full lane.

How about you go read the statute regarding riding a bicycle in AZ
http://www.azbikeped.org/images/Arizona Revised Statutes Bicycle Laws.pdf
Then maybe you can stop talking out of your ass about whats legal and whats not here in AZ as I have been dicking with it for 6 years.

You didn't answer my question...
How do YOU make a left hand turn at an intersection?

 

[Nate888]

So far I hit 41 mph.
Yea, yea I know, no front brake. Bad idea. But that being said motor is stock 66cc grubee 2 stroke with 36 tooth sprocketol on the rear. About 35mph is what it cruises at. With stock 44 tooth it went 31mph top speed.

dude, w/out a front brake you should never ride faster than you're comfortable jumping off & running along side to stop at. if you know how to ride & you go to slow down really hard, your front brake does 75-90% of the braking because inertia gives front wheel more contact w/ the road & back wheel less the harder you brake. for me a good front drum (or better, disc) brake an absolute must. up there w/ bothering to tighten the wheels so they don't fall off

stay safe!

 

[butre]

It's not how safe they are, it's how legal they are, AND how the public and cops see them and their riders. Even being a motorized bike rider myself, if I were a cop, and saw a motorized bike riding IN A TRAFFIC LANE and keeping up with traffic, I would not only stop him, but I would give him a ticket for everything I could possibly think of. I would try to get video of it first, as evidence of how fast he was going.

Motorized bicycles are just that. motorized BICYCLES. They are not motorcycles, they are not mopeds, they are not scooters, all of which require everything a motorcycle does in AZ. Motorcycle license, insurance, registration, and plate. In AZ, those are VERY cheap. I have three motorcycles and 2 scooters. All are ridden, and all are completely legal. Bicycles (and putting a motor on one does not change anything, they are still bicycles) are not allowed to ride out in the middle of a traffic lane. the must be ridden to the far right, bike lane or not. The whole point of riding a motorized bicycle in town is that they are allowed to use the bike lanes and ride to the far right.

Mopeds and scooters (mopeds have a top legal speed of 30 mph, and a 50cc scooter tops out at about 35-37 mph, but takes forever to get there) cannot be ridden in bike lanes or to the far right, yet they are way to slow to ride out in traffic. As you know, traffic on 45 mph roads around here goes 50-55 mph. So mopeds and 50cc scooters are completely worthless in town. But they are a blast outside the city limits. I used to ride 30 mph mopeds and 37 mph scooters all over southern AZ, including from Chandler to Tucson (the back way, through Florence) on the shoulder. It's legal outside the city limits under AZ's slow moving vehicle law. Bicycles don't need anything, motorized vehicles (like farm and construction equipment) require a flashing amber light. I simply connected my turn signals together to make 4 way flashers.

The speed limit for motorized bicycles in AZ is 20 mph, and in many cases even that is too fast. Now if somebody wanted to go 30 mph out of town, on the open road, that wouldn't bother me so much. Visually, from a car going 70 mph, you can't tell the difference.

Since you are in the motorized bicycle business around here, you certainly know the laws. Hopefully you also know how non motorized bicycle riders (except teenagers) dislike them. The cops hate them (they also hate crotch rocket type motorcycles, their riders are about as reckless and irresponsible as motorized bike riders) pedal bike riders hate them (I remember how I felt when I was a pedal bike rider, and heard one of those gopeds coming up behind me with an expansion chamber exhaust) drivers hate them because of their irresponsible and reckless behavior. Yes it is hard to defend car drivers because their use of cell phones while driving cause more traffic accidents than any other single thing. I recently got back from WA, OR, CA, and NV, they all have laws against cell phone use, and signs up everywhere.

But, the fact that others are doing something wrong, unsafe and illegal does not excuse motorized bicycle riders from doing the same. There is a huge lobbying effort in the AZ State Legislature attempting to get rid of motorized bicycles. And every time a MB rider gets stopped by a cop, has an accident, or gets reported (probably by a driver using a cell phone illegally) it just gives them more ammunition to use against us (people like me, who ride responsibly and legally)

If you truly need to use a motorized bicycle for transportation, then you have no need for illegal racing engines and go fast parts. Stay legal. If it's a hobby, you still have no need to see how reckless you can be and how fast you can go. If you do, then you've got the wrong hobby. Unless there happens to be a track nearby that has motorized bicycle racing. The streets are not a race track. And just because a motorcycle can go over a 100 mph (some can approach 200 mph) doesn't mean doing that on the street is legal either.

my personal daily driven bike will get to 55 miles per hour in no time flat, back to zero faster than most cars, and is perfectly legal in my state on any road other than interstate. got a ticket on it once for speeding on an empty road (43 in a 35) before I had a tach on it and that's the only legal issue I ever had. I've only ever had positive comments from both police and the general populace.

anecdotal evidence is completely worthless here. your experiences are absolutely not the same as the experiences of others.

 

[Nate888]

It's not how safe they are, it's how legal they are, AND how the public and cops see them and their riders. Even being a motorized bike rider myself, if I were a cop, and saw a motorized bike riding IN A TRAFFIC LANE and keeping up with traffic, I would not only stop him, but I would give him a ticket for everything I could possibly think of. I would try to get video of it first, as evidence of how fast he was going.

Motorized bicycles are just that. motorized BICYCLES. They are not motorcycles, they are not mopeds, they are not scooters, all of which require everything a motorcycle does in AZ. Motorcycle license, insurance, registration, and plate. In AZ, those are VERY cheap. I have three motorcycles and 2 scooters. All are ridden, and all are completely legal. Bicycles (and putting a motor on one does not change anything, they are still bicycles) are not allowed to ride out in the middle of a traffic lane. the must be ridden to the far right, bike lane or not. The whole point of riding a motorized bicycle in town is that they are allowed to use the bike lanes and ride to the far right.

Mopeds and scooters (mopeds have a top legal speed of 30 mph, and a 50cc scooter tops out at about 35-37 mph, but takes forever to get there) cannot be ridden in bike lanes or to the far right, yet they are way to slow to ride out in traffic. As you know, traffic on 45 mph roads around here goes 50-55 mph. So mopeds and 50cc scooters are completely worthless in town. But they are a blast outside the city limits. I used to ride 30 mph mopeds and 37 mph scooters all over southern AZ, including from Chandler to Tucson (the back way, through Florence) on the shoulder. It's legal outside the city limits under AZ's slow moving vehicle law. Bicycles don't need anything, motorized vehicles (like farm and construction equipment) require a flashing amber light. I simply connected my turn signals together to make 4 way flashers.

The speed limit for motorized bicycles in AZ is 20 mph, and in many cases even that is too fast. Now if somebody wanted to go 30 mph out of town, on the open road, that wouldn't bother me so much. Visually, from a car going 70 mph, you can't tell the difference.

Since you are in the motorized bicycle business around here, you certainly know the laws. Hopefully you also know how non motorized bicycle riders (except teenagers) dislike them. The cops hate them (they also hate crotch rocket type motorcycles, their riders are about as reckless and irresponsible as motorized bike riders) pedal bike riders hate them (I remember how I felt when I was a pedal bike rider, and heard one of those gopeds coming up behind me with an expansion chamber exhaust) drivers hate them because of their irresponsible and reckless behavior. Yes it is hard to defend car drivers because their use of cell phones while driving cause more traffic accidents than any other single thing. I recently got back from WA, OR, CA, and NV, they all have laws against cell phone use, and signs up everywhere.

But, the fact that others are doing something wrong, unsafe and illegal does not excuse motorized bicycle riders from doing the same. There is a huge lobbying effort in the AZ State Legislature attempting to get rid of motorized bicycles. And every time a MB rider gets stopped by a cop, has an accident, or gets reported (probably by a driver using a cell phone illegally) it just gives them more ammunition to use against us (people like me, who ride responsibly and legally)

If you truly need to use a motorized bicycle for transportation, then you have no need for illegal racing engines and go fast parts. Stay legal. If it's a hobby, you still have no need to see how reckless you can be and how fast you can go. If you do, then you've got the wrong hobby. Unless there happens to be a track nearby that has motorized bicycle racing. The streets are not a race track. And just because a motorcycle can go over a 100 mph (some can approach 200 mph) doesn't mean doing that on the street is legal either.

you may have a point. some cops & members of the public will think like you on this, but that is the problem, if you ask me. I'd like to see laws & norms that are built w/ a little more openness & freedom in mind, so that you shouldn't get hassled if you're not doing anything actually risky or harmful to others

 

[D. White]

dude, w/out a front brake you should never ride faster than you're comfortable jumping off & running along side to stop at. if you know how to ride & you go to slow down really hard, your front brake does 75-90% of the braking because inertia gives front wheel more contact w/ the road & back wheel less the harder you brake. for me a good front drum (or better, disc) brake an absolute must. up there w/ bothering to tighten the wheels so they don't fall off

stay safe!

I can run 20 and tuck and roll 40mph (Haha), but brakes are in the works.

 

[KCvale]

dude, w/out a front brake you should never ride faster than you're comfortable jumping off & running along side to stop at.

Absolutely NO MB is safe with just a coaster brake, in fact damn dangerous.

 

[gary55]

Article II 28-815 When traveling slower than the flow of traffic ride as close to the curb as practical unless passing another cyclist, avoiding a obstacle, or making a left hand turn

 

[Nate888]

Article II 28-815 When traveling slower than the flow of traffic ride as close to the curb as practical unless passing another cyclist, avoiding a obstacle, or making a left hand turn

That doesn't contradict that you can take up a full lane on a bike; it just means that you shouldn't do it for no reason if you're actually slowing down other traffic

 

[gary55]

It does not contradict that you can take a full lane. It describes when you can and can not legally do so in the state of Az.