Louisiana Motorized Bicycle Laws

Louisiana Motorized Bike Laws

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Louisiana Bicycle Law Reality...

I live near Downtown Baton Rouge, Louisiana. I have a 50cc motor on my Service Bicycle that I have been operating in town for over a month now. I was "pulled over" downtown like the second day I was running by two State Troopers, who started barking at me that "You can't have that on the road" and "that's a motorcycle". I argued with them and they were going to write me tickets for no insurance, no registration, no title, etc. Finally a Lieutenant arrived and I told him what I knew about the bicycle laws in Louisiana and he agreed that I could operate my bicycle with a 50cc motor on the streets.

So I guess the point of this post is that I believe that police, whether City, State or Sheriff, just don't know the law well enough to properly enforce it one way or the other. I stood my ground and quoted the law pretty much verbatim. A couple days after, a Baton Rouge Constable pulled up next to me at a red light and after talking, he said he wanted to have a motorized bicycle for himself!

I don't think the police, at least here in Baton Rouge, just don't have motorized bicycles on their radar yet. I agree with an earlier post that a motorized bicycle with a direct drive/dry clutch with no transmission doesn't have to be titled, registered, insured or licensed to operate on the streets, but as such, can not be operated on highways with speed limits over 50 mph.

With my 50cc Flying Horse Motor, I have been getting well over 120 mpg and have estimated my Motorized Service Bicycle costs about 3.2 cents per mile to run...
 
Hey all you guys and Dinoseer.

I actually live in Lafayette, Louisiana.

I went to an police station and asked them, they kinda looked at me confused when I asked about the laws for it, but they told me, I just need an drivers license. The police said they seen them before, but they don't really care.

I actually brought an 66cc/80cc motor from Boygofast before I did my research, so I kinda ****ed myself in the ass.

So if you have an 50cc or lower, you don't need an drivers license or anything?

But if you have anything higher, you must meet those requirements?

I read somewhere, someone said, Federal law, they consider motorized bikes all bicycles. So, what happens now?
 
States define what vehicles are allowed to be operated on their public roadways. If your vehicle doesn't fall within the parameters of one of their definitions then its considered an off road vehicle. This is simply from a legal perspective.
 
There is no way that the police can tell a 50cc from an 80cc. None of the motors have the information stamped on them. My 80 year old dad built my two bikes and he told me that no mater what I have 48cc engines. No laws against that.
 
I have a 3.5 hp minibike that my grandpa left me. Wonder if I could drive it to the gas station and 1/4 mile away. Been researching and can't find much.
 
i just read that there are no laws on battery powered bikes yet maybe thats the way to go
 
Here is a loop hole.. Maybe..

Here is what I think may be your loophole. It defines a motorized bicycle with an engine of less than 50cc, pedals, and auto transmission. Here may be your loop hole.. The Typical motor Assisted Bicycle has no Transmission. They are direct drive with Dry clutch. They have no transmission and allow for no gear selection that a transmission affords. Since they have no Transmission, they do not fit under that ruling of motorized bicycle. They are still motor Assisted bicycles and thus falls under the Federal Regs and makes them still a bicycle. That is..As long as they are less than 50 cc and do not exceed 25mph on level ground. That is how I see it. But then again .. I am no lawyer, but you should speak to one and point these things out to that lawyer. A lot of states have that requirement that as soon as you add a transmission that allows you to change gears, it is no longer a bicycle and is motorized bicycle. Thanks..Enjoy the ride..


A transmission is defined as anything that transmits power or force. I believe
 
These laws apply to riding any moter vehicle on any road. The way arround this is to ride on the right hand side past the white line. There you are technically not on the road. You must still obey the driving laws such as turn signals and lights, as well as obeying the signs that a normal driver must. When you are going to make a turn that will make you cross traffic, do so as a pedestrian crossing the street, at the corner or in pedestrian cross walks.
 
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