Motorized Bicycles Laws and Registration California

alexreed510

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Orange, CA
Hi, I couldnt really get help elsewhere but i thought this would be a good start to a definite answer. Im 19 and soon plan to purchase a bike and install a motor kit onto it. It will be a 2 stroke 66cc/80cc Bicycle Engine Kit capable of 3.85 horsepower. I plan to install this on a 29" Genesis Onex Beach Cruiser with disk brakes. Soon I'll have a motorcycle license as well, but in the meantime I'm wondering what, if any, registration I'll need for this motorized bicycle to make it street legal. I've read the DMV pages and forms but it can get confusing and was wondering if you people, who have much more experience here, could help me in a direction.
If any additional info or specification is needed or wanted just ask, whatever makes this easier and less confusing the better.
Also please be gentle i dont know anything at all haha im just trying to get some straight answers without getting really technical
some steps you know?
 
Hi, I couldnt really get help elsewhere but i thought this would be a good start to a definite answer. Im 19 and soon plan to purchase a bike and install a motor kit onto it. It will be a 2 stroke 66cc/80cc Bicycle Engine Kit capable of 3.85 horsepower. I plan to install this on a 29" Genesis Onex Beach Cruiser with disk brakes. Soon I'll have a motorcycle license as well, but in the meantime I'm wondering what, if any, registration I'll need for this motorized bicycle to make it street legal. I've read the DMV pages and forms but it can get confusing and was wondering if you people, who have much more experience here, could help me in a direction.
What part of CA are you riding in?
They are bigly lying about the "3.85 horsepower" of the motor. More like 2 HP.

Get the one time fee CA Motorized Bicycle license plate and ID card.
Here is the form.
https://www.dmv.ca.gov/portal/wcm/c...4063-a819-a5dfc8ff5691/reg230.pdf?MOD=AJPERES


https://www.chp.ca.gov/programs-ser...clist-safety/motorcycles-and-similar-vehicles

Moped or motorized bicycle


Section 406(a) CVC refers to a moped or motorized bicycle as any two or three wheeled device having fully operative pedals for propulsion by human power, or having no pedals if powered solely by electrical energy, has an automatic transmission, and a motor which produces less than 4 gross brake horsepower and is capable of propelling the device at a maximum speed of not more than 30 miles per hour on level ground.

  • A driver license with an M-1 or M-2 endorsement is required.

  • A DOT compliant helmet is required.
 
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What part of CA are you riding in?

Get the one time fee CA Motorized Bicycle license plate and ID card.
Here is the form.
https://www.dmv.ca.gov/portal/wcm/c...4063-a819-a5dfc8ff5691/reg230.pdf?MOD=AJPERES

Orange, Orange County

im also curious, i asked another member but maybe you could help, how would i properly fill out this form, it asks for vehicle and motor numbers, and the make
im building this with a kit and a separate bike so im not sure what i would put for those
 
There is no Engine Number on your chinese motor so we use the bikes serial # with an E before it.

Put the bikes serial # in the VEHICLE IDENTIFICATION NUMBER box.

MAKE: put the brand of your bicycle

Don't bother to fill out MODEL or DISTINCTIVE MARKS:

Send $21 postal money order or $18 if you want to screw CA.
 
There is no Engine Number on your chinese motor so we use the bikes serial # with an E before it.

Put the bikes serial # in the VEHICLE IDENTIFICATION NUMBER box.

MAKE: put the brand of your bicycle

Don't bother to fill out MODEL or DISTINCTIVE MARKS:

Send $21 postal money order or $18 if you want to screw CA.
is there a difference between sending 21 or 18?
after that im assuming i wait for some bureaucratic black magic for a few weeks and get my good boy stickers and an ID in the mail?
 
is there a difference between sending 21 or 18?
after that im assuming i wait for some bureaucratic black magic for a few weeks and get my good boy stickers and an ID in the mail?
No sticker, you get a real license plate. Copy the "ID" and carry the copy with you.
$21 is the current fee that goes up $1 every year.
$18 is on the DMV website but out of date so they have to honor your $18 payment and
still send you the plate.

Takes a few weeks to get your plate and it may be faster if you send a MO instead of a check.

I am in Orange County too.
 
What happens if somebody from out of state does fills one of these out? Doesn't really specify who can do it? Does California get weird with aliens and strange our of state addresses? Kind of want to try just for the hell of it.
 
I'm pre
What happens if somebody from out of state does fills one of these out? Doesn't really specify who can do it? Does California get weird with aliens and strange our of state addresses? Kind of want to try just for the hell of it.
Pretty sure it would follow the general law of, you'd need a cal license to ride it unless you were only in state for less that 8? months
 
I'm pre

Pretty sure it would follow the general law of, you'd need a cal license to ride it unless you were only in state for less that 8? months
It doesn't specify what is required to apply for the bike plate, only what's required to actually use it. It even lends a kind of clue that the person simply can use an ID number rather than a dl number. I mean certainly they can check back the record to see if you are licensed, but that kind of means that a dealer must have a license to drive before being permitted to register a bike with the state or even technically transfer ownership in that case.

I know in this state you can transfer registration and title to a person (who doesn't have a license) and hold insurance on a vehicle even if you don't have a license to drive. Don't know, curious if CA feels 3 thousand miles is too far away to accept money from someone.
 
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