Pulled over in Appleton, Wisconsin

[bakaneko]

i am from wisconsin and i dont think the laws have changed... so, you need a drivers licence and do not need to title/register it if it cannot power u more than 30 mph. you do need lights but hehehehe... unless this has recently changed, if you encounter trouble just bring the statues to your local dmv/police department.

340.01(30)
(30) “Motor bicycle" means any of the following:
(a) A bicycle to which a power unit not an integral part of the vehicle has been added to permit the vehicle to travel at a speed of not more than 30 miles per hour with a 150-pound rider on a dry, level, hard surface with no wind and having a seat for the operator.

341.05(23)
341.05  When vehicles exempt from registration. A vehicle, even though operated upon a highway of this state, is exempt from registration if any of the following applies:
(23) The vehicle is a motor bicycle or bicycle, except as provided in s. 349.18.

343.05(3)(c)
(c) No person may operate a moped or motor bicycle unless the person possesses a valid operator's license or a special restricted operator's license issued under s. 343.135 or a restricted license issued under s. 343.08. A license under this paragraph does not authorize operation of a moped or motor bicycle if the license is revoked, suspended, canceled or expired.

 

[Barnfresh]

349.18 Additional traffic-control authority of counties and municipalities.

(2)Any city, town or village may by ordinance enacted pursuant to s. 349.06 regulate the operation of bicycles and motor bicycles and may by ordinance require registration of any bicycle or motor bicycle owned by a resident of the city, town or village, including the payment of a registration fee.

(3) Any county, by ordinance, may require the registration of any bicycle or motor bicycle owned by a resident of the county if the bicycle or motor bicycle is not subject to registration under sub. (2). Such ordinance does not apply to any bicycle or motor bicycle subject to registration under sub. (2), even if the effective date of the ordinance under sub. (2) is later than the effective date of the county ordinance. A county may charge a fee for the registration.

History: 1977 c. 116, 288; 1983 a. 243, 288, 343, 538; 1985 a. 135, 197, 298, 332; 1989 a. 167; 1993 a. 246; 1995 a. 138; 1997 a. 27; 2013 a. 20, 106; 2015 a. 125.

Cities and villages cannot license bicyclists, create bicycle courts, or impound bicycles in the absence of express legislative authorization. 66 Atty. Gen. 99.

https://docs.legis.wisconsin.gov/se...&filter=biennium:2017&filter=doctype:statutes

 

[bakaneko]

349.18 Additional traffic-control authority of counties and municipalities.

(2)Any city, town or village may by ordinance enacted pursuant to s. 349.06 regulate the operation of bicycles and motor bicycles and may by ordinance require registration of any bicycle or motor bicycle owned by a resident of the city, town or village, including the payment of a registration fee.

(3) Any county, by ordinance, may require the registration of any bicycle or motor bicycle owned by a resident of the county if the bicycle or motor bicycle is not subject to registration under sub. (2). Such ordinance does not apply to any bicycle or motor bicycle subject to registration under sub. (2), even if the effective date of the ordinance under sub. (2) is later than the effective date of the county ordinance. A county may charge a fee for the registration.

History: 1977 c. 116, 288; 1983 a. 243, 288, 343, 538; 1985 a. 135, 197, 298, 332; 1989 a. 167; 1993 a. 246; 1995 a. 138; 1997 a. 27; 2013 a. 20, 106; 2015 a. 125.

Cities and villages cannot license bicyclists, create bicycle courts, or impound bicycles in the absence of express legislative authorization. 66 Atty. Gen. 99.

https://docs.legis.wisconsin.gov/search/results?q="Motor+bicycle"&filter=biennium:2017&filter=doctype:statutes

yeh, counties can require registration. is there a specific one that requires this? i check most counties around milwaukee city and they don't care.

 

[neverumind nevertell]

hello

I am not sure what happened the first time I tried to post a question but anyway this is what I wanted to know I see here that you were pulled over in Appleton Wi I realize this was way back in 2010 and it is now 2018 but what I am wondering is first thing was the bike you were riding a gas powered motor added to a pedal bike or was it a electric hub motor on a pedal bike cause I think it would make a big difference to the cops and that's who I am wondering and worried about as I am building an electric hub motor chopper right now and I too live in Appleton Wi and I am wondering if the cops are going to be a problem I plan on using it only on main streets with bike lanes and I do not plan on going very fast either just enough to get to where I need to go 20mph tops and I plan on traveling when it is not as busy on the roads course I suppose the more traffic the harder it will be for the cops to mess with me too anyway I am just wondering if you or anyone else in Appleton has been harassed by the police cause they are every where here we actually have too many cops here you cant go 2 blocks without seeing one a city cop or sheriff or one of the little town cops and that stupid community cop what a pain he is anyway any help would be greatly appreciated thanks sincerely neverumind

 

[Barnfresh]

hello

I am not sure what happened the first time I tried to post a question but anyway this is what I wanted to know I see here that you were pulled over in Appleton Wi I realize this was way back in 2010 and it is now 2018 but what I am wondering is first thing was the bike you were riding a gas powered motor added to a pedal bike or was it a electric hub motor on a pedal bike cause I think it would make a big difference to the cops and that's who I am wondering and worried about as I am building an electric hub motor chopper right now and I too live in Appleton Wi and I am wondering if the cops are going to be a problem I plan on using it only on main streets with bike lanes and I do not plan on going very fast either just enough to get to where I need to go 20mph tops and I plan on traveling when it is not as busy on the roads course I suppose the more traffic the harder it will be for the cops to mess with me too anyway I am just wondering if you or anyone else in Appleton has been harassed by the police cause they are every where here we actually have too many cops here you cant go 2 blocks without seeing one a city cop or sheriff or one of the little town cops and that stupid community cop what a pain he is anyway any help would be greatly appreciated thanks sincerely neverumind

What you are talking about building is legit, it’s defined as a motor bicycle, not to be confused with a moped. It’s still a bicycle only with a motor added on so it doesn’t need all of the dot safety equipment that a moped is required to have.

Print this out and carry it with you to show the community wanna be cop when you get pulled over and they start hassling you for not having turn signals or whatever other “motor vehicle” safety equipment they start reciting you need.
http://legis.wisconsin.gov/lc/publications/act/2009/act122-sb137.pdf

Here’s what the city of Madison has to say about “electric bicycles”.
http://www.cityofmadison.com/trafficEngineering/documents/ElecBikeLawsWeb20130520v.pdf

Note you may want to get your bicycle registered in the city or town you live in.

There are currently a couple of bills in the works to update Wisconsin Ebike laws.
You can read more about it here.
http://wisconsinbikefed.org/blog/2018/01/31/electric-bike-bills-now-in-the-hopper/