Scooter Crack Down!

[yoothgeye]

I just read an article from the paper yesterday, it seems like the police are finally going to do something about the illegal scooters all over the roads around here. In NC anyone 16 and over can operate a 49cc or smaller scooter that does not exceed 30mph (on a flat road) regardless of if you have a license or not, EVEN IF your license has been revoked. I don't like this law as I believe those with revoked licenses should have lost the privilege of driving on the road, regardless of vehicle. This is the way it was when I grew up in VA, revoked license = no moped/scooter!

Anyway, there are a lot of scooters being operated on the roads right now that are bigger than a 49cc and/or are exceeding the maximum speed. The article says that they have a week or 2 to register their over 49cc scooters. After the week or 2, officers are going to start stopping scooters and checking for compliance, if their scooter needs to be registered they will give them a warning to get it done. After a month, NO MORE WARNING, they will just get a ticket and probably impounded. The tickets could really add up, start with driving an unregistered vehicle, then uninsured vehicle, then driving without a license or with revoked license, etc...

This will be good (in my opinion), and I foresee a run on 49cc scooters and mopeds.

 

[highship]

I'd like to see it happen around here too. The animals around here that ride those things think that every right for cars, bikes, and pedestrians applys to them. They use the trafic lanes when its convienient but when the lights turn red they are using the crosswalks. I see them on the sidewalks, going the wrong way down one ways, running lights, and ignoring every trafic sign.
Wonder if they will be required to insure it now?
I'd be lying if I said I haven't been tempted to clip one of them with the car.

 

[Rat Rod]

I wonder how the police will determine what size the engines are.

 

[highship]

Maybe the registration will have it listed??? I have an ATV the the state of Ma requires you to register and the CC's are on the reg.

 

[yoothgeye]

The under 49cc engines will not have registrations, so the police will have to look at the ID plate on the scooter or the stamping on the engine. If they are suspect, they will probably just write them up. Also, if they clock them going over 30mph, it doesn't matter what size the engine, it will be considered a motorcycle. A lot of guys have been buying the Chinese 150cc scooters and removing the "1" from the body of the scooter.

If the vehicles require a registration they will require insurance and the driver must have a license and motorcycle endorsement.

 

[Willg]

I run a vintage Puch moped with some mods....They cant really tell as the side panel has 50cc on it but you can get kits to boost it up to 70...they would never know the difference unless you were caught speeding.

 

[CCR]

Certain states you don't have to license scooters under 50cc, some restrict the speed to under 30. When the Honda metropolitans came out they made a metropolitan ii a couple years later, same scooter with a restrictor plate on it. They flopped in sales and the dealers were selling them for $900. You could buy one at half the cost of the faster scoots and in 30 minutes you were just as fast. The roller weights were different to but didn't make much difference.

Around here all the DUI folks are the ones slapping 2 stroke kits on their bikes :lol:

 

[Sinner4]

Around here all the DUI folks are the ones slapping 2 stroke kits on their bikes :lol:

Same here, my neighbor who has a DUI just stopped in. Huffy Cranbrook did 41 in a 35. Ya, he has a speed sprocket.

 

[outskirtscustoms]

In our state they have started making you register your scooter which isn't a big deal ($25 a year) but I think eventually they are going to kill the scooter market. The way I look at it if I am limited to 30 MPH I might as well ride a bike. And if you go bigger and have to get a motorcycle endorsement why ride a scooter? I used to have all kinds of scooters growing up before the law change and I will admit I nearly killed myself a few times experimenting with different mods and tuning of 2 stroke scooters and going 75 MPH+ on a scooter while doing a wheelie! :mrgreen:

 

[CCR]

I had my metropolitan up to 45 mph just with a couple quick tricks, that's pretty scary on 10" wheels. There are plenty of scooters at 150cc and less that will hit 70mph from the dealers. Illinois has motorcycle endorsements, 1) you can operate a cycle up to 249cc. 2) above 249cc. That said theres tons of 300cc bikes around for sale, people buy them to take the mc test and get the higher open cc endorsement and then go out and buy a two wheeled rocket.

I dont think anything will "kill" the scooter market, too many lazy people who dont want to pedal but cant handle a motorcycle out there. The Chinese stuff is super cheap, but usually needs replaced yearly. Thats about the only thing bad about the scooter market I can see.

On another note, locally you can pay $25 and get a sticker so you can drive your golf cart around town, it gets aggravating quick having to dodge old people on golfcarts, almost as aggravating as dodging the kids on 4 wheelers ... scooters are a minor concern in comparison.

 

[yoothgeye]

I saw an ad on Craigslist a couple years back where a guy had an over 50cc scooter and was offering it to people ($50 a turn) to take their motorcycle endorsement test on since there were no gears to shift they could easily follow the line and in and out of the cones and stop with ease. I thought that was a pretty good idea, he would just meet them at the DMV.

 

[CCR]

I know exactly what you mean, there's a handful of old hondamatics that i bet 50% of the people in this county have taken the test on :mrgreen:

I took the MC safety class about 10 years ago, 2 days and at the end you take the test there (on their bikes) instead of having to go to the dmv. Ive heard the wait list is almost a year long nowadays.

 

[outskirtscustoms]

Those old hondamatics are nice bikes. I remember I actually learned to ride on a '79 Yamaha xs-400 which was a piece and spent more time in the shop than on the road and in less than a week I upgraded to a Honda 750 magna then a sabre then a full dress goldwing then years later a shadow. I still have a soft spot for Hondas.

 

[mikeeebikey]

Around here all the DUI folks are the ones slapping 2 stroke kits on their bikes :lol:

Same here, my neighbor who has a DUI just stopped in. Huffy Cranbrook did 41 in a 35. Ya, he has a speed sprocket.

Same story here.
Only real problem is the stupidio's decided to start building and selling pedal assisted bikes, only they never stopped drinking! So they drill holes thru frames to mount the motor because, (you're gonna love this) the clamp didn't fit!!!!! I could go on and on about the shoddy, could kill you work I have seen on pedal assisted bikes. They should be outlawed just to protect people from themselves.
If it will achieve and maintain 20mph you need disc brakes, shock absorber(s), strong wheels, and some kind of vision protection. A frame suited to "motorbike," speeds would be a smart move.

 

[outskirtscustoms]

Yeah I wouldn't put a motor on a huffy cranbrook to start with, cheap parts and poor quality + going fast with a motor= catastrophic failure. I'd at least start with a Schwinn frame so you have a chance of survival.