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The article says they can go 30mph. The law in most US states says that speed makes it a motorcycle. In your home province of Ontario, it also makes it a motorc

The article says they can go 30mph. The law in most US states says that speed makes it a motorcycle. In your home province of Ontario, it also makes it a motorcycle. [1] In California, for example, that means helmet is required and the operator must have driver's license that includes motorcycle operation. This is why most ebikes sold in the US are limited to 20mph. So yeah, I don't get it. [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electric_bicycle_laws https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electric_bicycle_laws

sandworm101 8y ago
Cops never enforce these rules, at least not pre-accident. Pulling over a scooter, checking the license, and then checking the specifics of the vehicle, takes time. They have bigger fish to fry (speeding/parking tickets). In my area we have color-coded stickers on our license plates so that cops can see whether your insurance is still valid. It isn't a perfect system, but a special license plate for non-motorcycle things might make their job easier. Everyone without the special plate would need a motorcycle license. What really gets me angry is dealerships selling scooters, even full motorcycles, to people without appropriate licenses. You don't need a license to own a car/truck/motorcycle, only to use it. They know what they are doing when they sell a 250cc scooter to someone without a license.
- sokoloff 8y ago
  Given that you don’t need a license to own one, why would you be upset that a business sells them without checking for a license?
  - sandworm101 8y ago
    Because kids are buying bikes and riding them without licenses. They either get hurt or cause injury, which is a bigger financial deal given they won't have insurance coverage. During the first months of summer, cops also regularly pull over sportbikes because they know so many (most?) aren't properly licensed. Just as I would be liable for handing my keys to an unlicensed rider, businesses should not allow purchasers to drive away without a license.
    - deleted 8y ago
      [deleted]
    - sokoloff 8y ago
      IMO, the business ought to make clear “this vehicle does [or does not] require a license to operate on public roads”. After that, they’re not cops. I bought an airplane before I had a pilot certificate. It wasn’t illegal nor improper to sell that to me; it’s on me, not the seller, to comply with the law, IMO.
      - sandworm101 8y ago
        But did you climb into it on the seller's property and fly it away? They aren't cops, but they should still act like reasonable people. In most areas there is no law about selling scuba equipment. Scuba licenses aren't handed out by governments. But good luck buying regulators or getting a tank filled from a proper shop without showing some form of proof you aren't going to go kill yourself.
        nradov 8y ago
        I've purchased scuba equipment and tank fills from dive shops all over the world and have seldom been asked for a certification card.
        sandworm101 8y ago
        So have I, but we probably give the impression we know what we are talking about. Send a 16yo kid who doesn't know a thing and see if they sell to him. That happens at motorcycle shops every day.
    - olyjohn 8y ago
      So then they go out and get a license, and they still go get hurt or cause an injury. There's little to no real training required to get a motorcycle endorsement, or even a driver's license. As I always bitch and moan about... it needs to be WAY harder to get a license or motorcycle endorsement in the first place. We are constantly attacking the symptoms of the problem, and never going after the actual cause of the problem.
UncleSam 8y ago
The limit is 20mph for throttle powered electric bikes. The limit is at a higher 28mph for pedal-assist bikes.
dominotw 8y ago
So many ebikes, boosted boards, electric unicycle ect go over those speeds.

sandworm101 8y ago

Cops never enforce these rules, at least not pre-accident. Pulling over a scooter, checking the license, and then checking the specifics of the vehicle, takes time. They have bigger fish to fry (speeding/parking tickets). In my area we have color-coded stickers on our license plates so that cops can see whether your insurance is still valid. It isn't a perfect system, but a special license plate for non-motorcycle things might make their job easier. Everyone without the special plate would need a motorcycle license. What really gets me angry is dealerships selling scooters, even full motorcycles, to people without appropriate licenses. You don't need a license to own a car/truck/motorcycle, only to use it. They know what they are doing when they sell a 250cc scooter to someone without a license.

sokoloff 8y ago
Given that you don’t need a license to own one, why would you be upset that a business sells them without checking for a license?
- sandworm101 8y ago
  Because kids are buying bikes and riding them without licenses. They either get hurt or cause injury, which is a bigger financial deal given they won't have insurance coverage. During the first months of summer, cops also regularly pull over sportbikes because they know so many (most?) aren't properly licensed. Just as I would be liable for handing my keys to an unlicensed rider, businesses should not allow purchasers to drive away without a license.
  - deleted 8y ago
    [deleted]
  - sokoloff 8y ago
    IMO, the business ought to make clear “this vehicle does [or does not] require a license to operate on public roads”. After that, they’re not cops. I bought an airplane before I had a pilot certificate. It wasn’t illegal nor improper to sell that to me; it’s on me, not the seller, to comply with the law, IMO.
    - sandworm101 8y ago
      But did you climb into it on the seller's property and fly it away? They aren't cops, but they should still act like reasonable people. In most areas there is no law about selling scuba equipment. Scuba licenses aren't handed out by governments. But good luck buying regulators or getting a tank filled from a proper shop without showing some form of proof you aren't going to go kill yourself.
      - nradov 8y ago
        I've purchased scuba equipment and tank fills from dive shops all over the world and have seldom been asked for a certification card.
        sandworm101 8y ago
        So have I, but we probably give the impression we know what we are talking about. Send a 16yo kid who doesn't know a thing and see if they sell to him. That happens at motorcycle shops every day.
  - olyjohn 8y ago
    So then they go out and get a license, and they still go get hurt or cause an injury. There's little to no real training required to get a motorcycle endorsement, or even a driver's license. As I always bitch and moan about... it needs to be WAY harder to get a license or motorcycle endorsement in the first place. We are constantly attacking the symptoms of the problem, and never going after the actual cause of the problem.

UncleSam 8y ago

The limit is 20mph for throttle powered electric bikes. The limit is at a higher 28mph for pedal-assist bikes.

dominotw 8y ago

So many ebikes, boosted boards, electric unicycle ect go over those speeds.