MOPEDS on ROADS

[jd4320t]

I say let them be! Let farmers be! Let people drive what they can! Please no more restrictions!

In the area of Indianapolis I live in I often get stuck behind bicyclists. Heck, sometimes there is even a young couple pushing a stroller and walking their two dogs. Should they be registered and have insurance? They are holding up traffic due to the lack of sidewalks. When driving an automobile there will always be something in your way. Whether it be another vehicle, a tractor, a motorcycle, a bicycle or a pedestrian.

I know at times on my own bicycle that I don't have any choice but to hold up traffic, when there isn't anywhere else to go. I've driven just about every piece of farm equipment you can on the road and people suck. They don't care one bit that you are trying to work and it's your right to use the road.

Also, the Honda Ruckus rocks and I want one!

 

[IndySSD]

I say let them be! Let farmers be! Let people drive what they can! Please no more restrictions!

In the area of Indianapolis I live in I often get stuck behind bicyclists. Heck, sometimes there is even a young couple pushing a stroller and walking their two dogs. Should they be registered and have insurance? They are holding up traffic due to the lack of sidewalks. When driving an automobile there will always be something in your way. Whether it be another vehicle, a tractor, a motorcycle, a bicycle or a pedestrian.

I know at times on my own bicycle that I don't have any choice but to hold up traffic, when there isn't anywhere else to go. I've driven just about every piece of farm equipment you can on the road and people suck. They don't care one bit that you are trying to work and it's your right to use the road.

Seriously, I grew up riding mopeds. There are guidelines that moped riders (49.5cc and lower) have to follow just like the rest of us motorists. The problem is that no one is making them follow these rules/laws that are already in place.

I'm actually shocked at the people who believe "we just need to enforce the gun laws we have, not create new ones to deter crime" are actually advocating the government adding more laws, requirements, fee's and taxes to a mode of transportation which already has guidelines.

Why not just enforce the guidelines that are already there?

 

[Ogre]

Scooters/mopeds, just like anything else, if used improperly can cause problems. I can't see requiring more regulation as any kind of a solution. All that would do is penalize the people that are trying to use them properly. (Does that sound familiar) Nearly every complaint I've read about them could be addressed by enforcing laws that already exist. I actually own one myself. I bought a Honda Ruckus brand new back in 2006 when gas was extra high. It paid for itself in two years using it for commuting when weather permitted. I could have bought a used 150cc or 250cc scooter for what I paid for mine but I chose not to for the very reason of not having to get insurance or registration. I still use it from time to time to drive to work. When I do, I get a kick out of parking it amidst all Harleys knowing that the thing would literally run off the fumes from their exhaust. I've even gone on a few road trips with it. If you've never driven a quality scooter, you'd be surprised how much fun they can be.

When they outlaw scooters, only outlaws will have scooters.

I agree!... boo! to those demanding more govt. bullying because they are inconvenienced or because they have to pay their govt. bribe(liscense, plates...)!

And BTW, It irritates me to no end to hear the phrase "Driving is a privelege, not a right".... "F" that!

 

[Knife Lady]

Until is it changed I still think mopeds since they have a motor should abide by any law that pertains to them and that any LEO should enforce the law. Pedestrians and strollers is not what this thread is about or lack of sidewalks. You have to register a little boat with a 5hp engine why not a moped. To me this is not even about more Govt being involved it is about yes if the rule applies it applies to all. This is nothing to do with Firearms being registered either, just simply about mopeds. Too many kids misuse these things and they can be very dangerous for them. I have seen kids as young as 10 and 11 yrs old on them and sometimes with more than one on the moped. I also agree that if a person lost their privilege or right to drive for a DUI then why allow him/her to continue to drive on the road with a moped? This is wrong and it is abusing the system.

 

[IndySSD]

Until is it changed I still think mopeds since they have a motor should abide by any law that pertains to them and that any LEO should enforce the law.

Jules: Shoot Nife Lady! That's all you had to say!


Even though I believe there is a good bit to be said for allowing Darwinism to run it's course, even if I have to be inconvenienced by slowing down from time to time.

 

[Jack Ryan]

The roads that got put through our fields without us being able to do anything about it? We should have to pay a tax to use a road that is going over land that was taken from us?

I highly doubt you owned the land when that road was put in. If it's a county road and the land owner at the time was NOT compensated the road was put in at the land owners convenience. That's why county roads travel straight for a mile and suddenly have a couple 90 degree turns for no apparent reason. They normally followed the property line between owners at the land owners descretion. The farmers of the time were more than happy to have the whole county paying for and building a road they figured they would use more than any one else.

If the land was taken under imminent domain they were compensated for it and their corn field is no more important than the people's homes they lived in for decades that were destroyed to build 465 or lake Monroe. They still need a ramp pass to put a boat on it.

 

[k12lts]

4Sarge got is right in post #5. There are already plenty of laws on the books to deal with mopeds, but most PDs don't enforce them.

 

[XMil]

Random thoughts:

I don't think they should be licensed, neither should cars. I'm 50/50 on licensing drivers, but you should only have to get a license once. Ever.

I'd like to have one, but I don't want everybody looking at me and thinking DUI.

Get used to them, as America devolves into a third world country there will be more and more of them.

 

[Knife Lady]

Jules: Shoot Nife Lady! That's all you had to say!

Please explain what this means?

 

[ATOMonkey]

If everyone drove a motorcycle or scooter we wouldn't have this problem.

No more cages!!!

 

[Blue Tile Spook]

They are regulated by statute in Indiana. Enforcement is the issue for concern.

Indiana Moped Laws

Moped Definition
A moped, or "Motorized bicycle," is a two (2) or three (3) wheeled vehicle, that is propelled by an internal combustion engine or a battery powered motor. If it is powered by a motor, the engine have less than two horsepower, a cyclinder capacity less than 50c.c., an automatic transmission, and a maximum speed less than 25mph on a flat surface. Electric mopeds are only required to travel less than 25mph on a flat surface.
Mini Choppers
Mini choppers are usually classfied as motorcycles because they may not meet all the requirements above to be classified as a moped. Since they are classified as motorcycles, they are required to have a license plate, proof of insurance, and the rider must have a motorcycle endorsement on his or her driver's license.
Moped Licensing Information
Moped operators must be atleast fifteen years old, and they must possess a Bureau of Motor Vehicles (BMV) issued license or identifaction card. No motorcycle license is required to operate a moped.
Safety Information and Laws
Everyone under the age of 18 is required to wear a helmet and eye protection while riding on a moped. The protective headgear that is worn must meet the requirements set by the USDOT. The protective eyewear required can be a pair of protective glasses, goggles, or a transparent face shield. All operators under the age of 18 who ride on motorcycles must also wear a helmet and eye protection.
Mopeds cannot be operated on sidewalks or Interstate highways.

Anyone caught riding a motorcycle without the proper registration or equipment will be given a ticket and the motorcycle will be impounded until it is licensed and insured correctly. The fines for these violations will range between $112.00 to $132.00 dollars.
Mopeds are also required to abide by the following laws regarding the operation of vehicles on public land: Brakes are required that are capable of producing deceleration at 14 feet per second on level ground at a speed of 20 miles per hour.
Vehicles cannot be used to hunt, kill, or pursue a wild bird or any wild or domestic animal
An individual shall not operate a vehicle 30 minutes after sunset to 30 minutes before sunrise without having a lighted headlight and taillight
An individual shall not operate a vehicle unless the vehicle has a muffler in good working condition and in continual operation to prevent excessive or unusual noise and annoying smoke.
A person who violates these statues commits a Class C Infraction or a Class B Misdemeanor.
Vehicle Registration If you are renewing a registration, you will pay an excise tax fee (perhaps a sur and wheel tax if applicable to your county) and a registration fee. You can renew a standard vehicle registration, along with many other transactions, at any license branch in the state of Indiana. All registrants are required to provide the name of their current insurance company and their corresponding policy number.
If you have purchased a vehicle, State law requires Indiana residents to remit a 7% Indiana sales tax on vehicle purchases. Motorists who purchase a vehicle from an out-of-state dealer or from an individual must pay sales tax at the time of title application. Motorists must apply for a title within 31 days of purchase. Failure to do so will result in a late fee.
If you are a new Indiana resident, you are required to have a certificate or origin, odometer statement, proof of insurance, and a verification of your Social Security number.

There is a difference between a MoPed and a Scooter.

MoPed ~ capable of below 25 mph, less than 50 cc, and less than 2 hp

Scooter ~ Anything capable of attaining over what a MoPed is.

Most of the "MoPeds" that people are talking about are actually scooters, or as the law would refer to them, motorcycles. Motorcycles have to be titled, plated and have insurance to operate on the roads.

We have about 5 or 6 tractors on the farm. Do you think we should have to plate those too?

I don't know if the State still sells them, but I know that in 1996 that the State was selling tractor license plates. A person mounted them above their "slow moving vehicle" sign on the tractor. Most/many/all farmers that I encountered never bought them and no LEO/LEA's complained. IIRC, it was called a "special machinery plate".

 

[IndySSD]

Jules: Shoot Nife Lady! That's all you had to say!

Please explain what this means?

It's an adapted quote from Jules (Samuel L. Jackson) in Pulp Fiction.

Basically it means everything would be cool if that had been all you said..... (If LEO enforced the existing guidelines basically) IE: if everyone was required to adhere to the guidelines of the Moped laws that already exist (Linked by Blue Tile) then I think this whole debate would not have ever existed.

 

[IndyMonkey]

I have seen a Leo in Indy enforce moped laws. Dumbass breaking the law on the scooter had a warrant.

 

[ATOMonkey]

I have seen a Leo in Indy enforce moped laws. Dumbass breaking the law on the scooter had a warrant.

THAT'S PROFILING!!!!

 

[theweakerbrother]

THAT'S PROFILING!!!!

It's more than profiling...

 

[Knife Lady]

It's an adapted quote from Jules (Samuel L. Jackson) in Pulp Fiction.

Basically it means everything would be cool if that had been all you said..... (If LEO enforced the existing guidelines basically) IE: if everyone was required to adhere to the guidelines of the Moped laws that already exist (Linked by Blue Tile) then I think this whole debate would not have ever existed.

OK thank you.

 

[Ahgo]

I hate mopeds. First of all, I don't like following them when they can't go the speed limit. The fact that they think that they have the same rights on the road that I do is stupid. I also agree with the member that acknowledged that many moped drivers are below the legal age. I've seen too many young kids riding them on the highway while not being aware of the "rules of the road".

 

[Benny]

I highly doubt you owned the land when that road was put in. If it's a county road and the land owner at the time was NOT compensated the road was put in at the land owners convenience. That's why county roads travel straight for a mile and suddenly have a couple 90 degree turns for no apparent reason. They normally followed the property line between owners at the land owners descretion. The farmers of the time were more than happy to have the whole county paying for and building a road they figured they would use more than any one else.

If the land was taken under imminent domain they were compensated for it and their corn field is no more important than the people's homes they lived in for decades that were destroyed to build 465 or lake Monroe. They still need a ramp pass to put a boat on it.

Compensated in what way? The land was taken and a few dollars were thrown in their face...No way were they compensated in a manner that both parties were happy.

 

[jd4320t]

Maybe we can let the kids be kids and hope they make some good decisions. Maybe they will be better motorcycle operators when they get older after honing their moped/scooter skills LEO's don't see all the bad stuff we do in our cars and we can't expect them to see all the moped/scooter laws being broken either. If they tried I'm guessing there would be a LOT of people wondering why they were focusing on mopeds/scooters and not REAL crime.

As far as people with DUI's, they are also operating inside the law. Why do we need to kick them when they are down and make life harder?? If they are out on the street then they've already did their time, paid their fines and they are free. If they can still have a mode of transportation and brave the elements like weather and traffic then good for them.

 

[Cemetery-man]

Damn. You mean I can only operate my moped if I've had a DUI? And to think I thought I was doing it to save money on gas and wear and tear on my vehicle. Hmm.. let's see, put a gallon of gas in my car and drive 20 miles. Put a gallon of gas in my moped and drive for a couple of months. The anti's can complain about mopeds all they want, I'll just smile and wave as I pass them at the pump, again and again and again......