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“POCKET BIKES" (Mini-Motorcycles)
These are “mini-motorcycles”, or sometimes referred
to as “pocket-bikes.” They are becoming
increasingly popular with young adults in our
community, and you may have even seen someone riding
one down your street. But are they legal to ride?
Are they safe?
A Mini-motorcycle or “pocket-bike” is classified as a
motorcycle. However, most are not manufactured to
comply with the laws that allow them to be used
safely on public roadways. They also cannot be
registered as a legal motor vehicle. Accordingly,
the locations where they may be legally ridden are
very limited. Most retailers don’t share this
information with you, but that’s not an excuse for
you to be uninformed.
IMPORTANT THINGS TO KNOW – (these rules pertain to
both electric and gasoline powered
mini-motorcycles):
It
is for illegal
for anyone
to ride a mini-motorcycle on public property, (e.g.,
residential streets, sidewalks, parks, parking lots
open to the public, etc.)
Mini-motorcycles
may be ridden on private property, but
only with the owner’s permission
Anyone
riding a mini-motorcycle on a public street or other
public place may be issued a citation, and the
mini-motorcycle may be impounded
If
you require any additional information on
regulations pertaining to mini-motorcycles, feel
free to contact the Office of Special
Enforcement, Traffic Division at 310-458-8993.
This page was last modified on
01/26/2008
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