Sorry, need to vent...

Jamie_Miles · Post by **Jamie_Miles** » Tue Jan 04, 2005 3:14 am

Ok, so I'm rideing along on my old Spree earlyer tonight around 10:00 PM not doing a d*** thing wrong when all a sudden I have blue lights behind me...

Now I was already dangerously low on gas and just as I rolled to a stop it ran out. Cop comes up to me and asks me very stearnly (practically yelled) "WHAT ARE YOU DOING?" to which I replyed "I was just going down to a friends house to see if he was home." About this time a SECOND cop pulls up behind the first one, so now I'm sitting here on a tiny little Spree with 2 cops cars behind me with there lights going and both of their spot lights aiming on me.

Second cop comes up and asked how old I am to which I told him 17. He asked If I had any identification, I gave him my Driver's Licens. The second I get it out of my wallet he just snatches it right out of my hand before I had a chance to hand it to him. He takes off back to his car and while hes back there the first practically screams "YOU KNOW YOU CAN'T DRIVE THIS ON THE STREET." I told him I have been doing it for about 6 months now and I pass by many cops everyday and none of them have ever said anything to me about it. About this time the second cop comes back up and hands me my licens back and asked if I had any registration or insurance on it. I told him it says on the Georiga government website that it says any moped under 50cc's does not have to have insurance or registration. Here is the link to that, scroll down to Mopeds: http://www.dmvs.ga.gov/drivers/generalDLinfo.asp

The first cop tells me that isn't right, it is no diffrent from a minibike and like a minibike, you cannot ride it on the road without registration and insurance. That is just tottally wrong. This is a copy and paste straight from the GA website: "Moped" means a motor driven cycle equipped with two or three wheels, with or without foot pedals to permit muscular propulsion, and an independent power source providing a maximum of two brake horsepower. If a combustion engine is used, the maximum piston or rotor displacement shall be 3.05 cubic inches (50 cubic centimeters) regardless of the number of chambers in such power source. The power source shall be capable of propelling the vehicle, unassisted, at a speed not to exceed 30 miles per hour (48.28 kilometers per hour) on level road surface and shall be equipped with a power drive system that functions directly or automatically only, not requiring clutching or shifting by the operator after the drive system is engaged."

A minibike has a clutch and requires shifting by the operator. Pretty distingwishable diffrence if you ask me.

Anyways, the second cop goes back to his car and drives off. The first cop tells me to get it home NOW and the next time he sees me out on it hes going "to throw me in jail".

So I try to start it back up and if you remember... it's outa gas and won't start. So then the cop says well maybe he should just impound it since it won't start and all this crap and I was just like no I'll push it home ...and I did.

Anyone besides me see something wrong with that hole situation? I was not violateing any laws and was just rideing home completely minding my own business when they stop me and practically make up their own non existent laws and tell me their going to "throw me in jail" if they see me on it again? *?

On the Georgia Government website it VERY clearly states that I was doing absolutely nothing wrong. That makes makes me mad.

Sorry for such a long ranting and raveing post but I REALLY needed to vent.

Post by **noiseguy** » Tue Jan 04, 2005 10:11 am

Typical a**hole cop, I used to get crap like this when I commuted on a bicycle. You might want to copy and carry the state regs on mopeds (just as you have here) with you to show police officers. Get the officers name and badge number (nicely).

Do not talk to the police officer any more than you have to, you have the right to remain silent. Use it. Show him your ID and the docs, and little else. Situations like this are where knowing a lawyer (even if you're just mowing his lawn) helps. Check the ACLU website, they have information on how to deal with law enforcement officials. A must-read.

Stop by www.mopedarmy.com; they might have more insight into this type of harassment.

Tippmann98 · Post by **Tippmann98** » Tue Jan 04, 2005 5:09 pm

Yes, that is BULL$**T. He had NO REASON to stop you (did he? lol) if you were obaying the rules of the road. That is strictly Harrassment, nothing but. I would strongly suggest filing a complainment or a suite agenst him. That was just uncalled for, dont let him get away with this crap.

burnt_toast · Post by **burnt_toast** » Tue Jan 04, 2005 10:44 pm

dont worry man, just be happy a scolding is all you got. unfortunately i did not get away so easily. here in texas mopeds have to be registered and insured just like any other vehicles... which is why i got something like a $500 ticket that i later did community service for it.

in your case, print out the rules you found and show it to the cops face if you ever get pulled over again. even if he does give you a ticket, you would win, and he cannot legally impound it without just cause.

Shane4188 · Post by **Shane4188** » Wed Jan 05, 2005 1:38 pm

That is absolute bullcrap. In the state of kentucky the rules are much the same as Georgia's. I would be extremely * off if I was pulled over. I never have been but I am waiting for the day when it happens. I'll have to print out the stated laws on mopeds like you mentioned. 50cc's under 2 brake horsepower are perfectly legal in kentucky, and the moped can't go over the speedlimit anyway so there is no way to get into any trouble.

Jamie_Miles · Post by **Jamie_Miles** » Wed Jan 05, 2005 9:17 pm

Well we called the local Police Station and they said if I get pulled over again, get the Officers name and Badge # and call them back. So I guess we'll see what happens...

Thanks Guys.

BluPhire · Post by **BluPhire** » Wed Jan 05, 2005 9:30 pm

That's pretty f***ed up, if that happened to me though, I would be in the wrong because its illegal for me to be riding it, but I still do. I mean, what am I supposed to do, give up the love of my life for the law? That's f***ing f***ed up!

Jamie_Miles · Post by **Jamie_Miles** » Thu Jan 06, 2005 9:29 am

BluPhire, I checked out your site, cool motorbike! Me and my friends thought about doing something similar to that with a old chainsaw engine but we never have gotten around to messing with it yet.

What kind of exaust pipe do you have on your Spree?

BluPhire · Post by **BluPhire** » Thu Jan 06, 2005 10:10 am

The Ehaust pipe on my Spree is one that i custom built, it kicks so much * doesn't it? I'm in the process of getting a Patent on the "Motorbike". thanks for checking it out and tell all of your friends ablout it, since no hits come up for it on search engines, I have to do all the promoting in person or online in forums and stuff like forums.

Matt Kruger
a.k.a. BluPhire

Jim · Post by **Jim** » Fri Jan 07, 2005 11:24 am

whats the website?

Jamie_Miles · Post by **Jamie_Miles** » Fri Jan 07, 2005 7:56 pm

http://freewebs.com/bluphire

BluPhire · Post by **BluPhire** » Fri Jan 07, 2005 11:39 pm

Check it out and let me know what you think of my "Project" and my Spree and just my website in general.

Matt Kruger
a.k.a. BluPhire

vette76 · Post by **vette76** » Sat Jan 08, 2005 10:32 am

nice idea cool bike. i did something like that a while ago. i extended a mountin bike frame and put a 5 horse gocart engine in the middle. it had a minibike rear end. wont do that again. you tended to get speed wobbles going 36 mph, and the suspension didnt help any.

Jim · Post by **Jim** » Sat Jan 08, 2005 12:31 pm

very nice! but how do you plan to get the power to the wheel?

Jim · Post by **Jim** » Sat Jan 08, 2005 12:32 pm

oops nvm i see now, hmm doesnt seem very stable, especially if you take a bump