Pocket bikes banned from sale in California

Has anyone heard anything about this?

A local shop here in the San Francisco east bay told me that officials from C.A.R.B. (california air recources board) came in and told them that they had to get rid of all of their pocket bikes within a couple of weeks and that they would be fined $500 for each bike they still had after that.
A little web research hasn't turned up much except a few retailers with disclaimers saying they wont ship to Ca.
The C.A.R.B. web site doesn't seem to mention pocket bikes specifically, but turned up new rules controlling all "Small Off-Road Engines"(SORE) specifically any motor under 25h.p. intended for off-road use. I thought that engines under 50cc weren't regulated (hense the use of 49cc motors)

This really worries me, especially because no one seemes to be talking about it.

they SHOULDN'T be regulated - but Carb rules are probably more strict than EPA- i am trying to find the forms i had to fill out so you could have a look, sounds like BS to me, but hey - it is Kalifornia!

you know what would be funny, if shops disassembled the bikes and sold them in 'DIY kits' haha. they can't get fined for that

well, I posted this a month ago or maybe two month ago...............My friend's shop get rated by the CARB too............that is true........CARB is going around each shop owner for selling these China bikes since they are not smog legal. $500 for each found next time they return. This is what I do not get..........Why ban China pbs and not Euro pbs too? You can sell Euro pbs without any CARB messing with you but if you have a China pbs in your shop, BANG! slap you with a fine for them.........

this is just stupid...
i remeber G-divs thread, and they said the carb wasnt approved or something...
people seriously just try and find a way to make $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
thats all its about....

Does this mean the chainsaws,lawnmowers or weed wackers people use have to get carb approvals also?These are what the motors basically are.Just another way the government trying to control the small business owners.

heck yeah..........I call the CARB and they told me that the manufactories need to get a approveral from CARB. They do have permits issued for small engines. Each of them must then carry this small sticker with each bike. I do not see this happening since no right mind cag dealers will go throught this BS. By the time you get all these cags approved by the CARB, you will loss $$$ instead of making $$$...........No one will even buy them if the cag prices goes back up again............

Hey! You guys are talking about laws. Isn't it time for MinimotoPilot to swoop in and censor this discussion immediately?

god its all the morons faults that crashed and made there neighbors mad is the reason there ban over there and should of got on the track only

thats stupid they might as well ban everything that can move

Clearly, this is an entirely different subject.

However, if you would like to revisit your recent justification of buzzing around aimlessly through the streets and exactly why that discussion is not allowed here, that's a different issue, which you're more than welcome to send me PM about.

I can guarantee you this, there's not a Pocketbike website out there that would encourage, tolerate or promote riding in the street, but you're more than welcome to seek refuge elsewhere if you feel your entitlement issues regarding freedom of speech is being censored. Rest assured and be forewarned, the response you get from another site regarding such flagrantly irresponsible non-sense may not be quite as eloquent as mine.

If you're attempting to dicredit my actions in a previous thread, you're fighting a losing battle. I stand fully justified in everything I do and say regarding the sport of Minimoto.

PBP Staff

Keep it up with your smartass attitude and your access to PBP will be removed.

The subject is about laws, in this case whether you can run a 2cycle engine at all. I talked about this before and I was basically called chicken little. I think discussion of all laws related to pocketbikes and midbikes is relevant to us whether it is driving them or using them at all.


Buzzing around aimlessly is your opinion. I suppose you've never just taken a ride? How do you know I don't have a destination? Or maybe the aim is just to have fun. Either way, so what, if its not illegal. Which is what we were trying to determine through looking at the actual laws. Maybe it turns out that the laws support your postion, but we won't know because you ended the discussion. And by the way, I didn't start the thread. I posted some links to the relevant laws. If you notice, most of my posts are trying to help others, a few are jokes, and a few are dross I admit.

This is pretty much the "if you don't like it...leave" response I expected. Iam "welcome" to send you a pm, and Iam "more than welcome" to seek refuge elsewhere. Ok, maybe you're right. I just came here to talk to some other NW folks who ride and talk about the laws up here. I really don't need anything else from this site. And the rooms have become a little cold lately. So I'll look elsewhere for that and try not to bother you anymore.

Have a nice day.

Oh, and for you guys in Cali.... The sky IS falling...

Again, two totally different topics. The current topic covers CARB possibly regulating or banning sales of two-stroke machines, namely, Pocketbikes. The previous topic entailed what laws allow / disallow Pocketbikes to be operated in the streets. The problem arrises when people start quoting laws that specifically do not apply to Pocketbikes to suit their own agenda and/or justify riding in the street. They simply do not belong in the street under any circumstances.

I'm not entirely sure which is worse; buzzing around aimlessly or using a Pocketbike as a means of transportation.

I can honestly say that I have never operated any of my Minimoto's on a public, private or residential street. Anyone that I ride or race with can vouch for that fact. Granted, the closest track is just over an hour away, so if I need to test something or get some seat time, I head to an unpopulated parking lot out of public view, which I don't frequent very often at all since I'm at the track nearly every week.

So what if it is illegal? Operating your machine in the street poses an inherent risk to yourself and motorist like myself who would rather not lose countless years of sleep knowing that we killed someone irresponsibly operating a Pocketbike in the street.

Furthermore, everytime someone operating a Pocketbike in the street is injured or killed, it draws more negative attention to a sport that many have worked extremely hard to support and promote. A sport that you currently have no respect or regard for. "Currently" suggests that your views are subject to change and hopefully, they will.

No, that is your perception. I would encourage you to continue being a productive part of the community.

If you choose to ride in the streets, that's solely your decision and we cannot impose our will on anyone. However, we will not tolerate discussion which promotes or justifies irreponsible operation of Pocketbikes within the forums.

Cheers

The shop that I talked to that C.A.R.B. had harrassed had a whole wall of gopeds and tons of mod parts so I asked what was up with that since the motors are essetially the same and the owner told me that in the C.A.R.B. peoples own words "Goped has to many lawyers" which just goes to prove that this has less to do with smog than politics

Yup Go-Peds came out with a CARB legal, STRATO Charged motor from then on, no one bugs you cause they cant tell the difference between STRATO Charged Geo Motor or Not...But then again Go-Ped is just one company and its easier for them to come out with a base CARB legal ped, whereas its gonna be VERY hard to get CAG manifacturers to make a CAG that is CARB legal..IMO

The CARB is trying to ban more than pocketbikes. They want your weedeater too. Fortunately there are a flock of nice little 4stroke engines that will probably be able to get through the emissions hoop. Ryobi, Honda,and others.

And MinimotoPilot, Thank You, for your thoughtfull answer. I will think about what you've said. I just get a little burnt out on my rights being limited due to the stupidity of the least common denominator, thats all. I know Iam pretty smarta** sometimes, its what I do instead of yelling.

And Robert... If you're gonna ban me for being a smarta**. Ok, I'm used to it. My sarcasm doesn't sit well with some people.

ths is definitly a heated subject that i am sure we all can agree on, CARB is a government orginization(read "BULLY") looking for people with little $ and/or little legal representation(read "US")what we need is to fight these fools and find a way to shut them down. IF they were legit they would go after auto mfg making suv's and commuters FIRST. i wonder if the American Motorcycle Assocation would be on our side???

Now I'm even more confused why CARB is attacking pocket bike retailers.
More web research (and finding a related PBP thread "More BS in california about pocket bikes" More BS in California about pocket bikes ) seems to indicate to a loopole in the CARB SORE regulations allowing the sale of engines/vehicles intended for closed course competition.
Unlike a nonconforming weedwacker or chain saw Isn't that the only intended pupose of a pocket bike? They have never been intended for street use either.
I haven't as of yet been able to find the full text of the CARB SORE regulations (even on CARBs own website) but would like to confirm this.
This also leaves me wondering why retailers don't just use this clause to continue selling?

Does anyone know if the 4 stroke motors being sold in some of the china choppers and dirt bikes are CARB compliant and/or if they (the Chinese Manufacturers) are planing to release a sport bike version (the guy I bought my new R1/X7 from told me he had heard rumors of this)
The bikes I have seen with these motors all have 3 or 4 speed transmissions which IMOHO is the biggest thing missing from pocket bikes