California scooter laws

[samuelet]

New Vino owner (first scooter) and spent pretty much a whole day trying to get straight info about what I need to do to be legal in California. Thought I'd share for anyone in a similar situation.

All scooters (even the 50cc's) are considered motorcycles in California and you must have a motorcycle endorsement on your drivers license. 149cc and below are "motor-driven cycles" which means you can't go on the freeway, but you still need a motorcycle endorsement. The only thing you can drive with no license is a Go-Ped (and probably those new Segway things, but who knows). Mopeds and motorized bicycles also require motorcycle licenses.

When you first apply you take a written test and get a motorcycle permit. Its good for a year during which time you can't ride on the freeway or carry passengers (not a huge problem with the Vino) and can't ride at night. When you take the skills test you get a regular license. There are two classes M1 (all motorcycles) and M2 (149cc and below) though its hard to see the difference in the tests (maybe it depends on which you use for the skills test).

50cc is the largest 2 stroke engine you can have. To operate on the street you need: headlight, taillight, front and rear brakes, turn signals, horn, two mirrors, a helmet. All motorcycles and scooters must have insurance (the state has a minimum liability requirement). You also must get your scooter registered at the DMV and get a license plate.

If this helps just one person it will make me incredibly happy, you don't know how much of a pain it was to find all this out. My scooter owning friends are sure that you need neither a motorcycle license or a license plate to operate a 50cc scooter in CA, but it turns out they're wrong (wait till they get caught). Having sorted through motorcycle, motor-driven cycle, motorized bicycle, moped, motorized scooter, and all the constelation of laws that go with each (not to mention two hours at the DMV)

[King Vino]

Oh G-d, not the CA thing again. No thread on the old boards was a greater pain in the tailpipe than the debate on CA motorcycle/scooter law. Jered you were around for that one, and I think Davey-Boi was too. Let's not end up with a repeat of that ordeal. Jered, you know the drill.

[Elliott]

This is Such A Great Thread it's Deserves it's Own TITLE!!!!!

You Know samuelet your Right? there was a Bill past not to long Ago on the 49CC for now on you have to have a license now for All Gas scooters, I found this out At the Dealership when i Got a New Scooter. A Vento, He said he could not sell the bike unless it gets Registered ,Insurance, license,license plates,Stickers all that came out to $3750 :eek: ,I got a Good Deal from the BOSS the Dealer Salesman asked him could he take off $1000 he came back with thumbs up! $2750 :) + DMV fees I Did not have to go to the DMV at my Dealership it's all taken care of.

I looked at the DMV, Thats old stuff Dude. It no longer matters now thats it's a 49cc or 50cc or 100cc, Must have license Now!! :eek:

P.S. I Love to ride my Scooter at Night Do it All the Time!! :)
as long as you have more lights added on the Scooter!!

It's Good to have A license,Insurance This way when your Hit with a little fender bender you have Good Coverage!! the other person May RUN!!

[King Vino]

Oh yeah here we go. Since I was smart enough to have stayed away from the last time we went through this, let me ask one thing Elliot for clarification for those of us who are far, far away from Cali (thank Jebus :0) there is no longer M1 and M2, there is only the motorcycle license? Because from the initial post stated everything required a motorcycle license it was just a matter of the endorsement on the motorcycle license that determines what you can ride with two wheels.

Geez I'm about to take a nap, I can only imagine what this thread is going to look like when I get up if traffic on the board isn't lite!

[Elliott]

KING VINO said -There is no longer M1 and M2, there is only the motorcycle license?

Elliott said- Thats great!! I always wonerded why there was 2 of them!! :D


Go ahead KING VINO gets some sleep!! you been So busy!! you deserve the rest! My Man!! HEHEHE :)

type to ya Soon!!

[King Vino]

Yeah, I better go and get the Tylenol out now.

[XPS1210]

Northern california (washington state--- those who live there know what I'm talking about)... Used to have 3 classes of motorcycle licenses... 0-200cc, 200-500cc-500 and above..

Trust me... Being that I have taken the beginner and advanced motorcycle courses.... there is a BIG difference in what the licenses were for...

Sorry but someone who rides a 49cc scooter can't hop onto a R1 and take off... Safely anyway...

There is a HUGE difference in a small, medium and large CC'd motorcycle...

Sorry but I agree with the multiple class of motorcycle license...

Example... In the advanced class I took... there were 2 R6's and a enduro 250 or something like that and me on my scooter... (the base requires it)...

one of the tests you have to complete is a double "U" turn box... it's like 14' x 14' and you enter on the far right, then make a U to the left and then one to the right, you end up facing the same way you came in but exit on the opposite corner of the box... all of us completed it but the instructor bet I couldn't do it in 1/4 of the box... he placed a cone in the middle of the box and asked me to try and make it... Which I did... I completed 2 "U" turns in 1/4 of the space that the other motorcycles could do it...

So there is a huge difference in a small, medium and large 2 wheeled vehicle...


So, thats the end of my rant...

[Elliott]

Jered DO you have to take the Motorcycle Drivers Test with the M,M licenses... or is there a written test....

Beginner and advanced motorcycle courses.... Now thats Great Skills jered you must have took years of the courses....

I Dont have any skills with them..

So you PASS it Real Easy!! the word that it is A 25 Questions on the Test I hope..

[Davey-boi]

hahaha, this was a looooooong thread on the old forums! Only because guys from other states kept confusing everybody! But Samuel is right, those are the rules in cali. No exceptions.

[scooterconvert]

I was under the impression that you could not take the skills test on anything under 150cc in Cali. Does anyone IN Cali know if this is true? I took my test on a Harley so I don't know the answer to this from experience.

[XPS1210]

I made a post about the motorcycle safety foundation... their web link is there as well as in my scootergarage profile...

Check that out instead of dealing with the state test... If you take a MSF class you don't need to take a state test to ride... You go in, hand them the course card and your good to go... walk out with the motorcycle license...

The riders courses I mentioned were MSF courses... they teach you basic and advanced skills needed to SAFELY ride on 2 wheels...

You'd be amaized for things that don't seam right actually work better than what you currently do... IE: press the handle bar the way you want to turn... want to turn right, litterally press on the right handle bar, the harder you press, the harder you'll turn.. This is at speeds above 15mph...

anyway... I recommend taking one of the courses but if you don't want to spend the time or money.. then you can take the state test...

I did a speach on transportation options and a unexperienced/untrained rider is 21% more likely to die from riding a motorcycle than driving a car... something like 97% of accidents are from "untrained" riders...

So it pays to take one of the safety courses! Trust me... and check out their web site...

[samuelet]

Sorry guys, didn't mean to open a can of worms. Never saw the old site.

To King Vino and Elliot--You guys are right, the only thing an M2 license is good for now is motorized bicycles. M1 is for all motorcycles and motor-driven cycles (149cc and below). I was mistaken (not helped by the fact that the website has the 2003 motorcycle handbook and the DMV has 2004)

Does anybody know about a minimum size requirement for the test? I don't really want to learn how to ride a big bike just so I can tool around town on my little 50cc scooter. I guess it would go the other way too. I could take the test on my Vino and drive away on a Harley? That seems somewhat crazy. Although I have seen ads for people willing to pay $50 to rent a scooter for their DMV test. Makes sense to me now...

[XPS1210]

yes... but those $50 people who ride scooters for the test... and really ride harley's... are the people who DIE as they can't properly handle a "REAL" motorcycle... or a scooter as far as that's concerned...

One more plug for the motorcycle safety foundation... heck, for those of us who are military... we are required to take the MSF course to even be allowed to ride on a military installation... So... believe me it's important...

http://www.msf-usa.org/ <---- is their web address... I am not affiliated with them.. and get nothing for sending you to them...

Other than the fact of knowing that the members here get the training they need to be safe while riding... I remember King Vino posting of 2 members in his local scooter club who have died from riding poorly... They might have learned a thing or two in one of these classes and still be alive today!

If you can afford the little money and time it takes to attend one of these classes... PLEASE DO SO... It litterally will save your life! and possibly others as well!

Just an example... Washington state it's ran through the DMV (they had a private company doing it but they got into trouble and it was pulled from them)... anyway... 16-17 year olds are $50.00 and 18 - older is $100.00 This also waves the riders test which is I think $15 in washington... So for $85 you are trained how to save your life while riding... Well worth it to me...

Also you don't have to take a written or riders test in most states with this... walk in and show your card (within 6 months in most places) and they take a picture and out you walk with a motorcycle license...

[King Vino]

I find that your typical cruiser (Fat Boy, Venture Star, etc...) riding motorcyclists tend to be a more mature and older rider base. I wouldn't worry about them as much as the younger riders, on the CBR-900, FZR-1000, a Katana or Ninja crotch rockets. In MAD, you can take your motor test on a 50cc scooter (without tags!) to get your license from the MVA but you need to pass the motorcycle safety foundation's class first, which is held and sponsored by the state and is now mandatory.

[scooterconvert]

"Does anybody know about a minimum size requirement for the test? I don't really want to learn how to ride a big bike just so I can tool around town on my little 50cc scooter."


Samuelet, I found out last night that the minimum size for the skills test at DMV is 150cc. But if you don't want to learn to ride a bigger bike, there is the option as was mentioned earlier to take the motorcycle safety course and bypass all the DMV stuff. Or maybe you have a buddy that has a bigger scoot that will let you borrow it for the test? When you show up for the test they will ask you for proof of insurance and registration for the bike. If you don't have it they won't let you take the test.

[Elliott]

Yeah!! I have insurance and registration for this bike

I have to admit the 150cc is a Very Large 13 inch wheels, As Big as it can get but that YAMAHA 2005 Majesty BOY thats a Big Big Bike , It makes This Bike Look like a Pocket Bike....HEHE :D

Do any body know if the DMV sends Plate in the mail, Or pick them up at the DMV. :rolleyes:

I here that the DMV Don't Send them out in the mail any more, something about them Getting Lost in the Mail.. :eek:

Great LINK JERED

[XPS1210]

I know here in alaska... you get them in the mail still... I got personal plates that way...

however I see the need to not do that as they also send the registration at the same time... Which is kinda dumb as it's really easy to change them as they are just printed on (in black) paper...

Oh well...

[samuelet]

Thanks convert for the info about the test requirements. That, plus all y'alls advice about the class, makes me think motorcycle drivers ed is in my future.

As to plates: when I registered my scooter (or started to, I have to get it inspected by the California Highway Patrol because it was a salvage title) they told me that when my registration was complete they would hand me the plates right then and there.

[King Vino]

I gotta hand it to y'all, this one didn't come anywhere close to being anything at all like the old CA law thread on the old boards, thank you all!

[XPS1210]

are we looking for a long debate?

[King Vino]

I see a post or two has been hard deleted between reply #19 & 20, so it's time to close this one down.