What's the penalty for taking a non freeway legal bike on the freeway?

[HeatXfer]

Ridicule

 

[CDONA]

If you can get past the GG bridge north, everything opens up to secondary roads that will get you anywhere. Been there on my Honda 90, , ,

 

[matty]

This is a timely thread for me, I was just looking at a map trying to figure out a route to Santa Barbara or LA that wouldn't touch one bit of freeway. I think it can be done, but I need better maps and BLM maps.

 

[Gabe]

People have touched on this, but to be clear, in California, every public road is a "highway" for vehicle code purposes. A "freeway", I suppose, is limited-access roadway with on or offramps. These have signs telling you no pedestrians, bicycles, and motor-driven cycles. A Grom, since it has less than 150cc, is a motor-driven cycle per the CVC.

So what I'm saying, as long as you don't go past one of those signs, you're not breaking the law. You can't do the Bay Bridge, but you can hit the GG Bridge if you enter at the toll plaza and exit at alexander avenue, though it's possible this has changed with the new median.

From there, you can go all the way up the coast to at least Fort Bragg. I think you could also go all the way south to at least SLO.

 

[Kornholio]

Take 1 to SLO and then 227 will cut you past the 101 part back to 1 at Arroyo Grande. You're screwed once you get to Las Cruces, though.

There's literally a backway from the bay area all the way to SD if you're willing to take the long route.

 

[Guoseph]

People have touched on this, but to be clear, in California, every public road is a "highway" for vehicle code purposes. A "freeway", I suppose, is limited-access roadway with on or offramps. These have signs telling you no pedestrians, bicycles, and motor-driven cycles. A Grom, since it has less than 150cc, is a motor-driven cycle per the CVC.

So what I'm saying, as long as you don't go past one of those signs, you're not breaking the law. You can't do the Bay Bridge, but you can hit the GG Bridge if you enter at the toll plaza and exit at alexander avenue, though it's possible this has changed with the new median.

From there, you can go all the way up the coast to at least Fort Bragg. I think you could also go all the way south to at least SLO.

Interesting, never looked at those signs before. San Mateo bridge possible? Wonder if there is a sign near Monterey for Hwy1 where it transitions to "freeway".

I might still avoid anything with an on/off ramp to reduce chances of being ass packed by an 18 wheeler but going across GG bridge on a Grom would be nice.

 

[matty]

There's literally a backway from the bay area all the way to SD if you're willing to take the long route.

For sure, it's the journey not the destination I was thinking crossing the Corrizo (sp?) plain on a grom might be fun and then taking goat roads trails over the Santa Ynez mountains.

I remember seeing a kid on a moped on Parkfield grade, the dirt part, he was riding to SF from Simi Valley on a tiny moped, loaded to the gills.

 

[mrzuzzo]

Interesting, never looked at those signs before. San Mateo bridge possible? Wonder if there is a sign near Monterey for Hwy1 where it transitions to "freeway".

I might still avoid anything with an on/off ramp to reduce chances of being ass packed by an 18 wheeler but going across GG bridge on a Grom would be nice.

San Mateo bridge & 92 up to 280 is a "freeway", so not possible.

Hwy 1 is a freeway around Pacifica, Santa Cruz, and Monterrey. By the time you see the sign you're already on the freeway.

I'd still do it.

 

[dravnx]

Go for it. People have gone coast to coast on lawn mowers and ultralights. If there's a way to do it, some dumb ass will do it.

 

[planegray]

Go for it. People have gone coast to coast on lawn mowers and ultralights. If there's a way to do it, some dumb ass will do it.

and; bicycles ! what's point of THAT ? I think people have even walked across the country.. at least Forrest Gump did.....people need to do smarter stuff

I even heard of people riding on some kinda "TAT" across the country... ffs there are INTERSTATE HIGHWAYS people !! get on the road !!

 

[clutchslip]

right about now, I guess I need to point out that you DO ride a motorcycle...right ?

Y U no hart moto-bixe?
I wouldn't take my lawn tractor on the freeway and it has 28 hp! I ride my S1000RR on the freeway. But, I don't take my S1000RR to ride Carnegie or Hollister parks. There's a process here. I'll explain it to you when you're older.

Hwy 1 is a freeway around Pacifica, Santa Cruz, and Monterrey. By the time you see the sign you're already on the freeway.

I'd still do it.

Why? You can ride around those spots without being on the freeway. It's a lot different from when I rode the 80 from LA to Corvallis, but I bet you can still get almost anywhere without doing freeways. It will just take some planning .... and time.

 

[mrzuzzo]

Why? You can ride around those spots without being on the freeway. It's a lot different from when I rode the 80 from LA to Corvallis, but I bet you can still get almost anywhere without doing freeways. It will just take some planning .... and time.

Yeah, we did that through Monterrey on the way to Big Sur and it took a lot of time that we could have spent in the twisties or at least at the campground. If it means saving 40 minutes on small streets with a bunch of stop signs and traffic lights, I don't see the problem.

 

[mean dad]

I just passed a guy riding a Grom on Hwy 4. We took the same exit, and I asked how often he rode the freeway. Said he rides it every day to work, 50 miles one way. I laughed and told him that was hella illegal, and he said he had the 180cc kit installed so it was cool...I did not follow up with questions about different reg's, DMV, etc. I didn't really give a fuck if he was ridin dirty or not.

Looks like the kind of bike that I would enjoy being an asshole on.

 

[russ69]

I thought about this for a time. If you are not impeding traffic I don't think anybody will care.

 

[mrzuzzo]

I just passed a guy riding a Grom on Hwy 4. We took the same exit, and I asked how often he rode the freeway. Said he rides it every day to work, 50 miles one way. I laughed and told him that was hella illegal, and he said he had the 180cc kit installed so it was cool...I did not follow up with questions about different reg's, DMV, etc. I didn't really give a fuck if he was ridin dirty or not.

Looks like the kind of bike that I would enjoy being an asshole on.

Yeah, definitely not legal.

Sidewalk, crosswalk, boardwalk... the Grom makes you want to ride on it all!

 

[Gabe]

So a question for LEOs: if the law says anything over 150cc is a motorcycle and go on divided freeways, does that mean all you have to do is put on a big-bore kit and the Grom is legal?

CVC sec 405: A “motor-driven cycle” is any motorcycle with a motor that displaces less than 150 cubic centimeters.  A motor-driven cycle does not include a motorized bicycle, as defined in Section 406.

 

[Kornholio]

I'm interested in how that works too. Logic tells me that you'd have to actually have the DMV change the vehicle type in the system otherwise it really doesn't matter what you bolt on since on paper, it's still a motor-driven cycle.

 

[planegray]

So a question for LEOs: if the law says anything over 150cc is a motorcycle and go on divided freeways, does that mean all you have to do is put on a big-bore kit and the Grom is legal?

CVC sec 405: A “motor-driven cycle” is any motorcycle with a motor that displaces less than 150 cubic centimeters.  A motor-driven cycle does not include a motorized bicycle, as defined in Section 406.

is the big bore kit CARB approved ?

If not, then you've just exchanged one problem ( bike motor too small to legally be on a freeway) for another (violation of CA smog laws for licensed vehicles)

..................There's a process here. I'll explain it to you when you're older. .......................................

NOWw !! I need it NOW !!

 

[Gabe]

I'm interested in how that works too. Logic tells me that you'd have to actually have the DMV change the vehicle type in the system otherwise it really doesn't matter what you bolt on since on paper, it's still a motor-driven cycle.

Does it say on the title/reg "motor-driven cycle" vs. "motorcycle?"

is the big bore kit CARB approved ?

If not, then you've just exchanged one problem ( bike motor too small to legally be on a freeway) for another (violation of CA smog laws for licensed vehicles)

Ha! The CHP officer would them I guess, write you for illegal engine modification (is that now in the CVC?) and not cite you for driving on the freeway?





NOWw !! I need it NOW !!

 

[Kornholio]

Does it say on the title/reg "motor-driven cycle" vs. "motorcycle?"

Vehicle class is listed on your vehicle registration. I suspect it would say it, yes.

Also, I don't think a layman officer is going to be able to tell by looking at it that you put a big-bore kit on your Grom. He's just going to see a vehicle that the state classifies as a motor-driven cycle.