You know.. those little motorcycles that you see in Pep Boys and Murrays that sell for about $300. These things are supposed to be all the rage in California, but I have YET to see anyone anywhere (street or track) actually ride one anywhere in the Midwest. Here in Chicago they're against the law (just like everythig else in this place) and I don't even know why they sell them here if they're illegal, but curiosity just happened to get the best of me. Has anyone here ever rode one of these things or know someone that has? If so, what was it like?

Yes, I've seen 'em a bunch of different places. I totally agree with your assessment of Chicago and legality, however, I think those things are pretty much illegal anywhere you go because they're not street certified (no brake light, turn signals, or headlight, meaning they're not insurable). I live in DuPage County, and here, cops have nothing better to do than scope for 15 year-old "law breakers" who ride them on public streets or sidewalks. I was driving through Joliet (Yikes!!!!) a few days ago, and I literally saw a group of about 10 black kids riding them down Rte. 30, and I about pissed myself laughing.

Btw, where do you live in Illinois?

After asking around and surfing the web for hours on end, I managed to find a place called Sugar Grove illinois that has a family fun park that is supposed to open sometime at the end of Febuary. Its about 50 miles outside Chicago and hopefully will be a big relief to the restrictions of our city's vehicular laws

From asking around I managed to find that there are a great many people here in Chicago that own vehicles that are illegal to drive on the streets, but they trailer them to places in other states (some of these places are over 6 hr drive away) and are pretty happy with it. Now that I know where some of these places are and where to look, all I have to do now is find the time to travel to them all :)

Originally posted by Dunkirk101
You know.. those little motorcycles that you see in Pep Boys and Murrays that sell for about $300. These things are supposed to be all the rage in California, but I have YET to see anyone anywhere (street or track) actually ride one anywhere in the Midwest. Here in Chicago they're against the law (just like everythig else in this place) and I don't even know why they sell them here if they're illegal, but curiosity just happened to get the best of me. Has anyone here ever rode one of these things or know someone that has? If so, what was it like?

This is the second thread by you about this sort of thing. You really long to ride a small motorized vehicle in Chigagoland.

You're right..Sorry about that :o

Originally posted by Dunkirk101
After asking around and surfing the web for hours on end, I managed to find a place called Sugar Grove illinois that has a family fun park that is supposed to open sometime at the end of Febuary. Its about 50 miles outside Chicago and hopefully will be a big relief to the restrictions of our city's vehicular laws

From asking around I managed to find that there are a great many people here in Chicago that own vehicles that are illegal to drive on the streets, but they trailer them to places in other states (some of these places are over 6 hr drive away) and are pretty happy with it. Now that I know where some of these places are and where to look, all I have to do now is find the time to travel to them all :)

Many Illinois residents bring various obnoxious machines to disturb the peace in Wisconsin. You are all welcome to visit, leave your wallets, and then go home.

ROFL :D

Originally posted by Imagineer
Many Illinois residents bring various obnoxious machines to disturb the peace in Wisconsin. You are all welcome to visit, leave your wallets, and then go home.

LMAO! It's so true.

One of the on air personalities on WTMJ radio apparently tells Illinois residents to through change out of their windows every so often for tolls (so says my mother).

Originally posted by Imagineer
Many Illinois residents bring various obnoxious machines to disturb the peace in Wisconsin. You are all welcome to visit, leave your wallets, and then go home.
We've got no choice seeing as to how we live in a terribly over-policed state. Our cops are total jerk offs, and that's NO exaggeration. I'm about 1 hour away from the Wisconsin border via 294, and because I have a few motor crossers (a KX 250 and a YZ 125) - I simply go there to avoid any headaches. Btw, see ya in a couple of months. ;)

Originally posted by LionelHutz
LMAO! It's so true.

One of the on air personalities on WTMJ radio apparently tells Illinois residents to through change out of their windows every so often for tolls (so says my mother).
Now THAT'S true!! When I was a kid, my parents used to force us to travel by motor home, and I always knew when we were back in Illinois because of the random stops caused by tollbooths. The funny thing is, our roads are the WORST in the country, and I've been just about everywhere with the exception of Alaska and Maine. I'm fairly convinced that by excluding Chicago, Illinois is the sorriest state in the union. Our cops suck, the people are fat, women are ugly, nobody speaks English, and we're a liberal stronghold. Seriously...I've wanted to move for a long time.

Our cops are total jerk offs, and that's NO exaggeration. You say this like its an anamoly

Mini bikes - seems like a good way to get run over.

Back in the 1940's, my dad owned the Indian motorcycle shop and he let me have an Indian Papoose. I rode the wheels off of it. It folds up so an adult could could carry it like a suit case. My mother rode a bright yellow scout and my dad rode a TT warrior.

My sister rode her bicycle.

http://www.amadirectlink.com/vmd/2004/auctionimages/corgi.jpg

Originally posted by The Praetorian
I always knew when we were back in Illinois because of the random stops caused by tollbooths. The funny thing is, our roads are the WORST in the country

Don't forget the random traffic jams. We drove to my mom's house (in Wisconsin) a few weeks ago and, as usual, there was a traffic jam in Chicago for no damn reason whatsoever. I mean we plan our trip to avoid rush hour but it's freakin' impossible to avoid a traffic jam. Oh, and then they double the tolls if you don't have ipass. Nice touch.

Looks like these are gonna be banned nationwide :(


http://us.news2.yimg.com/us.yimg.com/p/net/20050315/capt.10393673ff45f12b713940b2ded45578



Pocket bikes' drive new debate and laws

Tue Mar 15, 8:01 AM ET Top Stories - USATODAY.com


By Larry Copeland, USA TODAY

Tiny motorcycles have become a rage among teens - and also a source of rage for communities across the USA that are banning or restricting their use.




"Pocket bikes," or "mini motos," usually 15-18 inches high and capable of going 35 mph, have joined motorized skateboards and scooters on the danger list in many states, towns and cities that consider them a speedy nuisance.


In recent weeks:


• Arlington Heights, Ill., gave preliminary approval to an ordinance that would ban motorized scooters and skateboards. Police in the village of 77,000 northwest of Chicago got 56 complaints about them last year, up from 16 in 2002, says Chief Gerald Mourning. "It's also a safety issue," he says.


• The New Hampshire Department of Safety has asked the state Legislature to ban motorized scooters and pocket bikes on streets.


• La Porte, Texas, restricted the use of motorized scooters to daylight hours and to streets with posted speed limits under 30 mph after two boys lost control of their scooter and were struck and injured by a car.


• Lenexa, Kan., stopped short of banning the devices outright. Instead, the City Council voted to allow motorized skateboards on sidewalks but banned them on streets. Pocket bikes and other motorized vehicles are prohibited on all public property.


• Monroe, Wash., following the lead of some adjoining communities, passed an ordinance restricting operation of motorized scooters to those ages 16 and older. The scooters can be used only during daylight hours, and riders must wear helmets.


• Several Arizona communities, including Tempe, Chandler and Mesa, have considered banning motorized scooters. Both Phoenix and Tucson outlawed them last year.


Emergency room doctors across the nation treated 10,015 injuries connected to motorized gas- or battery-powered scooters from July 1, 2003, to June 30, 2004, says Patty Davis, spokeswoman for the Consumer Product Safety Commission (news - web sites). The commission is an independent federal agency charged with protecting the public from risk of injury.


About one-third of those injured were younger than 15, Davis says. And since October 1998, she says, 49 motorized-scooter riders have died.


New Hampshire state Rep. John Flanders, a former sheriff's deputy and sponsor of his state's proposal, says: "I had a near-collision with one of those folks out on the main highway. The kids have no fear. The people that are afraid are the people that are driving cars. I wouldn't want that on my conscience, hitting a young fellow." <end>






Here's the link: http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=676&ncid=676&e=5&u=/usatoday/20050315/ts_usatoday/pocketbikesdrivenewdebateandlaws

My friend has an electric scooter and so do I. I live in DuPage too. We've driven past a few cops and they don't seem to care. Also are scooters go 15-20 MPH. Of course we don't ride on the streets, but we cross the street on them. We ride them on the paths. Also, check this article,

(625 ILCS 5/11-1426.1 new)
Sec. 11-1426.1. Operation of neighborhood electric
vehicles on streets, roads, and highways.
(a) As used in this Section, "neighborhood electric
vehicle" means a self-propelled, electronically powered
four-wheeled motor vehicle which is capable of attaining in one
mile a speed of more than 20 miles per hour, but not more than
25 miles per hour, and which conforms to federal regulations
under Title 49 C.F.R. Part 571.500.
(b) Except as otherwise provided in this Section, it is
unlawful for any person to drive or operate a neighborhood
electric vehicle upon any street, highway, or roadway in this
State. If the operation of a neighborhood electric vehicle is
authorized under subsection (d), the neighborhood electric
vehicle may be operated only on streets where the posted speed
limit is 35 miles per hour or less. This subsection (b) does
not prohibit a neighborhood electric vehicle from crossing a
road or street at an intersection where the road or street has
a posted speed limit of more than 35 miles per hour.
(b-5) A person may not operate a neighborhood electric
vehicle upon any street, highway, or roadway in this State
unless he or she has a valid Illinois driver's license issued
in his or her name by the Secretary of State.
(c) No person operating a neighborhood electric vehicle
shall make a direct crossing upon or across any highway under
the jurisdiction of the State, tollroad, interstate highway, or
controlled access highway in this State.

(d) A municipality, township, county, or other unit of
local government may authorize, by ordinance or resolution, the
operation of neighborhood electric vehicles on roadways under
its jurisdiction if the unit of local government determines
that the public safety will not be jeopardized. The Department
may authorize the operation of neighborhood electric vehicles
on the roadways under its jurisdiction if the Department
determines that the public safety will not be jeopardized.
Before permitting the operation of neighborhood electric
vehicles on its roadways, a municipality, township, county,
other unit of local government, or the Department must consider
the volume, speed, and character of traffic on the roadway and
determine whether neighborhood electric vehicles may safely
travel on or cross the roadway. Upon determining that
neighborhood electric vehicles may safely operate on a roadway
and the adoption of an ordinance or resolution by a
municipality, township, county, or other unit of local
government, or authorization by the Department, appropriate
signs shall be posted.
If a roadway is under the jurisdiction of more than one
unit of government, neighborhood electric vehicles may not be
operated on the roadway unless each unit of government agrees
and takes action as provided in this subsection.
(e) No neighborhood electric vehicle may be operated on a
roadway unless, at a minimum, it has the following: brakes, a
steering apparatus, tires, a rearview mirror, red
reflectorized warning devices in the front and rear, a slow
moving emblem (as required of other vehicles in Section 12-709
of this Code) on the rear of the neighborhood electric vehicle,
a headlight that emits a white light visible from a distance of
500 feet to the front, a tail lamp that emits a red light
visible from at least 100 feet from the rear, brake lights, and
turn signals. When operated on a roadway, a neighborhood
electric vehicle shall have its headlight and tail lamps
lighted as required by Section 12-201 of this Code.
(f) A person who drives or is in actual physical control of

a neighborhood electric vehicle on a roadway while under the
influence is subject to Sections 11-500 through 11-502 of this
Code.

Hay I have A mini bike I built it out of a briggs & stratton 10 horse power engine we call it a toat goat, also I live in the back country no one around to bother or run you over.You say this like its an anamoly

Mini bikes - seems like a good way to get run over.