No, I couldn't make the trike a moped or motorcycle; it would require a VIN, which would require it be manufactured by a company authorized to issue one.
IIRC, here in AZ, there arent' even any provisions for electric mopeds or motorcycles in the legal definitions, they talk about displacement/etc., unless they've changed those relatively recently. Not gonna put an ICE in anything *I* ride.
It would also require expensive modifications such as DOT brake systems, etc. (some of it's lighting is DOT, as are the rear tires, but most of the trike is scavenged or custom built or bicycle stuff)
I don't know what else it might need, but even if I could do the conversion itself legally (perhaps thru experimental vehicle methods?), the costs of insurance and registration would keep me off the roads.
I couldnt' use any of the bike infrastructure, whcih would be a problem as there are places I couldn't go on the trike even if it was classed as a MC/moped--it just doesn't go fast enough to be on the main roads there. If I rebuilt it to do that (more money I don't have), I don't know if it would handle well enough at those speeds to be safe (works fine at 20MPH and below).
Even if it did, most likely it couldnt' be classed as a MC and as a moped it'd be restricted about as much as a bike, but with nowhere to ride that's safe.
You might want to look at the limitations of NEVs. IIRC there's places you can't take them at all, because of a little stretch of road that has a faster speed limit, for instance. So it stays only in the neighborhood. Might not even be able to use it to go to the store because it has to go on roads with faster speed limits than it's alllowed.
If it came down to having to do that in order to ride my trikes/etc on the roads, I'd just trash the whole projects, give up bicycles entirely, and dig out the powerchair to fix up, and try not to get killed at every crosswalk between here and work, or get robbed as I creep along late at night at a few MPH coming home from work. Dogs wouldn't get to go anywhere anymore, and I wouldn't be hauling anything heavier or bigger than would fit in whatever baskets/etc I could put on the powerchair. Would take days to get the big sales worth of dog food home once or twice a year when I get them, one bag at a time (instead of a few hundred pounds in one load in 10 minutes' ride). Grocery shopping would either have to be much more frequent, or require multiple trips in one day (usually do a month's worth of shopping at a time; fills up a mounded-over big shopping cart for me and my brother, sometimes more).
If it was still possible to ride the trike on the roads at low power without doing some expensive conversion process/etc., it would not be very safe, especially if hauling any load, or the dogs, etc. Takes power to accelerate quickly, and in traffic here, if I can't do that and I'm stuck in front of that traffic at a light, there are impatient drivers that could make sure I wouldn't have to worry about it anymore. (not even counting those that pay no attention while driving, that I wouldn't be able to dodge by accelerating out of their way).
Honestly, I dont' see any reason for LE to worry about any rider that's being safe, not causing problems on the roads, and staying within the speed limits set for bikes.
If I were to ride around at the new higher speed limit of 28MPH, I would probably attract attention for that, even if I was pedalling like I do for the 20MPH I presently go. So if I ever decide to do that I'll label the trike appropriately, in case of a stop, and keep a printout of the new electric bike law sections in the cargo box.
But I don't really have a need to do more than 20MPH, which doesn't really seem to attract attention any more than I'd expect for something that looks as different as the SB Cruiser.
28MPH could have some uses on the faster roads that have no bike lanes, as I'd be less of an "obstacle", but I generally avoid the roads with speed limits higher than 25-30MPH anyway unless I simply have no other roads to take. Unfortunatley my work commute is mostly roads faster than that, but there's so many direction changes and full stops on it that it isn't all that big a deal; most traffic is going a short distance on any of those roads thru Metrocenter area to get from one shop to another, etc.
Can't say it wouldnt' be *fun* to go faster than 20MPH, but it isn't really necessary most of the time.
IIRC, here in AZ, there arent' even any provisions for electric mopeds or motorcycles in the legal definitions, they talk about displacement/etc., unless they've changed those relatively recently. Not gonna put an ICE in anything *I* ride.
It would also require expensive modifications such as DOT brake systems, etc. (some of it's lighting is DOT, as are the rear tires, but most of the trike is scavenged or custom built or bicycle stuff)
I don't know what else it might need, but even if I could do the conversion itself legally (perhaps thru experimental vehicle methods?), the costs of insurance and registration would keep me off the roads.
I couldnt' use any of the bike infrastructure, whcih would be a problem as there are places I couldn't go on the trike even if it was classed as a MC/moped--it just doesn't go fast enough to be on the main roads there. If I rebuilt it to do that (more money I don't have), I don't know if it would handle well enough at those speeds to be safe (works fine at 20MPH and below).
Even if it did, most likely it couldnt' be classed as a MC and as a moped it'd be restricted about as much as a bike, but with nowhere to ride that's safe.
You might want to look at the limitations of NEVs. IIRC there's places you can't take them at all, because of a little stretch of road that has a faster speed limit, for instance. So it stays only in the neighborhood. Might not even be able to use it to go to the store because it has to go on roads with faster speed limits than it's alllowed.
If it came down to having to do that in order to ride my trikes/etc on the roads, I'd just trash the whole projects, give up bicycles entirely, and dig out the powerchair to fix up, and try not to get killed at every crosswalk between here and work, or get robbed as I creep along late at night at a few MPH coming home from work. Dogs wouldn't get to go anywhere anymore, and I wouldn't be hauling anything heavier or bigger than would fit in whatever baskets/etc I could put on the powerchair. Would take days to get the big sales worth of dog food home once or twice a year when I get them, one bag at a time (instead of a few hundred pounds in one load in 10 minutes' ride). Grocery shopping would either have to be much more frequent, or require multiple trips in one day (usually do a month's worth of shopping at a time; fills up a mounded-over big shopping cart for me and my brother, sometimes more).
If it was still possible to ride the trike on the roads at low power without doing some expensive conversion process/etc., it would not be very safe, especially if hauling any load, or the dogs, etc. Takes power to accelerate quickly, and in traffic here, if I can't do that and I'm stuck in front of that traffic at a light, there are impatient drivers that could make sure I wouldn't have to worry about it anymore. (not even counting those that pay no attention while driving, that I wouldn't be able to dodge by accelerating out of their way).
Honestly, I dont' see any reason for LE to worry about any rider that's being safe, not causing problems on the roads, and staying within the speed limits set for bikes.
If I were to ride around at the new higher speed limit of 28MPH, I would probably attract attention for that, even if I was pedalling like I do for the 20MPH I presently go. So if I ever decide to do that I'll label the trike appropriately, in case of a stop, and keep a printout of the new electric bike law sections in the cargo box.
But I don't really have a need to do more than 20MPH, which doesn't really seem to attract attention any more than I'd expect for something that looks as different as the SB Cruiser.
28MPH could have some uses on the faster roads that have no bike lanes, as I'd be less of an "obstacle", but I generally avoid the roads with speed limits higher than 25-30MPH anyway unless I simply have no other roads to take. Unfortunatley my work commute is mostly roads faster than that, but there's so many direction changes and full stops on it that it isn't all that big a deal; most traffic is going a short distance on any of those roads thru Metrocenter area to get from one shop to another, etc.
Can't say it wouldnt' be *fun* to go faster than 20MPH, but it isn't really necessary most of the time.
