We asked ourselves an urgent question that has been relevant for the last few years. The question is: “is it possible to drive on public roads using sports equipment?” In our case, sports equipment means any sports motorcycle equipment: pit bikes, cross-country motorcycles and enduro motorcycles without a title are safely included in this category.
Most often this question comes to mind during the warm season. At this time, any motorcyclist has a desire to ride around the city on a motorcycle. And one of the most unpleasant moments: crowds of teenagers on pit bikes are rushing through the city streets like insects, violating all conceivable rules, peace and quiet. To clarify the situation a little, we turned to our friends from the legal office for obtaining bank guarantees GarantHelp. And although the question is not related to our topic, it is still more of a legal issue and the help of specialists will not hurt us.
What is needed to legally ride a motorcycle under traffic regulations?
The law clearly states that vehicles with an engine capacity of up to 50 cubic centimeters do not require registration. But any sports equipment has long since crossed the 50 cubic meters mark and, therefore, this has nothing to do with our question.
According to the law, in order to legally drive on public roads, the owner must have a license to drive a category “A” vehicle and a registered vehicle (or a title with a purchase and sale agreement, as an option, if the motorcycle is not registered). There are no problems with the first question; many motorcyclists get a license and that’s great! We are openly against driving without a license.
But a controversial situation arises with registration. It is impossible to register a vehicle without a Vehicle Passport, or PTS, if shortened to an abbreviation. And any sports equipment, including enduro and, of course, cross-country bikes, come without a PTS.
Thus, we already receive a partial answer to our question; due to the lack of a vehicle license, driving on public roads is prohibited .
American cops' headaches
Traffic outside the city
From a legal point of view, there are no prospects for riding a pit bike either in fields or on country roads. The latter are considered the territory adjacent to the road traffic area, and movement through them is regulated by traffic rules. And the rules, as you know, do not provide for driving unregistered vehicles without a passport and license.
As for the fields, where no one expects to see an inspector, one cannot feel completely safe there either. It is possible that there will be a patrol car on the road closest to the place where you are racing. If representatives of the law suspect that you are even driving around the field without a license or documents for a pit bike, they can easily check this fact. At least there were precedents in judicial practice. In addition, it is possible that your actions and the sounds of the motorcycle will irritate the villagers, and they will not be too lazy to call for a squad.
Of course, you can try to prove that your pit bike is sports equipment, which means it is not subject to registration. It can be argued that you rolled it onto the field manually, without moving along the road, that you rolled it solely for the sake of training. However, another problem will arise in this aspect. The fact is that, according to the law, driving through a plowed field is in itself an offense and is punishable by a fine.
Responsibility and punishment for driving on public roads with sports equipment
If it is prohibited to ride pit bikes and cross-country bikes under traffic regulations, then what punishment awaits the unfortunate owner if he is stopped by traffic police inspectors? In fact, there is no specific punishment for driving sports equipment on public roads; there is no article in the rules in which these formulations are used. But riding around the city on a pit bike or any other motorcycle without a title, you are going against the basic provisions for allowing vehicles to be used for operation. Your motorcycle has no right to be on public roads; you are violating a number of points. Therefore, the choice of punishment depends entirely on the inspector.
If you do not have a license, then the punishment will be as severe as possible, a fine from 5 to 15 thousand rubles for driving without a license and a impound lot for a motorcycle.
If there are rights, then at the discretion of the inspector. The most unpleasant consequences are a fine, which in any case will hit your pocket.
The Harsh Reality of Driving on Public Roads
How to drive on road traffic conditions with sports equipment?
If, despite this, you want to ride on the roads on your motorcycle as a means of transport, then we are, to put it mildly, not your friends. We are against this and warn you in advance that this will not end well for you. If we speak in the words of the great GAV, then you automatically put yourself in the category of “dug beak” (watch YouTube “helmet”). Using sports equipment, you pose a danger to yourself and others. And the lack of documents will keep you in constant nervous tension associated with the danger of meeting with the traffic police. If an inspector tries to stop you, you will probably try to drive away and easily become an object of increased danger to others. A slight turn of the throttle can create an emergency situation; nervous tension will only aggravate the situation.
But what if driving on the road is a necessary measure when you need to drive a short distance to a forest, field or sports track?
Consider all your options; you may be able to use a trailer or other vehicle for transportation. If there are none, and this is unavoidable, try to find alternative routes off public roads. The main thing is that your route minimally interferes with pedestrians.
If there is no alternative, you must understand that you take full responsibility upon yourself. Plan your route in advance so that the distance along the road is minimal, preferably on the least busy sections of the road.
First of all, when driving on the roads, be as reasonable and predictable as possible. The lack of headlights, lanterns, stoplights, turn signals and a loud exhaust are already annoying to surrounding road users. And if you add to this inadequate maneuvers, overtaking and changing lanes, know that everyone around you will quietly hate you.
Owners of hard enduro motorcycles are at the least risk, despite the lack of a title. These motorcycles come from the factory with headlights and lights, unless they have been removed subsequently. The muffler was originally made for driving under additional traffic conditions and sounds moderately loud. Visually, such a motorcyclist looks like a decent road user and does not attract unnecessary attention to himself. Provided, of course, that the rider is fully equipped.
We are not racists, but...
What to do if you are stopped by traffic police inspectors
When inspectors try to stop them, many people try to leave. It all depends on the city and the current situation. The attitude of inspectors towards motorcyclists varies from region to region. For example, in some remote region of Russia they may not even attempt to stop. And if you try to leave for Moscow, there is a high probability that you will regret it very soon.
Therefore, in any case, take responsibility and act based on the situation. Remember that traffic police inspectors are people too. It happens that the reason for stopping is simple interest and a desire to talk. It is much more profitable to tell it like it is than to try to evade responsibility and boorishly “download your rights.” It’s easier to honestly tell where and why you are going, to say that this is the only possible way to get to the skiing area. In our personal experience, in most regions of the country inspectors are lenient and even friendly.
And if you are not a 16-year-old teenager without a helmet and license, on a roaring pit bike, there is a high probability that everything will end well. A daring attempt to leave is once again to cast a shadow on the reputation of pit bikers, endurists and all motorcyclists. It happened that one inappropriate conversation with a traffic police officer spoiled the attitude of the entire department towards the city’s motorcyclists. And what was previously forgiven turned into constant stops and document checks.
Sad ending
What to do when stopped by a traffic police officer?
A pitbike is a rather noticeable vehicle: it is noisy, outwardly stands out from the crowd and does not have a state license. numbers. The likelihood that the inspector will decide to stop such a motorcyclist is almost one hundred percent. At the same time, if the motorcyclist himself notices a traffic police officer, he tries to escape as quickly as possible. If you do this, you must not forget about the rules of movement on the road and not perform dangerous maneuvers.
If the inspector has already given a signal to stop, then you should not leave: this can create an emergency stop, especially if the State Traffic Inspectorate employees decide to start a pursuit. The likelihood of this is low, but it is still better to comply with the policeman’s demands and stop.
Further events will develop based on how the driver communicates with the inspector. If a motorcyclist starts to “pump up his license” and be rude, then the traffic police officer will definitely try to identify as many violations as possible, which will have to be challenged in court. If the communication initially goes on a good-natured note: if the driver explains that he needs to drive a short section of the road and that he is doing this while observing all precautions, then there is a chance to avoid both showdowns and any punishments. Most inspectors treat an adequate driver kindly.
Sports registration certificate for motocross and enduro motorcycles
You can contact the sports federation and issue a special sports registration certificate for your motorcycle. But it doesn’t give you any rights or benefits for driving under traffic regulations; at most it can make traffic police officers a little more loyal to you. But here any sane person understands that a real athlete will not just ride around the city.
First of all, a sports registration certificate is necessary or desirable when registering for motocross and enduro competitions. Or sometimes this document is used when crossing borders, for trips to other countries to participate in international competitions.
Think twice
What is a pit bike for?
Pitbike is a young hobby that is growing into a big sport.
This transport appeared in the middle of the last century. It was created as an alternative to bicycle technology. Today this is a separate modification of the motorcycle.
Experienced people say that this is sports equipment, and only then everything else. After all, it is intended for events that are held during the day and with special conditions - so that there are no people or other vehicles on the way.
This is a device for those people who are interested in motorcycles, but are not ready for the test. After all, such a sport is not for everyone, and it requires large investments. The need for learning and progress arises from a person. Knowledge of parts, experience in servicing your vehicles.
For those who do not want to learn complex things, pit bike racing was invented. The motorcycle, only with smaller wheels, is light both in weight and in control. And the price is affordable. It all depends on the desired characteristics and needs. Simplicity of design and ease of operation are the main advantages of transport. Therefore, it can be the first transport to a full-fledged moped.
The pit bike is easy to control - even a child can handle it
Pit bikes are now rapidly gaining popularity. There are many reasons for choosing such transport - from the crisis to hobbies. In Russia, hundreds of clubs have been created in different cities of the country, whose members are experts in the matter. There they will tell you everything about the advantages, train you and let you participate in competitions. The organizers of which are.
conclusions
It is prohibited to ride sports equipment (pit bike, cross-country motorcycle or enduro bike without a license) on the traffic road !
If you do this, you take responsibility and must be prepared to respond to the fullest extent possible. If driving on traffic roads is a necessary necessity, minimize the risks and the distance you need to travel on public roads.
If you are a parent and are trying to find out whether your child can ride a pit bike around the city, then the answer is clear: under no circumstances. Instead, try to direct your child’s energy in the right direction. Prohibiting it is ineffective; it is much healthier to ride a motorcycle in nature or at specially designated cross-country and enduro sites than to rush around the city.
