Well folks, here's the latest. I was paid a visit by my local Congressman that has sponsored my proposed bill to add the term "Quadbike" to the state statutes and revise the requirements applicable to motorcycles and trikes to include quadbikes. This essentially would permit properly equipped Quadbikes to be utilized on the streets with certain limitations. As some of you know, I am working to modify my Raptor 700 as the prototype for DOT evaluation.
My State Representative has informed me that my draft has successfully been accepted by the state legislative counsel and is being drafted into a proposed Bill. This proposed Bill will then be introduced to the fall Congress session and be read for the first time in the House by the speaker. The speaker will then assign it to committee. This is scheduled for early November. If it passes, it will go before the public for it's first hearing. Here's the dillemma.
I desperately need more than just a nicely drafted document and a petition. I need reputable industry leaders that will stand in the House with me and respond to the questions and the comments from the assigned committee and the public. I am submitting this plea for help when the time comes. This will not be easy and any volunteers need to be comfortable in the forum to professionally address anything thrown at us.
Any takers? Please feel free to share and send an SOS.
Thanks,
Terry Wilmeth
Date Posted: October 03, 2006, 08:35:48 AM
Oregonians,
The state of Montana, amongst others, has already shown us that the concept of a streetable ATV/Quad is feasible. They have already revised their current statutes (Montana Code) applicable to motorcycles to incorporate "quadricycles". Essentially, properly equipped quadricycles have the same privileges as motorcycles. Certain exceptions include no allowance for two abreast riding on highways (understandable). Statistics there reflect no measurable increase in accident rates versus motorcycles. In other words, they are apparently safety neutral, much as motorcycles are, meaning they pose neither an increased risk nor afford added safety benefits (even though I would argue the fourth wheel does afford additional safety benefits).
Below are specific excerpts from the MCA that speak directly to quadricycles. We could be next!
Montana Code Annotated 61-1-101.
Definitions(46) (a) "Quadricycle" means a four-wheeled motor vehicle, designed for on-road or off-road use, having a seat or saddle upon which the operator sits and a motor capable of producing not more than 50 horsepower.
61-9-518. Violation of motorcycle or quadricycle requirements -- penalty.
(1) A person convicted of the violation of 61-9-417 shall be fined $5.
(2) A person convicted of the violation of 61-9-418 shall be punished by a fine of not less than $10 or more than $100 for the first conviction. For a second conviction within 1 year, the person shall be punished by a fine of not less than $25 or more than $200. Upon a third or subsequent conviction within 1 year after the first conviction, the person shall be punished by a fine of not less than $50 or more than $500.
61-8-359. Riding on motorcycles. (1) A person operating a motorcycle or quadricycle on public streets or highways may ride only upon the permanent and regular seat attached to the motorcycle or quadricycle. The operator may not carry any other person and another person may not ride on a motorcycle or quadricycle unless the motorcycle or quadricycle is designed to carry more than one person, in which event a passenger may ride upon the permanent and regular seat if designed for two persons or upon another seat firmly attached to the rear or side of the operator.
(7) All motor vehicles, including motorcycles and quadricycles, are entitled to the full use of a traffic lane, and a vehicle may not be driven or operated in a manner that deprives any other vehicle of the full use of a traffic lane, except that motorcycles may, with the consent of both drivers, be operated no more than two abreast in a single traffic lane.
(
Every person riding a motorcycle or quadricycle upon a roadway is granted all of the rights and is subject to all of the duties applicable to the driver of a motor vehicle except for those provisions which, by their nature, can have no application.
Date Posted: October 06, 2006, 06:00:47 AM
Greetings my friends.
Many of you know me as "afterburner", the guy who set the Guinness World Land Speed record on a ATV/Quadbike in both 2005 and 2006 (pending official approval) as well as the world non-stop ATV distance traveled. I have been profiled in Dirt Wheels and Fox Sports and I have used this small modicum of fame to strengthen and support the sport of ATV'ing for years. My current attention has been focused on the introduction of the concept of a quadbike at the state and federal level.
Like many of our European ATV sport brethren have already realized, I discovered that the basic ATV offers a unique platform for economical and safe street use that provides certain benefits that traditional two and three-wheeled street legal motorcycles do not. Please consider for a moment, many of us are hard-working people that continue to struggle with the typical hardships of maintaining a successful career and family. One of those struggles is facilitating the daily commute to our jobs and suffering the outrageous cost of fuel. The harsh reality is that fuel costs will never significantly recover.
If many of us could commute on a more fuel efficient commuter vehicles, it would help offset the extraordinary expense of just going to work. Many have relied on motorcycles and scooters, but the cost of a new or used scooter/cycle is dismaying, to say the least and is traditionally seasonal due to road conditions detrimentally affecting a two-wheeled vehicle. There are more motorcycles/scooters on the road these days operated by persons simply not comfortable with the inherent balance and control issues of a two-wheeled vehicle. If travelers could commute on four wheeled motorcycle type vehicles as is so popular in Europe and Asia; we would have the benefits of motorcycle type mileage (50+ mpg possible), the added stability of four wheels versus two, increased viewable exposure to other drivers based on the larger physical size of the four-wheeled vehicle and the inherently safer handling aspects of riding on four wheels versus two (or three).
Current federal and state statutes recognize three and two wheeled vehicles only as “motorcycles”. My research has shown that the standard motorcycle statutes were originally intended for two-wheeled vehicles but was revised to add three wheeled vehicles in the seventies and eighties.
In order to legally utilize a vehicle that would not be subjected to the criteria for a typical ATV or automobile but meet the equipment requirements for motorcycle type vehicle with four wheels (quadbike), the current statutes need to be revised to accommodate the fourth wheel without being classified a “motor vehicle” or "car". The proposed revised statute would potentially state that “Motorcycle or Quadbike” means any self-propelled vehicle other than a moped or farm tractor that:
(1) Has a seat or saddle for use of the rider;
(2) Is designed to be operated on public roadways; and
(3) Is designed to travel with not more than FOUR wheels in contact with the ground.
That would then require that a Quadbike (or quadricycle) would have to meet the equipment requirements governing street use as would a motorcycle. With the revision to federal and state motorcycle statutes, many potential commuters could successfully develop and utilize a “quadbike” equipped with the safety appliances that would meet and/or exceed all statutory requirements for a motorcycle. The operational controls are nearly identical to those of a motorcycle with the added benefits of the stability and confidence afforded by the fourth wheel which would be immediately realized by persons operating a quadbike versus a two or three-wheeled vehicle.
To this end, I have been efforting to incorporate the term “Quadbike” into the current Oregon motorcycle statutes as well as supporting the efforts of GG North America in their efforts to break through federal DOT barriers. My proposal has obtained state congressional sponsorship here in Oregon and is being drafted into a Bill for announcement at the next Oregon Legislative session. It is our hopes that success will result in successes in other states as well as at the federal level. I had previously purchased a Yamaha Raptor 700 and am using it for this project (no particular reason other than availability) and it is being converted to street use for research, development and eventual evaluation by state officials. I have also purchased a salvaged Honda 700 Interceptor for the street components (turn signals, horns, etc.) since they are already DOT approved equipment. Fullbore Innovations is developing the necessary bodywork for street application. Powroll, ModQuad and Trailtech are coming to the rescue for much needed unique (custom) street accessory modifications.
But, I am not an industry company, rather an hourly government employee, and my personal budget has reached its limits, including taking out personal loans in pursuit of this dream. It is for that reason that I am asking my industry partners to financially assist me in my efforts in any way possible. I have accomplished nearly all the essentials, but the cost of setting up petitions, gatherings, websites, modifying actual quadricycle and the cost of various regulatory processes has finally overwhelmed me. I am not seeking an extraordinary amount. If I can somehow collect small amounts from various donors until I reach a goal of 3200.00, it should allow us to complete the project. I cannot promise what the ultimate outcome will be, but we have come so far and it certainly appears to have some chance for state level success. It should not be lost on us that advent of the street quadricycle (quadbike) will present an extraordinary opportunity for the ATV/Motorcycle industry. If we need proof of that, we simply need to just look over the pond (Atlantic).
Please help me make this happen. If you could forward this humble request to anybody that you feel may be sympathetic to our common cause, feel free to do so.
Your help and support is very much appreciated.
Terry Wilmeth
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