Do you need a driver's license for a motocross motorcycle?

What motorcycles can you ride on the roads?

In addition to the traffic rules, there are Basic provisions for the approval of vehicles for operation. It contains information about vehicles that can and cannot be driven on public roads.

This document contains the following requirements:

compliance with safety standards;
non-compliance with the requirements of the List of faults;
registration with the traffic police;
installation of registration plates.

The list of faults, in turn, contains dozens of requirements, failing which the vehicle cannot be used.

They are divided into 7 groups:

brake system;
steering;
headlights and lanterns;
windshield wipers and washers;
wheels;
ICE;
other elements.

From this we can conclude that there are quite a lot of conditions under which a motorcyclist can ride on a regular road. How can you understand which motorcycle can be used on the roadway and which cannot? The answer to this question, fortunately, is very simple: a motocross motorcycle is considered a full-fledged vehicle if it has a title. The vehicle passport is a guarantee that the motorcycle sold complies with Russian legislation. After purchasing it, you need to register it with the traffic police, receive an STS and registration plates. On such a motorcycle you can ride on public roads, even if its intended purpose is motocross.

Important! To ride in the city, a motorcyclist must have a category “A” or “A1” driver’s license.

Is it necessary to register a cross-bike with the traffic police?

The answer to the question about the need to register a motocross motorcycle with the traffic police follows from the very status of this equipment. Since a cross-bike is not a vehicle , the traffic police have nothing to do with such motorcycles and do not need to register them.

Surely, after reading this, the reader will have a logical question - how can one understand whether a motorcycle is a sports equipment or is it intended for travel on public roads? What documents should this be reflected in?

This issue is highly debatable and, in our opinion, the distinction here should be made based on the documents that are issued along with the equipment upon its initial purchase. If the package with the motorcycle did not include a technical vehicle passport (PTS), it is not a vehicle and, accordingly, it will not be possible to register it with the traffic police.

Some motorcycles are equipped with documents that directly indicate that this is not a vehicle, but sports equipment (for example, in a customs declaration when importing a cross-country shoe purchased abroad).

Is there a penalty for driving sports equipment around the city?

Whether this or that motorcycle is considered sports equipment or not is a question that is difficult to answer. But we can unequivocally say that any motorcycle belongs to vehicles - this is the determining position.

The penalty for driving an unregistered vehicle is established by Art. 12.1 Code of Administrative Offenses:

for the first time - a fine of 500-800 rubles;
the second time - a fine of 5,000 rubles. or deprivation of rights for 1-3 months.

In addition, the traffic police inspector may impose a fine for driving a vehicle without a license under Art. 12.7 Code of Administrative Offences: 5000-15000 rubles. For both of these violations, the motorcycle will be taken to the impound lot, and the owner will be responsible for paying for the towing and maintenance of the vehicle in the parking lot. Fines are also possible for the presence of malfunctions (for example, lack of headlights), driving without a helmet, lack of compulsory motor insurance, and so on - the list of fines can be wide.

On the other hand, the fine for both lack of registration with the traffic police and for driving without a license can be challenged. Such judicial practice already exists - Supreme Court Resolution No. 13-AD15-1. In this decision, the Supreme Court canceled the fine of 7,000 rubles. pit bike driver for driving without a license. This decision was justified by the fact that this motorcycle is intended only for participation in sports competitions: it does not have a title, it is impossible to register it with the traffic police and a driver’s license is not required to operate it.

Based on this resolution, any fine can be challenged. 10 days are given for this from the moment the punishment is imposed. The violator must submit an application addressed to the head of the State Traffic Inspectorate department, to which the inspector who issued the fine belongs. If a complaint to the traffic police does not bring results, the driver can go to court.

Do you need a license for a pit bike up to 50cc?

Everything is simple here. Models with internal combustion engines up to 50 cubic meters, according to the Administrative Code, do not automatically fit the definition of “vehicle”. This in turn means that you do not need a driver's license to operate them. That is, the traffic police inspector will not be able to attract the rider for not having a driver’s license. Consequently, answering the question whether you need a license for a 50 cc pit bike. see, it's safe to say no.

Spectacular footage of a pit bike race

How should you ride on the roads on a pit bike?

It is highly not recommended to ride motocross motorcycles on public roads. Even if we assume that there is no punishment, it is still a bad idea. Most pit bikes do not have headlights, turn signals, tail lights, and the loud exhaust can distract other drivers. And the motorcyclist himself will feel tension throughout the entire trip due to the fear of being caught. All this increases the risk of an emergency.

But still, sometimes driving along the road is a necessary measure. If you can’t go around the road across a field or transport a motorcycle in a trailer, and the road ahead is quite long, then you need to adhere to the following rules:

Choose a road with the least traffic and no pedestrians.
When driving on the road, choose a speed close to the speed of the flow.
Be as predictable as possible in your actions, give appropriate hand signals when turning and stopping.
Do not make dangerous maneuvers: overtaking, sharp braking, turns at speed, frequent lane changes, and so on.

Is it possible to drive on public roads?

Roads and highways are intended exclusively for vehicle traffic. It is prohibited to ride a cross bike on the road, as this creates a safety hazard for all road users. You can learn more about “Is it possible to ride a motocross motorcycle around the city” from this article.

The fact is that motocross motorcycles are not intended for driving around the city or highway:

They lack headlights, taillights and turn signals - other drivers simply will not be able to react in time to any maneuver of the motorcyclist.
Cross bike tires are designed for off-road driving and have poor grip on asphalt, which reduces handling.
The motorcycle may not meet other safety standards.

Important! If a motocross motorcycle has a title, then it belongs to the category of mopeds or light motorcycles. Then it is considered a full-fledged vehicle and can be used to travel on public roads.

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.

What category of driver's license is needed?

Now let’s find out exactly what licenses drivers of electric motorcycles will need. And this just depends on what exactly such transport is from the point of view of the Traffic Rules.

If an electric motorcycle is a moped according to traffic regulations (up to 4 kW of power and up to 50 km/h maximum speed), then any category of driving license will suit you, including “M”.
But with a motorcycle everything is a little more limited, there are 2 options: if the electric motor power is more than 4 kW, but less than 1 kW, then subcategory “A1” will be sufficient,
and if more than 11,000 Watts, then a full category “A” is needed.

At what age can you ride?

As described above, the corresponding categories of driving licenses are issued at different ages. And this is also described in the Road Safety Law.

You can ride an electric motorcycle with a power of up to 4 kW and a speed of up to 50 km/h from the age of 16 if you have the “M” category. This is the only driving license that will be issued in 2021 from this age.
If, by design, the maximum speed exceeds 50 km/h, and the power of an electric motorcycle is no more than 11,000 Watts, then you have the right to ride it from the age of 17 (subcategory A1).
If the power is over 11 kW, then only from 18 years of age.

What is the fine if I do not have a category?

The amount of punishment for not having the category required for a given electric motorcycle is exactly the same as if you did not have a driver’s license at all - Part 1 of Article 12.7 with a fine of 5,000 to 15,000 rubles.

What documents are needed for sports equipment?

As it was clarified above, you cannot go on public roads on pit bikes and enduro bikes. This means that the law does not regulate the documents required to ride such motorcycles on the roads. That is, having stopped a violator, traffic police officers will not be able to demand any documents from him.

A motorcyclist can obtain a registration certificate for a sports vehicle. This is done in the branch of the Russian Automobile Federation. However, this document does not provide access to public roads. A certificate is needed to participate in some competitions and take a motorcycle abroad. When communicating with traffic police officers, this document can only soften their mood - nothing more.

If the motorcycle is sold with a title and meets all the criteria of the list of faults, then you can safely ride on public roads.

If the internal combustion engine volume of a motorcycle is up to 50 cm3, then it is considered a moped. This means that the driver does not need to register him with the traffic police and apply for compulsory motor liability insurance. The only documents you need to have with you are a driver’s license with an open category “M”.
If the motorcycle is more powerful than this indicator, then it will have to be registered with the State Traffic Inspectorate. You will need to install state on it. registration plates, and the driver must always have with him an MTPL policy, STS and a driver’s license of category “A” (for motorcycles with an engine capacity of up to 1253, an “A1” license is suitable).

When do you need a driver's license to drive a pit bike?

According to its technical characteristics, a pit bike can be classified as a motorcycle or moped, depending on the engine size. But upon purchase, this mechanical device is registered as sports equipment, as evidenced by the corresponding entry in the warranty conditions. To directly use a pit bike on special motocross tracks, you do not need a license.

If you purchased such a mini-motorcycle for everyday use, you can try a trick and design it as a moped. Since 2013, citizens with category “M” licenses are allowed to drive this type of vehicle. If the pit bike’s engine capacity is more than 50 cubic meters, then in order to ride on city streets, you will need to obtain a driver’s license of subcategory “A1”.