Pit bike (pit-bike) is a small motorcycle, more like a children's one. When buying a pit bike, many owners have a question: is it possible to ride a pit bike around the city and whether you need a license for it or not.
Initially, this is sports equipment that is used for motorcycle racing and, according to the law, riding a pit bike on public roads in its original configuration is impossible, since:
- Initially, technical passports are not made for them, which are necessary for registration with the traffic police.
- There is no necessary electronic equipment: speedometer, side lights, turn signals, etc.
Therefore, riding a pit bike around the city, even on the side of the road or sidewalk, is initially illegal, and if you ride it only in fields and mountains, you can do without a license. Provided that you will deliver it to the countryside in the back of a truck or trailer.
However, if you decide to try to register your motorcycle for driving around the city (which is a rather complex and expensive task, we will look below at how this can be done), you will still need a license. Moreover, the receipt is similar to ordinary motorcycles.
What licenses do you need for a pit bike?
The answer to this question depends on the engine size:
- If the engine capacity does not exceed 50 cc. cm, and the maximum speed is up to 50 km/h, then a car license or category M license is suitable.
- If the engine capacity of a pit bike is 125 cubic meters or more, then a category A motorcycle license is required.
But remember that even if you have a license, your motorcycle can still be taken to the impound lot if you don’t have a technical passport and lighting equipment. In summer, motorcycles similar to pit bikes are stopped by traffic cops especially actively.
In the summer, traffic cops stop motorcycles similar to pit bikes especially actively.
Do you need a license for a pit bike?
Let's look at the legislation. The requirements for obtaining a license state that a driver’s license is not needed if a person drives a vehicle with an engine displacement of less than 50 cubic cm and a maximum speed of less than 50 km/h. There is such a variety of pit bikes, but it is not in trend. After all, at such a speed, experienced drivers, and just the majority of young people, are unlikely to want to drive.
A license for a pit bike with a volume of less than 50 cubic meters and a speed of up to 50 km/h is not required.
However, we must not forget about the existence of pit bikes with an engine capacity of 110 cubic meters, 125 cubic meters and 150 cubic meters, which, naturally, are more common due to their power and speed. In theory, a driver's license is required to drive this vehicle. In practice, these are already the characteristics of a light motorcycle.
Theoretically, for powerful pit bikes with a volume of 50, 120, 150, etc. cubes of rights are needed
Getting a category A driver's license is not difficult. You only need to pass the exam and the practical part. But here another “stone” arises - registration. A transport passport is required, which is obtained during transport production. But the manufacturer does not issue it to the factory. And the only document that is given to the owner of a pit bike is the purchase and sale agreement. There is no vehicle passport.
There is one clue, why don’t they issue PTS? Because this is a sports vehicle and is not intended for public roads. It turns out that it cannot be driven on the road?
It is almost impossible to obtain rights to any pit bike. However, it cannot be driven on any roads of state, regional or local significance.
It is impossible to qualify every vehicle as a “vehicle”. An examination is required to ensure compliance with standards. The first and main one is safety. This means that the transport does not pose any danger and complies with GOST standards. Only when the examination is passed, a transport passport is issued, which indicates whether this device is a full-fledged transport or not.
Vehicle or sports equipment?
A vehicle is a device that can transport people (passengers in this case) or any cargo along the roads. If everything were simple, then bicycles, rollerblades, skateboards, etc. would fall under the category of “transport.”
Let's look at one more point - driving on roads. According to traffic regulations, a road is not only an asphalt surface, but also a well-trodden road or a dirt road. You can't ride there. But forests and fields are available for sports equipment. Where the wheels of transport did not go.
Let's summarize: licenses for sports equipment are not required. They cannot be obtained for such a device. However, you can only participate in competitions and go mushroom hunting on a pit bike, but you cannot ride on state, regional or local roads. Even if there is actually no road there, according to the rules there is one. You might be lucky if there is no traffic police officer, but if he gets caught, there will be problems.
At what age can you ride a pit bike?
Due to its small size and lightness, the pit bike is very popular among teenagers. Often it is generally called children's and, with appropriate equipment, even 5-year-old children are allowed to ride.
Where you can ride a pit bike:
Children of any age can ride a pitbike on country roads, the main thing is that parents do not forget to monitor the child’s safety. The only thing is that motorcycles larger than 125 cc are more suitable for teenagers over 14 years old.
Only children over 16 years old can ride around the city on a pit bike up to 50cc (if they have the appropriate documents), if they have a license allowing them to drive a moped. On a larger capacity bike they can go on public roads only after 18 years of age and with an open motorcycle category in their license.
To obtain a license to drive a mini-motorcycle, you must attend a driving school according to the general rules and pass exams at the State Traffic Safety Inspectorate.
Do you need a license for a 125cc pit bike?
What sanctions await a person driving his, for example, 125 cc pit bike, without a license?
Let’s make a reservation right away: as of this year, there is no fine in the law as such for driving a pit bike on the roads.
In practice, traffic police officers may try to prosecute the driver under the following articles:
- 12.1 part 1 “for failure to fulfill the obligation to register a vehicle”
- 12.3 part 2 “for lack of a driver’s license”
- 12.7 part 1 “for driving without the right to drive”
But, according to the law, none of these articles can be applied. Since: the Federal Law “On Road Safety” says that a special right is granted to vehicles intended for transporting people and goods, and a pit bike, as we have already said, is sports equipment and a driving license is not required for it.
Accordingly, all of the above fines are unlawful. And if you were fined, you can appeal this decision in court.
According to the law, a pit bike cannot be sent to the impound lot either, because... in accordance with Article 27.13 of the Code of Administrative Offenses, this is an interim measure for the execution of other punishments, and since neither fines nor other sanctions are applicable to pit bikes, accordingly, it cannot be sent to the impound lot. This is the whole answer to the question: do you need a license for a 125 cc pit bike ?
How to officially get a title for a pit bike?
Any vehicle with an engine capacity of over 50 cubic meters must have a title when traveling on public roads. Initially, a pitbike is sports equipment and there is no technical passport for it; upon purchase, you are issued a receipt and an agreement, which states that the motorcycle is not intended for riding on public roads.
You can go through government certification, which will check your purchase documents, technical specifications, and whether the bike meets safety standards (i.e., whether it has all the necessary electronics, lights, and sounds).
The examination procedure is paid, plus you will have to invest heavily in installing all the equipment. However, after this you have absolutely no fear of problems with the law and meetings with traffic cops.
How to get a technical passport for a pit bike?
According to traffic rules, a technical vehicle passport is not issued to a mini-motorcycle. But without it, you won’t be able to go through the registration procedure with the traffic police.
To turn a pit bike into a vehicle, it must be equipped with brake lights, lighting elements, and road tires. The engine volume stamped on the cylinder will have to be sanded down.
Additionally, a service book is purchased from any moped with an engine capacity of less than 50 cubic meters. Despite the relative simplicity of this method, resorting to tricks associated with forging documents is undesirable.
To classify a modernized pit bike as a vehicle, you need to pass a technical commission and, based on its results, receive a title.
What else can you do?
Getting around the ban on driving around the city is not entirely legal, but some have been driving this way for several years. Your pit bike could easily pass for a Chinese moped. Its small dimensions and engine dimensions are quite consistent with the dimensions of a moped. To do this you need:
- Find on the engine where the volume is knocked out and rub it in with a drill. It is necessary to completely smooth the surface so that not even traces of the inscription remain. Just in case, you can also erase the markings on the motor.
- Find a service book from any Chinese moped, in which the fields will not be filled in and there will be a stamp from the seller’s company. There must also be a receipt with the stated purchase amount.
- Make the pitbike look like a moped: install road tires, hang lights on the handlebars and place a brake light under the tail. Don't forget to always turn them on.
When is a driver's license required?
To get an answer, first of all you should look at what the legislation says about this. After all, it is not the overall parameters of this type of vehicle that affect whether a license is needed, but the technical characteristics. According to the law, a driver’s license is not required for equipment whose engine displacement does not exceed 50 cubic meters. cm., and the maximum speed limit is 50 km/h. Such pit bikes are produced, but they belong to the smallest group and they can really be called children's, since it will be inconvenient for an adult to move.
Most of these motorcycles have a working volume of over 50 cubic meters. cm, and the most common ones are 125 and 150 cubic meters. see. It turns out that to drive such a vehicle you need a driver’s license (category “A1”). Indeed, according to its technical parameters, it can already be classified as a full-fledged light class motorcycle.
How to behave on the road in the city?
If this is how you legalized your ride around the city on a pit bike, then remember that representatives of the law can still stop you and doubt your vehicle. Stand on the fact that this moped is so wonderful, what the Chinese don’t do.
- Be sure to wear a helmet, so the traffic police will have fewer reasons to stop you.
- Follow the traffic rules: stay in the far right lane, don’t drive drunk, don’t run red lights, etc.
- Try not to drive too hard, especially when passing traffic cops, drive at a speed of about 50 km/h.
Do you need a license for a pit bike of 50cc or less?
This question is one of the most frequently asked. As mentioned above, from the point of view of the letter of the law, rights are needed for any vehicle that is used to travel on public roads. But not for a pit bike, because... This is sports equipment. And using it on the road is illegal. The question is whether it is possible to legitimize this moment and move on a pit bike without hindrance. To obtain a driver's license, you will be required to have a Vehicle Passport (PTS), and most pit bike manufacturers do not provide such a document. You can check this information on our website.
Therefore, you should be prepared for the fact that obtaining a driver’s license for this type of transport will not be quick. But for a pit bike with a small engine capacity, this issue is not so important, since the sanctions for such violations are not significant. It's another matter if you have a pit bike with an engine capacity of more than 50 cubic meters. In this case, you should start applying for a driver's license. How to get a license for a pit bike with an engine capacity of 125, 150 cubic meters.
In what cases is it still possible to obtain a license for a pit bike?
However, if for one reason or another you still want to ride a pit bike in urban conditions, you can register it as a vehicle by making the appropriate “upgrade” of your equipment and obtaining the appropriate documents. In this case, the answer to the question whether it is possible to ride a pit bike without a driver’s license is a clear “no.”
In this case, you will need a license for a pit bike of a certain category: if the engine capacity of your equipment does not exceed 50 cubic meters, and its maximum available speed is 50 km/h, then the license must be category M. A category A license will be required for a pit bike with an engine of 125 cubic meters or more and more.
“But even if you have a license, no one can guarantee that your equipment will not be taken to the impound lot, although in accordance with Article 27.13 of the Administrative Code, such “sanctions” are not applicable to a pit bike,” adds Evgenia Galkina.
pixabay.com/
Do you need a pit bike license in 2019?
As you can see, the Code of Administrative Offenses refers to the Federal Law “On Road Safety”. It says about rights quite succinctly and extremely clearly:
A driver's license gives its owner the right to drive a vehicle - a device designed to transport people, goods or equipment installed on it on roads.
That is, an indispensable attribute of a vehicle is its purpose for transporting people, goods or equipment on roads. Precisely on the roads. And, if you look at the passport of any pit bike, you will receive clear information that this is sports equipment not intended for use on public roads.
Therefore, a license to drive a pit bike in 2021 is not needed, regardless of engine displacement, because it is sports equipment, not a vehicle.
Is it possible to ride a pit bike through fields and forests?
And there are different opinions here. Contrary to the misconception of the majority of owners of these “vehicles,” traffic rules are valid throughout Russia, and forests and fields also obviously belong to the territory of the Russian Federation.
Another opinion refers to the formal interpretation from the traffic rules, according to which the Rules “establish a uniform procedure for road traffic throughout the entire territory of the Russian Federation.” That is, specifically road traffic – that is, traffic on public roads. And, if you are driving over rough terrain (not on a country road or dirt road, as we mentioned above), then traffic rules do not apply there.
But all these are formal prohibitions. For most “pit bikers”, the issue of fines and impound parking for a pit bike is still interesting.
Is it possible for children to ride a pit bike?
Due to its small dimensions and lightness, the pit bike is especially attractive to teenagers, and sometimes it is even called “children’s”. Indeed, with the appropriate equipment and on country roads, even children as young as five years old are allowed to ride a pit bike: the main thing is that parents carefully monitor the safety of their child. And, of course, it is undesirable for the engine capacity of a “children’s” pit bike to exceed 125 cubic meters.
In urban conditions, a completely different situation arises with a pit bike. The engine capacity in this case will be limited to only 50 cubic meters, and this must be confirmed by relevant documents. And, of course, the teenager will need a pit bike license.
“When asked at what age can one obtain permission to ride a pit bike, the law answers this way: only a child over 16 years old can do this. And for this he just needs to get permission to drive a moped,” noted Evgenia Galkina. “If you need to go on a public road on a pit bike with a larger engine, then this is permitted only from the age of 18 and if you have an open category for driving a motorcycle on your driver’s license.”
Is it possible to ride a pit bike on the roads?
No. Since a pit bike is nothing more than a sports tool, you cannot ride it on public roads. Moreover, this applies not only to streets, highways and asphalt roads in general. According to traffic rules, a road is any surface equipped or adapted for driving. That is, a country road, simply trampled by cars - all this also applies to roads.
