Does the price at the pump have you thinking economy? If so, you are not alone. One reader has asked about limited speed motorcycles. They have heard that you can ride one with a regular driver's licence and don't have to get a class six.
Driver's Licence Requirements
This reader has the correct advice. You can ride limited speed motorcycles with a class five or seven licence, an approved motorcycle helmet and proper licence plate and insurance. Since these machines have small displacement motors, you will also save on fuel costs if you don't mind riding in the weather.
What are Limited Speed Motorcycles?
What are the qualifiers for limited speed motorcycles you ask? They must meet all of the following criteria:
- A motor displacing less than 50 or a power source that produces less than 1.5 Kw
- An automatic transmission
- A maximum speed on level ground of 70 km/h
- A maximum weight, excluding fuel or batteries, of 95 kg
- Wheels with a diameter of 254 mm or more
- Canadian Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (CMVSS) compliance label permanently affixed to the device
Take Driver Training
Still interested? Before you buy one and take off on an adventure, I strongly suggest that you consider driving lessons. Did you know that above a certain speed pushing on the right side of the handlebars will cause a right turn and vice versa? It is not just a big bicycle and can cause serious problems for the untrained.
Not on Bicycle Lanes
Speaking of bicycle, limited speed motorcycles must not be operated on bicycle lanes. They are meant to be operated on the road with other motor vehicles.
Learn More
- Canada's National Motorcycle Training Program
- Learn to Ride Smart
- Division 30.01 MVAR - Classes of Driver's Licences
- Division 1 MVAR - Definition of Limited Speed Motorcycle
Share This Article
- Log in to post comments