Pocket Bikes
Status of “Pocket Bikes” in Canada
Miniature motorcycles, a.k.a. pocket bikes, have suddenly become a major fad. The bikes are small and light enough to carry under the arm, but big enough for an adult to ride. Certain models are being marketed for children as young as three or four years old. They are cheap, at just over $500. They accelerate quickly to speeds of 55 km/h and faster.
The vehicles are not street legal because they do not have VIN numbers and do not meet the safety requirements of a motorcycle. They are quite low to the ground, so motorists may not see them. The riders do not have to be licensed and generally do not wear the proper protective equipment. There have been problems with recklessness in areas where they are used on sidewalks and public roads.
What is the status on the use of these pocket bikes in Canada? The Canada Safety Council received the following information from Transport Canada’s Road Safety and Motor Vehicle Regulation directorate:
“The Motor Vehicle Safety Act (MVSA) was enacted to enable the Governor in Council to make Regulations to ensure the safety of the travelling public. The Act’s mandate is to regulate the manufacture and importation of vehicles and vehicle equipment to reduce the risk of death, injury and damage to property and the environment.
Under the MVSA, all vehicles manufactured or imported into Canada must comply with the applicable Canada Motor Vehicle Safety Standards, and the manufacturer must certify their compliance at the time of main assembly. The Act applies to all vehicles less than fifteen years old and to all buses manufactured after January 1, 1971.
Miniature motorcycles have been imported into Canada for approximately three years now. Historically, these pocket bikes have been used in “closed course competition”, i.e., at go-cart circuits or racetracks.
Depending on the type of equipment provided, pocket bikes can be categorized under the Motor Vehicle Safety Regulations in two ways: they can be defined as either a “competition vehicle ”, or as a “restricted use motorcycle”(RUM).
Miniature motorcycles, a.k.a. pocket bikes, have suddenly become a major fad. The bikes are small and light enough to carry under the arm, but big enough for an adult to ride. Certain models are being marketed for children as young as three or four years old. They are cheap, at just over $500. They accelerate quickly to speeds of 55 km/h and faster.
The vehicles are not street legal because they do not have VIN numbers and do not meet the safety requirements of a motorcycle. They are quite low to the ground, so motorists may not see them. The riders do not have to be licensed and generally do not wear the proper protective equipment. There have been problems with recklessness in areas where they are used on sidewalks and public roads.
What is the status on the use of these pocket bikes in Canada? The Canada Safety Council received the following information from Transport Canada’s Road Safety and Motor Vehicle Regulation directorate:
“The Motor Vehicle Safety Act (MVSA) was enacted to enable the Governor in Council to make Regulations to ensure the safety of the travelling public. The Act’s mandate is to regulate the manufacture and importation of vehicles and vehicle equipment to reduce the risk of death, injury and damage to property and the environment.
Under the MVSA, all vehicles manufactured or imported into Canada must comply with the applicable Canada Motor Vehicle Safety Standards, and the manufacturer must certify their compliance at the time of main assembly. The Act applies to all vehicles less than fifteen years old and to all buses manufactured after January 1, 1971.
Miniature motorcycles have been imported into Canada for approximately three years now. Historically, these pocket bikes have been used in “closed course competition”, i.e., at go-cart circuits or racetracks.
Depending on the type of equipment provided, pocket bikes can be categorized under the Motor Vehicle Safety Regulations in two ways: they can be defined as either a “competition vehicle ”, or as a “restricted use motorcycle”(RUM).
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