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Police to cite
pocket bike riders
A $55 fine for driving an unlicensed vehicle
will be issued to those caught on public sites
Honolulu police say they will issue citations to people who ride their pocket bikes on public roads and property.
Police officials said anyone riding the 3-by-2-foot motorized minimotorcycles on public roads or public property could face a $55 fine for driving an unlicensed motor vehicle. Riders could also face more serious fines, arrests or even have their bikes confiscated, depending on the situation, police said.
"These bikes can be customized, so it depends on how large the engine is or how fast it can go," said Maj. Douglas Miller, of the Honolulu Police Department Traffic Division.
"They could fall under the category of motorcycles, and the operator could be in violation of not being licensed to drive a motorcycle. ... It's not even possible to register this as a motor vehicle," Miller said. "Bottom line is these are not legal to ride on public streets or parks ... just on private property."
Pocket bikes are the latest motorized craze to hit the nation, with riders whizzing by at 30 to 40 mph, though some can be customized to travel up to 80 mph. Complaints about the bikes have mostly centered around safety: Because of their size, the bikes are hard to see by other motorists.
Other complaints are about the noise because the engine sounds like a loud weed whacker.
Miller said that officers for the most part would not confiscate the pocket bikes unless circumstances required them to, such as if someone got into a pedestrian accident and officers needed the vehicle for evidence.
"We're not trying to scare anyone who has one of these regarding confiscation ... but we have the legal authority to do so," said Miller.
City officials banned pocket bikes at city parks this week because of safety and noise concerns. Despite the ban, however, pocket bike sales were still brisk at Cycle Imports of Hawaii on McCully Street.
"Oh, it's insane," store owner George Burmeister said yesterday. "These are recreational vehicles, and we tell people that they can't ride them on public roadways but they're still buying them.
"We're telling people to be smart about it, but a lot of them are young and don't care and they're giving a bad name to everybody."
Burmeister said the average pocket bike retails for $500 to $600, but the higher-end bikes from Italy can cost between $1,100 and $3,000. He said he sells about one a day -- higher-end Italian bikes sell about two a week -- and he does not see sales dropping anytime soon.
"Even if we ban them, people have them already," he said. "These are part of the new age of sports.
"People need a facility to ride these things. ... We're not going to get rid of them, so we have to address them."
www.honolulupd.org
