Bikers Beware in B.C.

[Sailor]

My son got pulled over by the R.C.M.P. while riding with his girlfriend in Sidney. The cop informed him that he had done nothing wrong but that they had orders to run the plate of every motorcycle they see.

A couple years ago my son got a dui while driving his truck. He paid the fine and took the suspension and got his drivers license back. What they did not tell him is that because he got a suspension his motorcycle license was automatically invalidated and he would have to re-take the tests. He did not know this so had been driving for a year and a half without a valid motorcycle license. The cop then informed him that despite paying for insurance the insurance was invalid because the license was invalid. The cop then informed him that when he had originally passed his motorcycle license 30 years ago he had passed it on a 195 cc twin star so it has been illegal for him to carry a passenger for the past 30 years. In order to carry a passenger he would have had to re-pass the test on a bike bigger than 200 cc. They did not tell him this at the time so he never did.

The bike was impounded and towed. Invalid motorcycle license, invalid insurance, illegally carrying a passenger. He was told he could not get the bike out of impound until he re-passed his motorcycle test. He took a day off work to do all this and was informed the first slot available to do the test is in the middle of October. Impound fees $ 25.00/day plus towing fee plus licence test fee. Fortunately he found out that he could get a temporary operators permit which would allow him to get the bike out of impound. When he went to get it out of impound he found that the paperwork to impound the bike had never been processed so he could not take it out of impound. It took all day and several hundred dollars but he finally got the bike back.

 

Be aware that in B.C. if you get a suspension it automatically invalidates your motorcycle license even if the bike was not involved and you must re-take the tests. If you originally passed the tests on a bike of less than 200 cc you must re-pass the tests on a bigger bike to be allowed to carry passengers.

The cops have orders to run the plate of every motorcycle they see.

 

Seems like harassment to me.

[SilvrT]

Seems like a lotta B/S to me. I got my class 6 in 1969 on a 125cc bike. There is nothing on my license that refers to any restrictions. I am going to have to look into this but on the surface it almost appears to be some sort of "cash-grab" conjured up by some pencil-pusher in our Government. And I ain't goin any further with that!! ggrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!!

 

Oh, and I might add that even in 1969, after getting my class 6, I carried a passenger...nothing was said then that I could not....a class 6 did not have any restrictions to pasengers to the best of my knowledge. Seems a bit strange since many of the bikes in those days were under 200cc anyway.

 

And that makes me wonder how in the h3ll they would even know what size of bike I took my test on....I honestly doubt that was even a consideration. ggrrrrrrrrrrrrr this makes me mad!

 

I feel bad for your son!... dang, what an ordeal.

[Rocket]

The cops have orders to run the plate of every motorcycle they see.

 

Seems like harassment to me.

 

 

Yup it is & a double standard as well...........

 

The 200 CC+ passenger bit should only apply for after those that got MC, after that requirement was introduced, with all others before grandfathered. The re-test after suspension, should be for both cage & bike or none at all.........

 

[Guest tx2sturgis]

What with restrictions on handguns, lousy winters, and now THIS? No wonder I dont live in Canada...eh?

 

 

 

Ok...answer this...cant your sons bike outrun a horse?

Edited September 3, 2009 by tx2sturgis

[a1bummer]

OMFG! I don't know diddly about the laws up there, but down here I know I would be rattling a bunch of peoples cages right now if I was him.

 

Way to often I've heard it straight from the horses mouth and still found out later I didn't have the full story. Don't ya just love it when the jerks in authority can't keep things straight and nail you for it?

[Venturous Randy]

Nothing worse than trying to be a responsible citizen and getting royally screwed by the government.

RandyA

[saddlebum]

Government will continue to rip off hard working middle class Canadians until one day we all smarten up band together as one group (instead of a bunch of small individual speacial interest groups) and force our governments to realize they are supposed to work for us not the other way around. Trudeau was a smart man, he new when he introduced multiculterisam he was dividing the country into a lot of small crybaby groups instead of one large forceful group. thus you feed the small speacial interest groups a bit of candy and they don't rock the boat so much. We need to get back to being one body one voice and stop government arrogance and greed.

[SilvrT]

uh...ohhhhh... careful, this one's "goin south" (political)

[Rocket]

Nothing worse than trying to be a responsible citizen and getting royally screwed by the government.

RandyA

 

So what are the possible legal options that can be persued to rectify this harrasment / double standard............

 

By the way things sound, this needs to happen ASAP.

[massey130]

i have often wondered where all the Louisiana motorcycle laws are.

i searched the internet & only found a few.

how do we comply when we are not informed or given an avenue to go & look periodically

for changes to existing law or new law going to the books?

 

the passing along of information would go a long way in helping out the folks like us or the young man who wound up in a tangled mess.

 

this is an aggravation that does not need to be.

 

i had seen where one of our members was an attorney (texas maybe) that may have a clue to where we may be able to look.

 

If there is a VR member who would like to help out the uninformed, some of us would like to know our state laws & where to find them.

 

Dale in La.

[Venturous Randy]

One of the love's of my life is riding a motorcycle.

That being said, I really don't think I could be a rider if I chose Canada to be my home. Even though I know Canada must have some of the most pristine riding in the world, with the shorter season, extremely high insurance rates, higher cost for parts and generally being taken advantage of by the government, I am not sure I could be a motorcyclist there.

I just wanted to say that I admire you folks for going through all this and still be riding.

RandyA

[jemorrisonjr]

Not many people know, but this happened to someone I know..

He was on a ride from the states to Canada and wasnt allowed to enter because he had a DUI in the states....He had to wait for everyone to return so he could ride home with them....

 

Even though it was quite a few years since he was charged...

[a1bummer]

Not many people know, but this happened to someone I know..

He was on a ride from the states to Canada and wasnt allowed to enter because he had a DUI in the states....He had to wait for everyone to return so he could ride home with them....

 

Even though it was quite a few years since he was charged...

 

Yup! Happened to my cousins. One of them had his more than 25 years ago. He's been going back and fourth for many years till one day he wasn't allowed to pass. Unless of course he paid some sort of fee, then would be allowed to pass again.

[SilvrT]

Sailor, does your son have, on his license, a #13 restriction?

 

Some "snippits" from ICBC...

 

** Limited-speed motorcycles – Any B.C. driver’s licence

 

Can be operated with any class of driver's licence. Learners require a Class 6 or Class 8 motorcycle learner’s licence. Where an original driver’s licence applicant intends to operate only a limited speed motorcycle, the applicant would apply for a class 5 or class 6 driver’s licenceor a class 7 or 8 learner’s licence. Upon qualification on the class 6 or 8 road test, conducted on a limited speed motorcycle, the applicant would be issued a class 6 or 8 licence with restrictions 13 “class 6 or 8 not permitted to carry passengers” and 51 “Limited speed motorcycles only”.

 

A limited-speed motorcycle is defined as:

• No more than 50 cc engine displacement or 1.5 kw motor rating.

• Does not require clutching or shifting after the drive system is engaged.

• Has a maximum speed on level ground of 70 km/h.

• Weighs no more than 95 kg excluding fuel and batteries.

• Wheels must be 25.4 cm in diameter or more.

 

Q. Are there any restrictions that may be placed on

a Class 6 or 8 licence?

Your licence may be restricted depending on the

type or size of motorcycle used for your road test:

• If you take your road test on a motorcycle

200 cc or less, you will be issued a licence

restricting you from carrying passengers.

• If you take your road test on a motor scooter,

you will be issued a licence restricting you to

riding motor scooters only.

• If you take your road test on a trike or on a

motorcycle with sidecar, you will be issued a

licence restricting you to riding only threewheeled

motorcycles.

I hope you or your son fights this "tooth and nail". I'd sure like to know when this "restriction" came into effect.

[fishinjer]

I use a Legal Service that in a situation with a officer, gives you access to an Attorney 24/7 for a low fee a month. i have used on legal consultations.It is great to have

[Sylvester]

One of the love's of my life is riding a motorcycle.

That being said, I really don't think I could be a rider if I chose Canada to be my home. Even though I know Canada must have some of the most pristine riding in the world, with the shorter season, extremely high insurance rates, higher cost for parts and generally being taken advantage of by the government, I am not sure I could be a motorcyclist there.

I just wanted to say that I admire you folks for going through all this and still be riding.

RandyA

 

If our current USA government officials keep going the way they are, you will be looking at the same situation in our 50 states.

 

[Sailor]

Thanks for the info Rick. Where did you find it? I will contact him tonight. I think it is discrimination that bikers have been targeted like this.

Of course, with the Provincial deficit going from $ 490 million in May, pre-election, to over $ 2.1 billion in August, post election, for this year and another $ 1 billion next year the government is looking to squeeze everyone they can.

[Patrick46]

If this nonsence happens down here in the U.S., I'm gettin me a sailboat!...(but I'm quite sure they'll find a way to jerk me around with that as well.)

 

Good luck with this!

[SilvrT]

Thanks for the info Rick. Where did you find it? I will contact him tonight. I think it is discrimination that bikers have been targeted like this.

Of course, with the Provincial deficit going from $ 490 million in May, pre-election, to over $ 2.1 billion in August, post election, for this year and another $ 1 billion next year the government is looking to squeeze everyone they can.

 

I just poked around the ICBC website. Some of it was contained within PDF documents.

[SilvrT]

Thinking about this more, I realize it probably doesn't apply to me because, I got my class 6 before ICBC came into being so I doubt those restrictions even existed way back then. If I recall correctly, ICBC was formed somewhere around 1972.

[Sailor]

Good one Brian. The Harley guys with their loud pipes kept scaring the horses so they traded them in. The " Mounts" are now Crown Victoria's for the marked cars and Dodge Magnums, Dakota 4x4s and Chargers for the unmarked ones. Honda's and BMW's for the bikes.

[midnightventure]

I used to really want to visit Canada. It looks like a truly beautiful country. Then when they passed the restrictive gun laws I started losing that desire but this really does it.

[Bigfoot]

Sylvester. Sorry for what's happened to your son. As a father we will always want to protect our kids, no matter their age. That being said. All this anti-govt stuff may or may not be warranted but no one knows for sure in this case. There could be a very good reason why the law was set the way it is in Canada. Maybe there is a story or stories which prompted the change in law. I don't know one way or the other. But for everyone here to just jump up and down screaming it's for revenue or whatever may be acting prematurely. I don't live or work in Canada so I know nothing on the laws history but apparently no one else does either.

[Sailor]

For a long time the bikers here have been pushing for a graduated licensing system like they have in Europe. This is so some 16 year old kid can't just buy a Ninja 1000 and hit the road. I agree with this and I agree with the restrictions on carrying passengers etc. BUT it is a big co-incidence that just when the provincial budget goes 2 billion dollars into the crapper they suddenly get orders to run the plates on every bike and start charging people with offences that are 30 years out of date. This is a cash grab just like they pulled back benefits for the elderly, which they, the elderly, had spent 40 years paying for, closing facilities and tossing the mentally and physically handicapped out on the street. Passing laws which allowed them to roll back nurses wages by 15%. Cutting off funding to charitable groups. Selling off water rights to foreign interests, which is going to quadruple our costs. The problem is that this government is run by big business and the media is big business so there is no way to get information out to the public. Sorry to sound so political but this attack on bikers is just that. OK...rant finished.

[SilvrT]

For a long time the bikers here have been pushing for a graduated licensing system like they have in Europe. This is so some 16 year old kid can't just buy a Ninja 1000 and hit the road. I agree with this and I agree with the restrictions on carrying passengers etc. BUT it is a big co-incidence that just when the provincial budget goes 2 billion dollars into the crapper they suddenly get orders to run the plates on every bike and start charging people with offences that are 30 years out of date. This is a cash grab just like they pulled back benefits for the elderly, which they, the elderly, had spent 40 years paying for, closing facilities and tossing the mentally and physically handicapped out on the street. Passing laws which allowed them to roll back nurses wages by 15%. Cutting off funding to charitable groups. Selling off water rights to foreign interests, which is going to quadruple our costs. The problem is that this government is run by big business and the media is big business so there is no way to get information out to the public. Sorry to sound so political but this attack on bikers is just that. OK...rant finished.

 

I, for one, am with ya 110% ! And if you have no history of living in BC, you really don't know. As of a few days ago, we are now the proud holders of the title of having the lowest minimum wage in all of Canada... a min wage that has not been increased in over 8 years... isn't that just wonderful!!!

 

I'm so skeered this thread is gonna go south ...