Honda Spree and Elite 50 Forums

Does anyone know the law in California regarding registration of a Spree and whether a driver's license is required? My newly acquired '86 was registered and still has the plates, but they expired in '87. The insurance company will insure licensed drivers, but not unlicensed. I would like to teach my kids to ride, but they are not of driving age for a few years.

I'm also curious about the law regarding bike lanes. Most of the commuting I'll be doing will be on 45mph roads, so I'll have to be over to the side for safety. The thing is many of the roads have a marked bike lane. Is it allowed for 50cc non-mopeds to use these lanes?

Scott

A Spree is a "motor-driven cycle" under CA law (in non-legalese, that means a small motorcycle):
- you can operate legally on any street or highway except "limited access" highways (freeways).
- you cannot use bicycle paths or bike lanes
- you must have it registered (license plate)
- you need a drivers license with an M1 (motorcycle) endorsement to operate it on public roads.

You might be able to squeak it by as a "motorized bicycle" (moped), but only if you can show that the motor produces less than 2 hp and that it it capable of no more than 30 mph. I think a stock Spree is over those limits (I had a couple of Aero 50s, and they were definitely over).

The CA DMV records only go back 7 years. If yours hasn't been licensed within that time, you will have to get a new registration and license. It's not hard; go to the DMV office and get the paperwork. You will have to get it inspected. Larger DMV offices have an inspector (make an appointment); they may have to take it to a CHP station. Once they sign off on it (basically checking the VIN number to make sure it's not stolen), you pay the fee (under $100 as I recall) and you're good to go.

Getting an M1 license isn't hard. Download the CA motorcycle handbook from the DMV (http://www.dmv.ca.gov/pubs/dl655/dl665mcycle.pdf) and study it for a day or so, then go down to the DMV and take the written test. That gets you a learner's permit good for a year (and renewable twice). With the permit you can legally drive the Spree except at night. You then have to take the skills test, which consists of driving straight within an 18" wide lane, going twice around a 30'-circle while staying within an 18" wide lane (that takes some practice; it's harder than it sounds!), and running a serpentine course weaving around cones. I took the test on the Aero 50. I failed dismally the first time, passed the second time after about 6 weeks of practice. The DMV people were cool about letting me use the test course to practice on over the weekends).

The M1 license is a full motorcycle license, so I could legally go out an ride a Harley on the street.

Sorry about being long-winded. To answer your questions:

Most of the commuting I'll be doing will be on 45mph roads, so I'll have to be over to the side for safety.

Actually, I disagree with that. Your scooter is a licensed motor vehicle. As such, you have as much right to the road as the driver in the Lincoln Fumigator. I ride so as to "own the lane"; usually in the left-hand tire rut. If a car wants to pass, he has to cross over to the other lane, just like passing a car. If you ride squeezed over on the right, they'll be tempted to squeeze past you, and that's when you're more likely to get pushed off the road.

The thing is many of the roads have a marked bike lane. Is it allowed for 50cc non-mopeds to use these lanes?

No, per my comments above. The Spree is legally a motor vehicle.

A final suggestion: be sure you wear protective gear. While this sounds paranoid, you can get seriously hurt without it, even on a Spree. For example, http://www.vcu.edu/cppweb/tstc/reports/cs13c4.html These were CHP officers on Harleys, but they were riding at 31-33 mph. A helmet is required by law in CA, but I also wear an armored jacket. The idea of skidding for 47 feet unprotected on asphalt doesnt really appeal to me

Above all, have fun!

-- Tom Jupille

I can deal with the motorcycle endorsement and registration, but the bike lane is not good news. I understand the idea of riding in the left tire track, and on a residential street I have no problem with that. The problem is that most of the other roads around here are single lane 45mph zones with marked bike lanes, the average speed is 50 and I planned to be doing most of my riding commuting to work.

My Spree isn't running yet, but if I can get it to 30mph I'll be seriously restricting traffic, and that is dangerous in itself. I feel like I'm more likely to have an inattentive drive run up my tailpipe that be pushed to the right. I may be sensitive to this because I was rear-ended two-years ago in rush hour traffic on one of these roads. There are also a few serious hills on my commuting route that will probably drop my speed even further.

I may have to rethink the value of my 'free' Spree as a commuter vehicle and use it more for recreation at non-peak times.

Learn the fine art of backroad and alleyhopping.

You'll either be riding offpeak hours on the 45 mph roads or
looking for alternative routes if you can't get that Spree up to 35.

Look over the rest of the Spree and get your list lined up for a combination of safety and maintenance items after you get the carb smoothed.

1. just get the air filter from a honda dealer- replace the plug , buy a spare

2. tires and brakes- look them over - older than 6-7 years you probably need tires - look at the sidewalls and tread

3. dump the 2 stroke oil and clean the oil filter if it sat a few years. I like Motul 710 or 600 over Honda but the point is you need new injector type oil. Using that cruddy oil is just as bad as using the old fuel.

4. dmv - look at dmv site for motorcycle equipment - 2 mirrors ( lots of Sprees have them cracked or missing), all your lights working -you basically are getting a salvage title- You can call dmv at its number on the web with the VIN to see if its still in their computer

no offense but i think a $300 armored jacket is a little to intense for a little 50cc honda spree

I'll be getting my learners permit in the next week or so, but there is only one route I can use for several long sections and it has bike lanes. I'm going to have to chance using them. The vehicle code specifically allows motorized bycycles in bike lanes, so if I get stopped I'll plead safety reasons and the fact that I'm not going any faster than a moped and hope for the best. A mitigating circumstance might be the fact that I'm the only one I ever see riding even a bicycle on one of the sections.

And so far my efforts to tune up the Spree are taking me backwards. After first getting it running it I could hit 25. Now after cleaning the carburator, changing the plug, removing and checking for carbon blockage in the muffler I got to the blistering speed of 20 last night. I've got new gaskets for the carburator coming and a new air cleaner element. Maybe that will help.

i dont know how the laws are in cali but in MI drrivin on a bike path is a $500 fine cuz my buddys got stoped for it. they got let go but d*** i aint got $500 to spend on gettin caught so just a piece of advice before u ride on the bike path...

*, I used to ride my Spree around on sidewalks... I can't believe they would give you * over rideing on a bike path. I rode mine on the street one time and was pulled over and specifically told to keep it off the street. Then again, in Georgia, anything 2 wheels and under 50cc's does not require a license, registration or insurance unless it has a hand operated clutch and more then one gear. In the suburbs around Atlanta, pretty much every road has a side walk beside it. I could easily ride over 100 miles in one night without ever leaving the sidewalk.

Makes me miss my old Spree. Had alot of fun exploreing in and around Atlanta. Can't wait to get my next one up and running.

I want to clarify that I am not considering riding on a bike path, which here is competely separate from the normal roads. The bike lanes I am talking about are a two-three foot wide lane next to the gutter marked by a solid white line to separate them from the other traffic lanes.

no offense but i think a $300 armored jacket is a little to intense for a little 50cc honda spree

First of all, you can get decent ones for a lot less than $300.

Second, the asphalt that's peeling your hide at 30 mph doesn't know whether you started off on a Spree or a Harley .

That said, helmets are required by law in CA. For the rest, you wear whatever you want.

dang that sucks