laws

[breakdirt916]

these are the notable points I found after reading through the laws (sections 20-34)

1.) you can get jailed up to 60 days and/or fined $50-$300 for riding on state, county, or city roads, public ways, right of ways, or controlled access highways or breaking a rule a director made from a public hearing

2.) otherwise there's a $20-$100 fine for not being registered, not having safety equipment (not having lights @ night, muffler, spark arrestor), being too young, harassing wildlife, being drunk or on drugs, carrying a rifle if you're not a cop, or not reporting a crash over $50

on the other hand...

you MAY ride across public ways (except controlled access highways) and you MAY push it across or adjacent to any way

I didn't see anything about impounding. Anyone know? If not, I would assume that legally, you don't have to get your bike impounded if you're accidentally off the trail and stopped

[ssg]

Hmm..I don't have the statutes, but I'm pretty sure if the ELE (or MSP) catches ya, its fines to 1500$ & impound.

[breakdirt916]

this is what I pulled:

Chapter 90B: Section 34. Violations; punishment

Section 34. Whoever violates any provision of sections twenty-one to twenty-four, inclusive, twenty-six to twenty-eight, inclusive, and thirty to thirty-three, inclusive, or any rule or regulation made thereunder, shall be punished by a fine of not less than twenty dollars nor more than one hundred dollars. Whoever violates any provision of section twenty-five or section twenty-nine, or of any rule or regulation made thereunder, shall be punished by a fine of not less than fifty dollars nor more than three hundred dollars, or by imprisonment in a jail or house of correction for not more than sixty days or both.

it doesn't say anything about $1,500 and an impound...is that just ELE ticketing and punishing you because they want to?

[ssg]

this is what I pulled:


it doesn't say anything about $1,500 and an impound...is that just ELE ticketing and punishing you because they want to?

It was on the back of the ticket - the statutes and the possible penalties. That was awhile ago so I don't remember the infractions vs cost.
The big question is what are you looking for statutes on, just riding illegally or riding without a plate?

I have heard of ELE's showing up to a known illegal riding area with flatbeds and wreckers and just towing your shit away then they just wait. Impound doesen't only apply to bikes but if thats how your violating and all you have on you, then yes they aren't going to go home and make you give them your truck.

I've had a couple run-in's with ELE's and never pissed them off enough to want to jack my shit, but I have given them several hundred dollars.

[breakdirt916]

It was on the back of the ticket - the statutes and the possible penalties. That was awhile ago so I don't remember the infractions vs cost.
The big question is what are you looking for statutes on, just riding illegally or riding without a plate?

I was curious about both, based on what I found in MGL chapter 90b sections 20-34.

but if what I read is wrong, where else can I read it?

I have heard of ELE's showing up to a known illegal riding area with flatbeds and wreckers and just towing your shit away then they just wait. Impound doesen't only apply to bikes but if thats how your violating and all you have on you, then yes they aren't going to go home and make you give them your truck.

I've had a couple run-in's with ELE's and never pissed them off enough to want to jack my shit, but I have given them several hundred dollars.

that sucks about the towing...I've heard rumors about this as well

what were you fined for?

and the worse it gets to ride ORV's around here, the more jobs in ME sound appealing to me

[Paul_E_D]

I got a 50 dollar ticket for riding with no yellow plate on state land.

[DuncanMoto]

Wirelessly posted (BlackBerry9000/4.6.0.297 Profile/MIDP-2.0 Configuration/CLDC-1.1 VendorID/102 UP.Link/6.3.1.20.06.3.1.20.0)

The one time I went I had a ds mass plated bike.
People we were with parked their van at a back road gate and rode their 2 smokes.
We rode out a different exit and the 2 smoke riders found rangers at their van when they returned.
They got $100 ticket and $200 impound fee.

[typeone]

wow, i dont need to worry around here when i jet into the powerlines occasionally but those fines are STEEP. that would pay for my season membership to CH!

[Fitz]

Goffstown PD was nice. They let me walk my race bike home from the gas station. A little over a mile. They were even kind enough to let me put my helmet, gloves and jacket in the back of the cruiser.

The smile on my wife's face when I came around the corner dripping with sweat, with the cruiser following ~15 feet behind me was priceless.

A scolding, a handshake, and he was on his way.

Fitz

[Rambunctous]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XaI5IRuS2aE I hate the goverment. I hate fences.

[Rambunctous]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uSIy0wq_-8A

[breakdirt916]

hmm...interesting...it looks like some of these laws were recently revised ~10/29 of last year. Here are the highlights that stand out to me (this does not reflect all the revisions)

Registration
-by definition, the words "recreation vehicle" and "off-highway vehicle" now include the terms:"all-terrain vehicles" and "dirt bikes"...so no more ambiguity if the MA "ATV" technically includes dirt bikes...
-they also added a section that technically says you can't loan your registration to anyone else

No person shall operate a snow vehicle or a recreation vehicle unless the vehicle has been registered in accordance with this chapter and a registration number assigned by the director is displayed on the vehicle. The registration number shall be painted or by means of a decal or sticker which is firmly attached to both sides of the cowling of the vehicle and located so that both are clearly visible and not obstructed. The registration number displayed shall be not less than 3 inches in height and not less than one-half inch in width and shall be in a color that is in marked and distinct contrast to the background to which the number is applied. The registration number shall be maintained in a legible condition at all times. A motor vehicle license or learner's permit shall not be required for the operation of a snow vehicle or a recreation vehicle.

...so is it now required to paint or sticker our registration numbers on both sides of the bike?

sound ordinances
-it is now the law that you can't sell an ORV manufactured 1998+ that makes more than 96db from 20" away, and over 101db for pre-98 manufactured bikes

operation on public ways
-prior to 10/29/10, technically you could cross any public road as long as you stopped, gave the right of way to traffic etc. Now the road has to be marked, and if you're under 18 you technically need 18+ supervision to cross (and a driver's license)
-and the section that used to state that it was okay only for snow vehicles to ride on public ways to get from the parking lot to the riding area, now includes "recreational vehicle".

-all those age restrictions for kids you might've read about are now posted...

[Rossco]

1.) you can get jailed up to 60 days and/or fined $50-$300 for riding on state, county, or city roads, public ways, right of ways, or controlled access highways or breaking a rule a director made from a public hearing

"What are you in for?"

"Riding a dirtbike"

[breakdirt916]

hahaha, yeah...plated dirt bike seems like the best way to go...

I found a pamphlet on the DCR website:

http://www.mass.gov/dfwele/dle/ohvpamphlet.pdf

so yeah, technically before, we were allowed to cross a public street w' an OHV plated bike, but after the changes that loophole has been removed, and the public street needs to marked in order for us to cross

what surprises me is that they actually still include a headlight and red taillight as part of the safety equipment...it's very uncommon on mx bikes...

[obsolete]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uSIy0wq_-8A

YouTube - TREE-This Land

Better.

[typeone]

not sure if it's been mentioned but i just noticed Pittsfield SF changed over to a 'limited daily permit' arrangement in 2010 to limit the number of ATV/OHMs in use.

they're free of charge and available to the PSF headquarters

http://www.mass.gov/dcr/recreate/ohv/pittsfield.pdf

[Stromper]

Well its your fault for riding on their land