HOUSTON – As part of KPRC’s Ask 2, we’ve invited you to ask us questions about Houston that you’ve wondered about, and we will try to hunt down the answer for you.
Question: Are motorized bicycles legal in Texas?
To simply put it- yes, but let’s cover all the bases.
The Texas Department of Public Safety defines a motorcycle as “a motor vehicle, other than a tractor or moped, that is equipped with a rider’s saddle and designed to have when propelled not more than three wheels on the ground.”
A motorcycle requires safety training and a Class M driver license, unlike a moped which drivers need a Class C license to operate and does not require safety training.
The Texas Department of Public Safety defines a moped as “a motor vehicle that is equipped with a rider’s saddle and designed to have when propelled not more than three wheels on the ground, that cannot attain a speed in one mile of more than 30 miles per hour, and the engine of which cannot produce more than five-brake horsepower and if an internal combustion engine, has a piston displacement of 50 cubic centimeters or less and connects to a power drive system that does not require the operator to shift gears.”
The Texas Constitution and Statutes transportation code defines an electric bike as a vehicle which is equipped with a motor that propels no more than 28-mph with the rider pedaling or 20-mph without the rider pedaling. The code also states owners of an electric bicycle cannot register the vehicle for operation on a public highway.
Motorized bicycles or motorcycles, moped and electric bicycles are all legal in Texas; however, they each have different requirements and restrictions.
Do you have a burning H-Town-related question? Send it our way, and we will try to hunt down an answer.
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