*** Motorized mini-cycles fuel debate ***

Portland, Main (AP) -- 07/29/2004
Standing at 2 feet and under, "pocket bikes" might seem
like a fitting addition to a Shriners parade or circus act.

But these mini-motorcycles are actually the latest fad among bike
enthusiasts. And these days their growing visibility is accelerating
a nationwide debate about whether they're pint-sized fun or a
plain old nuisance.

A West Coast phenomenon that rolled into Maine with the warmer
weather just months ago, pocket bikes have kept police busy with
complaints about noise and underage riders. State officials, meanwhile,
are wondering if motor vehicle laws need to be tightened based on
concerns that they've heard.

"We've been chasing them around, off the street, all week long,
one call after the other," said Sgt. David Smith of the South Portland
Police Department.

Fans of the bikes seem unruffled. They say the bikes look as good
as the full-size choppers and motocross models they are built to
resemble, and are just as exciting to drive because they are so low
to the ground. At several hundred dollars, the bikes are also a lot
cheaper.

"Maybe they can't afford the full-size ones," offered Bob Morneau,
general manager of VIP Discount Auto Center in Portland, which
has sold 38 of the latest model - Electra Sports Style Gas Racer for
$399.99 each - in the past two months.

With one-cylinder, gas-powered motors suited for weed whackers,
these bikes are not particularly fast, or furious. But police say riders

- typically teenage boys or young men - are tearing through parking
lots, weaving through traffic jams and spooking pedestrians.

Earlier this month, a woman was struck on the jogging path of Baxter
Boulevard in Portland. The juvenile sped off on his bike, leaving her
with injuries to her face and head that were treated later at the
hospital,
said Sgt. Gary Rogers.

No serious crashes have been reported, but police say it's just a
matter of time. When riders hunch forward on these bikes, knees
pressed against their chests, they risk being hit by motorists who
can't see them.

Police also say many models - mostly Chinese copycats of Italian
pocket bikes - do not have horns or lights, and riders do not always
wear helmets.

The potential for accidents has led to crackdowns on pocket bikes
in cities such as Phoenix and New Haven, Conn. Throughout California,
the bikes are illegal except at racetracks and on private property.

Portland police have begun to issue summonses to riders operating
the bikes without valid driver's licenses and ordered them to get their
vehicles registered with the state. But pocket bikes are so new to
Maine and other states that police, let alone riders, are not sure how
they are categorized.

State statute says nothing explicit about pocket bikes
- also known as pocket rockets. But their maximum speed
- typically advertised at under 30 mph - and power
- an engine with a displacement of no more than 50 cubic centimeters
- mean it should be registered as a moped, said Chip Gavin, deputy
secretary of state.

Consequently, operating a pocket bike requires a valid driver's license,

meaning children under 16 cannot ride them on public ways and parking
lots.

At VIP Auto Center in Portland, sales representatives give new
owners of pocket bikes a disclaimer saying the vehicles are meant
for off-road recreation.

Even though state statute indirectly addresses pocket bikes,
a working group of state officials from the Secretary of State's
Office and the Department of Public Safety will be convening
today in Augusta to discuss whether such "non-traditional vehicles"
need further legislative oversight.

"We want to be prepared if these vehicles are here to stay,
that they can be operated in a safe way . . . and we also want
to be sure that the roads of Maine are safe for everybody," Gavin said.

Pocket bikes, a popular draw at racing circuits in Europe since the
mid-1990s, are the latest example of private sector innovations
outpacing state and local laws.

This is evident in the case of Segway Human Transporters,
the motorized scooter-like devices also known as electrical
personal assistive mobility devices. When a Segway dealer went
to the Portland city councilors last week to get permission to give
tours on the trails of the Eastern Promenade, she got the green light,
largely because there were no restrictions on the books.

Pedestrians and bicyclists are hoping new modes of motorized
transport will see greater regulation. Avid bicyclist Steve Gordon
is not a fan of motorized scooters, but he is really unhappy with the
pocket bikes because of their higher speeds. Souped up, the bikes
can easily surpass 30 mph.

"I almost ran into one the other day," said Gordon, chairman of the
Bicycle-Pedestrian Advisory Committee in Portland. "It was a kid."

Just this month, Portland police have had
several run-ins with young riders.

On July 7, 22-year-old Paeli Okeny, who was accompanied by a
juvenile also on a pocket bike, was issued a summons for an unregistered

motor vehicle. Six days later, another juvenile was found to be
operating
without a license.

On Wednesday, police received a complaint about reckless riding
along the jogging path of Baxter Boulevard, but didn't catch up with
the rider, 21-year-old David Okot, until he had reached Franklin
Arterial via Marginal Way. Okot was given a summons for operating
a vehicle after suspension, operating an unregistered motor vehicle
and driving to endanger.

"That's amazing to me that somebody would go through an
intersection downtown on one of those things," Sgt. Rogers said.

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