*** Miniature motorcycles popping up around area ***

Park Hills, MO (AP) -- 08/16/2004
They look like something you'd see a Shriner
clown ride around on in a parade.

But these miniature motorcycles with small lawn mower engines
are popping up in the community and are causing a bit of concern
on the part of police officers.

In Bonne Terre, like other cities in the state, there is no ordinance
prohibiting these often noisy motorized toy scooters, which are
becoming more and more popular among adults and their children.

City Clerk Tina Miller said there is no ordinance forbidding these
49 cc two-cycle engine, two-wheeled motorized bikes from the
street. She said there have been several complaints in Bonne Terre,
especially in the area which she resides in.

The motorcycles start out at about $200 on the Internet. They
are also available at retail stores such as Target and Farmington
AutoZone for $350 to $500.

Operators aren't required to license the vehicle or wear a helmet.
The only requirement by the state is the driver must have a driver's
license.

"They look like fools on them," said a Bonne Terre
woman who saw an adult male riding on one.

The mini motorcycles which have a small seat and tube frame
are also referred to as mini choppers or pocket bikes.

Another Bonne Terre woman said she almost hit a woman who
was riding on one. She was concerned about the safety of these
vehicles.

During the August city council meeting, Bonne Terre Police Captain
Doug Calvert said the problem in Bonne Terre was minor until now.
He said it is becoming a nuisance and an annoyance.

Calvert said their officers will be meeting with the city prosecutor
and possibly the city's attorney, and the public safety committee in
an effort to take care of the problem. And he believes there will be
a way to take care of the problem.

He said currently they can issue citations to individuals for driving
without a license on the streets, driving erratically or obstructing
traffic.
The vehicles also must be equipped with lights.

Calvert's concern was also safety and that other motorists
wouldn't be able to see these small motorcycles.

"It's a danger for the rider and for the public," he said.

It has also become a problem in Farmington.

Police Chief Rick Baker has been looking at the issue for several weeks.

"Our main concern in talking about it is for safety," he told the
Farmington Press last week. "These things are so short that there's
no way they can be safe in traffic.

"And besides, people have called us wanting to know
if and where they can ride them before they buy one."

When people come into the department, he shares his concerns
about safety with them. He said the motorcycle is so low that the
operator's head and shoulders do not clear about the hoods of
most vehicles.

Baker added their ordinance prohibits more
than one person from being on a motorized bike.

Park Hills Lt. Doug Bowles said he has seen several of the miniature
motorcycles and they have issued some citations for violations of
ordinance.

It has not become a problem in Leadington. Chief Cledith
Wakefield said he has not seen the motorcycles on the city's streets.

A motorized bicycle does not have to be registered with the Missouri
Department of Revenue. However, operators must have a valid driver's
license. They are not allowed on federal interstates.

A "motorized bicycle," is defined by state statute as any two-wheeled
or three-wheeled device having an automatic transmission and a motor
with a cylinder capacity of not more than 50 cubic centimeters, which
produces less than three gross brake horsepower and is capable of
propelling the device at a maximum speed of not more than 30 miles
per hour on ground level.

Some of these mini motorcycles can
operate at speeds faster than 30 mph.

In California, these motorcycles are prohibited from streets
because they do not meet the state's equipment and safety standards.
Some cities in Missouri are also considering ordinances to ban these
vehicles from the roadway.

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