moto bikes on gravel roads

Harvest72 · Aug 13, 2006

Hi,

I hope this is the correct place to post this. First off, I'd like to buy a moto bike for ripping around the back country (I live in Manitoba, Canada). I realize that operating an off road vehicle on a road is illegal, my question is to what extent is this enforced?

For example, if I, age 17 with a drivers liscence, am riding a registered dirtbike down a gravel road, is there a chance I would be caught?

My thoughts are that I would probably just be asked to remove myself from the roadway. There are tons of unregistered quads and moto bikes that are being driven up and down the roads that have riders w/o liscences and are under 16.

What are the possible consequences of being caught? Would it be a fine?

Also, is registering a bike the same as insuring it? I really have no idea. Can you select what kind of insurance you want (collision liability, fire and theft, etc.) and what is the minimum you must have?

Thanks,
Cam

motometal · Aug 13, 2006

keep in mind that most of us are literally from another country, and wouldn't know the answers to your questions.

I just returned from a trip riding "back country" in Ontario, and can tell you that were I was, as long as you weren't in or near a town the only people around were logging trucks and vacationers. And this was just on the main roads, once i left the mains roads (which were gravel) I saw noone. I'm not condoning doing anything illegal. Regardless, in my opinion being safe and staying out of trouble is what you want to do.

also you must know that exploring like this by yourself can be dangerous if you crash or have a mechanical problem. I used a GPS with a handlebar mount but there were a few times where if that thing failed, it would have been tricky to find my way back!

CaptainObvious · Aug 14, 2006

I have always found it helpful in life to avoid confrontational contact with those who are tasked to uphold the law.

Don't look for someone to provide you with justification to do what you want to do. Break the laws at your own risk and peril.

F150Motocrosser · Aug 14, 2006

Careful on the gravel man, its bad news. 2 of my buddies liked my bikes, so they decided to RANDOMLY go out and each buy 2006 YZ125's (first bike ever) In no more than 3 days after buying them, one of them shreds his hand up after washing out in 4th gear on gravel

Harvest72 · Aug 14, 2006

CaptainObvious said:
I have always found it helpful in life to avoid confrontational contact with those who are tasked to uphold the law.

Don't look for someone to provide you with justification to do what you want to do. Break the laws at your own risk and peril.

I'm not looking for a fight, but come on now, we aren't talking about robbing a store or something. Am I to believe that you have never gone 5 miles over the speed limit or drank a beer underage?

I find that people are too black and white about certain issues, to me its always a question of degree.

mtk · Aug 14, 2006

I think you're missing his point.

All he is saying is that life is a lot easier if you don't put yourself into a situation where you and Johnny Law find yourself on opposite sides of an issue. Because if you do put yourself into that situation, the outcome is completely out of your control and depends entirely on Officer Friendly's good graces for you to come out of it happy.

You know what you're asking about is illegal, period, end of discussion. There is no "grey" in this, it is a black and white issue. Speeding, underage drinking, or anything else is totally irrelevant to the discussion. Riding down a road, gravel or otherwise, on a dirtbike is illegal, period. Yes, you might be able to do it for years and never see a cop. Or maybe you'll see a cop or two but they won't care and not cite you for it. But then again, they could also chase you down, fine the crap out of you, and impound your bike.

What particular outcome you might recieve when confronted by Johnny Law is impossible to predict from here. If you see folks riding off-road vehicles on the roads around you all the time, why don't you ask the riders about their experiences? They'll have a much better idea than most anyone on here (unless one of those riders is on here too).

Okiewan · Aug 14, 2006

Ahhhh..... the voices of reason, reality & maturity, even on the internet. :cool:

CaptainObvious · Aug 14, 2006

Harvest72 said:
Am I to believe that you have never gone 5 miles over the speed limit or drank a beer underage?

If I have, I have done so at my own risk and peril. I don't ask others if it's a good idea. It would be a decision that I make on my own.

Harvest72 · Aug 14, 2006

CaptainObvious said:
If I have, I have done so at my own risk and peril. I don't ask others if it's a good idea. It would be a decision that I make on my own.

Right. I'm not necessairly asking if its a good idea or looking for encouragement, I'm just wondering about other peoples experiances in the area, thats all.

mtk · Aug 14, 2006

Okie said:
Ahhhh..... the voices of reason, reality & maturity, even on the internet. :cool:

You better not be talking about me!

:coocoo:

:laugh:

motometal · Aug 14, 2006

mtk said:
Riding down a road, gravel or otherwise, on a dirtbike is illegal, period.

While you may not be wrong, if you haven't ever ridden in his area or at least in the "back country" of Canada, you may not understand the situation here. What I saw, was that in town, many folks had atv/dirt bike trials worn into the dirt right through their front yard, and leading up to the back of their houses. And away from town, they have millions of miles of roads created short term for logging, then abandoned. These roads are very nice much like our back roads, but on many of them you could wait a month or longer to see anyone. No fences and not a question of trespassing like it is here, and it would be a stretch to call these back roads "public streets".

I admit I have no idea of the exact laws and/or enforcement in his area.

The point of my post is not really to answer his question (sorry) or condone what he wants to do, it's more to illustrate to folks what it is like in some areas of Canada. Those who haven't ever explored this country, you owe it to yourself to go up there with an XR etc. in the back of a truck, outfit it with a GPS, and go explore. It's a blast!

1989kx250 · Aug 15, 2006

i ride on the road sometimes, but short distances like 1-5 miles. And slow, because if people complain about you, thats when the cops care and the reason they are illegal on the road. I know some guys that have gotten caught on four wheelers riding through town, and they got fined, still have their wheelers though. a cop cant drive through a field or a woods very well just for your information.

CaptainObvious · Aug 15, 2006

1989kx250 said:
because if people complain about you, thats when the cops care and the reason they are illegal on the road.

They're not illegal because “people complain”, they are illegal because there are rules and laws that govern what vehicles can and can’t be ridden on public roads. Vehicle registration, insurance and a operator licensed to operate the vehicle come to mind.

1989kx250 said:
a cop cant drive through a field or a woods very well just for your information.

But radio waves sure can. And the last time I checked, the speed of light was still faster than a 125 with a pipe 15/30 sprockets and a Power Now.

mtk · Aug 15, 2006

motometal said:
While you may not be wrong, if you haven't ever ridden in his area or at least in the "back country" of Canada, you may not understand the situation here.

{Remaining post snipped}

Understanding the situation isn't necessary; it is illegal, period, end of discussion. Canada has similar requirements as the US as far as registration, insurance, yadda yadda yadda, which means a dirt bike isn't road legal.

Will the laws be enforced? Who knows? But if a cop chooses to enforce it, then he's hosed. Yeah, he may do it all day, every day, for a decade and never have a problem. Or he could do it tomorrow and some overzealous rookie could catch him, issue him a big citation, and impound his bike.

Bottom line is that it is a crap shoot, no more and no less. He's relying solely on police apathy or a complete lack of law enforcement presence to get away with it. So it comes down to a personal decision, based on the odds of getting pinched, and only he can decide if he wants to roll the bones or not.

mdkuder · Aug 15, 2006

Hornet's nest ye stirred up, aye! As everyone said you should be legal on the road as the possible costs further outweight those fees. Isn't your insurance included in your tagging fees in Canada? Also it's my opinion that doesn't help the image of offroad vehicle operators that we need to protect, just read up on the track/land closings that are a constant issue that faces all of us!
http://www.sharetrails.org/

dklink2000 · Aug 15, 2006

somebody kill this worthless thread! :|

harvest, you completly miss the point. Great first 3 post though, way to go!

moto bikes on gravel roads

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moto bikes on gravel roads

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