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My teenager wants an E-bike

Mopeds still need a plate/registration/insurance and license endorsement here in CA as far as I remember. Now how badly are they enforced by your local PD YMMV. I would think they are in the same category as a scooter.
 
I don't know how it is in the Bay Area, but about 2 months ago suddenly the kids on ebikes were suddenly all wearing helmets when prior to that the helmets were rare. There must have been new laws passed with enough teeth that all of the kids changed their behavior. Whatever it was, it was effective and a very smart move.
But, we still have kids killed pretty regularly then they hit cars at 30 mph or when they get run over because they did something stupid on the street.
 
How do mopeds fit into this mix, they got popular mid 70's, they didn't register them then, speeds over 20.
They were heavy and slow then to pedal, no extra pedal speeds gearing, motor, over pedals use, weren't kids toys.
The new mopeds are E-Motos. My Sur Ron light Bee is registered as a moped and that's how I ride it. Even if it doesn't have pedals in California it can be considered a moped. I can ride it in the bike lane at speeds up to 30MPH. You need at least a M2 license and DOT helmet. There is no recurring registration and I don't have insurance for it. My bike doesn't have proper lighting also. There's nothing in the laws that state you have to have turn signals or stop lights, at least when I last checked. I've had the Sur Ron for 8 years but I don't ride it on the street anymore because all these E-Moto shenanigans going on. I've never gotten stopped by the police probably because I'm wearing motogear whenever I ride it.
 
RU srs? Entry points man, entry points. We had dirt biked growing up and rode out the garage to the fire roads and back. No reg back then. Stickers are the thing now, not sure how much they cost. On busy coastal areas, you will wait in line to launch. Many families I know own skis. My colleague just bought two sit downs with trailer. It's a project to spend a day at the bay. When I was skiing, we went from Petaluma to lakes north that were set up for the sport. Many, many restrictions the same as boats. Simple geography dictates accessibility to dirt riding is virtually limitless, and plated bikes transport themselves. It's ridiculous to suggest a young person can buy a "cheap" standup and get as many hours of use a year as someone owning a beater XL250 with plates.

I get it, you love jet skis. I do too. My friends own them. They have disposable income and lots of driveway space. Socal is prime territory for salt water skiing. You know, you've been here enough. I use AI for a lot of tasks, but never writing forum posts, lol!

The economics are very closely the same, period. None the less, the point wasn't about economics; it was about the dangers in E-bikes and motorcycles. Much more injuries and cost in those injuries. Water can have accidents, but far less than hard ground. For kids learning how to operate equipment, I'm a firm believer in water as the surface. Simple point. I disagree with your assessment on stand up ownership (sit downs are different class all together). An XL250 (street legal) is too far a point away from age 12.

The jetski argument I make however is completely blown apart with the recognition of law changes. You'd have been better off making the argument that 15 year olds and younger are prohibited from operating boats of any kind, alone. That retarded law came from the boater card law (another useless law). Makes as much sense as a paddleboarder needing a life jacket on board.
 
I just picked up my first e-bike on Craig’s list.
2023 with 1500 miles for $250 ( the seller was asking $350 I offered $200 and we agreed to $250 )
It needs new tires $60 on Amazon
It’s fun but I like my regular bikes more ….

PaulR🤪
 

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