I just got a gas powered scooter:
http://www.goped.com/products/gsrsport/default.asp
I was hoping to find a way to make it street legal. If it were to be classified as a motorcycle then it would need headlights, brake lights, a horn, and much more, however I was hoping to get around that by classifying it as a moped.
Traditionally, mopeds are vehicles that can be pedaled like a bike or ridden like a motorcycle, however it appears the state of Illinois only has four requirements that I could find. The engine must be less than 50cc (no problem). Must not be able to exceed 30mph in the distance of one mile (no problem). Drive system must not require operator to shift gears (no problem). Equipped with a motor that produces 2-brake horsepower or less (minor problem).
The scooter is listed by the manufacturer at 2.5HP, however there is no specification as to what sort of horsepower this is (brake, effective, or otherwise). Also, the scooter has been somewhat heavily used, so I doubt the output is still above 2HP, however that would not be easily verifiable.
Also, in order to make it street legal I must get a license and insurance for it, which also means I need to get a title. Now, of course, there was no title to begin with, so I'm not sure if I need to file for a lost title or if I need to go through some other process. For a lost title, I believe you need proof of every owner up to the manufacturer, which is another problem. I can get a testimony from the person I got it from, and he could get one from the guy he got it from, but that guy won the scooter in a raffle, so he has no proof of purchase or anything? Would a testimony saying that he won the scooter be enough?
Also, I know on a car title there are items like mileage and VIN which I'm not exactly sure what I would put. For mileage, I would imagine that I might be able to just list it as "Not Available", as I'm sure there are plenty of cars without working odometers or motorcycles/mopeds that never had them built in. As for the VIN, I read that there wasn't even an industry standard until the 80's, so it's not something that is heavily regulated. There is a serial number which would be unique to this specific vehicle, so I am wondering if that would suffice. Also, what would I put for the year? Just the year they started producing these?
I know this is ton of questions, but I really want to beat this thing. If anyone could shed any light on any aspect of this, it would be greatly appreciated.
Well, I spent a lot of time today on the phone with various state departments, and I think I've gotten it figured out. I talked to a person from the Secretary of the State's office, the department of title and registration, and while the laws concerning mopeds and what defines a moped are somewhat vague, there is nothing that directly outlaws it. I also talked with an officer from the SotS's office and he told me the same thing. I also figured out that I can get a title through it through the Bond's office by getting a bonded title. I have to get the scooter appraised, and pay 1.5x that in a bond that I will get back in 3 years as long as no one brings evidence forth that the scooter was acquired illegally.
