By ALLISON JONES
TORONTO (CP) – They’re noisy, pint-sized and potentially dangerous – and police across Ontario could soon be handing down stiffer penalties to those who ride so-called “pocket bikes” on city streets and sidewalks, if the province’s largest municipality gets its way.
The loud, lightweight motorcycles, also known as mini-motos, are about one-third of a standard-size bike and an increasingly common sight on the streets of the big city, where municipal leaders are growing concerned about the potential dangers they pose.
In the coming weeks, Ontario’s Ministry of Transportation will receive a motion passed unanimously last week by Toronto city council asking it to amend the Highway Traffic Act in order to crack down on pocket-bike riders.
Under the act it’s already illegal to ride on public roads, because the size of the bike makes it difficult for other motorists to see. Currently, police can levy a $105 fine against a person who rides a pocket bike on the street for not having a permit or plates.
Toronto city council wants the province to give police across the province the power to not only confiscate the bike, but also impound it.
“This is a law that in a sense protects people from their own stupidity,” said Toronto city Coun. Glenn De Baeremaeker, a vocal backer of the motion.
“It will be a huge deterrent. It would be cheaper for them to buy a new bike than to get it out of the 1/8impound lot 3/8.”
The type of pocket bikes zipping down the street weigh between 14 and 25 kilograms, stand less than 50 centimetres tall and cost just a few hundred dollars. Some can reach a top speed upwards of 50 kilometres an hour.
Lee Kuhn, who operates LKR Pocket Bikes in Smithville, Ont., said pocket bikes have actually been around for 20 years.
The recent pocket bike proliferation is because over the past few years Chinese manufacturers have been making less expensive versions of European models, which traditionally retailed for several thousand dollars, Kuhn said.
“About three-a-half years ago I was one of the original Chinese bike importers in Canada,” he said.
In the first three years, his shop has sold 10,000 bikes, mostly to distributors.
“We haven’t sold any for about six months because we saw what was happening. We just didn’t want to be a part of it, of them being out on the street.”
LKR now sells about 100 of the more expensive European pocket bikes – designed exclusively for the race track – each year, as well as other motorized bikes.
Kuhn is also chairman of the Mini Moto Racing Association of Canada (MMRAC), which he established two years ago.
He said he supports the city’s motion because the bikes were never designed to be ridden on the street or the sidewalk.
“On the street, people can’t see you; (the bikes) are just too short,” he said.
“People look out their car window, they might see the top of your head, because that’s how low to the ground you are. They were never designed for that, they’re just way too small for it.”
There have been several accidents and resulting injuries involving pocket bikes across North America in recent years. Michel-Andre Thibert, 16, of Ottawa, died last year when the pocket bike he was riding collided with a car near his home.
The danger of pocket bikes on streets and sidewalks is just one of the reasons the motion has the support of De Baeremaeker, who said he’s bothered by the noisy drone he constantly hears in his own neighbourhood.
“I’ve seen them two and three at a time in every part of my subdivision, and it’s outrageously annoying to people who are just trying to relax on a Sunday morning,” he said.
The reason they’re so noisy? Pocket bikes are powered by engines similar to that of a chainsaw.
It will take a couple of weeks for the motion to go through the administrative process at Toronto City Hall before it can be sent to the Ministry of Transportation.
“We will review any motion that comes from the City, including this one,” said ministry spokesman Bob Nichols. “(The ministry) will also consult with police first before any decisions are made regarding pocket bikes.”
Should the ministry follow through on the motion, Ontario would be following the example of California, where peace officers can seize a pocket bike and hold it for a maximum of 48 hours.
De Baeremaeker said the intent of the motion is not to punish those who abide by the law and race their pocket bikes legally on closed courses.
However, “there are some very irresponsible people doing very irresponsible and dangerous things with these bikes,” he said.
“We have to protect the public and the people making those stupid decisions to ride them.”
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