2003 Minnesota Statutes

     169.223 Motorized bicycle. 

    Subdivision 1.    Safety equipment; parking.  Except as 
 otherwise provided in this section, section 169.974 relating to 
 motorcycles is applicable to motorized bicycles, except that: 

    (1) protective headgear includes headgear that meets the 
 American National Standard for Protective Headgear for 
 Bicyclists, ANSI Z90.4-1984, approved by the American National 
 Standards Institute, Inc.; 

    (2) a motorized bicycle equipped with a headlight and 
 taillight meeting the requirements of lighting for motorcycles 
 may be operated during nighttime hours; 

    (3) except as provided in clause (5), protective headgear 
 is not required for operators 18 years of age or older; 

    (4) the provisions of section 169.222 governing the parking 
 of bicycles apply to motorized bicycles; 

    (5) the operator of an electric-assisted bicycle must wear 
 properly fitted and fastened headgear that meets the American 
 National Standard for Protective Headgear for Bicyclists, ANSI 
 Z90.4-1984, approved by the American National Standards 
 Institute, Inc., when operating the electric-assisted bicycle on 
 a street or highway; and 

    (6) eye protection devices are not required for operators 
 of electric-assisted bicycles. 

    Subd. 2.    License or permit.  (a) A motorized bicycle 
 may be operated under either a driver's license or a motorized 
 bicycle permit issued under section 171.02, subdivision 3.  

    (b) A person under the age of 16 operating a motorized 
 bicycle under a motorized bicycle permit is subject to the 
 restrictions imposed by section 169.974, subdivision 2, on 
 operation of a motorcycle under a two-wheel instruction permit, 
 except that: 

    (1) a parent or guardian of an operator under the age of 16 
 may also ride on the motorized bicycle as a passenger or 
 operator if the motorized bicycle is equipped with a seat and 
 footrests for a second passenger; 

    (2) a motorized bicycle equipped with a headlight and 
 taillight meeting the requirements of lighting for motorcycles 
 may be operated during nighttime hours; 

    (3) protective headgear includes headgear described in 
 subdivision 1; and 

    (4) protective headgear is required only until the operator 
 reaches the age of 18 years. 

    Subd. 3.    Sidewalk and passenger prohibitions.  No 
 person shall operate a motorized bicycle upon a sidewalk at any 
 time, except when such operation is necessary for the most 
 direct access to a roadway from a driveway, alley or building.  
 No person shall operate a motorized bicycle that is carrying any 
 person other than the operator, except as allowed under 
 subdivision 2. 

    Subd. 4.    Headlight requirement.  The provisions of 
 section 169.974, subdivision 5, paragraph (i), apply to 
 motorized bicycles that are equipped with headlights.  After 
 June 1, 1987, a new motorized bicycle sold or offered for sale 
 in Minnesota must be equipped with a headlight. 

    Subd. 5.    Other operation requirements and prohibitions. 
  (a) A person operating a motorized bicycle on a roadway shall 
 ride as close as practicable to the right-hand curb or edge of 
 the roadway except in one of the following situations: 

    (1) when overtaking and passing another vehicle proceeding 
 in the same direction; 

    (2) when preparing for a left turn at an intersection or 
 into a private road or driveway; or 

    (3) when reasonably necessary to avoid conditions, 
 including fixed or moving objects, vehicles, pedestrians, 
 animals, surface hazards, or narrow width lanes, that make it 
 unsafe to continue along the right-hand curb or edge.  

    (b) Persons operating motorized bicycles on a roadway may 
 not ride more than two abreast and may not impede the normal and 
 reasonable movement of traffic.  On a laned roadway, a person 
 operating a motorized bicycle shall ride within a single lane. 

    (c) This section does not permit the operation of a 
 motorized bicycle on a bicycle path or bicycle lane that is 
 reserved for the exclusive use of nonmotorized traffic. 

    (d) Subject to the provisions of section 160.263, 
 subdivision 3, a person may operate an electric-assisted bicycle 
 on a bicycle lane.  A person may operate an electric-assisted 
 bicycle on the shoulder of a roadway if the electric-assisted 
 bicycle is traveling in the same direction as the adjacent 
 vehicular traffic. 

    HIST: 1977 c 214 s 8; 1979 c 227 s 1; 1987 c 269 s 5; 1989 c 
 331 s 22; 1996 c 435 s 15,16