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Gas-Powered Bikes Boom in Tucson

Published July 13, 2006 by The Arizona Daily Star


Gas-powered bicycles are an emerging boom vehicle for Tucsonans as a cheap and efficient way to get around the Old Pueblo.

But their growing presence on Tucson streets has city officials concerned whether some kind of regulation is needed, since a new law exempts them from state motor-vehicle laws.

Exactly what these traditional bikes fitted with a two-stroke gasoline engine are — bikes, mopeds, motorcycles or none of the above — and how they should be regulated is what the city is trying to figure out.

A state law that classifies the gas-driven cycles as traditional bikes, but leaves the door open for the city to regulate them, has officials and bike enthusiasts grappling with what do about them. While they represent a low-cost way to get around because they can reach speeds of more than 25 mph, they have only a rudimentary braking system that was designed for mountain bikes or even beach cruisers.

The bikes typically include a two-stroke engine — the type that powers chain saws, leaf blowers, Jet Skis and dirt bikes — with a half-gallon fuel tank filled with a combination of gasoline and oil. The bike is started with a clutch and is powered by a throttle on the right grip, with the braking power coming from rear coaster breaks and a front caliper brake on the left handle.

The potential regulation of the gas-powered bikes has users and enthusiasts up in arms that the city could prohibit the use of a vehicle many see is their primary form of transportation.

John Karle, 42, said his gas-powered bike is his lifeline because he makes $9 a hour and just bought a house with his girlfriend, meaning they don't have the money to have two cars and pay the insurance on both.

With the nearest bus stop six miles away and his work nine miles from his home, Karle said his gas-powered bike is his only transportation option.

"In the summer heat, riding a bike is not possible," Karle said, adding that prohibiting the gas-powered bikes "would completely take away my job."

Ditto for George Doe, who said he doesn't understand why the vehicles could be banned. "It helps me get where I am going," he said.

But for traditional bike enthusiasts, such as Diana Tolton, the gas-powered bikes present problems and can even be dangerous to traditional riders because of their speeds.

"If they're under power, there is no way they should be in the bike routes or bike lanes," said Tolton, chairwoman of the Tucson Pima County Bicycle Advisory Committee. "We believe there's going to be more accidents."

Tolton also cited potential environmental pollution and the fact that drivers who have had their licenses taken away can simply ride the gas-powered bikes. How the gas-powered bikes are classified will affect the way riders can use them. Issues include: what safety gear — including a helmet — will be required; whether they can use recreational bike trails and bike lanes; whether lights, turn signals or speedometers will be required; and if there will be an age requirement.

Tucson police Lt. Mike Pryor said motorized bicycles create a number of issues, including how to determine the vehicle's speed to cite riders or instruct them to slow down, the lack of a speedometer on most bikes, high speeds that could be hazardous for bike riders or cars, and the lack of proper brakes or safety equipment.

Pryor said a professional bike rider will go about 15 to 20 mph, while a less-experienced rider will go about 10 mph. He said in most cases the police encounter gas-powered bikes traveling 30 mph to 35 mph, a figure enthusiasts dispute, saying speeds are more like 20 mph.

The police have already had several run-ins with motorized-bike riders, Pryor said, including two fatalities by operators, although it's unclear if the engines were on during the accidents; and one extreme-driving-under-the-influence felony.

State Rep. Tom Prezelski, D-Tucson, who sponsored the new state law that takes effect in late September, said many riders of gas-driven bikes are members of the "counterculture," and the "true believers" of pedal biking have a problem with these riders using the powered bikes.

Roland Bosma, owner of Spooky Tooth Cycles, which builds many of Tucson's new gas-powered bikes, said he doesn't care what the bicycle purists say — the gas-powered riders are starting a transportation revolution.

"We're trying to give support for this new form of transportation," Bosma said. "It's extremely important for many people in Tucson."

● Contact reporter Rob O'Dell at 573-4240 or This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it