With that being said I have not worn a helmet in 3 years in North Carolina, Georgia, Tenn. or Virginia. South Carolina has no helmet law but I almost always have a ball cap on so the law enforcement folks see only that there is something on my head.
I think with most cops even here in California that would be good enough - Most police are good guys that have better things to do than handing out tickets for equipment violations
Helmets absolutely required in CA. Big outcry about 20 years ago when the Harley & Hog type folks were forced to wear one. They generally responded with what my wife calls "the hard candy shell." Personally, so far, I've gotten away with a half-helmet and shades. I have to be careful -- our local sheriff lives five houses down!
Helmets absolutely required in CA. Big outcry about 20 years ago when the Harley & Hog type folks were forced to wear one. They generally responded with what my wife calls "the hard candy shell." Personally, so far, I've gotten away with a half-helmet and shades. I have to be careful -- our local sheriff lives five houses down!
1/2 helmet should be perfectly legal just so long as it is DOT approved. This is what I wear, when I got it they advertised it as being the smallest and lightest DOT helmet made.
Display Morebe careful what you wish for - there is currently legislation that has been sitting before congress for a long time now that would create a federal classification for autocycles - its called the "Autocycle Safety Act"
here is a link to it - H.R. 2381 Text
Go look at it - if passed it would require this new class of vehicles to have air bags and to meet impact safety requirements that the Slingshot is not now required to meet.
“(4) meets the performance criteria relating to upper interior impact set forth in FMVSS 201 to the extent possible to reach the target points; and
“(5) is equipped with a steering wheel air bag, anti-lock brakes, and electronic stability control.
I believe that by classifying the Slingshot as a motorcycle Polaris got something special on the road that the government doesnt really like. The government knows it isnt really a motorcycle, its a three wheel sports car and they dont like that it isnt subject to all the safety laws that cars are subject to
I firmly believe that any attempt by the federal government to make the slingshot anything other than a motorcycle will not be done to benefit us, it will be done to increase the regulations and tighten up the safety requirements
Polaris got the Slingshot through a loophole - and in my opinion any attempt by the government to reclassify the slingshot will only be done because they want to close this loophole and end the manufacture and sale of what they see as unsafe cars
seriously, how often does government actually change the laws to make things better? especially California government?
Tennessee is in a similar position. The Legislature has called SSs to be autocyles and has exempted auto cycles which are “fully enclosed” from brain bags. Some cops apparently don’t agree and continue to enforce the helmet requirement. PITA...
I don’t want to be THE one to challenge but, I am retired...
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To Edwardaneal, that's very similar to the one I wear, without the carbon-fiber look. Just matte black. Advertised as formally the lightest, now 2nd. The lightest was 2x in price and I have a pretty strong neck so no worries.
Perhaps we are in the “ignorant” zone as well. And I mean that in a nice way. I doubt many police have taken the SS class. They see what looks like a car with a seat and a seatbelt and it ends there.
Not so, I just talked to a local cop I know and he informed me the law on autocycle just changed...it now says any motorcycle that steers with two front wheels is an autocycle...he named some other little things that I don’t remember at this minute....now it could be because he knows me and where I live and has seen me driving around town that he knows that. I could have been the topic of a conversation with some other cops...and my ride is unique looking because he noticed mine had a roof....they could have looked up the law to see if I was following it....he also said he’s seen other ones around....
We really need an "agree" icon instead of just "like" and "dislike", Where I do not really like what edwardaneal has written here, but I totally agree with it. I sincerely hope that when you anti-helmet folks finally louse up the good thing we have in the SlingShot being classified as a motorcycle simply because you refuse to compromise about wearing a helmet, that we with our older SlingShots get grandfathered in as is, not being required to "upgrade" or get banned altogether!
Bill
In PA the new law includes the can am and the Hindenburg as autocycles because thry steer with two front wheels. Meaning a Harley trike is still a motorcycle....so we don’t fit in.
That said, if individual states are not going along with the Polaris definition of motorcycle....now what? We could be heading for a world of CRAP...they might not be able to be sold as motorcycles in certain states...meaning many more “things” might have to be added to them to come into legal compliance....if the feds make a new definition then we’re really screwed...
In PA the new law includes the can am and the Hindenburg as autocycles because thry steer with two front wheels. Meaning a Harley trike is still a motorcycle....so we don’t fit in.
That said, if individual states are not going along with the Polaris definition of motorcycle....now what? We could be heading for a world of CRAP...they might not be able to be sold as motorcycles in certain states...meaning many more “things” might have to be added to them to come into legal compliance....if the feds make a new definition then we’re really screwed...
One thing I have noticed in all of these "autocycle" definitions is that they all start out by saying that an autocycle is a type of motorcycle - - -even the federal bill i linked above statrt as follows
“(1) ‘autocycle’ means a motorcycle with 3 wheels in contact with the ground, front-wheel drive, a fully enclosed occupant compartment, and a steering wheel, which is subject to applicable Federal motor vehicle safety standards, as determined necessary by the Secretary of Transportation through regulation.”.
and I just now noticed that this bill also has the term "fully enclosed" occupant compartment - - - - I have heard some suggest that this is being pushed by Elio in an attempt to limit their competition, but that is a different subject
How will they put airbags on a can am?
Then the SS might be classified as a convertible.
Like jeeps or dune buggies.
Can of worms is coming.....
Will we be grandfathered?
Don’t forget every time someone gets hurt or killed in an SS the family and the lawyers want a piece of Polaris. This doesn’t help......Then the feds get involved looking at the safety issues that lead up to and caused the accident or injury or death. Then the SS is scrutinized for lack of safety items that cars and trucks already have. Then they will require crash tests and added safety equipment.
Lets face it....
If Motorcycles were never invented .........And someone just come up with the idea and started selling them last week they would be outlawed by next week... 
.....
Don’t forget every time someone gets hurt or killed in an SS the family and the lawyers want a piece of Polaris. This doesn’t help......Then the feds get involved looking at the safety issues that lead up to and caused the accident or injury or death. Then the SS is scrutinized for lack of safety items that cars and trucks already have. Then they will require crash tests and added safety equipment.
Not as long as the SlingShot remains a motorcycle......................
Bill
Not as long as the SlingShot remains a motorcycle......................
Bill
I agree - I think remaining classified as a motorcycle now and in the future is the only way the Slingshot survives. If they create a federal class for autocycles and force the slingshot into it that will be the end. either it will change so much that its not what we want and / or it will make the cost so high that it is priced out of existence
On the bright side I feel comfortable that what we have will be grandfathered in - I dont think they would ever retroactively kill them
Not as long as the SlingShot remains a motorcycle......................
Bill
It’s already an autocycle in several states with slightly different rules.....it’s begun...the foot is in the door...states are designing their own description and designation and qualifications which is different than a motorcycle per say ....the fly is in the ointment...
As edwardaneal has previously pointed out, so far most autocycle regulations are subset to motorcycle regulations, like here in Oregon, the SlingShot is a motorcycle first and an autocycle second.
Bill
I am not an expert, but I think there are big differences between a federal classification and a state classification. From what I can see the state classifications seem to only impact licensing and helmet type requirements, things like do you need a motorcycle endorsement or do you have to wear a helmet
Federal classifications are much more significant in that they mandate the safety requirements that the vehicle must meet before it is even allowed on the road.
This is why all of the state classifications of autocycle keep it as a type of motorcycle - motorcycle is its legal federal classification and I do not believe that the states have the power to change that.
Pandora’s box..
Pandora’s box..
isnt it crazy how this happened to a post about some really cool leather hats?
I will say I do really like the hats, but a bit pricey for something I would only use a few times a year
