Street Buggies

Posts: 1 · Newbie Joined: 16 Jul 2008 Posts: 1 Pictures: 0

Newbie here.

I don't own a buggy but have owned ATVs, motorcycles and 4x4s for years.

Been kinda looking at the smaller 2 seater buggies as a cheap means of transportation. Basically to run around town in instead of a car, scooter or motorcyle. Does anyone here drive their buggy (legally) on the street? I know that in my state it is legal (with safety modifications) to license a 4 wheel buggy, UTV, golf cart as a motor vehicles.

It seems to me a buggy equipped with a decent sized engine and street tires might make a economical ride which would be safer than a motorcycle.

On the other hand, would one of these rides hold up to daily use? Are they safe to drive on pavement?

Thoughts?

Posts: 845

where are you from? some of the guys on here ride on the street. I just heard you can get them legal in IN. You would probably want street tires, the dirt tires wouldn't last long. As for safety, I'd say there alot safer than a scooter for sure. I don't see why one wouldn't hold up just fine for around town. Long drives wide open might be hard on one, especially if it was low geared.

Posts: 3424

mac66-
You may already be aware of this but in Michigan you first need to download and print TR54 from the Sec of State:
http://www.michigan.gov/documents/TR-54_38480_7.pdf

There are many hurdles to overcome--some of them pretty expensive. Hopefully with the price of gas skyrocketing some of these requirements might change some day (2-wheeled vehicles mostly get away with having none of them).

The biggie is to select a buggy with a differential since that's something you can't just bolt on to change. Some 150's and most larger buggies have shaft drive with a diff in the center. From there you need to add a safety glass windshield, wiper & washer, turn signals, brake & tail lights, license plate light, parking brake, rear view mirror, high beams & illuminated switch (can be a set of offroad lights), horn, DOT approved street tires (that might be a little tough to find in a 10" rim so you may need rims & hub adapters, too).
If you're not totally discouraged by this point, you're a better man than I Wink

So now you've added all this expensive heavy mostly useless junk to your buggy. Now you go to the police station with your buggy and TR54. In the Detroit area you will probably be the first guy to request this type of inspection at the cop shop so be prepared to have to convince the cop you've done everything by the book. If you get past the cop sign-off then you have to buy regular auto insurance for your buggy. More blank stares. Now go to the sec of state where you will likely run in to more ignorant scrutiny. Be persistant.

If you succeed in all this you will then have a nice big license plate you will need to attach to the buggy somehow.

Even if you buy a pretty fast buggy capable of driving the marked limit on the road, give yourself some extra travel time since at first you will likely be pulled over a few times and given the opportunity to educate some more civil servants on the motor vehicle code. Keep all documentation in the buggy at all times.

Or you could just buy a crappy little deathtrap scooter and not have to put up with any of this garbage Rolling Eyes

That's Michigan--the Motor Capital. ROFLMAO

Have a good one Very Happy

Posts: 2 · Newbie Joined: 23 Jul 2008 Posts: 2 Pictures: 0

What about this one. Think it passes as street legal as the seller says?

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Doom-Buggy-250cc_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQ_trksidZp1742Q2em153Q 2el1262QQcategoryZ66467QQihZ006QQitemZ160263360523

Posts: 845

When it comes to being street legal it all depends on what state your in. That buggy probably is in Ky, where its being sold from. I sold a Blade 250XTX to a guy in Ky that's getting it registered there.