.| UrbanNerd |.

I sometimes get asked questions about scooters that people come across on ebay or the Internet that have insanely low prices. They are made by companies you have never heard of before, but are touted as 50 or 150cc scooters. They lead you to believe they are legal and worthwhile. I always tell people that you get what you pay for. In particular people ask “but didn’t your Vespa cost a lot for only being a scooter?” It did cost a lot, but then having a reliable vehicle that has taken me to and from work everyday for 2 years means a lot. Had I cheaped out on a bike I am sure that I would have had a bad scooter experience.

Anyway, this all too brief report wants to warn you that lots of bikes are in fact illegal, and it sucks to go to the DMV after gettign a deal on a scooter to only be turned away:

Products you buy online may be illegal in the United States. That’s the warning from the Texas Department of Transportation.

Motorcycles and scooters are illegally being imported to the U.S. They are sold online at websites like E-Bay and through private dealers. The vehicles do not meet environmental standards and cannot be registered in the State of Texas.

A number of people have already been turned away from registration at the Lubbock County Tax Office. “Without people actually seeing the vehicle for themselves, there’s no way to know it has appropriate labels indicating they do not pass EPA and DOT,” said Bobby Meeks, TXDOT Regional Manager.

Bobby Meeks says legal vehicles do have labels indicating they pass EPA standards.