Case law on wheelies?

[RRrider]

picking up on the reckless driving / wheelie thread from the general section, in which someone claimed it isn't illegal to do a wheelie. Does anyone here in the LEO subsection know if it is explicitly illegal to do a wheelie here in CA, or is it just the officers judgement about whether or not the wheelie is dangerous - as in alone on a deserted country road vs on a crowded freeway (analog of lane sharing discussions)?

just curious, thanks

 

[TR1]

I have written 22106 - (unsafe start) for wheelies. Went to court. The judge asked me what was unsafe about it. Basically I explained how the rider would have been unable to use his front brake or turn the handlebars with the front end in the air. Guilty.:ride

 

[}Dragon{]

I have written 22106 - (unsafe start) for wheelies. Went to court. The judge asked me what was unsafe about it. Basically I explained how the rider would have been unable to use his front brake or turn the handlebars with the front end in the air. Guilty.:ride

IIRC a wheelie can fall under multiple sections. 22106 cvc at a stop-->start.

23103 and 23109 are applicable in other situations.

There is no direct cvc violation for a wheelie itself.

Doing wheelies on private property could fall under 23103, which is enforceable on private property even if you are the owner/ in lawful possession.

 

[bojangle]

23109(c) VC A person shall not engage in a motor vehicle exhibition of speed on a highway, and a person shall not aid or abet in a motor vehicle exhibition of speed on any highway.

Not case law but that applies.

 

[Lionel Cosgrove]

22350 also works....unsafe speed for conditions

 

[}Dragon{]

22350 also works....unsafe speed for conditions

That's only if you are being "nice", and using one's discretion.:laughing

 

[limey]

23109(c) VC A person shall not engage in a motor vehicle exhibition of speed on a highway, and a person shall not aid or abet in a motor vehicle exhibition of speed on any highway.

Not case law but that applies.

What if it's a really low speed wheelie?

 

[mototireguy]

Doing wheelies on private property could fall under 23103, which is enforceable on private property even if you are the owner/ in lawful possession.

??? No can do on private property? This is surprising.

 

[thenewwazoo]

23103 covers highways and an "offstreet parking facility". My suspicion is that was probably amended to include that after someone got off for street racing in a parking lot, but that's just my guess.

 

[gnstalodz]

Don't have to be going fast to wheelie

 

[Lionel Cosgrove]

Don't have to be going fast to wheelie

you don't have to be going fast to be cited for 22350. unsafe speed for conditions...in this case, being on one wheel is the condition for which there is no safe speed

 

[mototireguy]

22350 unsafe speed for conditions... in this case, being on one wheel is the condition for which there is no safe speed

But sir, I only have one wheel.

 

[deathbug74]

would a loading dock area also be considered an "offstreet parking facility"? i guess that's the clincher of the private property side of it....and as an extension to that, the "open to the public" aspect (wide open at all times, vs closed off some times/days).

 

[DReg350]

you don't have to be going fast to be cited for 22350. unsafe speed for conditions...in this case, being on one wheel is the condition for which there is no safe speed

And there it is right there. Good luck winning a roadside argument with this guy and his ticket book. Not implying that you're wrong either, Lionel. :cool

Doesn't matter for me anyway. I can't wheelie! :laughing

 

[OldMadBrit]

What's the situation with a controlled power wheelie when already underway.

Its transitional: only occurs under acceleration, the termination of which instantly returns the wheel to the ground.

Many of us (and we can include LEO's in this) do this a few times per lap, lap after lap, under full control at Sears and T'Hill on a regular basis.

 

[Lionel Cosgrove]

What's the situation with a controlled power wheelie when already underway.

Its transitional: only occurs under acceleration, the termination of which instantly returns the wheel to the ground.

Many of us (and we can include LEO's in this) do this a few times per lap, lap after lap, under full control at Sears and T'Hill on a regular basis.

which is why track style riding is best left on the track!

all that being said, I have never written someone a ticket for doing a wheelie that appeared unintentional

 

[OldMadBrit]

which is why track style riding is best left on the track!

all that being said, I have never written someone a ticket for doing a wheelie that appeared unintentional

Good to know:thumbup

 

[JimE]

IIRC a wheelie can fall under multiple sections. 22106 cvc at a stop-->start.

23103 and 23109 are applicable in other situations.

There is no direct cvc violation for a wheelie itself.

Doing wheelies on private property could fall under 23103, which is enforceable on private property even if you are the owner/ in lawful possession.

If an LEO attempts to cite me for doing a wheelie on my bike on my property we are going to have ourselves a serious issue. That's over the line.

 

[thenewwazoo]

If an LEO attempts to cite me for doing a wheelie on my bike on my property we are going to have ourselves a serious issue. That's over the line.

Interesting wording; "attempts to cite". If an officer wants to write a citation, I'm pretty sure there's not a damned thing you can do about it. Your remedy is in court.

Let's also not forget that LEOs aren't robots programmed by the legislature.

 

[Lionel Cosgrove]

If an LEO attempts to cite me for doing a wheelie on my bike on my property we are going to have ourselves a serious issue. That's over the line.

chill out randy weaver, we don't go onto residential private property to write reckless driving tickets....this applies to shopping center parking lots and whatnot