Motorcycle Laws You Didn’t Know Existed

Compiled by Cycle Trader
Republished by permission

Motorcyclists may not wear costumes while riding.

Well, more specifically - masks. In Virginia, motorcyclists are prohibited to wear masks, but you aren’t necessarily banned from wearing a costume that only covers your body, leaving your face uncovered. So if want to dress up like Batman, more power to you- perhaps just leave the Batmask for another time.

Motorcyclists have the ability to run red lights - legally.

In Illinois, for example, if a municipality has less than 2 million residents, motorcyclists are permitted to treat the stoplight as more of a stop sign- yielding to other traffic before proceeding through the red light.

A motorcycle’s headlight must always be turned on- even at 12 in the afternoon.

If you’re in Connecticut and your bike was manufactured within the past 30-something years, the light must always be illuminated- even if it’s the middle of the day. The reason for this law may be to help riders remember to be safe not only at night but all the time, since their lights will already be on when ride at night or in poor weather.

If you’re a student in a motorcycle learning or endorsement program, you must always wear pants.

The state of Minnesota wants to keep students safe when it comes to their choice of garb - since shorts, shirts without longsleeves or riding without gloves don’t provide the proper amount of protection. Also, it’s important to note that this is specifically intended to have to do with students’ outfits while riding- not all the time.

Pop wheelies on the regular? You may want to think twice - in some locations, you’re technically considered a criminal.

While laws about wheelies are generally pretty common, there are a number of variations can be found across different municipalities -- mostly having to do with the safety of bystanders and other riders or drivers in the area. If you’d like an example, the state of Maine has a great one with very detailed wording for clarification purposes.