Michigan Vehicle Code, Act 300 of 1949, Last amended Oct 1, 2002

Section 257.32b

"Moped" means a 2- or 3-wheeled vehicle which is equipped with a motor that does not exceed 50 cubic centimeters piston displacement, produces 2.0 brake horsepower or less, and cannot propel the vehicle at a speed greater than 30 miles per hour on a level surface. The power drive system shall not require the operator to shift gears. 

Section 257.657 Rights and duties of persons riding bicycle, electric personal assistive mobility device, or moped or operating low-speed vehicle. 

Each person riding a bicycle, electric personal assistive mobility device, or moped or operating a low-speed vehicle upon a roadway has all of the rights and is subject to all of the duties applicable to the driver of a vehicle by this chapter, except as to special regulations in this article and except as to the provisions of this chapter which by their nature do not have application. 

Section 257.216 Vehicles subject to registration and certificate of title provisions; exceptions. 

(k) A certificate of title need not be obtained for a moped 

Section 257.312a Motorcycle indorsement; issuance, suspension, revocation, cancellation, or renewal; special restricted license to operate moped; requirements; duration; expiration; fees. 

(2) A person, before operating a moped upon a highway shall procure a special restricted license to operate a moped unless the person has a valid operator's or chauffeur's license. A special restricted license to operate a moped may be issued to a person 15 years of age or older if the person satisfies the secretary of state that he is competent to operate a moped with safety. The secretary of state shall not require a road test before issuance of a special restricted license to operate a moped. 

Section 257.658 Riding on seat of bicycle, motorcycle, or moped; number of persons; crash helmets; rules; requirements for autocycle. 

(1) A person propelling a bicycle or operating a motorcycle or moped shall not ride other than upon and astride a permanent and regular seat attached to that vehicle. 

(2) A bicycle or motorcycle shall not be used to carry more persons at 1 time than the number for which it is designed and equipped. 

(3) A moped or an electric personal assistive mobility device shall not be used to carry more than 1 person at a time. 

(4) A person operating or riding on a motorcycle, and any person less than 19 years of age operating a moped on a public thoroughfare shall wear a crash helmet on his or her head. Crash helmets shall be approved by the department of state police. The department of state police shall promulgate rules for the implementation of this section pursuant to the administrative procedures act of 1969, 1969 PA 306, MCL 24.201 to 24.328. Rules in effect on June 1, 1970, shall apply to helmets required by this act. This subsection does not apply to a person operating or riding in an autocycle if the vehicle is equipped with a roof which meets or exceeds standards for a crash helmet. 

Section 257.660 Bicycles, electric personal assistive mobility devices, low-speed vehicles, motorcycles, or mopeds; operation on roadway; use of bicycle path; passing; operation of bicycle or moped on sidewalk; operation of low-speed vehicle on highway, road, or street; exception; regulation of electric personal assistive mobility device. 

(1) A person operating an electric personal assistive mobility device, low-speed vehicle, or moped upon a roadway shall ride as near to the right side of the roadway as practicable, exercising due care when passing a standing vehicle or one proceeding in the same direction. A motorcycle is entitled to full use of a lane, and a motor vehicle shall not be driven in such a manner as to deprive a motorcycle of the full use of a lane. This subsection does not apply to motorcycles operated 2 abreast in a single lane. 

(2) A person riding an electric personal assistive mobility device, motorcycle, or moped upon a roadway shall not ride more than 2 abreast except on a path or part of a roadway set aside for the exclusive use of those vehicles. 

(3) Where a usable and designated path for bicycles is provided adjacent to a highway or street, a person operating an electric personal assistive mobility device may, by local ordinance, be required to use that path. 

(4) A person operating a motorcycle, moped, low-speed vehicle, or electric personal assistive mobility device shall not pass between lines of traffic, but may pass on the left of traffic moving in his or her direction in the case of a 2-way street or on the left or right of traffic in the case of a 1-way street, in an unoccupied lane. 

(5) A person operating an electric personal assistive mobility device on a sidewalk constructed for the use of pedestrians shall yield the right-of-way to a pedestrian and shall give an audible signal before overtaking and passing the pedestrian. 

(6) A moped or low-speed vehicle shall not be operated on a sidewalk constructed for the use of pedestrians. 

(7) A low-speed vehicle shall be operated at a speed of not to exceed 25 miles per hour and shall not be operated on a highway or street with a speed limit of more than 35 miles per hour except for the purpose of crossing that highway or street. The state transportation department may prohibit the operation of a low-speed vehicle on any highway or street under its jurisdiction if it determines that the prohibition is necessary in the interest of public safety. 

(8) This section does not apply to a police officer in the performance of his or her official duties. 

(9) An electric personal assistive mobility device shall be operated at a speed not to exceed 15 miles per hour and shall not be operated on a highway or street with a speed limit of more than 25 miles per hour except to cross that highway or street. 

Section 257.661 Carrying package, bundle, or article on bicycle, electric personal assistive mobility device, moped, or motorcycle. 

A person operating a bicycle, electric personal assistive mobility device, moped, or motorcycle shall not carry any package, bundle, or article that prevents the driver from keeping both hands upon the handlebars of the vehicle. 

Section 257.679a Limited access highway; pedestrians and certain vehicles prohibited; bicycles permitted on paths; violation as civil infraction. 

(1) A person shall not operate a motorcycle with less than a 125 cubic centimeter engine, moped, farm tractor, or other self-propelled farm implement, nor shall a pedestrian, bicycle, except as provided in this section, or other nonmotorized traffic be permitted on a limited access highway in this state. Bicycles shall be permitted on paths constructed separately from the roadway and designated for the exclusive use of bicycles. 

(2) A person who violates this section is responsible for a civil infraction. 

Section 257.685 Head lamps; number; modulator; height; auxiliary, spot, or other lamp; exemption. 

(1) Except as otherwise provided in subsection (2), a motor vehicle shall be equipped with at least 2 head lamps with at least 1 head lamp on each side of the front of the motor vehicle, in compliance with this chapter. An implement of husbandry manufactured on or after January 1, 2007 shall comply with section 684a. 

(2) A motorcycle or moped shall be equipped with at least 1 and not more than 2 head lamps that comply with this chapter. 

Section 257.697b Rear stop lamps. 

A person shall not sell or offer for sale or operate on the highways a vehicle manufactured or assembled after January 1, 1965, except those exempted from certificate of title requirements under the provisions of section 216, unless the vehicle is equipped with 2 rear stop lamps except on a motorcycle or moped meeting the requirements of section 697. A motorcycle or moped shall be required to have 1 rear stop lamp. 

Section 257.702 Head lamps on mopeds; single beam or multiple beam type; requirements and limitations. 

The head lamp or head lamps upon every moped may be of the single beam or multiple beam type, but in either event shall comply with the requirements and limitations as follows: 

(1) Every head lamp or head lamps on a moped shall be of sufficient intensity to reveal a person or a vehicle at a distance of not less than 100 feet. 

(2) If the moped is equipped with a multiple beam head lamp or head lamps, the upper beam shall meet the minimum requirements set forth above and shall not exceed the limitations set forth in section 699(b) and the lowermost beam shall meet the requirements applicable to a lowermost distribution of light, as set forth in section 699(c). 

(3) If the moped is equipped with a single beam lamp or lamps, the lamp or lamps shall be so aimed that when the vehicle is loaded none of the high intensity portion of light, at a distance of 25 feet ahead, shall project higher than the level of the center of the lamp from which it comes. 

Section 257.705 Brakes. 

(1) Brake equipment shall be required as follows: 

• (a) A motor vehicle, other than a motorcycle or moped, and a low-speed vehicle when operated upon a highway shall be equipped with brakes adequate to control the movement of and to stop and hold the vehicle, including 2 separate means of applying the brakes, each of which means shall be effective to apply the brakes to at least 2 wheels. If these 2 separate means of applying the brakes are connected in any way, they shall be constructed in a way that failure of 1 part of the operating mechanism shall not leave the motor vehicle without brakes on at least 2 wheels. 
• (b) A motorcycle or moped when operated upon a highway shall be equipped with at least 2 brakes, 1 on the front wheel and 1 on the rear wheel, which may be operated by hand or foot. 

Section 257.706 Horn or other warning device; siren, whistle, air horn, or bell; theft alarm signal device. 

(a) A motor vehicle, including a motorcycle or moped, when operated upon a highway shall be equipped with a horn in good working order and capable of emitting sound audible under normal conditions from a distance of not less than 200 feet but a horn or other warning device shall not emit an unreasonably loud or harsh sound or a whistle. The driver of a motor vehicle shall when reasonably necessary to insure safe operation give audible warning with his horn but shall not otherwise use the horn when upon a highway.

257.801e Moped; application for registration; form; signature; fee; issuance and contents of certificate of registration; insurance; size, legibility, and inspection of certificate; issuance and display of decal; rules; certificate of registration for use in testing or demonstrating moped; duration of registration. 

(1) When a moped required to be registered under this act is sold by a retailer to a general purchaser, the certificate of registration shall be obtained in the name of the purchaser by the retailer. In other cases, the certificate of registration shall be obtained by the purchaser. The application shall be signed by the purchaser of the moped and shall be accompanied by a fee of $15.00. Upon receipt of the application in approved form, the secretary of state shall enter the application upon the secretary of state's records and issue to the applicant a certificate of registration containing the decal for the moped, the name and address of the owner, and other information the secretary of state considers necessary. A moped shall not be required to be insured in the manner specified for motor vehicles under chapter 31 of Act No. 218 of the Public Acts of 1956, as amended, being sections 500.3101 to 500.3179 of the Michigan Compiled Laws. The certificate of registration shall be pocket size, shall accompany the vehicle, shall be legible, and shall be made available for inspection upon demand by a law enforcement officer. 

(2) A decal indicating that the certificate of registration is in full force and effect shall be issued. A registration certificate and decal shall not be issued earlier than 90 days preceding the commencement date of the new registration period. Display of the decal shall be as prescribed by rule promulgated by the secretary of state. 

(3) A retailer or manufacturer of mopeds, upon application to the secretary of state upon forms provided by the secretary of state, may obtain certificates of registration for use in the testing or demonstrating of a moped upon payment of $10.00 for each of the first 2 registration certificates. Additional certificates may be issued at a cost of $5.00 each and used by the applicant only in the testing or demonstrating of mopeds by temporary placement of the registration on the moped being tested or demonstrated. A certificate issued pursuant to this subsection may be used on only 1 moped at any given time. 

(4) A moped registration shall be valid for a 3-year period which begins on May 1 and expires on April 30 of the third registration year. For purposes of this subsection, a registration year begins on May 1 and ends on April 30. 

What does this all mean? 

1. The XB-500 can be registered as a moped OR as a Low Speed Vehicle under section 660. If you choose to license it as a Moped, you will have to pay the sales tax, and a $15 fee which will give you a license sticker good for 3 years. 
2. Your vehicle is limited to 30 MPH, and 1500 watts, as opposed to 20 MPH as stated in many other states. You should probably do something to your vehicle to get it to go a little faster so that you don't make everyone mad at you for holding up traffic. 
3. You should not ride on sidewalks, even though drivers feel that you belong there. Notice that the law states, "A moped or low-speed vehicle shall not be operated on a sidewalk constructed for the use of pedestrians." In the state of Michigan, all sidewalks and bicycle paths are constructed for the use of pedestrians. (Note that the law does not state "for the exclusive use of pedestrians").