Wtf texas???!!!

4805 Views 27 Replies 16 Participants Last post by Poncho Villa, Jan 19, 2015

Scott_in_TX

Discussion Starter · Jan 6, 2015 (Edited)

As of 1-1-15 any motorcycle that is designed to carry more than one person must be equipped with footrests and handholds for use by the passenger.

http://www.connectamarillo.com/news/story.aspx?
id=1143987&gotocomments=1&fb_comment_id=fbc_760536980688430_761063323969129_761063323969129

HB3838: http://www.capitol.state.tx.us/tlodocs/83R/billtext/html/HB03838F.htm

I wonder if that seat strap that I took off a long time ago would have met this requirement?
I guess I'm going to have to check the Corbin on the Voyager as well as the longhaul on my Rocket III to see how hard it will be to install a strap. Then hope that it meets their 'handhold' requirement.

Did anyone know about this before it was signed into law in '13?

Damn, busybody pols writing restrictions on subjects they know nothing about!

Scott

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Poncho Villa

· #2 · Jan 6, 2015

sit,, does the person in front of the passenger qualify as a hand hold? poncho

WEG

· #3 · Jan 6, 2015

Poncho Villa said:
sit,, does the person in front of the passenger qualify as a hand hold? poncho[/QUOTE

Guess it would depend on how much of a handle you got to hold onto...
Sorry, couldn't resist.

Scott_in_TX

Discussion Starter · #4 · Jan 6, 2015

I'm guessing that love-handles don't count; Ponch.
Maybe, some ladies don't want to touch the dirty biker that's piloting them around.

They're calling this abomination 'Malories law' after some young woman that hopped on the back of a sport bike with an inexperienced rider and died when he took a curve too fast, ran off the road and hit a street sign.
Emotion always trumps rational thought.

Now that I look at my post again; I'm kicking myself for clumsy fingers and missing a capitol "T".

Scott

Poncho Villa

· #5 · Jan 6, 2015

Scott_in_TX said:
Now that I look at my post again; I'm kicking myself for clumsy fingers and missing a capitol "T". Scott

freud said there are no accidents... but then he never rode a motorcycle..?
maybe you was taking a swipe at this otterwise fine state?

Poncho Villa

· #6 · Jan 6, 2015

Scott_in_TX said:
They're calling this abomination 'Malories law' after some young woman that hopped on the back of a sport bike with an inexperienced rider and died when he took a curve too fast, ran off the road and hit a street sign. Scott

and how 'zactly would hand holds have prevented this lady from eatin sheet metal?

MidIAVoyager

· #7 · Jan 6, 2015

Wrap your arms around and hang on to the saddle horn baby

RickD

· #8 · Jan 7, 2015

This is real news to me, but I don't think its too bad really. I believe (no, I'm no lawyer) that the way the law will be interpreted/enforced is:

> If the motorcycle is equipped with a passenger seat then it is designed to carry a passenger, ergo it must have passenger handhold and footrests.

> If the motorcycle is not equipped with a passenger seat, it is not designed to carry a passenger.

I really don't think that TX DPS is going to make any attempt to ascertain the design intent of a given motorcycle beyond that implied by the seat configuration. I've taken the stock seat off my classic (which I don't believe even had handhold(s)) and replaced it with a solo seat and small luggage rack, and removed the passenger pegs. My bike is not designed to carry a passenger. I also think that the strap between passenger and driver is arguably a handhold.

We'll have to keep an eye on TX DPS to see how they end up enforcing this. Should be interesting.

Scott_in_TX

Discussion Starter · #9 · Jan 7, 2015

Yeah Rick,
It's probably not going to affect me much.

I've taken a look at my R3T and the driver backrest could arguably be considered a "handhold".
It's firmly mounted to the bike; the pillion will lose their grip long before it comes off.

I've asked the wife about the Voyager. Seems she can reach the chrome rails on the saddle bags easily.
If I start hearing about people being ticketed; I will find a way to put a strap on the Corbin seat.

I think inspection and now registration might be an issue. And insurance companies might try to weasel out of payments if they think these "handholds" aren't up to snuff.

Any way you look at it; it's bad law.

Scott

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Scott_in_TX

Discussion Starter · #10 · Jan 7, 2015

Poncho Villa said:
and how 'zactly would hand holds have prevented this lady from eatin sheet metal?

If it saves one life; it will be worth it!

Where's the sarcasm font?

Scott

zig

· #11 · Jan 7, 2015

Well, I custom built my luggage rack, with a hinged top to hold down my throw-over saddlebags. Then I put a pillion pad on top of the hinged top, for carrying a passenger only in an emergency. I also built in a driver's backrest. I don't know if my backrest meets the requirements or not.
At least I didn't bother taking off the passenger foot pegs.

I'll bet the law doesn't have specifics on what constitutes a "legal" hand hold. That would leave it to the officer's discretion.

smedlin

· #12 · Jan 7, 2015

Passenger hand holds??

I fully understand (and agree) with foot pegs/rest.

but a hand hold for passengers? Unless the bike is set up for "full touring", it's probably not going to have anything like that.

Poncho Villa

· #13 · Jan 7, 2015 (Edited)

Scott_in_TX said:
If it saves one life; it will be worth it!
Where's the sarcasm font? Scott

yeah.. i can see it.. she didnt die from being impaled by that street sign.. she was crushed by that 800lb mc that somehow she was able to FIRMLY hang on to thru out the entire trajectory.. yeah.. it could work? .. sure it could

I dont kno 'bout you. but the multiple times that I have managed to bite it on the bike.. I was darn grateful to get the hell away from it was being tossed like a rag doll down the pavement. I will take my licks with the pavement anytime b4 absorbing the impact of a mc in motion.

air bags! next it will be air bags and mandatory seat/shoulder belts.. maybe by law we will be required to wear a complete AirBag Body Suit.

Safety is not your Gov'mints concern.. if it was, they wouldnt let you leave yor house (yet, dont give them ideas!).. it is ALL About REVENUE generating. The more laws there are the more possibility that you are in non compliance with something and therefore are subject to full anal cavity search for wmd's and then a hefty fine to pay for the gov'mints trubles.. another rube on the gov'mint teet.. jus sayin is all

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zig

· #14 · Jan 7, 2015

I just looked it up on a Texas legislation web site. There doesn't appear to be enough legal description to really argue against the strap across the seat. I mean, it doesn't specify that it has to be thick plastic or metal or leather, etc. Of a particular size or strength. It doesn't say it can't be human flesh of the person in front. I didn't even say that it has to be "permanently" attached. I'm not a lawyer, but it really sounds hard to enforce.
It will probably come down to the rider's attitude toward the LEO, as it usually is.

Lunatic

· #15 · Jan 7, 2015

Well. That's an unbelievably stupid law. Next thing you know, they'll be requiring seatbelts.

PatC

· #16 · Jan 7, 2015

Scott_in_TX said:
I'm guessing that love-handles don't count; Ponch.
Maybe, some ladies don't want to touch the dirty biker that's piloting them around.

They're calling this abomination 'Malories law' after some young woman that hopped on the back of a sport bike with an inexperienced rider and died when he took a curve too fast, ran off the road and hit a street sign.
Emotion always trumps rational thought.

Now that I look at my post again; I'm kicking myself for clumsy fingers and missing a capitol "T".

Scott

I see these morons on sport bikes in the summer riding with shorts, no shirt, flip flops and a backwards ball cap with a gal on the back wearing shorts, no shoes and a bikini top. And they're worried about handholds?

Just like the gubbmint: when a tragedy happens, restrict all the people who didn't have anything to do with it.

Poncho Villa

· #17 · Jan 7, 2015

PatC said:
Just like the gubbmint: when a tragedy happens, restrict all the people who didn't have anything to do with it.

in the famous words of your prez previous chief of staff the dishonorable Rahm Emanuel... now the mayor of chic'ago.. hey rats go with rats.. "never let a good crisis go to waste"... every opportunity to fleece the sheeple.

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Lunatic

· #18 · Jan 7, 2015

Soooo....What we should do is all get together and sell a strap with two loops on the end. We can call it a Malorie Strap. Slip it under your seat, hang the loops out either end, you're complying with the law.

The insurance agent in me shudders to think what the product liability on such a thing would cost...

MidIAVoyager

· #19 · Jan 7, 2015

Wonder if these are made by a Texas company
http://www.motorcycle-superstore.com/13966/i/powermadd-rider-hold-tight?WT.ac=SLIsearch

crazyj

· #20 · Jan 8, 2015 (Edited)

Does this law apply to bikes already registered as of 1 January, or only to new/transfer registrations after 1 January? Not sure they would make existing bike owners fit parts that may or not have been original equipment. Then again, our brilliant public servants know no boundaries when it comes to intruding into the personal lives of their subjects - er, I mean citizens...Clarification?

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