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Ohio handlebar height fine? Fight ticket?

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  #11  
Old 07-04-2011, 07:54 PM
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Any idea what the fine will be? I do understand that illegal is illegal but come on! I will pay the ticket and I will keep the bars. Just wondering if anyone has had any experience with this in Ohio.
 
  #12  
Old 07-04-2011, 07:57 PM
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Originally Posted by section8joe
So I have small apes and I got pulled over today by the OHIO STATE HIGHWAY PATROL. I bought the bike with the apes on the bike(2000 fxst). I've been riding if for over 2 years with no issues. The apes are 12 inches high. Anyway I got pulled over by a very OFFICIAL patrol officer and I was ticketed. Bars were 1 inch higher then legal Should I fight the ticket or just pay the fine? Any idea how much the fine will be? Officer made me pull the bars down before he left. Way more dangerous down then in the original postion. I couldn't see anything in my mirrors and bike was waaaay to uncomfortable.
Pay the fine and move on.
 
  #13  
Old 07-04-2011, 08:00 PM
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Originally Posted by brenn
Unfortunately, those ar stock Harley softail custom bars (I put the same on my FXST, but they might have even been standard to the FXST in 2000), same height as many stock bars on Harleys.

Under Ohio's 15" law, most Harleys and other cruisers are illegal.

Example, my wife has a Sportster - handlebars are right at or just over 15" above the seat.



So get involved and get the law changed.
cop just had a wild hair since it was july 4th and decided to pull over a harley. apes are very common on bikes in this area of Ohio, and no one gets tickets. was prob an excuse to see if he had been drinking, and then saw the opportunity to get him on the handlebars.
sad but true I'd bet....................
 
  #14  
Old 07-04-2011, 08:09 PM
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I know that the bars are not the original bars. I guess I just wanted state the fact that I've been riding the bars for a few years with no issues. I've had a friend who got a warning for his bars but I guess I was the unlucky one who actually got ticketed. I guess worse things could have happened. We all had a nice ride and we all made it home safe!
 
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Old 07-04-2011, 08:12 PM
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Originally Posted by section8joe
We all had a nice ride and we all made it home safe!
And that is more important than anything else!
 
  #16  
Old 07-04-2011, 08:27 PM
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we were just talkin about that at work a week or so ago...

i live in Pa, but work in Ohio...stay in Austintown during the week...

ohio law is top of bars cannot exceed 15" from the lowest part of the seat...

a friend has 20's on his RK, and has never been stopped...

my Crossbones has the stock bars, but i have a brawler seat, which is lower than stock...
i wonder what the seat to bar height is with the stock seat...

i wonder if they'd ticket a Pa licensed bike...no law on bar height here...
 
  #17  
Old 07-04-2011, 08:36 PM
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Originally Posted by xkvator
my Crossbones has the stock bars, but i have a brawler seat, which is lower than stock...
i wonder what the seat to bar height is with the stock seat...
Still more than 15" - like I said, a Sportster with stock bars is right at 15" with my wife's Corbin seat - maybe 14" with a stock seat. No other Harley is that low, I'd bet.
 
  #18  
Old 07-04-2011, 09:10 PM
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Louisiana also has the same law as well. I've never been hassled on my bikes. I don't know how hard it is to get a law changed, but 15" above the seat is plain stupid.
 
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Old 07-04-2011, 09:21 PM
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If you're legal in the state you're registered in, and still a resident there, it should be dismissed if you care to go back and make a court appearance.
If it weren't so, people wouldn't be able to travel from state to state without the risk of an equipment violation since all states are different.
 
  #20  
Old 07-04-2011, 11:22 PM
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i rode a 72 flh for 2 years with 18"from the riser ape hangers..they were above my shoulders,never had a problem..i think the cop was just looking for something to get you on..go to court,say as far as you know the bars are stock,and legal..put a lower set on,go to court and fight it,they will have to remeasure,it will be legal height..good chance the judge wont want to even bother with this ticket if you fight it..
 


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