Ohio handlebar height fine? Fight ticket?
#21
07-04-2011, 11:40 PM
Cruiser
I wouldn't change the bars. The judge would likely ask about that. I would change the seat.
#23
07-05-2011, 12:50 AM
Ultimate HDF Member
Did the LEO actually take a measurement?
Nice of him to allow you to lower them to keep riding. Next time keep a sheepskin cover with you that you can put on the seat to raise you a bit. Or move to California.
Nice of him to allow you to lower them to keep riding. Next time keep a sheepskin cover with you that you can put on the seat to raise you a bit. Or move to California.
#24
07-05-2011, 04:41 AM
Cruiser
Join Date: Jun 2011
Location: Ohio
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In my first reply, I said 15" from the tank, and I meant to say seat. Looking at your pic, if you measured from the seat where it meets the tank instead of the lowest point if the seat, you would prob be in the legal range. I don't believe the law gets that specific on where the measurement is taken. Worth explaining to the judge I think.
#26
07-05-2011, 04:49 AM
Outstanding HDF Member
15 inches above the seat to the grips is the legal limit in Ohio.
#27
07-05-2011, 05:21 AM
Most LEO's in Ohio don't give a s*** about the handlebar limit in Ohio. Troopers in Ohio are there to enforce traffic; they rarely get to do any "criminal" enforcement. So they stop and cite for every possible traffic/equipment violation. Even other LEO's!!
#28
07-05-2011, 06:00 AM
Just how and what did he use to measure the distance? Who held the bike level while he measured it? Did he somehow draw a level line from the bars towards the back of the bike to intersect with a line going straight up from the seat? With him just eyeballing it with one measurement on the side of the road he could have measured your bars 1.5 inches too high!!!
Was the ruler or tape measure he used state certified? (don't laugh. Speedomoters have to be certified accurate, as do radar, intoximeters, and other equipment used by Cops.) Or did he get it at a yard sale or on special at Home Depot?
If your bars were a lot higher I'd say pay the ticket. But there's too many ways the Cop could have made a mistake since he said they were only 1 inch too high. Do NOT ride your bike to court. You don't want the judge going out to 'measure' it himself. Argue your points to the judge and he just might see the Cop could have made a measurement mistake.
Was the ruler or tape measure he used state certified? (don't laugh. Speedomoters have to be certified accurate, as do radar, intoximeters, and other equipment used by Cops.) Or did he get it at a yard sale or on special at Home Depot?
If your bars were a lot higher I'd say pay the ticket. But there's too many ways the Cop could have made a mistake since he said they were only 1 inch too high. Do NOT ride your bike to court. You don't want the judge going out to 'measure' it himself. Argue your points to the judge and he just might see the Cop could have made a measurement mistake.
#29
07-05-2011, 07:06 AM
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!
#30
07-05-2011, 07:10 AM
Seasoned HDF Member
*edit* saw in a later post you caught that....
Last edited by skratch; 07-05-2011 at 07:16 AM.