Rant here read it may happen in your area.

[89newbie]

This is a rant! Since Some have inquired on my other post here it is in detail. Virginia has changed moped laws forcing us to register as motorcycles. They have done this as per clerk at motor vehicles in two steps. The first is if bike comes with a speedometer that is capable of registering over 30 mph it is a motorcycle. 2. If ridden on any road that has a posted speed of over 35 mph it has to be registered, inspected insured and tagged motorcycle.Resulting costs .1. register and state tag. $90 to $100 I will use $95  Local tag $10.00 Total $105. Insurance  Average $120 total now $225. State inspection $18.00, total now $243.00. Next year, local personal property tax on bike= 5% of NADA Motorcycle, and they use retail, which is always high, tag $10.00 (current price), State tag $25, inspection, current $18.00  Insurance once again using $120.00 to take subsequent year to $173,before tax lets guess 30 bucks so resultant is over $200.00 each year. At $4.00/gallon thats = 50 gallons of fuel. Now further facts on this area. Many people bought mopeds to go to work at low paying jobs or to avoid taxi fees because they dont have the money, cannot get a regular job because of whatever, and live hand to mouth doing side work type things or on some form of assistance.  Most bikes are bought on lay away. Many people ride bicycles but the Cops enforce the light stuff and ticket bicycle riders that dont comply at night. ( Only differance between the cops here and cons is less tatoo's). Simply put many folks can not afford any thing else. I have a frienf that bought his Wildfire to go to his second job 22 miles away, but he lost the job now because the road has 45 & 55 MPH speed limits and he is so strapped he canot do the registration.

[Andy Griffin]

Having been born and raised in the Commonwealth, the only thing that surprises me about this news is that they just made this change. 

I know that here in NC, scooters 50cc and under do not have to be registered, inspected, or insured, and also the driver does not have to be licensed.  Most people who ride scooters here do so because they have difficulty in getting licenses and/or insurance, usually due to multiple DUI/DWI, hence the tendency for most to refer to scooters as "liquor cycles."