GG Quad North America, importers of the GG Quad, have a problem. As we noted before, the GG Quad is a great looking machine, the problem is you can’t drive it on the street. It’s already street legal in Europe, Japan, Russia and Dubai but not in the U.S. GG Quad North America has filed a petition with the NHTSA to allow a 4-wheel classification for a motorcycle vehicle license. They gave a demonstration in Washington, D.C. on June 13th and the committee has 120 days to make a decision.
I’ve wondered about these 4 wheelers before, some of them look like they would be perfectly capable of street operation, so why not? The GG Quad is a great example of a very streetable machine so it will be interesting to see what comes of this. Then we could import a Quadrazuma, too!
How can you help? If you send a letter to your congressman or senator and fax a copy to GG Quad, they’ll send you a GG Quad t shirt. Sounds like a plan, you get a t shirt and maybe you help get a new 4 wheel motorcycle classification in place.
Link: Free the Quad
Related article: GG Quad Update
alejandro martinez says
The problem is the quad has four wheels and thus classified as a car and shall then be required to pass all car standards/laws. That is why there are so many 3 wheelers because they are classified as motorcycles. Looks like someone should have read the law before they decided to import foreign products. The only suggestion is to design the vehicle to pass all car standards or lose a wheel. You have a better chance of catching Bin Laden then you do of having our legislature get off their lazy self-serving posteriors and change the law. Goodluck with that one!
coho says
Unfortunately I think Alejandro is probably right.
The side-impact test alone…
Too bad, it really is cool looking. And probably a blast to drive.
Eh, too many wheels anyway.
mark says
It would take as much space to park that thing as to park a small car. Seems like one would be better off getting a motorcycle and having the space-saving benefits, or a convertible car and having a more comfortable (and safer) ride.
I’ll stick to my motorcycle, thanks.
todd says
There already is a four wheel classification for motorcycles in the vehicle code. If the fourth wheel is clearly a functional part of the “side car” then it is allowed. I don’t know what sort of modifications would be required to make the quad look like two wheels are mounted to a side car but I’m sure they would have to start over with the design.
Quads are already considered motorcycles, they just are not able to registered for on-highway use. This probably stems from the old ATC’s and Early quads with balloon tires that were very dangerous. If the GC guys can convince DOT that it can manuever a road course just as well as a car or motorcycle it should not be a problem. I could also be allowed to maintain its “motorcycle” designation since you must sit on or straddle it like a motorcycle. I can see how this would be a grey area.
The problem isn’t with GC qauds being road worthy, the problem is the potential of openening up on-highway status to all other quads and ATC’s.
I too do not see the value of a streetable quad, I also see little value in off-road quads since dirt bikes are so much more capable unless they’re required to haul in a ten point deer. A cheap motorcycle will be just as much fun (if not more) on the road and a little Miata or whatnot seems more practical if one wanted an open top four wheeler. This won’t stop rich people from buying one just because they’re expensive and unusual to show off. I could use a free T-shirt so maybe I’ll submit a letter to Arnold and hope GC thinks it’s worthy of a free T.
-todd
Top Dog says
I can’t help them get it legal in the US, but I can help them stay in business–if they want to stay in business–by telling them to keep that thing out of the US. Lawsuits alone (legal or not) would suck this company right into the lawsuit stream and never let them escape until they and all their closest friends (and enemies) were broke. And that’s a shame…
Joey Fussell says
Funny all the comments so far seem to come from bikers alone. Not that I don’t like bikes or trikes, I think that a side impact on a bike or trike would be just as bad as on a quad, some states don’t even require bikers to wear helmets, knowingly they are ridden at there own risk. Laws are changed everyday, why can’t the quad be considered here in the US? How can a bike that you straddle be considered a car? The quad would be just as safe or safer than a bike considering you don’t have to balance. They would be a great seller, I know I would buy one. I love trikes for that reason, better yet if you can strap training wheels on a bike then you have a quad thats street legal, it then has four wheels,just put one wheel in the front and one in the back, and there you go. Bottom line I think these quads are awesome and should really be considered here in the U.S. , and I’m sure one ride would change the critics mind.
Douglas Fish says
I think all of you nay sayer should shut the hell up! Street legal Quads are being driven in many other countries as I write this and there is no problem with them sharing the street with cars and other motorcycles. I have seen 3 wheelers on the road that are twice as large and no one complains about them. Just because you cant get your head around a new concept dosen’t mean you have to get in the way! If you have got nothing good to say then don’t say anything. I think its long past time that good street legal 4 wheel motorcycles were allowed to share the roads and highways of this country. Like he said “It’s already street legal in Europe, Japan, Russia and Dubai.” There aren’t going to be a load of legal problems and “Top Dog” is nothing but a nay sayer and doom and gloom sort of person. Put your head in the sand if you like. When they finally are legal, a lot more “excellent” less expensive Street Quads will quickly come available from all the current Quad building motorcycle companies, and I will be in line to buy one, along with thousands and thousands of current off road quad owners. One last thing. Several western and mid western towns already allow street modified quads to drive in
and around town on pavement. Its time we had true street quads that are made for the street from the get go !
Douglas Fish says
ps: your “Free the Quad” link is dead. Can you give me the link?
andrew says
I to would like to see the quad be made street legal. It would definitely use less gas than a car, be safer than a motorcyle, and just as much fun as either. It would also produce less air pollutants. I do not see what the problem is, if you don’t like them then don’t buy one. As for me, if they do become street legal and sale for a reasonable price, I do believe I’d be in line to get one.
Mark Musick says
Let me establish one point now, I ride motorcycles and ATV’S. Have for 37 years. Now for the “points” listed above. “Lawsuits alone…”, they have not been able to illegalize them (ATV’S) as of yet and they out number ALL motorcycles sold added together (check my statistics, please). A lawsuit from a motorcyle rider that is injured, now there’s a concept. “Dirt bikes are so much more capable unless they’re required to haul in a ten point deer”, tell that to the many dirt bikers I have retreived from the 3 foot deep mud hole that just tried to follow me through. “The side-impact test alone…”, please list in your comments, the motorcycle that passes this test, I can’t find it, Honda Civic and my 2500HD pickup, no side impact protection here, moot point. My bottom line on this is that motorcycles and atv’s are just as safe and dangerous as the other, this is controlled by your ability, experience and stupidity. Atv’s should be street legal. And yes, the person above is correct, you can ride atv’s on the street in many states in the US already.
zammaster says
We need to look at ANY available form of transport that uses less fuel and space. I also believe that street legal quads would also be a nice alternative to those who want to begin riding motorcycles while removing some of the hazards of the two wheel variety. Great idea…sign me up. I will be first in line to buy one.
Mark Musick says
I made an observation the other day while on the Interstate. Joey Fussell above had an interesting comment “if you can strap training wheels on a bike then you have a quad”. I saw a GoldWing that had “training wheels”, yes, four wheels. Is it a car, has four wheels. Ok, you’re going to say that it has one in the front. I have not looked it up, do the reg’s say any thing about the location of the wheels? If you take of the handle bars off and put on a steering wheel is it a car, now? The reg’s are B*&%S%$#, this is suppose to be a FREE country, with more laws and reg’s than Russia, did someone mention above you can ride this in Russia, to me that is a problem. There should be an assumption of risk for a quad, as there is for a motorcycle. As stated before, if you don’t like it , don’t buy one or ride one. I believe a FREE country means that you don’t have a RIGHT to impose your views on me, impose them on yourself, that is YOUR RIGHT.
cedrick fowler says
I think this is a great motorcycle or quad I would love for this to become street legal. If it does I would buy one in a heart beat depend on how affordable they make it and what different size motor applications I would love to see one with a 1000cc engine on it that would be great.
casey says
u can drive 4 wheelers on the road anywhere as long as you dont get caught:)
Scott says
I think that street legal Quads is a good idea, when considering dangers from other vehicles around you, quads have the exact same risk factors as a bike. I don’t know of a single argument for not making Quads legal that would not be exactly the same situation on a bike. As stated above, it would all come down to rider experience, and rider responsibility, of course asking a person to be responsible for their own actions these days does seem like a farce.
Aich says
im all for it, i was wondering about the legality of it and dont understand why they cant be ridden if they have lights and a horn, just like a dirt bike, i was going to try to do it when i stumbled on this site, im gunna write to barbra boxer tonite
ADAM says
I don’t understand why they can’t either. I went to MMI and I know a couple of guys that had their 400ex and 400LT reg. in Arizona with no speedo, horn, blinks or mirrors? Go figure.
Travis S says
I agree with Joey Fussell 100%, no different than a motorcycle. I think they would be nice to get in the U.S, look at them really small cars they got out now. I meen yea this quad isnt something i’d want to get into a wreck with, but it would most likely be alot better than wrecking a bike.
brad says
I don’t know much about all of the legal issues with it becoming streetlegal. But i do know that it would be nice to have it out there. It would be nice for us guys that just goes to work and wonts to save a little gas money. And i believe that atvs are funner than dirt bikes. This is because i drive them almost everyday. For me it would be nice to get a chance to own one and be able to ride it on the streets. I wouldn’t care if you could not ride it on the highway but on threough towns would be nice. Saying that this machine should not be street legal is like saying dirt bikes should not be street legal. all you have to do to a dirt bike is put some modifications on it. I think all they should have to do is put some more/different modifications on it. And for the legal matters they should be able to sell these with a waver saying if you get into a crash and there was nothing wrong with the machine than you can not sue us. Or something to that effect. If you would look at some of the cars that are small lets say the minicoper, It is probably the same size as this machine. Ok so it does not have doors on it who cares. I guess you should look at it this way how would you like it if motercycles were not street legal
Biff says
What’s going on with this? Good alternative transportation for local short use trips. No balance involved, less risk than a 2 wheeled motorcycle. Less maintenance and repair cost. More tax revenue for the state and country. Jobs created, must I go on and on. The government works for us. We work to pay them. This is a great idea. I remember we pitched a concept like this around 1989. We were shot down because we were told it did not have a limited slip or open differential. We developed that and they, DOT, came back and sited emissions though we already proved that through testing. Lost funding closed the doors on that project. Need an update.
craig says
I live on Cape Cod MA, I bought a 2006 suzuki lt450r Quadracer that i registered, paid sales tax on and cant ride anywhere without risk of being arrested, ticketed, towed if caught by the DNR (green police) who will chase you down on there own quads. There are no legal state provided places to ride in my area, the closest one is in western ma 4hrs away. I would reg my quad for street use in a second! the bike sits for months without being used while i make the payments:( I know people who have taken dirtbikes put blinkers, brake lights, and a dot spark arrestor and regd for street WTF? why cant i do the same? its ridiculous, ok i vented thanks
RudeDog says
With the way the economy is going we need more types of transportation that offer higher gas mileage. maybe the petition that ggquad is persuing should add that fact for more support in their reasoning. I’m a motorcycle rider myself but i do know quite a few people that have said they dont ride because they are afraid of learning how to balance while riding a motorcycle but really like the gas saving abilities.
RD
Michael Smith says
They should look at the Can-Am Spider. Make it meet requirements for a three wheeled motorcycle. Then have an off-shoot company offer a rear replacement section. When bought, titled, licensed, and insured. Then changed to a four wheeler. How many people customize their motorcycles into something not meeting government regulations…Lots. Just look at noise polution from aftermarket exhausts. Look at the customs that are better sitting in front of a bar than beening driven. This would be the only way around the laws. You’d just have to bite the bullet if you got a ticket.
todd says
It’s because of the implications. If this is legal than so is my home made go-cart. GM would argue that their SUV’s don’t need all the expensive safety and emissions equipment if this doesn’t, that GG Quad is getting preferential treatment.
The “government” (DOT/EPA) is not keeping this from becoming street legal, GG Quad is. If they met all the current safety and emissions requirements for a 4-wheel vehicle they would be allowed to sell it as “street legal”. Granted, it wouldn’t look the same, it would probably end up looking like a car…
-todd
Dale says
Hey guys, I spoke with a guy in DC about all this street legal quad stuff and came to the conclusion that they have no mechanism to in force there laws. Some of you might remember the 10th amendment from high school. The federal government doesn’t have the right to make any laws unless the state gives them that right. My state (AZ) says its legal. I hear that others like FL, PA, LO, MT, let them if properly equipt. I even called CA and they said if sold in CA it would have to pass the EPA requirements but other than that not a problem (if the title didn’t say for off road use only). If you are interested in a really coooool street quad check out my Talon street quad. http://www.talonperformance.com
lance Ivesdal says
I can help you guys out, Im doing a street legal quad for my thesis at Aip in Pittsburgh. That was one of my major problems as well, but their is a loop hole. local law officials have told me that there 4 wheelers are street legal. (But on a major manufacturing scale i don’t know). A person can do his own quad, meet all the state regulations as far as head lights, dot tires, exertra. but the trick is you have to register it as a “project vehicle” with the state. Well PA any was. i would love to help you guys and show you my work as well. The weird thing is in PA just owning a quad you have to have insurance any way just to ride on dirt .
Nathan says
I think 4-wheel motorcycles add another tool in belt of energy savings. The idea is that you could get on one of these and be more stable than a cycle on two wheels could ever be. Plus, because they are lighter than cars, they offer another transportation alternative.
I think the best way to get around the DOT is to make them a “kit car” of some sort. There are a multitude of vehicles out there that don’t meet crash safety standards. If you send them partially built with ‘some assembly required’ is one quick and easy way around this problem.
Jon Pasterski says
I live in WI and have been bugging people lately as to find a way to make a quad street legal. As someone else has mentioned, a Honda Goldwing withe training wheels…well we have one here, and Electra glide with the training wheel set-up, driven by an Elderly man in his late 60’s. I would love to be able make this happen, so if anyone has any other knowledge that would be great. Currently in WI there are a ton of different plates available, but the state of WI has this sentence on a definition of an ATV..(less then 800 lbs, 4 low pressure tires, with an engine designed to be straddled) that alone makes it hard for me to argue, but I keep pointing out that a Road converted ATV is 10 times safer then a moped that needs no cycle license to drive and can barely do 45 mph
Deidre says
I am so for street legal quads…. They are as safe if not safer then a dirt bike…. And are more cost effective, lower fuel costs, lower costs for buying, Less pollution then cars and can travel at higher speeds then mopeds!!!!!!
I made a petition to make them street legal please sign it….
http://www.petitiononline.com/Quadding/petition.html
Will says
The purpose for street legal quads is actually very easy to make. If you live in a city like Salt Lake City where the streets can be pretty bad in the winter a motorcycle is not an option in the winter. A quad would be a great, low cost, efficient means of transportation during the winter where a motorcycle would be more dangerous to drive. It would also be easy to park it.
tyler says
i think it should be legal because it easier to handle especially if u have a car or truck with no 4 wheel drive n it can be easier to handle in the snow or on the road. i mean it doesnt have to be able to go onto the highway becasue i mean how many people are going to go on the highway to a long a!@ distance place with a quad. it would be good to ride around for transportation to someone elses house or to a side job or somewhere local.
Perry says
Everyone here is talking about street legal quads and I agree if you have all the lights a horn and street legal tires you should be allowed to drive them on the road. I also agree that they possibly should not be ridden on major highways or interstates. There are other types of atvs such as side by side atvs like the Polaris ranger etc. that I believe should be street legal especially since they have seat belts and roll bars( I see people driving Jeeps, Samurais, Trackers, etc.) that are just slightly larger versions of these atvs and they are street legal. I also like street bikes and feel that atvs with an intelligent operator are just as safe if not safer than two wheeled bikes!! Any vehicle motorized or not is dangerous with a person at the controls who has the common sense of a shaved ape. A safe operator makes a safe machine. Well enough of that lance lvesdal I would be very interested in seeing your work. I live in Pa. (since I have to register and carry insurance on any atv I own anyway) I would like to make a Polaris Ranger Crew street legal for my wife,2 boys, and me to ride around town and some light dirt road use. GG keep trying I would be interested in purchasing something like this if the price is in the right ballpark.
Andrew says
One of the problems with something like this is how small it is. Unlike a motorcycle on 2 wheels, something like this will start to become very touchy at higher speeds because of the 4 wheels being so close to one another. As far as not needing to lean, even on 4 wheels you’re going to need to around sharper turns unless you make them very slow. I really would like to see this happen, maybe even make it so you can alter your own 4 wheeler to become street legal, even if you have to pass a specialized safety course and gain another classification on your license for it. That would also create more jobs which are much needed right now. This bike here, you can’t call it an ATV in any way. Without the offroad tires and right suspension, the fact that it’s so close to the ground, it can’t be used on all terrain. If that’s what they want to use against it, what about jeeps? 4×4 pickups i see people riding off road? Then those should be considered ATVs too right?
Stan says
Street quads are safe and fun, I build them. And ride them. Mine is made for the street, highway, racing, off-road too.I have done 10 day trips across 6 states.
So much more to put here, but I don’t want to bore you. So just let me say this. I know the guys at GG usa. Great guys and great bike. If you ever do ride one you will get over the problems you have. I ride with the cbr1100xx.org owners organization at the meets. Mine will do everything the bike will, up to the high speed stuff. Mine will only do 140 mph. It has been on the street since 2005. Never been stopped. The police love it and think it is much safer than a bike.
But, it did not start out as a atv. It started out as a bike with a title and you can modify your bike into a four wheel vehicle if you want. Many bikes are converted into a trike by adding two more wheels, and not removing the rear that it came with.
You would not know it if you did not look for it. Hannigan also builds a goldwing quad one too.
Mine goes around corners just as well as a bike. I have had it on the track and within 5 laps was getting close to the track record.
Just got through building two and have an article coming out in Sand Sports Mag, next month, about being used in both on and off road.
So those that are worried about quads on the street, they are here. People love them, and the laws will come around, sooner if you help get the laws rewritten so you can just buy one, instead of build one.
Dave says
Go and google “Yamaha Tesseract”. It’s exactly the sort of thing I’d kill to ride, but laws in the states mean that even if it goes into production, it won’t be street legal here. I am considering building a similar vehicle just to see if it can be done legally in Florida.
It’s safe, low emissions (it’s actually a hybrid for heaven’s sake) and can lean into turns like a motorcycle using independent swing-arm suspension. To me, it’s brilliant.
Where do I sign up to get this kind of thing legalized?
Dan says
Look as i see it you have the smart car here in the USA. Why not this quad, maybe instead of calling it a GG Quad call it the smart bike, it about the same size, only differnce between the two one has a roof the other one does not. Can Am made a three wheeler and it is selling like hot cakes!!! Hope this bike will be allowed to roam the streets of the USA.
Wasga says
I have seen these all over around DC they are allowing them to be licenced as bikes. You need a motorcycle licence to drive it.