Some laws just don't make sense to me.

Taken on the KVR in BC. More sensible laws

TWO years ago, I bought a couple of BAJA Dirt Bugs from Canadian Tire. For those that haven't a clue, they are a very good re-creation of the mini-bikes that were immensely popular in the sixties.

Yes... I know, it may be hard for some of you to think back that far, in your old age, but... the 60's were more than bra burnings, Viet Nam, and the Beatles.

The sixties signalled the fall of the once all powerful British motorcycle industry on a massive World wide scale, followed by the rise of the rising sun and their reliable, ever increasing in displacement in ever widening classes of bikes.

In the midst of all this, as the sun set on the Brits and just as it was rising in the east... there were mini bikes.  Simple tube framed, un-suspended, cheap as transistor radios. 

These ubiquitous, itty bitty bikes were generally powered by whatever Briggs and Stratton or Tecumseh lawn mower engine was available. 

You could buy a kit frame and steal your neighbours lawn boy motor, or you could buy a complete bike for a few hundred dollars.

Dirt Bugs

Even Popular Mechanics and other such publications offered plans on building your own.  Many of us got started on a ride down the alley or around the vacant lot or farm with these little noisemakers.

They were several steps up from a banana bike with cigarette package clothes-pinned to the rear wheel!

For a brief time period (about as long as these stupid ass fad choppers built a few years back), the mini ruled! 

BAJA is a popular line of simple little tiddler bikes and ATV's built by the Chinese and sold in Canada by CT. 

In the US, they are available at Pep Boys and other similar stores.

Amongst other models, they make a pretty good rendition of those old fun bikes.  The ones I got had a 97cc four cycle, pull start, auto clutched engine, and could be bought for $369 CDN dollars.

MC Cow pasture/off road area.

I thought that it would be a great way for Anna and I to do something fun together.

First time we rode them in a cow pasture at MacLean Creek, the forestry guy showed up and told me we were breaking several laws and could be fined thousands of dollars and have our equipment confiscated!  You see, the laws in Alberta, that restrict off roaders to tiny little tracts of land we have to share with loggers and ranchers... require that you have a headlight/taillight, spark arrestor muffler, license plate, and insurance. At least we had the muffler right!

While I can appreciate all this (sort of) as a way for the province to fund the use of these public lands (sort of) it irks me to no end when there is no discretion involved. 

Imagine this, you're caught going 3mph above the speed limit.  Cop pulls you over and  drags you from your Blazer and shoots you on the spot in the head, with a 9mm Glock.

Pretty extreme huh?  Of course those things don't happen because the guy/gal uses his/her head much of the time.  You get a warning, a smile and a lecture maybe.

So, here we are... Mom and daughter riding two quiet little mini bikes with a tiny little motor capable of maybe 8-10 mph... in a field, wearing helmet and gloves and padding, and we are forced to leave.

The kid was bummed. 

 Can you blame her.