[rahul_intlad]

The city of New York has introduced a bill (S.B. 1640) to ban spinner hubcaps in the city. The S.B. 1640 bill calls for a fine of US$750 for the third violation onwards - two warnings will be given. The bill is currently being considered for inclusion in the state legislature.

Source:
US Bill 1640 to ban spinner wheels

[GTO]

And why the ban? Are they dangerous in any way? Or is it because they upset the cars balance.

[karthik247]

Originally Posted by GTO

Or is it because they upset the cars balance.

They upset the car's balance??? Was that a joke or...??

[rahul_intlad]

I have absolutely no clue about this, could somebody else add more info.

[iraghava]

Originally Posted by karthik247

They upset the car's balance??? Was that a joke or...??

Well they do cause an imbalance & put unnecessay strain on the suspension since they are quite heavy compared to other alloy wheels. So the rolling mass & the load on the suspension increases.

Guys check this link out to see the latest in wheel designs!!!!

Dub Pimp Star Bling Bling Wheels

[V-16]

I dunno about any imbalance, but i think they are a safety hazard. Think of a situation like this, u r a biker (and need all the info u can get to be safe, which is picked up by ur eyes) and then theres this vehicle with spinning hubs which intersects you and stops. Ure actually looking at the entire scenario, the car, the surrounding back and fore ground and at the wheels too. Everything else tells you that the car ure heading into has stopped and then your eye registers the wheels which are spinning away to glory and then .....BAM!!. its a possibility. Something bikers will agree to, like in the case of a biker whos riding a bike with full fairings...what happens when u turn, the bike turns in the direction you turn the handle but the fairing does not turn with the handle as it is fixed.It points foreward even tough ur nogotiating a hairpin. Most bikers suffer this confusion often leading to a mishap when they are not used to a bike with full fairings. Its takes a lot of getting used to. I know i almost dashed into a circle edge. I hope uve got my point!!

[danlalan]

but that couldnt be the only reason for banning spinners..there must be more to it..

[theMAG]

Originally Posted by danlalan

but that couldnt be the only reason for banning spinners..there must be more to it..

Possibly to discourage wheeljacking experts from passing on their genes

[aniguchisan]

Spinning hubcaps...now that's just the silly fake chrome plastic toys you get for a few bucks at your local Circle K. Good thing they'll be banning those bad boys.

[vezj420]

Did anyone see the link that the abovementioned webpage further linked to?

Dub Pimp Star Bling Bling Wheels



That's freaking awesome! Now those would definitely be too distracting!

By the way, I checked out their prices and availability on customwheel.com - the smallest size you get is 22", and they're packaged with Pirelli tyres.....for only US$12,500!!

[ramie2400]

yess i have seen these earlier on YouTube - Broadcast Yourself. about 3-4months back...anyways spinners are boring for me since ever....i am a true alloy wheel lover

[hydrashok]

I'd seen the article linked to from Engadget (or maybe Gizmodo) last week. Though no apparent reason was given, the ban apparently has to do with reducing distractions on the road. They say that spinners are causing too many accidents as they distract people (by making them look at the spinners while they are driving). V16s explanation (post #6) seems quite logical too.

EDIT: Here's the article:
From Engdget: New York takes a second look at banning spinners - Engadget

We know what you're thinking holmes: oh no they di'n't! Well, unfortunately, yes they did. Senator John Sabini is a source of the reintroduction of a bill (S.B. 1640) that would ban "spinners," with fines of $750 for the third and subsequent violations. Like a lot of other cases where the Government gets involved in issues which potentially breach the line between public and private life, a lobby group has already taken up the case of defending New Yorker's rights to spin to their heart's content: the Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA for short) has already laid out a list of problems with the bill. SEMA argues that S.B. 1640 ignores the fact that custom wheels aren't prohibited under Federal law, that manufacturers are already required to notify the Government of safety problems within five days, and the fact that spinners are shown to have no detrimental effect on safety. As our Autoblog colleagues point out, the possibility that spinners could be distracting isn't a reasonable justification for the bill either: hubcap ads and even rims with integrated LEDs will remain legal if the bill becomes law. SEMA is calling for all spinner aficionados to get in touch with Senator Sabini and members of the New York Senate Transportation Committee, where the bill was recently referred.

[sajo]

An unrelated question : Why do some spinners make "ching ching" noises while spinning? Somewhat like ghungroos attached to a horse's legs?
Is it because they are damaged?

[CHIP]

What in the god sake is this happening today new york tommorow usa day after tommorow world why why why these govt want to stop these good things from rolling on the street.........and any clue for the reason of banned spinners......my goodness look at the led rims oh my god it is truly creation of car god.......

[bikefreak]

Just a hunch . . .

Maybe there were a couple of cases where the spinning part came off and caused an accident ?!
I guess that should be a good enough reason to ban something that only has an aesthetic value ?