Australian WR450 in the US?

[Someone]

Why is it that the Australian version of the WR450 is street legal, and in the US, it's not? I want to get a 4 stroke as my next bike, but it has to be street legal and 2 smoker light with a good amount of stock power. Any suggestions? Is it possible to buy a bike from Australia and title it in the US without issues?

I am not crazy about the idea of converting a US WR450 into a street legal bike, but I have a feeling that it would be cheaper. Supposedly in Ohio (where I live) it's pretty easy to pass inspection.

 

[oldguy]

Is it USA street legal or Australian street legal? Might be a big difference.
That said our track referee has a YZ250F that is licensed as a street bike here in Wisconsin. He added the lights and other required equipment then registered it in Michigan which is easier then Wis. Once registered as a street bike there he then transferred the title to Wisconsin.

 

[Someone]

I doubt it's out of the box street legal in the US if it's coming from Australia, I was just thinking I would rather have a stock bike with lights, signals, etc, than doing it myself (as long as the cost wasn't extraordinary). Then have it inspected and go from there. Ohio is pretty easy (especially where I live) for making these bikes street legal.

I am thinking the cheapest route is to get the US WR450 and add the lights and signals, then have it inspected for a title. Actually, the last two dirt bikes I've bought in Ohio (YZ 250's), they always screw it up and make it a "motorcycle" on the registration instead of a "off road vehicle". But I had them fix it (shouldn't have).

Maybe I will luck out on that again.

 

[FruDaddy]

Why is it that the Australian version of the WR450 is street legal, and in the US, it's not?

Because the United States has decided to create it's own motor vehicle laws rather than adopting Australia's laws. The US is pretty arrogant like that. I think that this is why the rest of the world hates us. :yikes:

 

[crazycarl7]

titling

if i live in maryland and have a MD drivers liscense how would i have my bike titled in PA? Do I need a PA Drivers liscense?

 

[Siin]

i suggest not to buy an Aust bike and take i to the US - its a lot more than lights.
Fuel is different, you'll have to get the engine set up for US fuel as opposed to Aust fuel; different valve clearances and jets [if applicable].
had a mate take a couple of bikes to the us for a riding trek and ended up costing him a fortune on the conversion.

 

[JSJKMULLIN]

Because the United States has decided to create it's own motor vehicle laws rather than adopting Australia's laws. The US is pretty arrogant like that. I think that this is why the rest of the world hates us. :yikes:

What does arrogance have to do with creating motor vehicle laws? Granted I have never driven in Aust., but I have in many other foreign countries, and truth be told, American driving is usually a much less nerve racking experience. Try S Korea... good thing our "arrogance" prevented us from adopting their motor vehicle laws.

All in all, I don't believe arrogance has any factor in motor vehicle laws of the US. More than likely it is government attempting to protect us from ourselves again. In any case, you should be proud of america and everything she stands for. Oh yeah, I think the rest of the world is just a little jealous of what america has to offer and therefor the "hatred" is spawned (many people find ways to hate or dislike things they can't have, it's their way of coping with their situation)... Otherwise, would we have so many immigrants (both legal and illegal) at or within our borders? Trust me, I have spent many nights in foreign places, and you just aren't going to get it any better than in the United States.

BTW... Go with the US spec. and pay for the light kit.

 

[FruDaddy]

What does arrogance have to do with creating motor vehicle laws? Granted I have never driven in Aust., but I have in many other foreign countries, and truth be told, American driving is usually a much less nerve racking experience. Try S Korea... good thing our "arrogance" prevented us from adopting their motor vehicle laws.

All in all, I don't believe arrogance has any factor in motor vehicle laws of the US. More than likely it is government attempting to protect us from ourselves again. In any case, you should be proud of america and everything she stands for. Oh yeah, I think the rest of the world is just a little jealous of what america has to offer and therefor the "hatred" is spawned (many people find ways to hate or dislike things they can't have, it's their way of coping with their situation)... Otherwise, would we have so many immigrants (both legal and illegal) at or within our borders? Trust me, I have spent many nights in foreign places, and you just aren't going to get it any better than in the United States.

BTW... Go with the US spec. and pay for the light kit.

OMG... did you just wake up on the angry patriot bus or what? I had to just in my way back machine to figure out what's bugging you here, but how about reading the post that I quoted before trying to assume that you have a clue about what I said. It's called sarcasm. It was a smart a***d answer to a pretty stupid question, and I thought that was pretty clear. I guess you just don't get it. Have a nice day and don't forget to salute my flag when you pass my house. :bang:

Oh, and "America" should always begin with a capital "A". :|

 

[Rich Rohrich]

i suggest not to buy an Aust bike and take i to the US - its a lot more than lights.
Fuel is different, you'll have to get the engine set up for US fuel as opposed to Aust fuel; different valve clearances and jets [if applicable].
had a mate take a couple of bikes to the us for a riding trek and ended up costing him a fortune on the conversion.

The fuel requirement, and valve clearances are exactly the same regardless of the country of origin. The jetting differences between AU & US have to do with the difference in the exhaust systems, but if you run the AU exhaust with the AU jetting it doesn't matter.

Making it "street legal" here is another matter entirely that will vary from state to state.

Baja Designs has a lot of good conversion info on their website.

 

[Ol'89r]

The fuel requirement, and valve clearances are exactly the same regardless of the country of origin. The jetting differences between AU & US have to do with the difference in the exhaust systems, but if you run the AU exhaust with the AU jetting it doesn't matter.

Making it "street legal" here is another matter entirely that will vary from state to state.
.

The big difference is the jetting and the ignition mapping. There are also some differences in the breathers. Here in Kalifornia, C.A.R.B. has designated that the U.S. bikes run so lean as to pass their standards that they have to be re-jetted just to run correctly. The ignition mapping is also different. This is why people cut the grey wire on their U.S. based WR's. The throttle stop on the U.S. WR will not allow the bike to get full throttle without trimming the stop.

A few years ago, everyone was ordering these bikes from AU and NewZealand and trying to get them registered in Kalifornia. They were a good deal, about $1000 less when considering the exchange rate and they came with a new piston, rings and top end gasket set. C.A.R.B. caught on and made them illegal to register in Kalifornia at all. I have a couple of friends that own them and they can't take them anywhere but private tracks.

Check your local laws before buying something you can't use. :ohmy: