dualsporting a red-sticker bike in ca

[velosapiens]

anyone in ca have experiences in getting a plate for a 2stroke or other red-sticker bike? there are just too many convenient connections between trails (or between remote campsites and the good trails). i understand vermont will register and plate an out of state bike, but there might be a problem with the title for 300cc and under. i also understand arizona is pretty lenient with dual-sporting a dirtbike.

is the cal dmv likely to spaz out if i try to transfer a street title for a bike that's already registered here as an off-road bike? share your experiences.

-mw (just bought a 300 exc)

 

[open bike]

California DMV wouldnt give my friend a plate for his WR400,so he registered it in Oregon,got a Oregon plate,came back to Ca. DMV but they said no he still couldnt have a Ca. plate.He tried the nekt towns DMV,they gave him Ca. plates but a couple days later wanted them back because his bike was a red sticker bike,so last I heard it was running the Oregon plates.I hear that if you pay an impact fee they will give you Ca. plates,but the bike must have plates from another state to begin with.As far as a 2-stroke ....good luck.

 

[EM rider]

If the CA DMV follows its own rules, you won't be able to get plates for any red-sticker (and therefore 2 stroke) bike, regardless of whether you try and transfer in from another state. That's a big if though, because the DMV is a poorly run bureaucracy and they may let it slip through by mistake. I'm sure many others have gotten "lucky" and gotten plates this way. That said, they seem to be getting their act together and I know of several guys that have gotten recall notices for both green stickers and plates that were issued by mistake. Bottom line, what you want to do is a coin flip and the odds are decent, but also working against you day by day as the Ca DMV gets more organized.

 

[EBOD]

I've heard that if your bike is plated (presumably with street legal plates) in another state, you can ride on land where red stickered bikes are prohibited. If that's so, you could ride (on dirt) without getting the CA plates.

How could (i) someone register their bike in another state (ii) get street legal plates for that state and (iii) maintain such out of state registration when it comes up for renewal? What states are the most generous in allowing such registrations (particularly with 2-strokes)?

I'd love to hear the means by which anyone in CA has registered their bike in a different state and what steps they took to do so.

 

[open bike]

My friend has a relative in Oregon,thats how he did it,but I think theres a state you can just mail in for regestration even though your out of state(sounds nuts)but I read that.Contact BajaDesigns there the experts at duel sport and will know.

 

[a454elk]

Try registering it here since you LIVE here. Always looking for a way around the system:think:

 

[NVR FNSH]

When I saw Elk's name as the last poster I knew where this was going.....

Vermont has the 'mail-in' registration - http://www.dmv.state.vt.us/dmvhp.htm

This is from a post of mine on Thumpertalk:
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The only problem you might have with the Vermont plate is if you get pulled over and the cop is an ass. If you have a CA drivers license the cop may write you up for an improperly registered vehicle. CA has to get all their tax dollars you know.... I've been ticketed twice for improperly registered vehicles - my trucks - and the ticket was dismissed by the traffic court judge. Both tickets were from CHP officers, not local PD or Sheriffs. And, yes both times I was pulled over soley because of the out of state plates. The officers said they'd seen me too many times.....

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No offense to Elk but it seems that most local PD & Sheriffs don't have the time to bother with out of state plates. I realize that it's the CHPs job and the officers were only doing their job. What irked me was the officer's attitude/response about 'tell it to the judge' when I showed him the registration papers with my dad's name & address - he is not a CA resident. Yes, Elk I know the rules and choose flaunt the loopholes in this case. I have 4 automobiles & 3 motorcycles - only my truck is registered out of state.

Elk - is there any way around the commercial vehicle classification w/o making it a housecar? It really chaps my hide to be paying commercial weight fees on my personal use pickups when there are Excursions and Suburbans out there that weigh more than my truck but are classified as passenger vehicles.

Brian

 

[velosapiens]

Originally posted by a454elk
Try registering it here since you LIVE here. Always looking for a way around the system:think:

umm. sorry, i forgot, the california government always makes the perfect right choice for us. i was foolish to try to get around the utopian perfect system that governs what i can ride and where i can ride it. forgive me.

i think i'm going to take up hiking, organic food, and driving my kids 2 blocks to the store in a volvo now. ;)

 

[a454elk]

Velo and NVR, I guess it sounded pretty bad they way I came off,my bad. Here's the deal. Putting aside where I work, I don't like it much either that we have to pay so much for reg, and the personal trucks being tagged for commercial reg isn't the greatest either. The thing is, we live here, the CHP gets their paychecks from the motor vehicle fund, that's it. It may seem chickensh** to write those tickets for reg and concentrate on them so much but if registrations don't get paid, WE don't get paid. P.D.'s and Sheriff's don't concentrate on those type of tickets because they get no benefit from them. Just like us stopping a guy with a warrant issued from a P.D., we get no benefit from it but we still do it because we all work together, but unfortunately, it's not our main objective. I live here in CA and I have to pay all the stupid fees just like everyone else, and yes even the stupid commercial fee for my personal truck. Do I think it's crazy, YES, but my options are limited.

Each department has their own objective when it comes to revenue. The revenue generated by tickets we write in the city limits, even though it's on the freeway, goes to that city. So the only benefit we have writing any type of ticket, other than Reg, is to get people to slow down and not drive like fools.

Hope I cleared up my last post and you can both understand why I said it. I guess I get tired of people trying to work around the system, flawed as it may be. I agree our DMV is not even close to being right but I have to pay like everyone else to live here and until something changes, I have to conform like the rest.

Brian, no way around that fee for the truck unless you put a shell on it. I even have to pay it for my elk, and that's stupid. It should be re-written to say that if a truck is used for commercial use then you pay, if not, leave it alone. Sorry, wish I had a better answer for you guys but this is the best I can do.

Elk

 

[bwalker]

Each department has their own objective when it comes to revenue. The revenue generated by tickets we write in the city limits, even though it's on the freeway, goes to that city. So the only benefit we have writing any type of ticket, other than Reg, is to get people to slow down and not drive like fools.

Elk, Thats whats wrong with the system. It forces Police officers to waste their time writing petty traffic tickets to support their department when they should be out hunting bad guys. IMO its a terrible waste of resources to have a highly trained law enforment officer useing their resources for writing speeding tickets. Countrys such as germany dont seem to be in need of such oppressive trafic laws. Why do we? BTW keep in mind that in this country we have a history of sidestepping unjust laws so NVR and Velio are not doing anything new. (prohibition and the boston tea party come to mind)

 

[velosapiens]

Originally posted by a454elk
The thing is, we live here, the CHP gets their paychecks from the motor vehicle fund, that's it.

i'm not complaining about the fees, i'm complaining about the ridiculous restrictions on red sticker/green sticker bikes. I just want to be able to ride a couple miles on forest roads between trails sometimes, so i need a license plate for that.
-sparkymarky

 

[Birken Vogt]

Yes, when I was working for the Eldorado National Forest I was working with a guy who was an OHV ranger. He rode a KX250 with the white U.S. GOVERNMENT plate. I don't recall it having any lights or other junk on it either. It seems kinda unfair. Or course, maybe it was just because there is no US Government green sticker, but he did ride it on the forest roads, between trails just like you said.

Birken

 

[rickyd]

Just a question, has anybody been pulled over for riding w/a red sticker when it was not in season??
Rick :eek:

 

[NVR FNSH]

Elk,
No harm, no foul. I get the 'you live here, register it here' line from my co-worker (former college house mate) all the time. This coming from the guy who keeps his vehicles registered at his parents address in Eureka so he doesn't have to smog them..... If I get cited for the registration and I can't get out of ticket I'll register the truck in CA. Up to this point I've been able to meet the letter of the law:D I guess I'll have to get my vehicle registrations squared away before submitting the application to Santa Rosa PD......

Actually, I don't think a shell will suffice for getting out of commercial fees. I believe the requirement is a PERMANENT living quarter similar to a class C motorhome.

Keep up the good work Elk. Regardless of how much most of us complain about you guys we do appreciate what you do.

Brian

 

[a454elk]

Yeah Brian, they might frown on it a bit when you get to the application process.;) And yes, a shell does suffice for the fee change, trust me. All it has to be is a permanently mounted shell, not to be taken off. You fill out the form at DMV and promise to never take it off and "Poof", no more commercial fees. Good luck and thanks, I know we aren't always the most popular guys around. (note self, put in application to be a fireman:D)

 

[BunduBasher]

One would think the CA authorities would want to license and register these dirt bikes, be they 2 or 4 stroke, and in this way fill their coffers with license fees. 'tis a funny world we live in :think:

Maybe the Elkster needs to propose this to his local guys, register and plate all the dirt bikes in CA in their district, make a bundle, and take the year off ;)

 

[a454elk]

Bundu, I get the year off NOW! That's all we need, a bunch of those darn dirt bike guys riding the streets!:)

 

[Hogwylde]

Originally posted by open bike
but I think theres a state you can just mail in for regestration even though your out of state(sounds nuts)

No, it's not nuts. When I was active duty, I became a resident of Florida when I was stationed there. When I moved, I notified the BMV of my new address. They would print my out of state address on my Florida registration and I renewed my plates by mail. The renewal came in the mail every year to the address on my registration.

I really pissed off a North Carolina cop one day when he saw I had a NC address on my Florida license and registration. He told me I had to have NC license and registration since I lived there. I told him he should read the NC drivers manual, since it SPECIFICALLY stated that military personnel were not required to obtain NC plates or license. He threatened to give me a ticket anyway because he didn't believe me. He was SOOOO pissed because I told him to do it so I could have the judge laugh him out of court. :)