Summer red-sticker riding?

[zio]

At Miami Creek last Saturday, finally saw a Ranger checking stickers for the first time ever. He wasn't at all concerned with my bro-in-law's not-registered-since-1998 KX, but my nephew's 97 PW80 got scrutinized since we forgot to put his new sticker on. A check w/ the DMV cleared it up, but it just baffled me that there were so many folks on red-sticker bikes. Spark arrestors weren't brought up either.

It also reminded me of all the CRF's & other post-97 japanese bikes that I saw at Forresthill a few weeks ago. Are folks blatantly ignoring the laws & getting away with it? How can so many people on these new bikes be riding off-road in the summer months?

 

[AKCPlumb]

Your KTM is not legal as it is a post 97, but KTM changed 1 letter in the VIN that the DMV looks at and assumed that it meet the requirements. So far what I have heard is that until the DMV can get there stuff together nobody is going to try and enforce it. The DMV is supposed to be correcting when you renew but my son got a new green sticker for his 00 250 EXC last month. Right now the focus is on sound so make sure you meet the current requirements and it looks like it will be down to 96dbs at all D36 events next year as the new reg's take effect.
Ride on and enjoy.

 

[zio]

I know the deal with the euro bikes and that I'm lucky to have a green sticker. I'm wondering about the guys I see on new CRF's, YZF's, CR's, RM's, etc. What are they doing out in the middle of July?

One of the guys I saw last Saturday was on a brand-spankin' new, totally stock CR250. Plus, he had brand-spankin' new gear so I figure he's a newer rider who may not know about the rules, or was just taking a chance because he was too antsy to ride his new bike. The rest were just regular joes on new, red-sticker bikes.

 

[AKCPlumb]

Riding, The whole red sticker thing is nonsense, nobody (greens) seem to care that there are hundreds of 2 stroke boats running the delta and valley lakes during the "summer dirtbike ban", let alone the lawnmowers and leaf blowers. Here's another thing to ponder, why is ok to bring in a non-compliant bike that is registered in another state and ride it. They will be next. My experence at Stonyford and at Clear Creek is that as long as you have a sticker or proof of registration your ok.

 

[zio]

Are you sure about that? I thought they were getting all worked up over the 2 stroke outboard motors, etc. as well, hence the surge in 4 stroke outboards & PWC.

 

[dirt bike dave]

AKC - Stonyford is legal year round for red sticker bikes, as are some other places.

It cracks me up that most of the desert has red sticker restrictions - just who in the heck is going to breathe our pollution, anyway???

Zio is right that there is a comprehensive federal agenda to reduce pollution from just about every possible source. CA is just ahead of the curve, as always :silly:

 

[angry jim]

Zio,
A lot of places are legal to ride during the summer with red stickers. I think most of the stuff in the Sierras is open year round. Some of the OHV parks don't allow them between may and october.

Once the 2 strokes are gone, the witch hunt will be on noise restrictions or whatever it takes to stop the evil offroad rider :think: .

Zio, are you going to dirtweek?
How's it going Dave. Been practicing?

 

[zio]

Originally posted by angry jim

Zio, are you going to dirtweek?

It doesn't look like it. I'd love to go, it looks like it'd be an incredibly fun time. It's just too far & too much $$$ to commit to. Plus having a 1 & 3 year old at home to leave zia with for min. 5 days & nights isn't the same as taking off a weekend to ride. If I hear you're going I'm going to be pissed.

Instead Kelly & I are planning to get some really good riding in maybe the Thursday, Fri & Saturday or something. I've been riding a lot lately, practicing so I can maybe hang with you guys a bit more. Also, I'm hoping to hit more than one race this fall. Can't decide which ones, though.

 

[RetSenior]

Zio, Wilseyville, November 17 and/or you might like the 49er Qualifier at Elkins Flat, October 27

 

[zio]

Yeah, I have both those tentatively on my calendar. Problem is I also want to do the Lilliputian (since I've done it before & will feel a bit more confident), but have to take a weekend off between races to keep zia happy.

 

[crdaug]

Zio,
I was the other CR 250 With the "new Rider "on the 03 CR 250 at forest hill. I don't remember anyone really looking at our stickers before we rode but we both have green stickers. I have a 02 250 and his is a 03 250. I just so happens depending on where you buy and first register your bike you might end up with different colored stickers, as for us we both bought at the same shop(in red sticker teritory)quite some distance from where we live just so that we would have green stickers. So your asupmtion that a new bike is going to have a red sticker is not correct. In fact I am not so sure that you will ever be turned away from a riding area because you have a red sticker. I have not heard of anyone in northeren california being turned away. I don't even think that most of the DMV hav it straight for what stickers to give to what bike. Niether one of us being new to the sport(assumption) we were holding on to 1997 models so we could always ride, well when the 3rd or 4th friend got a new bike with a green sticker I didn't quite think that my 1997 CR 250 was so valuable. I don't mean to say that we shouldn't fight the eco goons on every issue that we can but I think that once Bill Dart and the good guys got the 1997 ban and red sticker think going instead of the total ban on 2 strokes the eco warriors didn't care about it anynmore. They want to get rid of the whole thing not regulate it. So I figure that for now it will go unenforced until a real and total ban is attempted once again.

 

[zio]

Hey man,

I braved the dust again last Saturday & had a chance to talk with the ranger again. He said that for now, the USFS is only giving warnings. He says that they will be given the order to start issuing citations next year maybe. He also is aware of the rules, but for the time being all he's concerned about is if the bike is registered period, and he's acutally more concerned about safety, etc. Also, he told me that places like state OHV areas are being a lot more strict about the red/green issue. I guess we'll see what they're up to next year.

That's probably my last trip up there until maybe September or so. It was just too hot & dusty. There were three of us this time, and we got a little too competitive. I bit it hard twice. The last one was the worst, I was trying to get close enough to my buddy to get above the dust, and got cross rutted in one of those nasty uphills. Banged the crap out of my elbow.

Look out for us when you go up there, we'll most likely be in a red F250 or in my little red toyota.

 

[James]

So I don't understand ZIO...are you complaining that red sticker guys are out there riding in violation of this petty law? Were you encouraging the ranger to enforce it?

 

[zio]

Hang on, James. I was only wondering if other folks were doing it & getting away with it. Just curious, that's all. I hear so much about it, then go out & see guys riding like it's no big deal and then I wonder what's up. My bike is a '98, & therefore shouldn't really have a green sticker, so I'm not interested in getting the law enforced.

This ranger wasn't stupid, it's not like he didn't know what bikes weren't supposed to get them. He knew mine was a '98 & that the DMV may eventually get their act together & issue me a red sticker. He just didn't care too much, his main interest (and a very reasonable one IMO) was for safety. He didn't like dopes on quads riding helmetless. His standpoint was he'd just keep on issuing warnings until he was ordered to start writing citations.

 

[James]

I'm calm...that's why I put those question marks on there. Wanted to understand what you were saying before I made any opinionated comments (well I guess calling it a petty law does express some opinion :) )