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Dirtbike street legal?
- Thread starter briejer
- Start date
im not sure, my old neighbor had a 2 stroke ktm, i would have never thought he could get it licensed but he did, i asked him about it {i thought it would be cool to have a cr250 s l} he was kinda ellusive, a- hole,id like too know the way to do it also
64FJ40
Well-Known Member
This is what I've heard as well. The title for most dirt bikes will say something to the effect of "off-road use only". But some don't say that. I believe all KTMs don't have that on their title and I know at least 3 friends with KTMs that have recently gotten plates for them. Of course, none of them have brake lights or turn signals, so they're only allowed to ride during the day and use hand signals, but it did work.
I also know one guy that got his KDX220 street licensed due to some loophole that he pursued, but it was a huge hassle and I don't know all the details. He said it would have been cheaper to sell his bike and buy one from another state that was already licensed for street use. Apparently some other states are more lenient and once it's been licensed there, you can transfer that to Washington.
But, as seen in NotMatt's thread, having a license plate doesn't necessarily mean that you won't get pulled over for having insufficient equipment. He didn't get a ticket, and even if you did, you may be able to fight it, but it's still a pain to deal with.
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This page should help: http://www.nmaoffroad.org/licensing.htm#dualsport
Essentially... you used to be able to, but now it's much harder, because the WSP wants assurance from the manufacturer that the bike meets FMVSS (federal motor vehicle safety standards) after you convert it... which is bullshit, especially with an older bike where the street models for that year would not have even met current standards.
"Sell" it to a friend in Oregon or Idaho, register/plate it there, and wait a while, and "sell" it back. WA dmv has to recognize registration from other states. That doesn't exempt you from the basic laws as outlined below, but it does mean that if it has a plate in another state, they have to honor it and let you register it here. This is how my Husqvarna 410 was plated, and it's a pure off road bike with a plate, a headlight and a tail light.... the PO did this in Idaho. This is also the way my TTR-225 was plated as well, that one was done in Oregon.
Make sure you have all the required equipment though when you ride in WA, because the cops do know the laws and they will bust you.
Headlight that is on while riding day or night
Tail light
Brake light that is actuated by at least the rear brake lever
License plate light
Turn signals
If they really want to be sticklers, they can probably get you on the following as well, but the cop that pulled me over did not mention any of these...
Dual beam (hi/low) headlight
Working horn
Speedometer/odometer (this one is fuzzy for me, since I think you are simply responsible for not speeding... if you're good at judging how fast is "too fast" without a speedo, then maybe you don't need it... the RCW's don't specifically state it's required anywhere, but when I went to register my TTR, they wanted an odometer reading... it didn't have one, so they put "000001" and then branded the title "NOT ACTUAL" for mileage).
Essentially... you used to be able to, but now it's much harder, because the WSP wants assurance from the manufacturer that the bike meets FMVSS (federal motor vehicle safety standards) after you convert it... which is bullshit, especially with an older bike where the street models for that year would not have even met current standards.
"Sell" it to a friend in Oregon or Idaho, register/plate it there, and wait a while, and "sell" it back. WA dmv has to recognize registration from other states. That doesn't exempt you from the basic laws as outlined below, but it does mean that if it has a plate in another state, they have to honor it and let you register it here. This is how my Husqvarna 410 was plated, and it's a pure off road bike with a plate, a headlight and a tail light.... the PO did this in Idaho. This is also the way my TTR-225 was plated as well, that one was done in Oregon.
Make sure you have all the required equipment though when you ride in WA, because the cops do know the laws and they will bust you.
Headlight that is on while riding day or night
Tail light
Brake light that is actuated by at least the rear brake lever
License plate light
Turn signals
If they really want to be sticklers, they can probably get you on the following as well, but the cop that pulled me over did not mention any of these...
Dual beam (hi/low) headlight
Working horn
Speedometer/odometer (this one is fuzzy for me, since I think you are simply responsible for not speeding... if you're good at judging how fast is "too fast" without a speedo, then maybe you don't need it... the RCW's don't specifically state it's required anywhere, but when I went to register my TTR, they wanted an odometer reading... it didn't have one, so they put "000001" and then branded the title "NOT ACTUAL" for mileage).
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CHOP SHOP
Well-Known Member
a good friend of mine has a street legal kx500. it took some sweet figuring but he did it.:beer:
jeepmauler
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Oct 17, 2006
- Messages
- 2,064
Any big bore two stroke would be the **** on the street
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Freeride
Well-Known Member
80 HP ATK 700cc 2 stroke
jeepmauler
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Oct 17, 2006
- Messages
- 2,064
I had an "early" 80's Maico 490...it had 60 hp stock IIRC.Back then I weighed 150 with gear on,soaking wet.....you want to talk about hanging the **** on!!:eeek:
TrikeKid
Well-Known Member
Especially after your whole body has been vibrated into numbness. :redneck:
The first hurdle is the off road only stamp on the registration of most dirt bikes. I know my dad's KDX200 didn't have one, he went in to renew his ORV tabs and the girl asked if he wanted a license plate or ORV tags. Needless to say he took the plate when presented with the opportunity of receiving it with no inspection or anything. My 230 on the other hand has that stamp, which dooms my hopes of a plate (not that I'd want to ride it on the street, but it would be nice to be legal on forest service roads.
+1 to the KTM comment. They were the last ones with titles that were not branded for off road use only, but I believe in 2005 they were switched and are now as hard to street license as any other bike.
as for selling to someone in oregon/idaho its still iffy on wether or not you can transfer it and still keep the street. as far as I've heard its hit and miss and seems to depend on luck of the draw with who you get at the DMV and wether or not they catch on to the fact its was a dirt bike originally.
as for selling to someone in oregon/idaho its still iffy on wether or not you can transfer it and still keep the street. as far as I've heard its hit and miss and seems to depend on luck of the draw with who you get at the DMV and wether or not they catch on to the fact its was a dirt bike originally.
I've done it twice so far without much hassle. The TTR was a 2000, it didn't have an odometer and wasn't past the 10 year mileage exemption, but once I explained to her that it was a converted off road bike and had no speedo/odometer or even an hour meter, she just fudged it.
I suppose your mileage might vary, but when I registered my Husqvarna, the lady at the license office even mentioned to me that it was a conversion in passing, as if I didn't already know. :haha:
SCOOTER1
Well-Known Member
Ok Matt gimme the inz and outs of "converting"...Just may have to do it to the CRF...:awesomework:
See post #5 :redneck:
Seriously though, that's the way I know how to do it, since the WSP won't even inspect your bike any more for registration in this state unless it came from the dealer that way, apparently. Make it legal with the required equipment in my original post, find a friend in another state, take the bike to them, "sell" it, register/plate it there, then bring it back to WA by "buying" it from said friend.
Again, your mileage may vary, but this is the way my last two bikes have been done.
TrikeKid
Well-Known Member
I thought the new EXC's were still street legal? I rode with a guy a couple weekends ago that had a plate on his new 530 EXCR. His was really honest street legal though, had turn signals and everything.
I'm going to get busy on this.My KX500 was my baby for many years.
I sold it to a friend, but it wants me to buy it back because he cannot start it. He tried to sell it at the local Kawasaki shop amd after a few weeks they told him to pick it up. Only the lead mechanic knew how to start a high comperssion big bore with no compession realese. I have done everything to the motor to make is high hosre, but have it come on smooth(lots of trial and error with the port timing for exhaust scavenging). It's a 90 HP chain stratching, sproket and hub breaking machine. Riding it on the street with give me permenent wood.
I sold it to a friend, but it wants me to buy it back because he cannot start it. He tried to sell it at the local Kawasaki shop amd after a few weeks they told him to pick it up. Only the lead mechanic knew how to start a high comperssion big bore with no compession realese. I have done everything to the motor to make is high hosre, but have it come on smooth(lots of trial and error with the port timing for exhaust scavenging). It's a 90 HP chain stratching, sproket and hub breaking machine. Riding it on the street with give me permenent wood.
Your neighbors will love you. Mine love it when I go out and start up my Husky at 6:30 in the morning... I can feel it in the ground 10 feet away when the choke is on. :redneck:
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426rider
Well-Known Member
The EXC's are sold as a dual sport, registered for the street. I want one of those 530s
TrikeKid
Well-Known Member
Yeah, it's way too much for me, but they did have some nice features. I really liked that someone FINALLY put a cooling fan on a dirt bike.
I still don't know how KTM gets away with calling a 510cc bike a 530 though.
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