New Mexico Motorcycle Titles

Here's the deal, I am going to buy a bike from a guy here in New Mexico and have a question regarding getting it street plated in NM. He bought the bike in AZ a few years back and recently transferred it to NM and got it titled here.

The bike is an 07 450X in an 03 450R frame, so the VIN on the frame is for the 03. I ran the VIN on the Honda website and its correct on the title...title says 2003 Honda CRR. Sounded really weird to me but the bike is totally an X except for the frame...e start, running lights, fenders, everything. He says he bought it that way. I went for a test ride on Friday and thought the bike was awesome, plastics are definitely worn, minor petcock problem, but everything else looks good. Never heard of such a thing especially going with an earlier model frame...maybe some of you could shed some light on this.

His title says "Motorcycle" and doesn't mention anything about off road only or OHV... My street plated KLR650 title says "Motorcycle" as well. Does this mean I will get a street plate? The MVD people told me I just need to bring in the title, a bill of sale, and my DL...pay the fees and they will give me a plate then and there, they don't even need to look at the bike because it already has a NM title. (I will still need to get a brake switch, mirror, and horn, but the MVD lady was ready to give me a plate then and there?!?!) I'm curious if the title says something other than simply "Motorcycle" for any of you out there with a NM OHV plate.

I'm going to pick it up Monday unless I can't get it plated for some reason...need it plated for the RMAR rides. Want a much lighter bike with more power...I'll be selling my 06 KLR650.

Anyone know if the non-street plate bikes have something different on the title?

Buyer beware, nm is on the verge of some really disappointing changes when it comes to street titled dirt bikes.

Take it to a quick DMV and keep your fingers crossed. They now have the ability to determine if a mc was street legal when sold by the vin. I know this from first hand expierence and I know of at least one other that came back from a mail in renewal with an ohv plate, prev reg for years as a tagged street bike.

Tim is one of my best friends and I was just down there at his house this weekend. The MVD totally horked the transfer and got some numbers incorrect on the title so he is working with them to make sure everything is copasetic before it goes to a new home.

I know it seems kinda fishy but it's just a run of the mill franken bike and he hasn't had an issue with it since he bought it a few years ago. It's fairly common for people to build these hybrids. ex. here and here as the R chassis is lighter.

The deal is legit, and for what it's worth I just bought a titled and plated bike down there and we compared titles. Mine looks the same except for the particulars specific to the bike. If you don't believe me check out my ride report from a few years ago, you should see some familiar faces here

NM does not require VIN verification of the vehicle (at least not yet) when the vehicle is an instate transfer, only out of state purchases require verification.

What Chris said, the computers are catching up and they are starting to confirm whether a bike was originally a steet legal model per VIN number. It is a crap shoot right now. My 200exc is due so I'll find out if it will sneak by this round.

Yes, my 300EXC was street plated when I bought it brand new in 05. It has always been street plated unitl my lastest renewel. I was issued an
OHV, sticker, based on the VIN number, even thought the title says motorcycle, the NADA sticker on the frame says for competition use only.
So now my motorcycle is no longer street plated. Spoke with a Game and
Fish LEO, and he said that the state is starting to crack down on this.
I should have known because it took about 4 weeks to get my sticker when I purchased it online, like I have always done since new.

Drew, my comment wasn't directed at that specific bike or situation, I'm talking about ALL street titled dirtbikes in NM. Yes computers have caught up with this issue, it's not being 100% enforced at the moment because not all employees have recieved recent training on the issue but I can tell you they (all DMV employees and 2nd party agents) are in the process of recieving this training in peparation for a shift in enforcment of a statute that's been on the books for awhile. VIN verifications will require a manufacturers DOT compliance sticker also.

THis information is first hand from a very reliable source who's also a 2nd party DMV agent. I also just got burned by the vin check (not vin verification of an out of state bike) by SantaFe on an in-state title transfer, they determined that it was not originally sold as a street legal bike and returned a OHV title.

Apparently there was a recent lawsuit against NM and this was one of the issues in the suit, hence the crackdown on enforcment.

Oh I'm totally with you on the title issue, just because it works now doesn't mean it will down the line. I'm sure it's only a matter of time before Denver starts getting some bright ideas of their own.

Seems a little backwards that they can issue a street title, in essence saying the bike is DOT compliant for the state, and then change their minds. I don't know how our laws are written but the Inspecter at the DMV explained it to me as once you pass inspection and are issued a title, it's a street bike in the eyes of the state. I hope it stays that way.

Well crap...this makes me wonder if I should buy the bike at all. I have family with plated yz426's and xr650r's and my whole purpose was to get something to ride along with them instead of lugging around a 400lb KLR.

RideFreak, was the in-state title transfer you just went through on a bike that was already plated and they just said, sorry, here's your OHV plate??

DirtDad, was there anything you could do?

If that's the case, then the state is hurting itself because now I don't have to buy insurance.

The bike I had the problem with was prev titled street in TX then titled OHV in NM so in that situation is as much my fault, typically in NM once titled an OHV always an OHV, DMV in SF has a copy of the TX title on file. When it came time to try and get back the street designation the problem wasnt the OHV it's because they ran the vin and it came back as a off highway vehicle, They are able to determine a MCs original DOT status from that vin. That's when it was explained to me what's been going on, the training I referred to includes checking the DOT sticker on the frame to determine it's street legality. It also jives with Dirt Dad's expierence too, this same thing happened in NJ. Eventually I think you'll see it everywhere, it sells new motorcycles.

Unless the bike has a current plate, I would be concerned. (I feel for the current owner)

On the other hand, if I were the current owner, I would get a plate on that bike ASAP.....and then sell.

I think sales of new KTM exc's, Husqvarnas and Betas are going to go up. Good for them, maybe not so good for those of us with steet plated dirt bikes

At least in New Mexico

This is exactly what California did, but they did draw a line in the sand and said if the vehicle wasn't plated before Jan 31, 2004 (I think that's the date), then no dual sport conversion can be done, ie no plate.
Many slipped thru the cracks, but a lot of folks have had their plate rescinded at the renewal date.

You were grandfathered in before that date, but after....no-go.

If NM hasn't set a 'grandfathered-in' by date, and are just going by VIN alone....that's no bueno.

especially if they are retroactively checking them at renewal :eek1

Yup, cancelled mine on the 300.


I don't think there is much I can do. It was nice having a street plate all
these yrs on the bike. But, I really did not use it on the street much at all. Maybe 50 miles of slab in 8 yrs. Guess I better save my pennies for one of them there EXC500's.

The law also states that an off highway vehicle must use available non highway frontage roads but in the event that no off highway frontage roads are available the state roads can be used providing that motor vehicle equipment and insurance laws are covered for the motor vehicle. A very grey area but Iusethat for my CRF when traversing off road areas on highways. I have all the equipmentof a street legal bike,a plate, and Insurance,so in the eyes of the law, I may not be legal, but Im covered. They cant cite me under the motor vehicle code because all my equipment complys(dualsport package)and I have Insurance. Im in legal Limbo.

When I finish building my home built street rod and my home built 400 hp trike. I'm going to get a home built title and a unrestricted plate. Then I am going to give you all the ADV wave as I fly by you FF on the hiway.

Some how it just doesn't seem fair.


Hell, Now that I have my 20" big wheels for my riding lawnmower I am thinking of street platting that too. No need to get off the mower just to make a run to the off sale for beer.

Makes sense to me. Guess I am not too worried about the 300.
If I had another EXC fourstroke however, I would like it to be street
titled with no grey areas.

Thanks for this info.

Now I have to work on the lawnmower, and ride over
to the 7 eleven for a six pack.

300s, XR650s and 400s and a number of KDXs. This is bad news for a lot of people.


I had always hoped to DS an XR650R someday.

350 or 500 excf. Problem solved.