Plate A Dirt Bike - Rules Changed?

[StmbtDave]

There was discussion at our last NCTR meeting (Northern Colorado Trail Riders) that the rules have changed for registering a dirt bike in Colorado. Seems the Feds have been after all the states to be consistant in their requirements and so everyone has been "encouraged" to follow the Calif example. As I understood the discussion, the new requirements are based on the manufacture date of the bike. Older bikes shouldn't have problems but newer ones will. It has something to do with the wording on the bill of sale/title/MSO. I don't know all the details but if anyone has difficulty plating their dirt bike in Colorado, please post the details so all of us can be aware of the new requirements .

[SHOREBILL]

If anyone can explain the details or whether these two accounts are factual and not dealer BS please fell free to expand.

I had two interesting things happen when I plated my WR (used bought from a private party)

1- When I went in to a local dealership for the Vin Check, the kid filled out the whole form and then went to his manager for a question and the manager said (mostly cause I was standing there), "Oh we'll fill this one out but we can't do this any more for bikes we haven't sold," he then saw me, I smiled and thanked him and he said," I don't mind doing this for you but we're really being discouraged from doing VIN Checks on offroad bikes that are going to be titled."

I thanked him again and we started chatting. He said that he's done the same thing before for personal bikes and all the guys in his shop have done the same. It's just that the DMV is starting to crack down on the dealerships about VIN checks - specifically for used bikes they did not sell.

The DMV was going to use the VIN check process to stop the titling of used offroad motorcycles.

2- Then one of his senior sales guy came over and said look at this email - In a nutshell, it said that the DMV is starting to crack down big time on the titling of offroad new two strokes and that the motorcyle dealer association was going to try and fight it, but that it was pretty much a lost cause.
The manager then said he was really worried about all of this because he figured close to 50% of his offroad bikes were titled and he was terrified of what it would do to his sales. He then also mentioned that it wasn't just the two-strokes (although they were the first target) but that 4-strokes were next. Emissions was the biggest concern of the state/feds. 2010 was a date that was thrown around during the conversation.

All that being said I do not know if this was just a ploy for whatever reason, but all of my dealings with this individual have been straigforward and fair. He also seemed genuinely concerned.

I'll refrain from naming the dealer (to protect the innocent), but will say I'm in JeffCo.

Live Well
Bill

[LostAussie]

When I called for details about plating an off-road bike in Larimer county they told me that any bike 2006 or newer had to have a sticker on the frame stating that it met the emissions standards. They said that if the sticker said "for offroad use only" it could not be plated. My 2006 TTR125 has the correct sticker and was no problem to plate.

At that time, last September, there was no restriction on plating 2005 and older bikes.

[Inane Cathode]

They should just outlaw enjoyable things and get it over with.
State issued brown toyota corollas.

[wzd1a]

Originally Posted by Inane Cathode

They should just outlaw enjoyable things and get it over with.
State issued brown toyota corollas.

Or simply brown shirts.

[Blakebird]

http://cohvco.org/?p=201

[Geek]

Blake's link says:

License Plates for “Dirt Bikes” May be a Thing of the Past!

Posted by Glenn on January 17, 2009

COHVCO has received information indicating that some, and maybe all Colorado counties will no longer issue license plates for ”non-street legal” motorcycles, even when they have been modified by the previously acceptable addition of mirrors, a horn, brake light, and DOT approved tires.

It seems that the county clerk and recorder’s offices, particularly along the Front Range, have discovered that by issuing license plates to these types of morotcycles, they have been violating a federal law enacted in 2006 that addresses emission standards. Understandably, the counties do not want to continue violating federal law. Briefly, under a 2006 federal law, if a motorcycle has not been certified to meet the emmission standard set out in the law, then it is not “street legal” and cannot be made “street legal” by the addition of mirrors, horns, brake lights, etc.

Research done by Jerry Abboud, our Executive Director, lobbyist, and legal expert found that the evolution of federal laws relative to motorcycles that resulted in the 2006 law goes back more than 10 years, and is the result of the motorcycle manufacturer’s responses to increasingly restrictive emissions standards for all kinds of vehicles, including, among other things, lawn mowers and weed eaters.

COHVOC will be looking closely at the situation to identify any possible option or alternative that might be available for those of us that are inclined to buy a “dirt bike” and then attempt to get a license plate for it. The potential for being able to do this in the future does not look good. It appears that Colorado is going the way of many other states that have, for years, not issued license plates for “dirt bikes”.

It does appear, whether by accident, or by design, that KTM has been ahead of the curve on this issue by producing a line of off-highway type motorcycles that have been manufactured to federal standards that allows those motorcycles to be classified as “street legal”, but continue to be pretty capable “dirt bikes”. Some of the Japanese manufacturers do produce “street legal” versions of their dirt bikes, but their models are generally more street oriented than dirt oriented when compared to the KTM models.

As I said earlier, COHVOC is doing detailed research on this issue, and will try to identify any option that might be available. Look for an article in the February/March COHVCO newsletter that will try to describe how we have arrived at this point that may signal the end of the era of license plates for “dirt bikes” as we have known it.

[Geek]

Question for any legal types:

Since the law about emissions was a 2006 law; does this mean any bike manufactured prior to 2006 is grandfathered in and can be titled?

..even though it probably is so; I suspect the reaction at the DMV will be "we don't do that anymore" no matter what the bike..

[darmahman]

Electric dirtbikes (KTM and Zero) here we come.

[StmbtDave]

Originally Posted by Geek

Since the law about emissions was a 2006 law; does this mean any bike manufactured prior to 2006 is grandfathered in and can be titled?

That sounds like the case as LostAussie explained it. The 2006 model year or newer fall under the Fed restrictions.

[Blakebird]

The 2000 XR I just bought was titled in 2003, and the '92 was plated in early '08. If it turns out "mfr'd before 2006" is the criteria, I'm ok either way...but if "plated by 2006" is, then fortunately the '00 is ok, but the '92 could be an issue.
I remember when this all happened in California, and they set a Jan 31, 2004 deadline after CARB got involved.... after that - green sticker or red sticker, didn't matter.

[dmac1]

I was just at a dealer on Sat getting the VIN verification. The guy told me things may change in the next couple months. Like others above, he too mentioned a crackdown on 2smokers and made it sound like that would be first. I'm going over Tuesday to get plates (I hope)!!

[Komito]

This is yet another of the things bothering me here in California, went looking at bikes the other day and was introduced to the whole green sticker, red sticker deal, which means that you could only ride a certain portion of the year if you have a red sticker, something like november through April. Green all year, but different standard of bike. I guess it doesn't matter, since you can't really ride half the year in 115+ degrees Farenheit!

I thought about how easy it was to plate in CO and was telling the guy that if I was living back there how I could plate anything. Seems not to be the case anymore, or will not be in the short future, sucks

[TheDudeAbides]

I don't know anything about the new laws here in Colorado Stmbt, but I do know that if this thread gets to stay right here in the Rockies and doesnt get punted, Esteban is gonna get peeeeiiiisssssed offff!!!

[StmbtDave]

Originally Posted by TheDudeAbides

I don't know anything about the new laws here in Colorado Stmbt, but I do know that if this thread gets to stay right here in the Rockies and doesnt get punted, Esteban is gonna get peeeeiiiisssssed offff!!!

I'm well aware of that Dude. I just hope we can get some information out of it before it turns into a knock down political argument and our beloved mod has to flush it to the cellar .