I have a 2004 sm450 r. when i bought it it only had a certificate of origin. never been registered. it does not have the light kit for the bike. I am unsure if i can register it for the street in california dmv. Anyone know or have any ideas for finding out if it can be.
There is no way to legally do it in Ca. Some speople have managed to sneak them in under the wire but there will always be the risk that the DMV may at some point catch on and have you surrender you're plate so understand the consequences going in.
Your SM450r is not street legal and cannot be converted to street legal here in CA. Conversions are no longer allowed in CA as of FEb 2004. You may be able to find some loopholes somewhere, or find someone that is willing to work some semi-shady roundabout magic with DMV for a fee, but you will not end up with a street legal bike, only a bike with a license plate. There's a big difference... WoodsChick
that sucks well i guess i will just take it to the track and ride it. i just wish i could ride it around to wire the suspension, get use to the slipper clutch, carb adjustments etc. maybe i can find a big empty lot to hammer around in.
?? does it matter that it was never registeredin any way with dmv. not even registered for off road use with the dmv?
I don't think so. The first thing the DMV is going to do is inspect the bike. They will look for the sticker that says the bike is emissions-compliant. Of course, the bike does not have one, so they will not give you a plate. It used to be possible to convert dirtbikes to street legal status here in CA, but that ended in 2004. It is no longer allowed. Like I said, though, there must be ways to get a plate because I still see bikes popping up with them, but that does not mean that you would have a street legal bike. You would have a non-street legal bike with a plate, and that plate could get pulled by the DMV the following year when it's time to renew your registration. This is not an internet myth as some folks have suggested. If you only plan on using the 450 as a track bike, you can use track days to get everything in working order. SM track days are cheaper, I think. At least they are here in NorCal. Of course, there is always the idea of buying a new SM450r with a legal plate, but I know that's not going to be your favorite option. I've ridden an `04 SM450r on the street (it was plated before DMV yanked it) and it was huge rippin' fun! WoodsChick
I have nothing against the Harley/Chopper/Custom street bike builder,but how do they manage to get those things legal!? I have seen some seriously modified and dangerous looking(the one I just saw at Octoberfest had areas on the bike that would impale someone even if you walked into it!!! let alone a non -emissioned highly modified S/S motor and a front end that must take tremendous skill and depth perception to navigate corners. Just my 1 cent worth(it's a tough economy nowadays so I can't afford my 2 cents worth of insight) Best of luck,tho...it is a great bike ...have one, and the black plastics with blue rims/hubs really make mine stand out. Have a good day, :ride:Guscycle
legal? i am currentlyhaving the same problem up here. with our mild winters a lot of guys have turned their dirt rides into street legal motards. Problem is, our provincial insurance monopoly(good old monopolies) has juat decided that they will no longer be street legal if they are designated a restricted use motorcycle(RUM). we had a supermoto shop here that was dong some shady inspecting and certifying and i guess they steooed on a few too many toes and the clampdown has happened. Long story short, the list of bikes I'm shopping for just got really short, really fast. i feel your pain. cheers, t P.S. everyone enjoying the snow free olympics up here. should call james cameron to cg a little snow around the edges.
Hey thanx stueysdad for not getting into naming any shops by their proper name. It's just better to leave that alone. If ICBC clamped down on proper registries for bike last year, this year or next. It was bound to happen anyway. Huskys imported into Canada now will be street legal (some models). Can't say the same for other brands. It all has to do with the 10 digit in your serial number.
husky dude are you following me? Yeah, name dropping isn't a great idea. Especially as the guy in question is known to be a bit loose of the wingnut if you know what I mean. too bad, I think if a bike has all the kit and gets the sticker for a proper inspection, what's the problem? cheers, yet again t P.S. Just looked at my last post and you'd think I had toes for fingers with all the typos. I will type slower from now on.
