DUDES!!!! Street legal ATC!!!!

[oscarmayer]

I'm so dam stoked!!!!!!

I was driving home today and say a guy on a enturo bike. it looked exactly liek a dirt bike butin 4 stroke and had turn signals and plates. I studied i as he was at tne light kinda infront of me at an angle. then I got to thinking. why can;t my atc me legalized? So i dug deeper and this is what I found out.

i called the TXDOT and talked to them, they told me as long as it passes inspection then it can be street legalized. I went by an inspection place, the guy was excited as me. he said that it can be registured as a motorcycle.
Here re the basics. if it's over 50cc and has mor ethan 1 gear change it's a motorcycle.

requirements:
hi/low beamed headlight
turn signals (any kind as long as they work) (front and rear)
brake lights that work when brakes are used
rear lamp that lights when lights are turned on
rear license plate light of some sort that lights the plate up at night
tires with some sort of tread (knobby's qualify just cannot be slicks)
horn
brakes
2 or more gear changes
50cc+ in engine size for a 4 stroke, and 100cc+ for a 2stroke
insurance

Dudes I can do this!!! think about it, your driving along the road and riding next to you is a guy on a atc. what would ya think of that? If i get it legalized i'm going to ride it to work every chance i get!!!!!!

where's what i need to know.
the 200e has a generator correct? it charges the battery and keesp the electricla working right?
if so, can i tap into the power and ground wires to make a custom turn signal setup using LED lights? i read the 200e uses a 12v system. so that's very compatable! i found some blinking LEDs for turn signals and then I can rig something up for a brake light (if the rear light is not a brake light already)

i can attach the rear light to the headlight switch so when i switch the front light on, it lights the rear light too.

insurance will be another question, but i think i can get that handled too.

horn, easy weazy.
got brakes and tired have knobby so that quals as tred.


does someoen have a better idea? what do you guys think of the idea? i'd love to ride my trike to work. i'd use a big bike lock on it too jsut to be safe, but it woudl be fun!

[oscarmayer]

halps me! please! i want to make it street legal!

[WaimakRydah]

i duno how you would wire all the lights and the horn up to it but its probably possible...

im pretty sure you can have street legal trikes in the UK and in some American states as ive seen videos on youtube of people with quads that have indicators and plates so it would be possible.

[Nick_R_23]

I had turn signals and a horn on my Big Red before, I took the controls off an old Yamaha enduro bike, used my own lights, and did the wiring myself. Its not really that hard, the only problem I had with them was that the Big Red didnt put out enough juice to make the flasher for the turn signals go very fast, but I used one off a car. Your best bet is just to take a whole system off a wrecked bike or something.

You may want to double check on the tires though, most places require DOT legal tires, so even if they are knobbies, like on enduro bikes, they still might have to be DOT approved.

-Nick :TrikesOwn

[blue27]

http://www.dratv.com/fowhtusikita.html

[scooterroo]

kings tt tires are D.O.T approved!!!

[WaimakRydah]

i ride my atc around surrounding streets and i ride it to the waimak (local riding area) ive ridden it to the chip shop afew times too just havent got caught... Over here you can get quads and trikes regod for beach or farm use but i dont know about having them for only on road use... mind you my 2 wheeler is a dirt bike and its road legal so i could probably try but i need to get it going first.

[oscarmayer]

this is the flasher led i was thinking of using on the rear fenders (3 side by side and 2 on each fork on the front)

http://www.parts-express.com/pe/showdetl.cfm?partnumber=070-064

thoughts? i was wanting to go led.
1- no mess with flashers and how much voltage is needed.
2- led uses less voltage and amps than normal kits.


what do ya'll think?

[oldtime3wheeler]

I remember an article in an '84 or '85 issue of 3 wheeler action or dirtwheels that had a street legal 250r in Cali. Had pic of it riding down the highway. Would love to do it to my big red.

[tanks350x]

here's a thought, why dont you look in to using a wiring harness from a old junk honda motorcycle or something? of course rig up your own turn signals.. just a thought

[SYKO]

look up crazyflights street legal trike, he built a nice one and has been trying to sell it

[oscarmayer]

i pmed him.

even if his is and it's a good deal, i would still like to legalize my big red just to have it that way,

[Dammit!]

I would love to ride my 350x to work... :lol:

[smvorndran]

You'd have to watch out for lifting the front wheel. If you do it around here on a motorcycle, it's reckless driving. That'd be hard to keep down. A guy at the local Honda shop said he plated 2 4-wheelers a few years ago. They were plated as a motorcycle. He was legal according to the BMV, but he ran into some real pain in the butt cops that said they'd impound it if they saw him on the road again, even if it was plated. Personally, I think it's a cool idea, but not safe. If somebody was riding down the highway and got killed, it'd bring more unneeded attention to these "death" machines we all love. Good luck with it. Let me know what it'd cost you to insure it for road use. That will be interesting. Underwriters would have a cow with that.

smvorndran

[surferdave71]

i remember the article about the street legal 250r too, i think he lived in san diego, it looked sweet too.

[NOS_350X]

There are several issues that probably will need to be addressed too.

Must have a brake light, Parking brake, Dot approved tires, The biggest one that stops 3 wheelers is in most states you cant have a locked rear axle. So you would have to come up with a diff in the rear.

[BigRed_Ryno]

A few of the lads have got road legal Tri-z's an 250r's over this side of the pond. was one on ebay the other day

[devilman]

i contacted an agent for North Carolina DOT and she said it couldn't be done here. i guess she doesn't know what a three wheeler is. after reading this post i decided to dig deeper. i finally found this :w00t: would a state cop be an inspector?

All Terrain Vehicles (ATV) are usually manufactured for off road use. The vehicles generally do not meet the normal DOT safety standards. The manufacturers state that even if conforming tires were place on the motorcycle, that the suspensions and other design features are meant for low-pressure tires, so placing different tires on the vehicle does not allow it to meet safety standards.

A title or license cannot be issued unless an inspector's report is received confirming that the vehicle is equipped for road use and meets all DOT safety standards.

[The Goat]

there are simple ways to get around this.

add gussets to your frame and have it powdercoated, that qualifies it as a custom made frame.

dot tires are a must.

in louisiana you can register it as a custom motorcycle, however you have to supply receipts for all parts purchased, here's where it gets tricky...if any large group of parts come from an atv...you're busted, there's are ways around that, maier aftermarket fenders would help. actually anything aftermarket would help.

after that you need lights, blinkers, a horn, a plate light and a keyed ignition I believe.

from there you go to your local state trooper office to have it inspected.... here's where the problem occurs. if the guy looks at it and recognizes what it is...you're screwed.

if gas prices continue to rise, I'll be getting an apartment on LSU campus, and I will be getting the 200x street legal. it already has a lifan 200 enduro engine on it, so that will help tremendously.

[oscarmayer]

the rear axle is not listed as an item of inspection and neitehr is suspension in my state. the only think they state is it has to have what was mentioned above to meet minium standards as a road vehical. my insurance believes it woudl be covered as a street dirt bike or "enduro" cycle. they did not mention dot tires either. this would never be on the freeway. i would only want to ride it on local roads. it's much safer around here anyway that way at least. i just want to ride down some local roads.

[scooterroo]

I remember an article in an '84 or '85 issue of 3 wheeler action or dirtwheels that had a street legal 250r in Cali. Had pic of it riding down the highway. Would love to do it to my big red.


thats funny because when i first read this thread that exact article came to mind. i remember having that issue once upon a time.

[NOS_350X]

Just because it passes inspection dosnet meen its legal. Then you must watch out for the local enforcer of the law to write you tickets. You can thow a plate on just about anything, Take a streetbike plate, Stap the vin number into your frame and there ya go, The vin is on the frame you have a plate.
The bike still dosnet meet the safty regulations. Every state is also diffrent. If it was as easy as you all are making it out to be then i bet you would see much more.

Here in cali in 01 you could street legal a dirbike with just a turn signal kit, battary horn and tires. People started doing it like crazy now you CANT license a bike in cali unless it comes from the factory with a plate.

Good luck to you all.

[devilman]

i know it won't be easy. but i think it would be well worth it to try.

[fla 2-stroke]

my tri-z is street legal here in fla.I still have a couple of equipment violations but have not been stopped by the cops yet.I have my horn and one mirror.dont need turn lights.waiting on my dot tires and brake light.I am tagged as a 86 yamaha motercycle.I have been on the beach with it and some forest roads.I use it to buzz around the streets close to my house.I plan to be 100% legal shortly.beach patrol is cool with it as is and the local police are so overworked they most likely wont care as soon as they see all my #'s match.I am going to get a custom tag that says TRI-Z250.I cant wait for for biketoberfest in oct and bikeweek in feb.this will be cool to cruise main st daytona with all the other customs.

[The Goat]

Just because it passes inspection dosnet meen its legal. Then you must watch out for the local enforcer of the law to write you tickets. You can thow a plate on just about anything, Take a streetbike plate, Stap the vin number into your frame and there ya go, The vin is on the frame you have a plate.
The bike still dosnet meet the safty regulations. Every state is also diffrent. If it was as easy as you all are making it out to be then i bet you would see much more.

Here in cali in 01 you could street legal a dirbike with just a turn signal kit, battary horn and tires. People started doing it like crazy now you CANT license a bike in cali unless it comes from the factory with a plate.

Good luck to you all.

which is where I get around all of it with classifying mine as a custom built motorcycle.

[Hoosier_Daddy]

There is a lot more to it then that list. It would just be so much time and effort and extra parts and mods that it would probably not be very good at "off road" anymore. I just don't see it as being worth the effort.

Also, as was mentioned earlier, if people are getting hurt or killed on trikes on the streets we will be going through the government trying to take away the 3 wheelers(dangerous machines) away all together, I would fear.

[NOS_350X]

which is where I get around all of it with classifying mine as a custom built motorcycle.

Here in cali they only allow something like 500 custom builds a year to be street legaled, There are some big companes that have dibbs on those. Such as choppers, and sandrails. Kinda gives the guys tryin to run around town the shaft.

[oscarmayer]

cali gov. is stupid anyhow. any gov that has the most money and still has to file BK is just plain stupid. they spent all their $ trying to decide what to do with it. haha
nice palce to visit but i don't want to live there because of the gov.

[Macs]

When i first bought my atv i looked into. Talked to several people and had a complete go. I did all the neccesary modifications. I went down to the DMV to get my Green sheet for the inspection process. At that time i had to show my title. It was stopped right there. It said ATV plain as day on the title and they wouldnt except it. I then decided to take the " Homemade " route. I got together reciepts as possible. I went up there and i had to get an VIN# inspection. This meaning they weregoing to check that nothing was stolen. Bam!!! Stopped again. If you read the complete laws governing this, it will say numerous times that this is not allowed. So then i tried to get it plated for a slow moving vehicle. Everything went well but to do this i had to get a signature from the police chief. I figured no problem since golf carts are riding around everywhere. He wouldnt sign. He said there was no way he would allow an atv to ride on public streets in his town. I then moved to Deer Park and tried the same thing. The said " NO!!!! ". We dont even allow golf carts, just tractors. Ok, i did some more research and decided to put it as an agricultural vehicle. this caused me to prove a bunch of stuff that i couldnt prove. I ended up spending alot of money and wasted about a year. If i was you i would try the slow moving vehicle deal or agricultural. I would spend at least a few days reading the DMV laws cover to cover. ATV's are mentioned probly in 300 diffrent areas. If somehow you are able to pull it off you will only need brake lights, dot tires, dim/ brights, horn, be able to maintain 55 mph and a few others i have forgotten. For slow moving vehicle and agricultural you will need headlights, horn and safety triangle ( unless you have brake lights and blinkers ).


Every route i went everyone would agrre it cou;ld be down until it came down to it. There was always always a law to stop you. Especially what there definition of atv is.