Licensing Dirt Bikes

[Butch627]

I am looking to buy a small bore dirt bike and would like the option to convert it to be street legal with plates. I understand kits are available, but in some states there are legal issues. Has anyone done this in Indiana or is aware of the legalities involved?

 

[long coat]

Just buy a enduro. indianapolis for sale "enduro" - craigslist
They will have all the lights you need on them already.

 

[Butch627]

Street legal enduro bikes around here are much rarer and command a steep premium in price compared to bikes that can be converted. Thanks for pointing out that I can purchase bikes that are already street legal.

 

[bigretic]

Get one that has a title already for starters to save yourself the aggravation at the BMV. I forget what year they changed from C of O's to titles, but it's one thing to consider.
Also, small bore will limit what roads you can legally operate on - there is a cc minimum for highways and such if I recall correctly.

 

[chef larry]

They are called Dual Sport bikes. I found my 2000 Yamaha XT-350 on Craigslist five years ago and they are as scarce as chicken lips. Honda, Yamaha, Suzika, and KTM are a few out there.

 

[chef larry]

I am looking to buy a small bore dirt bike and would like the option to convert it to be street legal with plates. I understand kits are available, but in some states there are legal issues. Has anyone done this in Indiana or is aware of the legalities involved?

What do you consider a small bore? Most street legal dual sport bikes are at least 250 CC's. Some of the older ones were around 125-175 CC's.

 

[long coat]

Street legal enduro bikes around here are much rarer and command a steep premium in price compared to bikes that can be converted. Thanks for pointing out that I can purchase bikes that are already street legal.

I just did a quick search and found light kits for $400 and up (I don't know if that's all the parts (horn, fenders, ect) or not.)
On the CL link there are 2 that are under a grand with titles and all lights. For me the bike would have to be free to go through all the BMV trouble. I have passed on a few cars/bikes without titles because the trouble getting new ones. Yes you can do it, but the time and money it takes, not worth it to me
( My mother retired from the BMV after 25 years, even she said its not worth the trouble)

 

[Butch627]

I just did a quick search and found light kits for $400 and up (I don't know if that's all the parts (horn, fenders, ect) or not.)
On the CL link there are 2 that are under a grand with titles and all lights. For me the bike would have to be free to go through all the BMV trouble. I have passed on a few cars/bikes without titles because the trouble getting new ones. Yes you can do it, but the time and money it takes, not worth it to me
( My mother retired from the BMV after 25 years, even she said its not worth the trouble)

I don't live near Indy so what ever may be for sale in Indy doesn't really apply to me and I am not interested in going through all the Indy motorcycle ads to try to identify the bikes you think I would want. I have been searching craigslist for some time up here and due to the lack of bikes that are already street legal that I am interested in I decided to expand my search. Since your mother knows about this subject maybe she could tell us the procedures one needs to go through. What is not worth your time to go through to convert a bike to street legal may be well worth my time and effort if I found a bike I really like.

 

[CountryBoy19]

I don't live near Indy so what ever may be for sale in Indy doesn't really apply to me and I am not interested in going through all the Indy motorcycle ads to try to identify the bikes you think I would want. I have been searching craigslist for some time up here and due to the lack of bikes that are already street legal that I am interested in I decided to expand my search. Since your mother knows about this subject maybe she could tell us the procedures one needs to go through. What is not worth your time to go through to convert a bike to street legal may be well worth my time and effort if I found a bike I really like.

Just to play devil's advocate here, you're willing to step through the hoops and take all the time necessary to get title/vin work done, buy and take the time to install lights etc, but aren't even willing to take the time to consider what may be in Indy because it's too far away?

FWIW, to assist your search there are 3rd party search engines for craigslist that are much more functional than craigslist itself.

 

[Butch627]

Just to play devil's advocate here, you're willing to step through the hoops and take all the time necessary to get title/vin work done, buy and take the time to install lights etc, but aren't even willing to take the time to consider what may be in Indy because it's too far away?

FWIW, to assist your search there are 3rd party search engines for craigslist that are much more functional than craigslist itself.

I started this thread because I didn't know what the Hoops are I would need to step through and I was hoping someone here could provide some insight. For all I know the Hoops may be something I can just take care of with one quick stop to the DMV which is 10 minutes from my house. I had hoped that someone would have information regarding that. I can sit at lunch in order all the parts to convert the bike over on the internet. live in northwest Indiana and commute to Chicago every day. Indianapolis is two hours away in a direction that I never travel. Maybe there's something flawed with my logic but it just seems as though it's better for me to look for a motorcycle in an area near where I live and work rather than two hours in the opposite direction just to look at motorcycles that are for sale.. Despite what must be misleading information in my original post I'm really not looking for advice on where to buy a motorcycle, I was hoping that someone here had gone through the steps to register a dirt bike on the street and could lend some insight from their experiences.

 

[TwinTurbo]

They are called Dual Sport bikes. I found my 2000 Yamaha XT-350 on Craigslist five years ago and they are as scarce as chicken lips. Honda, Yamaha, Suzika, and KTM are a few out there.

Yup, Dual Sports are another option to consider.

I had a hard time finding information online about converting a dirt bike in Indiana, so I ended up grabbing a WR250R. OP, if you're going to use it for a lot of commuting, then it might be worth considering a Dual Sport. Sorry I can't provide more info on converting, but I wasn't able to find any definitive info myself.

 

[fireball168]

A few years ago, I seem to recall adding the necessary equipment, having an inspection with filling out a "Report of Vehicle Body Change".

Now that report says it can't be used to change something manufactured as an "off road vehicle". I'd suppose that would depend on what the title and/or certification label on the bike says.

https://secure.in.gov/bmv/2366.htm

 

[CountryBoy19]

I started this thread because I didn't know what the Hoops are I would need to step through and I was hoping someone here could provide some insight. For all I know the Hoops may be something I can just take care of with one quick stop to the DMV which is 10 minutes from my house. I had hoped that someone would have information regarding that. I can sit at lunch in order all the parts to convert the bike over on the internet. live in northwest Indiana and commute to Chicago every day. Indianapolis is two hours away in a direction that I never travel. Maybe there's something flawed with my logic but it just seems as though it's better for me to look for a motorcycle in an area near where I live and work rather than two hours in the opposite direction just to look at motorcycles that are for sale.. Despite what must be misleading information in my original post I'm really not looking for advice on where to buy a motorcycle, I was hoping that someone here had gone through the steps to register a dirt bike on the street and could lend some insight from their experiences.

I can understand, but I've found, that in my experience, working with the BMV on stuff that isn't "everyday, business as usual" they don't know which end is up, and you will likely spend multiple trips to the BMV, waiting in line, just to be told that the information you got last time was incorrect. If you can spend a little time up-front to avoid the conversion & licensing, it may save you in the long run.

FWIW, you're talking to the king of underestimating how much time can be involved in a "project". I'm 200 man-hours in on a lathe restoration that I estimated would take 40 man-hours. Should have just ponied up the money for what I really wanted, in good condition, from the start, it would have saved me so much in the long-run.

 

[Mounty09]

I almost did it 5 years ago and did have a buddy that did it 5 years ago. At that time he had a valid title for his dirt bike and filled out a change of body affidavit. Once he had the dirt bike converted he called a sheriff and they came out and filled out the form. Now looking at State form 39771 it looks like you cannot change a off road vehicle to a street legal vehicle. I ended up finding a XR650R that had been converted so I didn't have to go through all of it. One Forum I would check out is supermoto junkie. There are some Indiana guys on there that might have done it more recently and be able to help.

 

[USA#1]

In 2010 I bought a 2003 KTM 525 EXC that was plated in OK. It did not have to have turn signals to be plated there. I was told by the bmv that even though it was plated in another state, I would have to have it inspected by a police officer to get it plated here. I added turn signals and got it inspected and plated. The key is the title designation. A lot of the Japanese bikes are labeled off road only on the title, which makes it hard to plate. The KTM did not have this, but some KTM bikes do have that now. You must do your homework if you are thinking about trying to plate a bike that was not originally street legal. My bike did bring a premium when I sold it because of the plate. I hated to get rid of it but I had 5 bikes and the wife said I had to get rid of one before I could buy another. Like some have said, the easiest option is to get a dual sport. I have several of those too. Advrider website has some good information on this topic. Also, if you are looking for any kind of dirt bike street legal or not, check out bikefinds website. It is a great tool to help you find a used bike for sale. Hope this helps.