street legal atv's

mizke · 08-05-2010, 06:17 AM

so this might be stupid or whatever, but ive always wondered if you can have a dual sport street legal dirtbike.. then why cant you put reflecters, turn signals on a atv have it street legal ?

is it a size thing or something ?

Cal25 · 08-05-2010, 08:24 AM

It is legal in some states. Personally, i feel an ATV has no buisness in an urban setting. Also consider that tires for road use need to be DOT approved.

FastDoc · 08-05-2010, 11:28 AM

I know they can be plated in AZ, and that Kalifornia will plate golf carts with some restrictions.

ATV's are really squirrely on pavement due to the tires (which would wear out fast on pavement) and the solid axles, but I think they'd be OK under the golf cart rules which I think restrict speed to less than 30 and only on certain roads. Even then, I'm not so sure. It would be nice though when trails are connected by short streches of pavement. Now most people just ride the pavement between trails and hope to be ignored by the cops.

Here in Washington we are allowed to ride them on unimproved (country dirt/gravel roads). OHV sticker seems to be enough.

Weldangrind · 08-05-2010, 12:13 PM

I was shocked to see quads tagged and on the street in Montana and Wyoming.

mizke · 08-05-2010, 03:10 PM

well you guys are lucky that you can do that, the guy i got the atv from. got it from a friend of his who got caught riding it from his buddies house a street or 2 away from his house and was told that if the cop saw him riding it again he would impound the atv.. it just never made sense to me why a dirtbike can be street legal but a qaud couldnt.. id buy 4 new rims and 4 street tires if i could drive it instead of my car..

culcune · 08-05-2010, 03:57 PM

Arizona does street plate them provided they have a certain minimum of street equipment. Those 250cc (and bigger, probably smaller engine size) Karts can also be plated here, and I think many come with street equipment, such as Kinroad's lineup.

However, Utah and California, both AZ's neighbors don't allow them on the street, even those plated already, such as someone wanting to ride in from AZ. This has caused some issues in areas along the Colorado River where people staying in AZ want to ride into nearby towns in Kali, but aren't allowed to.

My little soapbox side to this is that many non-DOT compliant vehicles have been seen by me in Calif. with Mexican plates. I have not seen ATV's or such, but I have seen Smart Cars, before they were available in the US, from Mexico, and those micro-trucks on the streets of Calif, with Mexican plates, as well as another 4-door micro-car, on the streets, with Mexican plates.

mizke · 08-05-2010, 04:13 PM

i think me wanting to know about this is cuz i love and i mean i do love riding my atv.. but it appears in order to save gas since a v8 ford sucks gas like there is no tomorrow.. once i get it paid off im going to look into a 250 maybe a 250r bike.. bikes just scare the crap out of me.. i was reading the review of that 250r ron won.. that thing is nice... but im a suzuki fan when it comes to bikes, but you also cant beat that price tag..

i live 10 minutes from work, and the fartherest i drive in a week is out to my friends house 35ish minutes away, then to my grandmothers an hour and half away every now and again.. think those 2 drives would be perfect distance for a bike trip...

Cal25 · 08-05-2010, 04:50 PM

It has been discussed before, but generally, you wont save much if any money by buying a bike. If you buy a bike, buy it because you want a bike and not solely to save money.

mizke · 08-05-2010, 09:23 PM

not just to save money, i do want a bike. i love the wind in my face and the screaming exhaust on my atv when i ride it. owning a bike would be a fun weekend toy and fun to drive to work and all of that when the weather is nice

Weldangrind · 08-06-2010, 12:08 AM

I think that you could save money if you bought a scooter. It would depend upon whether or not you could get where you need to at 30 mph.

That also requires that you like scooters. :wink:

mizke · 08-06-2010, 12:11 AM

nah, girls go oooohhh when they see a guy on a bike next to them on the road, then when they see a guy on the scooter they go.. well they dont see the guy on the scooter.. point made..

TurboT · 08-06-2010, 02:09 AM

>meep meep<

08-05-2010, 06:17 AM	#1
mizke Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: austin, tx Posts: 1,452	street legal atv's so this might be stupid or whatever, but ive always wondered if you can have a dual sport street legal dirtbike.. then why cant you put reflecters, turn signals on a atv have it street legal ? is it a size thing or something ?
	0

08-05-2010, 11:28 AM	#3
FastDoc Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Southeastern Washington desert Posts: 14,761	I know they can be plated in AZ, and that Kalifornia will plate golf carts with some restrictions. ATV's are really squirrely on pavement due to the tires (which would wear out fast on pavement) and the solid axles, but I think they'd be OK under the golf cart rules which I think restrict speed to less than 30 and only on certain roads. Even then, I'm not so sure. It would be nice though when trails are connected by short streches of pavement. Now most people just ride the pavement between trails and hope to be ignored by the cops. Here in Washington we are allowed to ride them on unimproved (country dirt/gravel roads). OHV sticker seems to be enough. __________________ Happy to serve.
	0

08-05-2010, 12:13 PM	#4
Weldangrind Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Sardis, BC, Canada Posts: 25,977	I was shocked to see quads tagged and on the street in Montana and Wyoming. __________________ Weldangrind "I figure I'm well-prepared for coping with a bike that comes from the factory with unresolved issues and that rewards the self-reliant owner." - Buccaneer
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08-06-2010, 12:08 AM	#10
Weldangrind Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Sardis, BC, Canada Posts: 25,977	I think that you could save money if you bought a scooter. It would depend upon whether or not you could get where you need to at 30 mph. That also requires that you like scooters. :wink: __________________ Weldangrind "I figure I'm well-prepared for coping with a bike that comes from the factory with unresolved issues and that rewards the self-reliant owner." - Buccaneer
	0

08-05-2010, 08:24 AM	#2
Cal25 Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Terrell and Grapevine Tx. Posts: 1,585	It is legal in some states. Personally, i feel an ATV has no buisness in an urban setting. Also consider that tires for road use need to be DOT approved.
	0

08-05-2010, 03:10 PM	#5
mizke Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: austin, tx Posts: 1,452	well you guys are lucky that you can do that, the guy i got the atv from. got it from a friend of his who got caught riding it from his buddies house a street or 2 away from his house and was told that if the cop saw him riding it again he would impound the atv.. it just never made sense to me why a dirtbike can be street legal but a qaud couldnt.. id buy 4 new rims and 4 street tires if i could drive it instead of my car..
	0

08-05-2010, 03:57 PM	#6
culcune Join Date: May 2006 Location: Yuma, Arizona Posts: 9,035	Arizona does street plate them provided they have a certain minimum of street equipment. Those 250cc (and bigger, probably smaller engine size) Karts can also be plated here, and I think many come with street equipment, such as Kinroad's lineup. However, Utah and California, both AZ's neighbors don't allow them on the street, even those plated already, such as someone wanting to ride in from AZ. This has caused some issues in areas along the Colorado River where people staying in AZ want to ride into nearby towns in Kali, but aren't allowed to. My little soapbox side to this is that many non-DOT compliant vehicles have been seen by me in Calif. with Mexican plates. I have not seen ATV's or such, but I have seen Smart Cars, before they were available in the US, from Mexico, and those micro-trucks on the streets of Calif, with Mexican plates, as well as another 4-door micro-car, on the streets, with Mexican plates.
	0

08-05-2010, 04:13 PM	#7
mizke Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: austin, tx Posts: 1,452	i think me wanting to know about this is cuz i love and i mean i do love riding my atv.. but it appears in order to save gas since a v8 ford sucks gas like there is no tomorrow.. once i get it paid off im going to look into a 250 maybe a 250r bike.. bikes just scare the crap out of me.. i was reading the review of that 250r ron won.. that thing is nice... but im a suzuki fan when it comes to bikes, but you also cant beat that price tag.. i live 10 minutes from work, and the fartherest i drive in a week is out to my friends house 35ish minutes away, then to my grandmothers an hour and half away every now and again.. think those 2 drives would be perfect distance for a bike trip...
	0

08-05-2010, 04:50 PM	#8
Cal25 Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Terrell and Grapevine Tx. Posts: 1,585	It has been discussed before, but generally, you wont save much if any money by buying a bike. If you buy a bike, buy it because you want a bike and not solely to save money.
	0

08-05-2010, 09:23 PM	#9
mizke Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: austin, tx Posts: 1,452	not just to save money, i do want a bike. i love the wind in my face and the screaming exhaust on my atv when i ride it. owning a bike would be a fun weekend toy and fun to drive to work and all of that when the weather is nice
	0

08-06-2010, 12:11 AM	#11
mizke Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: austin, tx Posts: 1,452	nah, girls go oooohhh when they see a guy on a bike next to them on the road, then when they see a guy on the scooter they go.. well they dont see the guy on the scooter.. point made..
	0

08-06-2010, 02:09 AM	#12
TurboT Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Surrey, B.C., Canada Posts: 2,185	>meep meep<
	0