Making a dirt bike road legal: Is it possible?

[Coyote]

What are all the laws and regulations concerning making a bike road legal, namely a dirt bike (125-500cc 2 stroke MXer)?

[barty5]

you will need lights indiactors etc etc then need to get it vind but make sure light are genuine lights as thet will check for the stanley numbers on them chain guard required and dot rated tyres

[Ixion]

It might or might not be possible. It would not be cheap.

Firstly, it is only possible if the original design has been homolgated for street use. There are various standards that govern vehicle design and construction. To get a modern vehicle VINd you have to show that the vehicle (the rules are the same for cars and bikes) complies with those standards.

Sometimes that is easy. The importers will have done it for you when the the vehicle was originally imported. That is unlikely in the case of a MX bike. In other cases it is a little trickier, but possible, because the vehicle is essentially the same as another, roadgoing one. So that putting on the road parts will "upgrade" it to the required standard. In other cases there is no road cousin, but the vehicle may still comply, just noone has ever proved it to the NZ government. So you could get the necessary documentation from Japan. That might not be easy.And finally, some competition models are not designed originally ever to meet street standards, and cannot ever legally be used on the road. The same applies to some of the Chinese bikes, they may be quite well made, but the manufacturers cannot supply the documentation to show they comply, so they cannot be registered.

Assuming you get over that hurdle, you must fit all the road gear - lights,indicators, brake lights, chainguards, road legal exhaust, road tyres etc - and remove any off road stuff that might be illegal (usually not an issue on bikes)

Then get it VINd, pay for that, and a WoF and rego.

Note that if you really want to USE it on the road (as opposed to being legal for a quick trip between offroad sections) you may have other issues -eg lack of an alternator to keep the battery charged.

Is it worth it? is the question you must answer

(Note that things re somewhat simpler for old - eg vintage - type vehicles)

[mcgroovy]

Buying a suitable enduro bike which already has the hard work done,
like a Suzuki RMX, Kawasaki KDX, KTM EXC, Yamaha WR or,
best of all a Gas Gas EC model, is a better option I reckon.

[sAsLEX]

Couldnt be arsed reading all ixions knowledge, but if you find a bike to do this to take the frame number along to one of the LTSA (whatever they are called) land testing guys FIRST before you do anything else!. I dont know where to go in wells, and have them check the frame number is on the computer, as if it aint there is no way its going on the road!

[Coyote]

My Dad has had trouble with the farm bike, which has been rego'd in the past but does not comply now. Think I'll just cheat instead. Get a wrecked RMX or something, and put all it's gear onto a 500

This is when I have some cash

[jdm-rmx-250]

Hey i have a old 92 suzuki rmx250 which i got of a bloke that imported it from japan he had some piece of paper which he said was a de-reg certificate i took this to the local vtnz and they checked it up all came back fine so had them vin the bike they also had to get a brake specialist to check the brakes were up to the standards all in vin, wof, reg, brake exam cost around the $350 mark so cost me just over 2k for the bike and road compliance and is now registered as a 1996 :yes:

[sAsLEX]

My Dad has had trouble with the farm bike, which has been rego'd in the past but does not comply now. Think I'll just cheat instead. Get a wrecked RMX or something, and put all it's gear onto a 500

This is when I have some cash

Thats weird most laws are grandfathered so old stuff still passes!

[Aero165]

I wonder if you could get the bike classed as a 'Home built motorcycle' You see those V8 trikes, custom cruisers etc with that classing around the place all the time.

[scott411]

it is very hard now, if the bike was previously registered it is easy,
but if it is new you have to get the breaks cert'd which is the hard part,

i have seen a road legal kx500, it can be done, but it is not easy,

[B0000M]

a guy i know has a road registered crf450, dont know how it got that way, it was just like that when he bought it

[scott411]

it used to be easier, i am working wiht a guy who is trying at the moment to get a klx300 road legal, you can buy lighting kits pretty cheap now

[xwhatsit]

(Note that things re somewhat simpler for old - eg vintage - type vehicles)

Two things -- what kind of `old' are we talking about?

And, as the above poster suggested, how do the completely home-built guys get around it? Choppers and trikes etc. -- could you not take an offroad/250GP bike down the same road?

[Motu]

There are even some people who make a road legal bike into an off road bike......takes all kinds eh?

[Ixion]

Definition of 'old' depends on tester. Maybe pre 60's

Choppers and trikes fall into two divisions.

One is basically a highly modified bike of a type that originally was a standard road going bike. eg take a Meridan Triumph 650. It's registered nd has a frame number and so on. Now modify. Change forks wheels tank etc. It's still, legally speaking, a Triumph 650. Some of the mods might need certifying, as mods (eg extended forks) nowdays. But the initial once upon a time rego carries through

The other division is scratchbilt. That means something that is more unique than a modified bike. Something "built from scratch". That will require full LVV certification. If it's a common build type (like a trike) that is simpler.

They have (had?) a rule that a scratchbuilt must not be just a rejig of a single bike. It has to be effectively a completely new model.

Scratchbuilt would I think not be appropriate for a bike that is basically an off road bike with road going gear added. It's still a 250GP or whatever.

(Scratchbuilt can also be pretty demanding and pricey)

Also, it's gotten tougher since 2006. And 2006 was a shit load tougher than back when chops were popular. Back then they didn't have any of the VIN stuff, you just built it, regoed it at the post office (just sign a declaration) and go get a normal WoF.

Every year it gets harder. So if someone says "I/my mate did it" you need to ask "When".

But putting an off roader on the road is one of the easier things, because most off road bikes have related models that are road going.

[Ixion]

There are even some people who make a road legal bike into an off road bike......takes all kinds eh?

Like GSXR1000s y'mean. Quite a few of them get taken off road. Not always too easy putting them back to road legal status afterward, either, even if you manage to get all the bits out of the ditch.

[inlinefour]

What are all the laws and regulations concerning making a bike road legal, namely a dirt bike (125-500cc 2 stroke MXer)?

There used to be a few places in Aust that converted MX bikes to road legal. Used to be my dream to have one as a teenager until I got my arse onto the rd250lc. I imagine with all the rules and restrictions put in place for road legal bikes that it could be a nightmare doing it these days...:argh:

Mate, after owning a slightly pepped up drz400e and considering I could have done a hell of alot more to it, it might be the better option. The crf450 is a good bike, but the rebuild period sucks and it would have been too expensive.

I know that there is nothing like a 2 smoker and its powerband. I had a 97 cr125r that was worked and it was my snot bike, It also was what I was riding when I wiped out and broke my back. Bike was fine after hitting a bloody bug rock at top speed in 6th. But to be honest the drz put a bigger smile on my face and Ive ridden a blue printed offroad model and it was farkn awesome. I was told that my bike could be modded the same. Onlt thing might have been that it needed a quieter exhaust than a preformance one to get a warrent. Not that it takes much to put it on for the wof then change it back once home. :devil2:

[Coyote]

Gosh, what an old thread. Mind you, still keen on the idea. Though I've set my sights on an XR650R instead.


I'm studying Auto Refinishing so hopefully I'll learn about getting modded and home built cars onto the road. Hopefully bikes will be just as difficult, not more (what a depressingly realistic comment).

My tutor was almost dismissive about the whole thing when I asked if it was possible.

[RoninNZ]

Im really keen to road register my 2004 sxf 450.

Before I go and spend money on a dual sport kit and tyres ect, is there anything I should check first?
Should I do that thing someone else mentioned about taking the frame number to ltsa and seeing if it has a record?
Is there a chance that even if I get my bike to conform with all the requirements, it might still be denied the VIN??

btw, Ive looked through the Vechile Inspection Requirements Manual and it doesnt mention a chain guard, so I dont think thats required. Can anyone confirm this to be right or wrong??

Cheers

[RoninNZ]

Also, what is the cost of VIN'ing? Ive been told $350 but would like to hear from the experts :)

[Taz]

Definition of 'old' depends on.......

......when you were born. If you're 70-80 years old anything 30 years old is modern isn't it.

[RoninNZ]

would be good to hear from someone that has done it

[vr4king]

What about all these STUPID little chinese mini choppers with rego etc on them how the hell are they doing it

[scott411]

What about all these STUPID little chinese mini choppers with rego etc on them how the hell are they doing it

they are doing it illagally though the moped law, you are ment to be under 50cc, under 2 kw and have a maximum speed of 60km/h

but you do not have to take the bike in to get this moped registration so the law is not being inforced, and the cops do not seem to want to inforce is, as most of them are over all three rules,

and since mopeds do not need a warrant, they get away with it

[vr4king]

I see.............I think the cops should be taking them of the road there just stupid and dangerous to boot

[Buddy L]

i had a mini chopper, lasted about 1 month then i sold it, as i was over it (fixing it).
it was a 110cc and i regestered it as a moped.
it went about 75kph.
and bits would always fall off the thing.
had the stupidest gear box ever!!
start in first (no clutch) then up to 2nd, up to 3rd, up to 4th, up again and your back in 1st.
Broke the chain changing into 1st from 4th (twice).

[xwhatsit]

Ah yes -- rotary gearbox -- like the old Bridgestone motorcycles. I think a few of the OHC Honda singles, the 50s 70s 90s etc had those too.

Not bad if you're commuting; blast up through the gears away from the lights, then just tap it back into neutral again 200m later at the next red light, instead of having to change all the way back down.