The Great Licensing Caper

THE GREAT LICENSING CAPER

Getting A Plate For Your Bike Is A Helluva Lot More Difficult Than It Need Be!

BOB ATKINSON

DAMN. ALL I wanted to do was license a dirt bike for the street. And they were against me! They, in this case, meaning the various people in the State of California licensed to certify things like lights and brakes.

I’ll admit that my bike (a hand assemblage of parts favoring no particular nationality) doesn’t look like something suitable for cruising the boulevard, but it does meet or exceed all legal requirements for the State of California.

And, since legality doesn’t really have anything to do with appearances, I falsely concluded that licensing would take some time due to long lines at the Department of Motor Vehicles, but other than that should be no real hassle.

It should be cut and dry. Endure and receive a piece of tin to hang on the bike. Read on, brother, cuz that’s just not the way it is.

THE VEHICLE CODE

Before attempting to register/license any bike, it is paramount that the owner understands exactly what is required and if the bike in question meets the requirements. The reason is simple. Without this knowledge, you have no basis for argument in the event of a dispute. And, as I found out, disputes are commonplace.

The easiest way to become one of the informed is to buy a copy of the Vehicle Code, available in California or other states from any Department of Motor Vehicle Office. The price is $1 including tax. Although requirements vary in all of the 50 states, conforming to the appropriate Vehicle Code and then following the steps outlined later in this article should get the job done.

Back to the California requirements. The ones that apply to bikes are as follows:

Section 27801. “It is unlawful for a driver of a motorcycle to carry any other person thereon, except on a seat securely fastened to the machine in the rear of the driver and provided with footrests.... Every passenger on a motorcycle shall keep his feet on the footrests while the motorcycle is in motion.” Section 27801 (Handlebars and Seat). “No person shall drive any two-wheel motorcycle (a) equipped with a seat so positioned that the driver, when sitting astride the seat, cannot reach the ground with his feet, (b) Equipped with handlebars so positioned that the hands of the driver, when upon the grips, are at or above his shoulder height when sitting astride the seat.”

Section 23130 (Noise). “No person shall operate either a motor vehicle or combination of vehicles of a type subject to registration at any time or under any condition of grade, load, acceleration or deceleration in such a manner as to exceed the following noise limit for the category of motor vehicle within the speed limits specified in this section: (2) Any motorcycle other than a motordriven cycle—Speed limit of 35 mph or less, 82dbA. Speed limit of more than 35 mph 86dbA.”

Section 23130.5 (Noise Limits: 35 mph or less, speed zone). “Notwithstanding the provisions of Section 23130, the noise limits, within a speed zone of 35 mph or less on level streets, or streets with a grade not exceeding plus or minus 1 percent, for the following catagories of motor vehicles, or combinations of vehicles, which are subject to this regulation shall be: (2) Any motorcycle other than a motordriven cycle-77dbA. ...The noise limits established by this section shall be based on a distance of travel within the speed limit specified....”

Here, it is interesting to note the difference between required limits and the limit specified for testing. At first, 77dbA sounds absurd, but on a level street, in an appropriately high gear, it isn’t the impossibility it seems.

Section 24253 (Battery). “All motor vehicles manufactured and first registered after January 1, 1970, shall be equipped so all taillamps are capable of remaining lighted for a period of at least one-quarter hour with the engine inop■ erative. This requirement shall be complied with by an energy storing system which is recharged by energy produced by the vehicle.”

Enduro riders should take note here. Dry cell batteries are certainly capable of running a taillight for 15 minutes, but since they are not rechargable, they are not legal in the strictest sense. The answer is a small 6V wet cell recharged by the engine. The cost is around $4 for the battery. It’s more hassle to wire this setup but it is worth it.

Section 25650. “Every motorcycle during darkness shall be equipped with at least one and not more than two lighted headlamps which shall conform to the requirements and limitations of this division.”

In other words, headlamps are not required, but if one is on your scooter, it must be of a certain intensity and must be properly aimed.

Section 2631 1 (Brakes). “Every motor vehicle shall be equipped with service brakes on all wheels, except as > follows: (6) Any motorcycle manufactured prior to 1966. Such motorcycles shall be equipped with brakes on at least one wheel.”

Section 26454. (Brakes) “...Maximum stopping distance (feet) any passenger vehicle-25 (from an initial speed of 20 mph).”

DEPT. OF MOTOR VEHICLES

Because I wanted to avoid hassle at all costs, I made sure my bike conformed to every one of these regulations. Then, just to look the part, I installed a set of class A reflectors. I couldn’t really find the section in the vehicle code pertaining to them, but all the new bikes are so equipped.

So, class A reflectors and all, 1 loaded up my bike and prepared for a successful invasion of the DMV.

Lines are fairly long at most DMV offices and the wait took about half an hour in my case. When my turn came, 1 was greeted by a middle-aged woman with a pleasant smile. I told her 1 wanted to register and license a motorcycle. She took this in stride and asked me for a prior registration or proof of ownership. I handed her my one and only document, a vague bill of sale for the Yamaha DTI engine. Suddenly she looked pale and couldn’t seem to find the proper words.

After reassuring her that the engine was not stolen, and after insisting that the bike in question did definitely exist, she gave me two forms to fill out.

The first was a statement of construction. The top portion has a series of blocks corresponding to major components on the vehicle. A check in any of the blocks means that you have a bill of sale for that component.

The remainder of the form is blank, and is used for a first person explanation of how the rest of the components were obtained. Since 1 only had one check mark, 1 used this portion of the form extensively.

The remaining form is an “Application For Assigned Vehicle Identification Number Plate.” If a bike’s engine and frame numbers do not correspond, or if there are simply no numbers as was my case, completion of this form is a one-way ticket to the California Highway Patrol. More about this later.

Another half hour wait in line got me a second audience with the lady in registration. She read my not too plausible story on the statement of construction form, but accepted it.

Just when I thought things were starting to go my way, she noticed that I didn’t have any numbers in the appropriate blocks on the other form. She got that pale look on her face again, then told me to unload my bike and bring it around front for an inspection.

A gentleman appeared, glanced at my bike for a few seconds, then asked me what it was. I told him it was a Yamaha Metisse. He entered “special construction” in the appropriate block. A couple of minutes later, he convinced himself that there were no numbers on the bike and entered “No I.D. or engine number” in another block.

One final trip back to the lady in registration ended my struggle for the day. She took the forms and then told me that I would have to make an appointment with the California Highway Patrol to get numbers put on the engine and frame. She also informed me that because my vehicle was a special construction, I would have to obtain both a light and brake certificate. Unfortunately, she could not tell me where to go.

Oh yes. While you’re at the DMV, you can elect to pay your license fees which are based on the value of your machine. I conservatively estimated the value of my machine at $600 including labor, and paid a total of $24. Payment of this fee, by the way, is just about the only step in registration/licensing that involves no hassle.

A copy of the application for assigned vehicle indentification number plate form and a receipt for payment of fees, incidentally, doubles as a temporary operating permit for 30 days. I found this curious, because at that point in time, the DMV had not thoroughly inspected my machine and therefore could not have been certain of its legality.

I.D. NUMBERS AND THE CHP

You just don’t motor down to any old office of the California Highway Patrol and get numbers put on. You have to make an appointment by phone and the wait is usually two weeks.

My appointment was scheduled for 8 o’clock in the morning. After verifying my appointment, an officer clad in coveralls asked to see my drivers license and the application form from the DMV. He then instructed me to drive my van around back.

To save time, the officer let me leave my bike in the van, but asked me to wait in the front lobby as the area he was working in was for authorized personnel only. 1 guess they just don’t want you to watch them place the adhesive-backed aluminum number plates on engine and frame.

The whole process takes about 45 minutes, but if you’re like me, you won’t agree with the placement of the sticker on the engine, or the method of fixing the other sticker to the frame.

On the engine, the so-called permanent sticker was attached to the forward portion of the magneto cover. This is really poor planning. It only takes four screws to remove the cover, so number placement here will be no deterrent to theft. Secondly, on competition machines such as mine, outer engine covers are broken occasionally. Replace the cover and you loose your numbers.

Now for the frame. Number placement is on the downtube, about six or eight inches below the steering head. This location would be okay if they didn’t pop rivet the plate in place. Pop rivets in an area of stress like this often cause cracks and subsequent frame breakage. And what of Rickman frames like mine that once had the capability of carrying oil in the downtubes? No more!

THE LIGHTING CERTIFICATE

Since the CHP mails the number identification back to the DMV, all that remained for me to do was to obtain two inspection certificates. One is for lights. The other concerns brakes.

The best way to approach the lighting certificate is to phone a local CHP office for a list of establishments licensed to inspect and certify lights on bikes (different from a license to certify cars). I found the CHP list to be hopelessly out-of-date, however, so it’s a good idea to call the closest places until you find someone currently qualified to do the job.

As soon as 1 called for a list, I noticed one very odd fact. There are no bike shops on it. Smallish garages usually are the license holders, and my experience with them indicates that they know very little about bikes.

Because they know very little about bikes, problems arise. The first place I went to simply would not certify the lights on my bike because it did not have a headlight. I read to him the appropriate section of the Vehicle Code (printed in the beginning of this article) but he wouldn’t buy that. And, after l finished, he flatly told me that he didn’t care what the “damn” book said. Apparently, he prefers his own interpretation of the law, whatever that may be.

Later in the day, I called the CHP in Sacramento and they confirmed that my interpretation of the law was correct. At their request, I then lodged a complaint with the Department of Consumer Affairs, Automotive and Repair Division. Later in the day, they called the establishment in question and gave the owner a correct interpretation of the law. In case of problems, this route seems the best available.

In order to determine whether this lack of knowledge about the law is universal, 1 visited several license holders at random. Frankly, none of them realized that a headlight is not required, but all had an open mind when given a phone number for clarification and when confronted with the vehicle code.

THE BRAKE CERTIFICATE

Getting the lighting certificate was difficult. The brake certificate proved to be a practical impossibility. The list the CHP gave me proved to be 100 percent totally false. None had the proper license. Not many places bother to get a Class A brake license, and many having it do not want to get involved with bikes.

Out of desperation, I opened up the yellow pages and called every brake shop I could get a phone number for until I found a place that would do it. “Sure,” the man said, “I’ve got a license to certify brakes on bikes.”

Sure, I thought to myself. One place out of 50 or 100. Then, just to make sure he wasn’t putting me on, I asked him what was involved. “Well,” he said, “I’ve got to disassemble the brakes, inspect the linings, and then test the bike to see if it can stop in 25 feet from 20 mph.” He quoted me a $7 figure and I said, “Why not.”

The complete teardown costing $7, however, never materialized. The man, you see, was very busy and I did (according to him) look like a decent sort of fellow. So, after assuring him that the brakes on my bike were more than adequate, he wrote me out a certificate without inspection at the reduced rate of $3.

THE DMV, ROUND TWO

Armed with the brake and light certificates, a copy of the Application for Assigned Vehicle Identification Number Plate, and a receipt for fees already paid, I returned to the DMV. A clerk at the registration window took about ten minutes to organize my paperwork, then awarded me a valid California license plate.

In a sense, I had won a victory, but victories shouldn’t be necessary to accomplish such a simple task. Something needs to be done to encourage bike shops to obtain licenses to certify lights, brakes, and the like. Garages that could care less are not the answer.

The California Highway Patrol needs to update their lists and reconsider the location and methods used in putting identification numbers on engines and frames too.

In short, the registration/licensing system works on paper, but not in real life. Hopefully, this situation will not continue much longer.