Green Stickie Blues Are Back
GREEN STICKIE BLUES ARE BACK
YOU REMEMBER the green stickie. That’s the physical evidence that California residents have registered their dirt bikes, among other things, with the Department of Motor Vehicles. Originally it cost $15 (good for two years) and was required because A) Your bike did not have a valid California license, or B) You used your vehicle only in sanctioned competition, only on state land, or a combination of the two.
Most of us could buy that logic. Especially since the state of California stated that a percentage (small) of the revenue produced would be used for studies concerning land use and the like.
UP FRONT
But all that’s changed now. And it has definitely not changed for the better. The California State Assembly, you see, has just passed AB 1421, an ammendment to the recreational vehicle registration program. Consequently, on July 1, 1974, EVERY motorcycle in California must either have a license plate or a green stickie. Period.
And that means that if you have a dragster, Bonneville machine, flat tracker, short tracker, motocrosser, custom chopper, antique, or the like, you’ll have to pay $15 each for the privilege of ownership or be in violation of the law. Violation of this law, incidentally, is not dependent on whether or not you ride the machine. For example, you can be cited for carrying an unregistered machine in the back of your van!
No doubt, you are now mad. Really mad. And you should be, because it is an unreasonable proposal. In the first place, it is unreasonable to require the segment of motorcyclists who do not ride on public land (dragster owners, speedway owners and the like) to pay for the privilege of doing so.
Secondly, it is unreasonable for us that do ride on public land to indirectly pay for land use studies and then not receive adequate information through the mass media or some other source on the findings of those studies.
And finally, trying to rationalize all this to the general public by saying that the green stickie will cut down on vehicle theft and improve recovery is ludicrous.
I will concede the fact that to obtain a green stickie, an individual must register the serial number with the Department of Motor Vehicles, but does that really matter?
Look at it this way. If you do not have a green stickie or license plate and get your bike stolen, you can phone in the engine or other identifying serial number to the police department and thereby negate the advantage of registration. I say negate the advantage of registration because the stickie itself is attached to the rear fender, an easily removed, easily replaced item!
So what’s the green stickie good for at present? In estimation it is good for only one entity...the State of California, and good for them only because it is an additional source of revenue. As for Assembly Bill 1421, it will help only one entity...the state of California, because it unjustly plugs up a legitimate loop hole.
And if all this isn't enough, the stickie itself is ill conceived. As I mentioned earlier, it is supposed to be attached to the rear fender. And how many dirt bike rear fenders, especially those ridden in competition, last two years? So what are we supposed to do? Run to the DMV every couple of months for a replacement? Rubbish!
And what about the owners of older machines where engine and frame numbers are different or where no frame number is present at all. Those individuals will have to make an appointment with the California Highway Patrol for placement of so-called permanent stickers containing a new identification number.
I fit in this category, and on my machine the officer attached the engine sticker on the forward portion of the magneto cover. This is really poor planning. It only takes four screws to remove the cover, so number placement h^fe will be no more a deterrent to theft than the stickie itsSP
Now for the frame. An identical number plate must be placed 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!
Come on California. Quit ripping off the public. Put the exemptions back in off-road vehicle registrations. Let us know what’s happening. And while you’re at it, reconsider the placement of both the stickie and identification numbers. Put them someplace permanent where they’ll do some good.
