2018 Lifan KP Mini California CARB legal

[culcune]

I called my 'local' Chinese pit bike dealer, Kronik Racing in Simi Valley, and the gentleman on the phone, Pete (maybe the owner) mentioned that he has started to carry the Lifan KP Mini 150. I asked him if those were for mail-order because they are not CARB legal, and he told me that they are for in-store sales and are now CARB legal! I went to American Lifan's site, and they show the 2018 lineup offered with different colors:

http://americanlifan.com/motorcycles/kp-mini/

[2LZ]

I called my 'local' Chinese pit bike dealer, Kronik Racing in Simi Valley, and the gentleman on the phone, Pete (maybe the owner) mentioned that he has started to carry the Lifan KP Mini 150. I asked him if those were for mail-order because they are not CARB legal, and he told me that they are for in-store sales and are now CARB legal! I went to American Lifan's site, and they show the 2018 lineup offered with different colors:

http://americanlifan.com/motorcycles/kp-mini/

That's great to hear!

I learned that one has to watch it here. My CB guy said that everything he sells is CARB legal.....but may not be street legal. My Xmoto was a fully lit enduro bike but was only able to be green stickered for dirt.....which still made it CARB legal.

[culcune]

That's great to hear!

I learned that one has to watch it here. My CB guy said that everything he sells is CARB legal.....but may not be street legal. My Xmoto was a fully lit enduro bike but was only able to be green stickered for dirt.....which still made it CARB legal.

Good point! The only thing I can think that would ease one's mind is that your bike was a gray area bike in California a few years back, meaning it was like the Hawk/Magician siblings are today nationwide. Back then, many companies imported fully-lighted enduros, and got them EPA certified, like the Hawk/Magician, and in many states, including California in the mid-2000s, one could get them plated (usually depended on which DMV one went to). Back then, the green sticker for off-road use in Cal. was easier to obtain, which is my guess where your bike fell into. By the time you got your bike, California had figured out the loophole for the numerous fully-lighted bikes, and put an end to that! On a side note, a friend bought a two-stroke CR250 back in the early/mid 90s (1994?). There were actually hundreds of dollars in green-sticker fees to get the title in his name, so the clerk at the DMV ran it through as a street-legal conversion, and gave him a plate, registration, and a title, sight unseen, at the Oxnard, California DMV. Those were the days...

The KP Mini is different in that it is EPA/DOT legal for 'on-highway' use; different list than the 'off-road' EPA list.

[Ceasar1010]

This is great to hear! Drive the aftermarket parts industry!

[TreoHD]

hey I recently purchased a lifan kp mini and I live in california. Should I be worried about registration, insurance?? Bought it online still waiting for my MCO

[culcune]

hey I recently purchased a lifan kp mini and I live in california. Should I be worried about registration, insurance?? Bought it online still waiting for my MCO

If the bike is not CARB certified, you might not be able to register it.

[TreoHD]

would i be able to register it in say arizona?

[culcune]

Yes, but I am not sure how much of sticklers California law enforcement is. I understand CHP are sticklers, but not sure about other departments. What I mean by stickler is you will raise 'red flags' by having a California license and Arizona license plate and registration. You will have to convince the officer (and possibly a judge if you received some sort of 'fix-it-ticket') that you have a residence out of state. I do know my sister's boss has or had a home in Las Vegas, and his vehicle is registered in Nevada, yet lives in the L.A. area.

That being said, you might have bought one of the CARB legal versions. There were a certain number of them available for sale. Link what dealer you got it from. You might even be able to get a refund, although I am sure it would be difficult to impossible. But, I would have no problem letting you use my address. I am guessing you would have to travel to Yuma to register it. Then again, you could use the Montana or Vermont route. I am not sure which one, or possibly both, allow it to be done by mail.

The one loophole for getting non-CARB bikes registered is if one lived out of California, and then moved to California and got a license and registered vehicles there. If you were to register your bike at my address, I don't think they would buy the argument of moving. I guess you could continue to ride it with an Arizona plate if your bike is a non-CARB compliant version.

[TreoHD]

wow you're awesome man thanks for even replying to me! i was a fool and didn't do any research, but no where in the website I bought it from mentioned not only the year of the bike but if it was CARB compliant let alone legal to ship to california. I dm'ed Lifan on facebook and they had messaged me saying that shipping the KP Mini's are Illegal in california. I actually did receive the bike, but their return policy is pretty bad. Here's the link to the 'dealer' : https://www.killermotorsports.com/lifan-150cc-kp-mini-motorcycle-free-shipping-fully-assembled.html

I'm down to try the Arizona idea it sounds interesting. I'm even willing to drive to an arizona DMV it can't get any worse at this point.

Edit: Also I check the manufacture date of the bike its 06/17 so im already screwed? I didn't see anything that said it was carb legal. but there was an EPA sticker or something like that

[culcune]

Contact American Lifan on Monday and see if they can confirm or deny your bike as being CARB compliant, as the dealer won't help you. Perhaps they can push for something from Killer? Where in California are you? If you are a no-go for registration, try the states that do if from mail to save you a trip out this way.

[TreoHD]

Sure I'll contact them on monday see what happens. I live in the bay area around SF.

[culcune]

Any update?

[VADERS125]

My buddy registered his KPMINI150 in California second hand. The original owner bought the bike from Venom (https://www.venommotorsportsusa.com/products/venom-kp-mini-150cc-lifan-motorcycle-lf150?variant=12643135225900) and the MCO + Bill of Sale was under the seat

[TreoHD]

Sorry for the late reply here, been dealing with new job and stuff. I just received my MCO Today, it says that my KPMini is a 2018 Model. Wondering if im in the clear haha

[culcune]

Keep us posted :tup: I am curious if they did send you a CARB certified model knowing that you could theoretically (maybe, possibly, could be, lol) go after them along the lines of fraud. There are two sides to the story, and theirs would be YOU should have checked out the laws before ordering. Yours would be they told you it was California compliant.

[JerryHawk250]

Any updates on CA registering?

[TreoHD]

I know I've been taking my sweet time getting anything done with this bike. I guess I was afraid that I had a good guess as to what answer Lifan would give me to my bike. Better late than never but so the call center person just plainly said the 2018 KP Mini's are NOT CARB legal. I asked him even if I gave him a VIN would it even matter? He said no... The way I see it and the way I have been thinking it would go. It's either I get this registered somewhere else (arizona) or if anyone wants to buy my bike please buy it lol

[JerryHawk250]

I would think that since someone has already registered the KP 150 it should be in the system and that it should go right through. It's worth a try. All they can tell you is no.

[TreoHD]

The thing is I have been reading other forums about other bikes with this issue. I've read about people ATTEMPTING to register a non carb bike and they end up getting the VIN blacklisted by the DMV so you cannot register the bike ever again in california, this is what i'm afraid of. The only work around to this is having my KP Mini somehow get past 7500 miles on the odometer that would consider it an old bike and for some reason thats how it works? That or again register it somewhere else, get it to the 7500 Mile threshold and then im home free.

[culcune]

You can use my address

[JerryHawk250]

You can use my address
And I bet you would even help him put the miles on it too. ;)

[culcune]

I would think that since someone has already registered the KP 150 it should be in the system and that it should go right through. It's worth a try. All they can tell you is no.

California is strict with which specific model year vehicles are CARB legal. I had recently posted Pitster Pro's Red Sticker bikes' certificate from the CARB website (they had two different batches of California-legal offroad bikes and two certificates) and it states which exact year is CARB legal. The Apollo dirt bike and dual-sport are CARB green sticker, BUT only up to 2018 model year (disclaimer--the dual-sport is only off-road legal and could never find a loophole to get street registered since California no longer plates off-road bikes). It states so on each certificate, and since there is no certificate for 2019, any 2019 model year bikes would not get a sticker.

Funny thing is there was a small window of time and batch of California-legal KP Minis for the street, but I cannot find its certificate on the CARB site, like it was some kind of loophole that they plugged up.

I can see the blacklisting thing being a concern. One loophole is if someone lived outside of California, owned a non-CARB bike like a KP Mini for at least 6 months, and moved to California (maybe needs the 7500 miles on it), they could register it. But if the bike was blacklisted from the get-go, living out of state, having 7500 miles, and then moving to Cal. might be a problem in that case. My guess is California already has that angle covered due to people trying to 'move'. So I can see Treo's concern with his specific KP and burning himself later on.

I am not aware of the 7500 mile threshold, if that is a thing, so research it more, Treo. My guess is it would have to be registered out of state no matter what, in your name, however. If not in your name, I believe I can register it sight unseen, as a new bike. BUT, maybe not here in Yuma. I do recall the local MVD office needing to see my bike visually, and even a local offsite private MVD service company telling me I needed to go to the actual state office here to register my TMEC several years ago. I do think there is some kind of discrimination because a Phoenix-based member, Musictrek, was able to go to a private MVD service company and get his Brozz registered sight unseen in Phoenix.

That could be an option, but probably would prove a little tricky with the California officials down the road. If I could register the bike in my name, and send the plate off, the bike would be registered, but might raise red-flags if/when a cop runs the plate, more so when the rider is someone else. But, at least the bike is legal--but I do find this a little sketchy, so not recommended.

I will see today at my local private contracted MVD office how it works nowadays if Musictrek was able to register his bike sight unseen. That would help out as far as not dragging the bike with you--maybe only you and your paperwork would need to come.

One more suggestion is to speak to the youtube channel Dorito and the Luchacabre. They are affiliated with an inland-empire dealer, County Imports, who deal with Lifan products. Since they are a mail-order company, maybe they can help sell your bike on consignment? But you still have to get the bike down there.

[culcune]

Great news! I stopped by the local MVD contractor office (so you don't have to go to the real AZ MVD office, although they charge you a set fee of $10 to 15 on top of what the state would charge you at their own office) and without needing to show your bike, you would need the paperwork that was sent (MCO and bill of sale which is the receipt or something showing proof of what you paid for the bike), and an address in AZ, and you would walk out with a title, license plate and registration. You would need to pay AZ sales tax and title and registration fees. Now I don't know if you ride the heck out of it, and pile on the miles, if you can now transfer all the paperwork to California? That would be something to ask the DMV (possibly ask unless you are worried about red-flagging yourself, or at least ask in a hypothetical way..."Asking for a friend..." :lmao:).

[TreoHD]

Yes very hypothetical if i ask lol. You are amazing culcune, I would pay you if you wanted. But that sounds amazing not having to go to Arizona. Show me where to start! i suppose let things start rolling. later on for the address(ty) maybe a dm?