2018 Lifan KP Mini California CARB legal

[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]

Originally Posted by culcune

You can use my address

And I bet you would even help him put the miles on it too.

[culcune]

Originally Posted by 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.

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..." ).

[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?