Bad News

ChipToothy · 12-07-2020, 06:37 PM

Arkansas just made the China bikes Off Road Only.

Bad News coming down the ladder.

I’ve had it tagged and insured for just under 3 years now. Went to pay for my new sticker and there was a Stop Hold placed on my Vin. 30 minutes later they call me back up to the desk and Arkansas isn’t allowing this Brand/Model on the street anymore. It was sold to me as 50 state legal, it came brand new original with the mirrors, signals and tail/head light, odometer all stock. It came with a license plate farkle, keyless start, alarm, Vin and info plate is riveted to the frame same as every other brand and even passes the California emissions laws. She said they’ve now declared them as a “dirt bike” and won’t license them anymore.

I then used the Internet to explain to her the difference between a two-stroke and a four and that it’s a dual sport and they still said nope! The dealership is in Texas and it’s been Titled and Tagged in Arkansas as of 2018. I then told her I’ve already put 15,000 miles on it riding all over half the country and it does just fine on the interstate and everywhere else so why the problem. Little Rock doesn’t have answer other than “because it’s a dirt bike” . I have 2 full time jobs plus take 12 hours of class a week and now no transportation.

I already lost $10,000 this year in lost wages because of the virus shutdowns. I honestly was looking forward to things getting back to normal.

2LZ · 12-07-2020, 06:54 PM

oh man....that sucks. I thought crap like that only happened here.
So what's the plan now???

franque · 12-07-2020, 07:11 PM

Vermont wouldn't be too hard, they'll send you a plate.

culcune · 12-07-2020, 07:44 PM

Something sounds fishy...first, these were never 50 state legal, but rather EPA/DOT certified in 49 states as an 'On-Highway Motorcycle' (sorry, California, as usual). Not sure if a state can arbitrarily bypass EPA/DOT and declare a bike retroactively non-street legal. I didn't think so, at least. I do recall California doing this with converted dirt bikes. There were some of the higher-end bikes (like KTM) that I am guessing were Green Sticker for off-road that numerous people managed to plate there in the late 2000s I believe I remember, and then California pulled the proverbial rug from under them and people were threatened with confiscation and maybe (I don't remember if they threatened this far) jail time if people did not comply. I do recall reading on ADVrider about agents from the California DMV showing up to people's homes with these threats. But, again, this is odd because this bike has already been awarded a certificate of on-road legality via the federal government. I would understand if you had a Hawk, but perhaps they are lumping in all Chinese dual-sports as 'Hawks'?

grumpyunk · 12-07-2020, 07:43 PM

Mebbetime to get onto the intertubes and see what Little Rock has to say about bike classes. Find what distinguishes a dirt bike from a street bike, and see if you can add/remove that feature.
Other thing to consider is does it have all the FMVSS (fed motor vehicle safety standards) and an EPA approval. There is a requirement for both, I think, or it has to stay off-road.
Call your congressman(state) and state senator. Relate how there has been no problems for 3 years, so why change? Did a local bike dealer raise a ruckus because of 'lost sales'? It has been known as one way to get rid of competition. I might consider checking with local dealers to see if there is any scuttlebutt.
tom

ChipToothy · 12-07-2020, 09:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by grumpyunk

Mebbetime to get onto the intertubes and see what Little Rock has to say about bike classes. Find what distinguishes a dirt bike from a street bike, and see if you can add/remove that feature.
Other thing to consider is does it have all the FMVSS (fed motor vehicle safety standards) and an EPA approval. There is a requirement for both, I think, or it has to stay off-road.
Call your congressman(state) and state senator. Relate how there has been no problems for 3 years, so why change? Did a local bike dealer raise a ruckus because of 'lost sales'? It has been known as one way to get rid of competition. I might consider checking with local dealers to see if there is any scuttlebutt.
tom

You may have a valid point with the competition remark. No fooling 2 Tao Tao type places have opened up within a mile of me. I

motochutuya · 12-07-2020, 08:11 PM

awful, try getting a friend in another state to register it for you and send the plate.

ChipToothy · 12-07-2020, 09:01 PM

49 state or 50 state legal or whatever it is they claim. They don’t have inspections here so that doesn’t matter. It I have learned doesn’t have anything to do with the bike emissions or size, on the title apparently the body type is listed as “DT” which means off road only and it took them about 3 years to notice.

What’s funny is they let all of those 49cc scooters run wild without a license or insurance.

There’s a work around registering in another state. I have to find out if Arkansas requires the 30 day plate change for out of state vehicles.

Word of advice if you’re buying a China bike have your dealer or whoever leave the DT thing off the Title, Bill of Sale and MCO and anything else they can.

ChipToothy · 12-07-2020, 09:19 PM

Vermont looks easiest to deal with. How do y’all handle the “Signed Bill of Sale” ? All I have is a 3 year old computer printer copy of my Amazon transaction for proof of purchase.

tknj99 · 12-07-2020, 09:42 PM

Sorry to hear about this! I just got on the China bike bandwagon and i'd be supremely pissed if VA pulled the same BS. hoping its not an omen of things to come

ChipToothy · 12-07-2020, 09:52 PM

Ahh, Arkansas does have the 30 day plate law so I can’t use an out of state tag and live here anyway. smh

TxTaoRider · 12-07-2020, 10:16 PM

I just checked my title and it's listed as "mc". Maybe contact your dealer and see if they can help?

Captcj68chris@aol. · 12-08-2020, 12:57 AM

Hi all, 2020 tbr7. My title from TX. POWER SPORTS. Has the word "motorcycle" written on it. It also has written in smaller print, Fmvss, and states that it is E.P.A. and D.O.T. approved. Haven't tried to register it in N.Y. yet. I may just go the vermont method, I hear they will plate a shopping cart

culcune · 12-08-2020, 09:33 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Captcj68chris@aol.

Hi all, 2020 tbr7. My title from TX. POWER SPORTS. Has the word "motorcycle" written on it. It also has written in smaller print, Fmvss, and states that it is E.P.A. and D.O.T. approved. Haven't tried to register it in N.Y. yet. I may just go the vermont method, I hear they will plate a shopping cart

No need to go the Vermont route--the TBR is 49-state EPA/DOT ('Californians need not apply'); just like the Bashan Storm 250 is (again, Californians need not apply!

).

discochris · 12-08-2020, 02:03 AM

Try South Dakota. Because of some title issues (bought used - never titled), I had planned to do this, but then I found Minnesota has a loophole that allows dirt bikes to be plated, but not titled, as long as you tell them the bike has legal lights, signals etc. (not a problem because mine has all that from the factory) and you have a DNR off-road tag.

From what I know, Pennington County, SD (Rapid City) is very familiar with this and as long as you send in the proper paperwork, they'll send you a plate.

12-07-2020, 06:37 PM	#1
ChipToothy Join Date: Apr 2018 Posts: 819	Bad News Arkansas just made the China bikes Off Road Only. Bad News coming down the ladder. I’ve had it tagged and insured for just under 3 years now. Went to pay for my new sticker and there was a Stop Hold placed on my Vin. 30 minutes later they call me back up to the desk and Arkansas isn’t allowing this Brand/Model on the street anymore. It was sold to me as 50 state legal, it came brand new original with the mirrors, signals and tail/head light, odometer all stock. It came with a license plate farkle, keyless start, alarm, Vin and info plate is riveted to the frame same as every other brand and even passes the California emissions laws. She said they’ve now declared them as a “dirt bike” and won’t license them anymore. I then used the Internet to explain to her the difference between a two-stroke and a four and that it’s a dual sport and they still said nope! The dealership is in Texas and it’s been Titled and Tagged in Arkansas as of 2018. I then told her I’ve already put 15,000 miles on it riding all over half the country and it does just fine on the interstate and everywhere else so why the problem. Little Rock doesn’t have answer other than “because it’s a dirt bike” . I have 2 full time jobs plus take 12 hours of class a week and now no transportation. I already lost $10,000 this year in lost wages because of the virus shutdowns. I honestly was looking forward to things getting back to normal. __________________ Bashan Storm: Ebay steel exhaust wrapped, folding shift lever, seat mod, vm26 carb, air pod, dual led scrambler headlamps, windshield mod, led brake/tail light, secondary led brake light (swingarm), Ebay 295mm rear shock, back up CDI (racing unknown), oil cooler, digital gauge cluster,
	0

12-07-2020, 06:54 PM	#2
2LZ Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: Volcano, Ca Posts: 7,084	oh man....that sucks. I thought crap like that only happened here. So what's the plan now??? __________________ "Light a fire for a man, and you heat him for a day. Light a man on fire, and you heat him for the rest of his life." 2007 Suzuki DRZ400S (SM convert) 2009 Q Link XP 200 1967 BSA B25 250cc Starfire 2022 Royal Enfield Interceptor 650 2023 Royal Enfield Scram 411 1948 Royal Enfield Model G 350
	0

12-07-2020, 07:44 PM	#4
culcune Join Date: May 2006 Location: Yuma, Arizona Posts: 9,035	Something sounds fishy...first, these were never 50 state legal, but rather EPA/DOT certified in 49 states as an 'On-Highway Motorcycle' (sorry, California, as usual). Not sure if a state can arbitrarily bypass EPA/DOT and declare a bike retroactively non-street legal. I didn't think so, at least. I do recall California doing this with converted dirt bikes. There were some of the higher-end bikes (like KTM) that I am guessing were Green Sticker for off-road that numerous people managed to plate there in the late 2000s I believe I remember, and then California pulled the proverbial rug from under them and people were threatened with confiscation and maybe (I don't remember if they threatened this far) jail time if people did not comply. I do recall reading on ADVrider about agents from the California DMV showing up to people's homes with these threats. But, again, this is odd because this bike has already been awarded a certificate of on-road legality via the federal government. I would understand if you had a Hawk, but perhaps they are lumping in all Chinese dual-sports as 'Hawks'? __________________ "They say that life's a carousel, spinning fast you got to ride it well..." TGB Delivery Scooter 150 TMEC 200 Enduro--carcass is sadly rotting in the backyard
	1

12-07-2020, 07:43 PM	#5
grumpyunk Join Date: Jul 2018 Location: nw of atlanta Posts: 169	Mebbetime to get onto the intertubes and see what Little Rock has to say about bike classes. Find what distinguishes a dirt bike from a street bike, and see if you can add/remove that feature. Other thing to consider is does it have all the FMVSS (fed motor vehicle safety standards) and an EPA approval. There is a requirement for both, I think, or it has to stay off-road. Call your congressman(state) and state senator. Relate how there has been no problems for 3 years, so why change? Did a local bike dealer raise a ruckus because of 'lost sales'? It has been known as one way to get rid of competition. I might consider checking with local dealers to see if there is any scuttlebutt. tom __________________ vertical and above ground - my daily goal
	0

12-07-2020, 09:01 PM	#8
ChipToothy Join Date: Apr 2018 Posts: 819	49 state or 50 state legal or whatever it is they claim. They don’t have inspections here so that doesn’t matter. It I have learned doesn’t have anything to do with the bike emissions or size, on the title apparently the body type is listed as “DT” which means off road only and it took them about 3 years to notice. What’s funny is they let all of those 49cc scooters run wild without a license or insurance. There’s a work around registering in another state. I have to find out if Arkansas requires the 30 day plate change for out of state vehicles. Word of advice if you’re buying a China bike have your dealer or whoever leave the DT thing off the Title, Bill of Sale and MCO and anything else they can. __________________ Bashan Storm: Ebay steel exhaust wrapped, folding shift lever, seat mod, vm26 carb, air pod, dual led scrambler headlamps, windshield mod, led brake/tail light, secondary led brake light (swingarm), Ebay 295mm rear shock, back up CDI (racing unknown), oil cooler, digital gauge cluster,
	1

12-07-2020, 07:11 PM	#3
franque Join Date: Nov 2017 Location: Marseille, France -> Conakry, Guinea Posts: 1,481	Vermont wouldn't be too hard, they'll send you a plate.
	1

12-07-2020, 08:11 PM	#7
motochutuya Join Date: Nov 2020 Posts: 47	awful, try getting a friend in another state to register it for you and send the plate.
	0

12-07-2020, 09:19 PM	#9
ChipToothy Join Date: Apr 2018 Posts: 819	Vermont looks easiest to deal with. How do y’all handle the “Signed Bill of Sale” ? All I have is a 3 year old computer printer copy of my Amazon transaction for proof of purchase. __________________ Bashan Storm: Ebay steel exhaust wrapped, folding shift lever, seat mod, vm26 carb, air pod, dual led scrambler headlamps, windshield mod, led brake/tail light, secondary led brake light (swingarm), Ebay 295mm rear shock, back up CDI (racing unknown), oil cooler, digital gauge cluster,
	0

12-07-2020, 09:42 PM	#10
tknj99 Join Date: Oct 2020 Location: Central VA Posts: 1,256	Sorry to hear about this! I just got on the China bike bandwagon and i'd be supremely pissed if VA pulled the same BS. hoping its not an omen of things to come __________________ 2024 Zuma Storm 150 DLX 2019 Beta 430 RRS 2017 Honda Fury Former China Bikes: Tao DBX1, Brozz 250, CSC RX4, Titan DLX, Templar X
	1

12-07-2020, 09:52 PM	#11
ChipToothy Join Date: Apr 2018 Posts: 819	Ahh, Arkansas does have the 30 day plate law so I can’t use an out of state tag and live here anyway. smh __________________ Bashan Storm: Ebay steel exhaust wrapped, folding shift lever, seat mod, vm26 carb, air pod, dual led scrambler headlamps, windshield mod, led brake/tail light, secondary led brake light (swingarm), Ebay 295mm rear shock, back up CDI (racing unknown), oil cooler, digital gauge cluster,
	0

12-07-2020, 10:16 PM	#12
TxTaoRider Join Date: Oct 2020 Location: Flower Mound Texas Posts: 904	I just checked my title and it's listed as "mc". Maybe contact your dealer and see if they can help? __________________ 2021 Tao Tbr7 - "Lucille" Mods so far- Brozz swingarm, 21" front rim (Bridgestone Tw302 rear/Dunlop D606 front tires), Digital gauge cluster, pz30b pumper carb, after market hand guards, aftermarket brake and clutch levers, round fold away mirrors, Fly handlebars shortened slightly, 13t front sprocket 2009 Q-link Legacy 250 1982 Suzuki GS1100ES - "Jolene"
	0

12-08-2020, 12:57 AM	#13
Captcj68chris@aol. Join Date: Mar 2020 Location: Bowling greenK.Y. elev. <1000 ft Posts: 93	My bike, 2020 tbr7 Hi all, 2020 tbr7. My title from TX. POWER SPORTS. Has the word "motorcycle" written on it. It also has written in smaller print, Fmvss, and states that it is E.P.A. and D.O.T. approved. Haven't tried to register it in N.Y. yet. I may just go the vermont method, I hear they will plate a shopping cart
	0

12-08-2020, 02:03 AM	#15
discochris Join Date: Apr 2020 Location: Minnesota Posts: 35	Try South Dakota. Because of some title issues (bought used - never titled), I had planned to do this, but then I found Minnesota has a loophole that allows dirt bikes to be plated, but not titled, as long as you tell them the bike has legal lights, signals etc. (not a problem because mine has all that from the factory) and you have a DNR off-road tag. From what I know, Pennington County, SD (Rapid City) is very familiar with this and as long as you send in the proper paperwork, they'll send you a plate.
	0