Red & Green Stickers

Hey I have a question for those who have registered dirt bikes.

I bought my son a Yamahonda dirt bike (Yamaha frame/ Honda engine) - he
lives in Utah so it has never been required to have a sticker or
anything. The thing *had* a green sticker on it when I gave it to
him, but being a teenager, he took it off, repainted, etc etc.

Now he wants to me to keep the bike, so he & I coudl use it here in CA.
I was wondering how hard would it be to get another green sticker for it
if it once had one (but we don't have any paperwork nor do we have the
old greensticker).

Any suggestions?

John Beck

 

I've got 3 dirtbikes I've registered, one new, one used but with all
paperwork, and one used without any paperwork (no cert.of ownership or
registration) so maybe I can help.

By "no paperwork" I assume that means you have no cert. of owmership, and
no old registration documents.

Motorcycles are registered by a combination of VIN on the frame, and the
engine number--all titles and registration docs. have both an engine
number and a VIN. If you think this bike had at one time a legal
registration in your name, you may be able to get some verification from
the DMV (or even CSAA, if you're a member), pay any fees due, and get a
new registration and duplicate title. The Green/Red sticker is equivalent
to a license plate that expires every 2 years, so you should be able to
get a replacement just as you can get a replacement license plate (seems
reasonable to me, though I've never tried it, ymmv).

If there is no record of your ownership, things get a lot more
complicated. Get a form from the DMV (I forget which number) and then take
it to your local CHP office to verify the VIN, and they will also verify
the engine number. If these don't match up, you're going to have to
convince the CHP that the bike and/or engine isn't stolen, and then they
will most likely issue you a Special Construction VIN. The special
construction VIN is 8 digits rather than the standard 17, and will forever
identify the bike as a frankenstein. But you can then go back to the DMV
or CSAA, and apply for your cert. of title and registration and green
sticker. You should certainly qualify for a green sticker. I've done this,
and lived to tell the tale. It is possible, but not easy.

The only negative I've found for the special construction VIN is that it
makes it hard to get insurance. Most low-priced insurance companies will
just flat-out reject any special construction vehicles. Why do I carry
insurance for a dirt bike? Because otherwise, I'm out of pocket if the
garage burns down with my dirt bikes inside, or if they're stolen out of
my truck while I'm eating breakfast in Hollister. Progressive will cover
up to 3 dirtbikes with comprehensive (for theft and fire type losses) as
well as minimum liability, for their minimum premium of $150/year. For me,
the peace of mind is worth the 41 cents a day. I pass up supersize and pay
for the insurance.