I recently bought a grab bar (sissy bar) for my sears roper and it had a real license plate bolted on! It was made for Californian citizens and last sticker dated back to 1981. There appears to be several later years underneath so I suspect it dates back to at least 1977.
Here is a picture of what I believe is a street legal Sears.
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That is the same grab bar that I bought only difference is it is missing a license plate and has a tail light.
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Here is a picture of what I believe is a street legal Sears.
That is the same grab bar that I bought only difference is it is missing a license plate and has a tail light.
What's legal in one state will not be legal in another. Best bet is to check with your Department of Motor Vehicles. They will give you a booklet listing exactly what is required for legal street operation in your state. Then you outfit your mini with the required accessories and you will be in business. Ogy
The first Rupp was and still can be %100 street legal.. I just went to the secretary of state with my serial number off of the frame, and told the lady " I want to apply for a LOST title", and gave her my serial number as a vin :lol: They did a search, came back clean, and mailed me a title.. :laugh:
Back in the day, they actually had to be inspected, THEN they would give you a VIN number.. And STILL DO to this day... I just expedited the process.. :laugh:
The other is the one I'm driving now, and it has never had any paper work done on it, so is technically not legal, but I added all of the stuff required to GET ONE legal, minus radial tires... And they typically don't say anything about it as long as you aren't driving like a dumbass.. :doah:
To be LEGAL actually LEGAL legal.. No matter WHAT state you're in.. You'll have to have some kind of title/registration, proof of origin.. To prove what the machine is, where it came from, and the fact that it CAN BE listed as yours in the eyes of the government...
To GET that, you'll need, radial tires, horn, mirrors, turn signals, head light (high and low beam) tail light, break light, front and rear brakes, spark arresting muffler, fenders, have to meet certain engine size and speed requirements.... A motorcycle.. :laugh:
OR if you want to go for a MOPED sticker, (in most states) you can stay UNDER 50CC (which you'll never do with a briggs or something) Max speed of 30 miles per hour, and does NOT require the operator to shift gears (single speed, TAV, or two speed auto) on a weed whacker engine...
THEN in many states, with emissions laws, will have to pass an emmissioons test too.. :doah:
If ya can do all that, you can make anything you want legal.. :shrug:
Back in the day, they actually had to be inspected, THEN they would give you a VIN number.. And STILL DO to this day... I just expedited the process.. :laugh:
The other is the one I'm driving now, and it has never had any paper work done on it, so is technically not legal, but I added all of the stuff required to GET ONE legal, minus radial tires... And they typically don't say anything about it as long as you aren't driving like a dumbass.. :doah:
To be LEGAL actually LEGAL legal.. No matter WHAT state you're in.. You'll have to have some kind of title/registration, proof of origin.. To prove what the machine is, where it came from, and the fact that it CAN BE listed as yours in the eyes of the government...
To GET that, you'll need, radial tires, horn, mirrors, turn signals, head light (high and low beam) tail light, break light, front and rear brakes, spark arresting muffler, fenders, have to meet certain engine size and speed requirements.... A motorcycle.. :laugh:
OR if you want to go for a MOPED sticker, (in most states) you can stay UNDER 50CC (which you'll never do with a briggs or something) Max speed of 30 miles per hour, and does NOT require the operator to shift gears (single speed, TAV, or two speed auto) on a weed whacker engine...
THEN in many states, with emissions laws, will have to pass an emmissioons test too.. :doah:
If ya can do all that, you can make anything you want legal.. :shrug:
I have been giving this some thought and at least for me, here is California, if I were going to try to have a legal minibike I would do one of two things. Go the relatively cheap route and build a motorized bike like Edwin (although some spend thousands on those too) or go the expensive route and buy a scooter like the Honda Ruckus or Yamaha Zuma. I think those are very close in feel to an old school minibike, no transmission just a twist throttle and brakes.