Modern stickers on antique bikes

[pisten-bully]

In our state, if you want to ride your motorcycle anywhere else but in a parade or to an event you must register it with a regular motorcycle registration.... the antique plates don't get you squat if you want to ride... and along with the regular motorcycle registration you're required to have an annual inspection and paste an ugly inspection sticker on your motorcycle. So far, I've been riding un-inspected but I figure sooner or later some smarty-pants LEO is going to notice and slap me with a $100 fine.

I searched the forum here and haven't seen this topic discussed, but I'm looking for ideas on what other folks do if their particular state jurisdiction requires an annual inspection or other ugly sticker go on your antique bike? I've got an idea but before I proceed I'd just be curious to see what other folks have done!

Thanks!

[sirhrmechanic]

Harry:

Speaking as a smart-assed VT LEO...

First, odds are that with an antique the chances of getting stopped for a sticker are somewhere between slim and none. But if you get an an accident or get stopped for something else, the lack of a sticker will be noted and your bike might get 'grounded.' (ie trailer it home.) You might get cited. Depends on the officer. But noone is going to mess with a true vintage bike JUST for a sticker. Up here, we have a hard time finding anyone who will even inspect a pre-'60 bike. Usually they just say they don't know enough about it to inspect. Super...

If you get a piece of 1/8" aluminum plate, however and cut into a nice square with a tab sticking off one corner... and a hole drilled in the tab, you can bolt it to the frame, crash bars, engine case... anywhere, basically. Just takes one bolt and it's very rugged. While not to the letter of the 'stick it on the fork' law it will satisfy the spirit and in the case of an antique where you can't stick to the fork, noone will give you grief. I can send pix of a mount if you want. I use the same arrangement on my vintage bikes... but also on my modern Springer Classic. Because the springer forks do not like VT inspection stickers.

Heck, come up to the shop and I'll make one for you some Saturday. My "Chief-warming gift."

FYI, by way of edit... here's one online: http://www.ebay.com/itm/New-Universa...73e5cc&vxp=mtr

Cheers,

Sirhr

[Robert Luland]

We ain't got that problem in New Nazi Jersey. To save money a few years back, they cut out motorcycle inspection all together! Bob L

[murph]

Move to PA, not only is there no inspection there's no more registration either for antique plates. It's a one time registration for as long as you own it.

[pisten-bully]

Depends on the officer. But noone is going to mess with a true vintage bike JUST for a sticker.

Ahhh... Pierce! I think therein lies the problem ... depends on who sees you! I said "smarty-pants" with no offense intended....but we bought a brand new car in the state next door, supposed to have 10 or 15 days to get the VT inspection sticker... but three days after we bought that brand new car a "smarty-pants LEO" stopped my wife in VT and issued her a warning ticket for no inspection... sheesh! Times have changed!

Kinda like that Bargain Billy plate on Ebay you posted... but I've got the materials to make my own and I'm a cheap bastid sometimes... spend an hour or two to save $11.00!

I just would like to see some other ideas (I had initially planned to use the crash bar)... and you know I'm going to show up at your shop someday... and you'll probably know it's me by the flashing blue lights that will be following me into your dooryard!
H.

[36 knuck man]

No inspection in Kentucky, we can even run our vintage plates as long as the bike is registered and insured, thanks, Larry

[D.A.Bagin]

N.Y requires inspection on all bikes. I have not had an inspection done on any of my old bikes in over 20 yrs with no tickets, knock on wood. Even went thru a few M/C and auto roadblocks by the State Police and they look around the bike, look at the old sticker and year of manufacture plate and said, "OK go". Sticker was 22 yrs old. Only recent issue about 6 yrs ago was on a new bike 3 days overdue. Got a ticket for that one. If I ever get one, I will fight it as who is more qualified to inspect a 50 or more yr old bike? Someone who has never seen one, or the person who's life depends on it?

[45OZ]

In our state, if you want to ride your motorcycle anywhere else but in a parade or to an event you must register it with a regular motorcycle registration.... the antique plates don't get you squat if you want to ride... and along with the regular motorcycle registration you're required to have an annual inspection and paste an ugly inspection sticker on your motorcycle. So far, I've been riding un-inspected but I figure sooner or later some smarty-pants LEO is going to notice and slap me with a $100 fine.

I searched the forum here and haven't seen this topic discussed, but I'm looking for ideas on what other folks do if their particular state jurisdiction requires an annual inspection or other ugly sticker go on your antique bike? I've got an idea but before I proceed I'd just be curious to see what other folks have done!

Thanks!

Are you sure about that ? In Jersey Registered Antiques have restrictions also Like To & From Events , Parades ect.. but it also reads that the vehicle can be used " To & From Repairs" & " Normal Limited Use to Maintain the vehicle's proper Operation" Years ago the only one who checked that was the insurance Company, Which each year would request a Milage Statement from ya before they renewed Because back then my antique insurance limited me to 2500 miles a year, so you would keep track of what you stated the year before, & send in the "adjusted" milage, Back in the 80"s I had a 49 Plymouth I derove to work everyday with Antique plates to work, Got Stopped one morning by a cop who questions my tags & use at 7:00 am on a Tues Morning, I just told him I had a buddy who was going to adjust the lifters at his home shop & once the papers check out, & you sound convincing, Who Knows where yoy are headed??

[sirhrmechanic]

HI OZ.

VT does not have an exemption for repairs, etc. It's only events. That said... the crafty rider or antique car owner with an antique plate always goes out knowing that there is a poker run, cruise night, ride-in, tour, club-meet or similar event going on in the area or in the general direction one is going. (That's a law enforcement clue) There are ALWAYS things going on that could involve antique bikes and cars... At midnight on a thursday in April... I could find you something going on. Going to it... coming home from it. Hemmings.com has a great searchable database of 'stuff' that happens for cars and bikes on a daily basis. Be creative... is there an antique market in the area? Hey, I'm taking it to display. Boy Scout Jamboree? Scouts love old bikes. You on a scavanger hunt fundraising for crippled caribou? "Look, I already found a vintage spark plug and a comb." Took it to the high-school football game to display. Not saying I advocate that sort of thing... but hey, there's the letter of the law... and common sense. I've been out of the academy long enough to understand that the latter approach works now and then... ;-)

Part of the other thing that sucks in VT about antique plates for bikes... is that there is no 'small' bike-sized antique plate. Unless that's changed recently... but I don't think it has. Want to run an antique plate that exempts you from an inspection sticker, you have to display a car-sized plate. So to run a 'normal' plate that isn't bigger than your rear fender, you have to go full-registration and technically that requires a sticker. As I mentioned above, it's not likely to be a major issue unless you are in an accident, for example. And when you DO get hit by the short-bus full of nuns and tort-lawyers' children on their way to a Save the Polar Bears sit-in... they will make it your fault and take everything you own... Or at least cost you a fortune defending yourself.

Never thought I would say that NJ and PA are more enlightened... but there you go!

Cheers,

Sirhr

[45OZ]

Thanks for the info that sucks how to they expext you to maintain the bike? Trailer it to repairs ?
Good luck
Oz

[carlm]

In Mass you can use year of manufacture plates. I have a 1955 MC plate on my '55 FL. The registration is the same cost a a standard plate. You need to get the bike inspected. I go to my local HD dealer for inspection. They feel if I can ride the bike into the inspection bay everything must be OK. I can put the inspection sticker on the back of my registration sheet along with the registration sticker. Works pretty well.

[Bills37]

I just ignore it. They're not going to paste that cheesey looking stickers on my hard work.

[dixchief]

In Florida, there is no inspection of bikes or cars. Also you do not need insurance to ride a bike( no card required to title a bike)I don't agree with this policy but that is the way it is. the state only requires $10,000 liability for cars. this regs come back to bite you if you are on the receiving end of an accident. Hence be sure to have "uninsured motorist" clause. cars have one time only antique plates but bikes have to be 1945 or earlier to qualify for hordeless carriage (i time) plates.
RG

[rwm]

this regs come back to bite you if you are on the receiving end of an accident. Hence be sure to have "uninsured motorist" clause.
RG

i had this in pa. on my truck. An unisured car hit me in the rear. I had to pay for every dime of damage to my truck. That was about 12 years ago and still today i have no idea who is covered by that $86 a year i pay on the unisured motorist line of my policy.

[HD48FL]

We ain't got that problem in New Nazi Jersey. To save money a few years back, they cut out motorcycle inspection all together! Bob L

Are you sure about that ? In Jersey Registered Antiques have restrictions also Like To & From Events , Parades ect.. but it also reads that the vehicle can be used " To & From Repairs" & " Normal Limited Use to Maintain the vehicle's proper Operation" Years ago the only one who checked that was the insurance Company, Which each year would request a Milage Statement from ya before they renewed Because back then my antique insurance limited me to 2500 miles a year, so you would keep track of what you stated the year before, & send in the "adjusted" milage, Back in the 80"s I had a 49 Plymouth I derove to work everyday with Antique plates to work, Got Stopped one morning by a cop who questions my tags & use at 7:00 am on a Tues Morning, I just told him I had a buddy who was going to adjust the lifters at his home shop & once the papers check out, & you sound convincing, Who Knows where yoy are headed??

Jersey stopped the bi-annual inspections of regularly registered motorcycles like Bob said. But now the police have the right to inspect if you are pulled over, etc. I liked it better before because the inspection sticker just gave some peace of mind, for me at least. Plus they raised the price of the yearly registration to $65.00. Hell it costs more for the yearly registration of a bike than the average car.

45OZ, you are right about the restrictions with the antique plates. I don't like stipulations and just register my bikes the normal way. I don't think the state would bother anyone, I think like you said, it's the insurance companies that might be monitoring milage, etc.