If you thought:
”Damn this sounds crazy. What type of crazy state would require something like this? California?!”
Then you, friend, have won this thread!
For some clarification:
I purchased an out of state used bike with 6,400 miles, but live in California.
California DMV states all vehicles under 7,500 miles are considered new.
In order to register a new vehicle in California it must pass manufacturer based California compliance (have a sticker and be specifically made for California).
Indian manufacturers a batch of motorcycles specifically for these CA compliance’s, but the rest, that go to other states, are not compliant.
So, my out of stare purchase cannot be registered with the DMV until I get the mileage to 7,500. However, the shipping took longer than planned, and used up most of my 30-day registration window. And the flu killed another week.
So now I’m riding illegally, because I can’t legally register the bike. Good to know about the speedo tampering being illegal. That’s one illegal activity I can avoid.
But I took the advice. A friend has put on miles, I’m taking detours, and just went on a 5-hour road trip this weekend. I have about 500 miles to go, and hope I don’t get pulled over in that time.
Definitely appreciate everyone’s thoughts, and I have two lessons to share:
• If you live in California, plan carefully and fully when buying a used bike with under 7,500 miles. Be prepared for things to not go according to plan.
• If you don’t want to be governed by weird laws that don’t actually help you as a citizen, maybe don’t live in California.