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Side mount license plates in Cal

25K views 133 replies 75 participants last post by  reverb 
#1 · (Edited)
I have a friend and a customer of our shop that is a cop, he said as of January 1, 2011 cops in California have been instructed to write tickets on all side mounted vertical license plates. the new law is plates have to be 16" off the ground and easy to read which means in the "normal" horizontal position, this ticket is an "equipment violation" but with the court assessment fees it will cost you approx. $200.
I got a helmet ticket this week and the cop told me the plate had to be mounted to the rear fender, now since he was only writing me for the helmet I wasn't going to argue the point with him, the D.O.T. approved Harley Nightster has a side mounted plate that is legal under federal guidelines.
These tickets are nothing more than a revenue generation tactic by the state and local governments. that helmet ticket will cost me $187.00.
Watch out guys, cops are looking hard at bikes now for mufflers, lights/horn, front fender and front brake, these equipment laws are really going to be enforced in an effort to balance the state budget.
 
#35 ·
A friend of mine is building a pretty tasty Triumph chop. He wanted to run a side mount tail lamp/plate. He was planning on the plate being vertical which is in violation of Illinois DOT regs. I asked him if he really wanted to bring extra attention to himself by running it that way.
 
#36 · (Edited)
Back on subject, ..this law will be hard on a lot of bikes that have a short rear fender and no other choice but a horizontal plate hanging way off the side and a minimum 16" off the ground and it also taillights must be visible from both sides of the rear. Many people may want to consider a short sissy bar mounted setup.
Take a look at the Harley Nightster and see what they did with a DOT legal breakaway side mount. the cops may not like it but it is legal.
 
#52 ·
Back on subject, ..this law will be hard on a lot of bikes that have a short rear fender and no other choice but a horizontal plate hanging way off the side and a minimum 16" off the ground and it also taillights must be visible from both sides of the rear. Many people may want to consider a short sissy bar mounted setup.
Take a look at the Harley Nightster and see what they did with a DOT legal breakaway side mount. the cops may not like it but it is legal.
Tony, I read that you heard this from a customer, have you found anything written (legal) that states that. The helmet law has been in effect for a while but I can't find any changes to the license plate laws, still the same no further forward than the axel and so on. I did find a change for motorcycle training, http://www.dmv.ca.gov/pubs/newsrel/newsrel10/2010_38.htm . I was wondering if you found anything else. Thanks.
 
#37 · (Edited)
I called some bike shops around me and asked some guys a few months ago about this very thing when I was deciding how I was gonna mount my plate. Never did find out if vertical was legal in NY (thanks Loffer). Fact is, all depends on the Ass in the seat of the patrol car! Biker hater, just lost his hottest sidesteak, ETC. Thats the messed up thing with the law, You can never be to sure of who your gonna get. I have been riding a bone stock Softail for the last 10 years because I got tired of the hassles. Now I am tired of the boring softail so I am building something again but I am going to mount mine Horizontal because you know it will piss some cop off that he has to turn his head to read my plate so maybe, just maybe one less hassle.
 
#38 ·
I called some bike shops around me and asked some guys a few months ago about this very thing when I was deciding how I was gonna mount my plate. Never did find out if vertical was legal in NY (thanks Loffer). Fact is, all depends on the Ass in the seat of the patrol car! Biker hater, just lost his hottest sidesteak, ETC. Thats the messed up thing with the law, You can never be to sure of who your gonna get.
 
#41 ·
Here in WA state, it's dependent on the local PD - some are dicks about equipment and helmets, some don't care. But about 2 years ago, a new law was enacted - if you don't have a license and/or endorsement for the vehicle (they claim it wasn't intended to target motorcyclists - right!), the state will impound and sell your vehicle.
 
#44 ·
Here in WA state, it's dependent on the local PD - some are dicks about equipment and helmets, some don't care. But about 2 years ago, a new law was enacted - if you don't have a license and/or endorsement for the vehicle (they claim it wasn't intended to target motorcyclists - right!), the state will impound and sell your vehicle.
Two cities local to me will impound the bike if it is unsafe or you don't have a motorcycle endorsement on your drivers license, those cities are Anaheim and Huntington Beach, you are considered an "Un-licensed driver". and expect to pay about $350 if you get it out the next day.
Those cities are resort cities with Disneyland and Surf City and are doing everything then can do to discourage motorcycles from their cities.
Lurkingglass (Pete) said it helps to not ride like a dick but sometimes it makes no difference,
Not all cops are pricks but many are.
 
#45 ·
Is it too much to expect a driver to be licensed for the vehicle they are driving? I dont think so.

That being said, more subjective harassment such as safety or perceived noise levels, different story.

'Round here, they will get you for excessive revving {especially as you jazz the throttle rolling up to a stopped traffic light downtown}, noise, and have made parking illegal in city-owned parking garages.
 
#46 ·
Its illegal to Park in a city owned Parking garage? Damn sounds like a class action lawsuit for discrimination to me! That is total bullshit. Its like saying only Chevys can park there! Man you pay taxes and have to license your bike just like a car. Shit like this makes my blood boil!
 
#51 ·
Safety:

1. the quality of being safe
2. freedom from danger or risk of injury
3. a contrivance or device designed to prevent injury
4. (Team Sports / American Football) American footballa. Also called safetyman either of two players who defend the area furthest back in the field
b. a play in which the offensive team causes the ball to cross its own goal line and then grounds the ball behind that line, scoring two points for the opposing team Compare touchback

5. the excuse used by beaurocratic cocksuckers to:
a. raise income through fines and fees
b. perform 'social engineering' to hassle whichever element of society they do not favor.


</rant>

-Bill
 
#49 ·
I'm kinda pissed that motorcycles don't have the right to ride the public streets in Huntington Beach, what do you guys think of this idea? how about organizing a motorcycle revolt ride in the city of Huntington Beach, something like putting out the word to motorcyclist in So. Ca. that on a certain day at a certain time everyone converge on the "no fly zone" of Main street and P.C.H.. If so many of us showed up it would totally overwhelm their enforcement capabilities. we could print out and wear signs that say "stop the harassment", and all of us honk horns and rev the engines. I could call the local T.V. stations and have them there. they can't get us all.
 
#50 ·
i mean its just like any profession with power, there are some who are legit and there are some who aren't. Cops just get looked at harder for what their job is supposed to be. Im not defending any of them cause frankly, even if i'm doing nothing wrong I ALWAYS get nervous when they pop up. I think that someone thats doing something unsafe to people around them, ie speeding, DUI, red light running, and so on should be punished, but a dude riding with a bike thats plates are turned sideways... come on!!! In LA i see countless sportbikes with plates tucked so far up there @$$ end u can see it. or they don't have one at all. That should be illegal but a blatantly visible one on the side of ur bike, give me a break. Even most of the cars don't have plates, they drive around with the dealer advertisement plates for months, doubt they get ticketed for that. Unfortunately for us MOTORCYCLISTS we get a bad wrap as criminals and hooligans even though our community is constantly doing things to help the less fortunate (toy rides, rides for charity, etc.).
 
#53 · (Edited)
this customer is a cop and he told us that the change is a collective agreement in the interpretation of the law, the V/C states the plate must be... "and shall be maintained in a condition so as to be clearly legible.".... . So cops have been instructed to interpret this (legible) to mean horizontally written numbers. This gives them another reason for writing a "equipment violation", and if they pile on several equipment violations on the ticket the likelihood of you getting all these things dismissed diminish, even if the plate gets dismissed and the court assessment fees for the ticket still have to be paid.
It is the "fix it ticket" budget balancing act.
 
#55 · (Edited)
with the help of the internet we could pull this off,
what I was thinking was something like this....because 99% of motorcycle riders are law abiding people and have the right to ride these streets legally , we should do this on the 99th day of the year, which is April 9th 2011, a Saturday at noon at the corner of Main st. and P.C.H., it would be highly advised to have a completely legal M/C and helmet. we could clog up the streets and prevent the cops from doing their harassment by playing dumb and surrounding their bikes like we don't understand their commands. Hell, one of my best chances for retirement is to get some cop to take a swing at me, I would just lay there until my attorney tells me to get up.
 
#57 ·
Since someone asked about Florida laws, here is what is on the book about the license plate:

The license tag of a motorcycle or moped must be permanently affixed to the vehicle and may not be adjusted or capable of being flipped up. No device for or method of concealing or obscuring the legibility of the license tag of a motorcycle shall be installed or used. The license tag of a motorcycle or moped may be affixed horizontally to the ground so that the numbers and letters read from left to right. Alternatively, a license tag for a motorcycle or moped for which the numbers and letters read from top to bottom may be affixed perpendicularly to the ground, provided that the registered owner of the motorcycle or moped maintains a prepaid toll account in good standing and a transponder associated with the prepaid toll account is affixed to the motorcycle or moped.
 
#59 ·
I'm sorry to here about your helmet ticket Tony, that's a lot of money.
I believe in freedom, that we should be able to ride wherever....but that's just not the lay of the land. It's not a flaw in the system, that's the way the system is DESIGNED to work. I live in northern LA county and have never had any problems (knock on wood). Shovel, drags, no turn signals, foot clutch etc. But I'm a foothill - desert kind of guy. Everybody in SoCal knows the beach towns are uppity, just the way it is. I quit going to OC 15 years ago because of the law there. My life's more peaceful now. Some would say they win that way, I say fuck 'em, they can have it. Just my 2 sense.
 
#60 ·
So, guys...I think it's a sure thing that a cop is reading this right now, and will keep reading this. Then when things are close to coming to fruition, said cop will spread the word...and you'll be screwed.

Keep it off the air, otherwise it may not turn out as planned.

BTW, good luck and give em hell. No damn reason for us to fear doing anything legal, this is fuckin America.
 
#61 ·
I was pulled over by a bike cop on my r5 (Predecessor to the rd350) for a noise violation and was told " it sounds like a dirt bike". I told the officer it's a two-stroke. I don't think he knew what that meant. Took it to the police station and had it the ticket signed off. Different cops have different opinions just hope for a good one. I'd of thought a bike cop would like bikes.
 
#62 ·
People are starting to contact me about the 99 Revolt ,
I'm serious about it, H.B. motor officers are out of control, those cops think they can take our right to ride in that city away,
I will ride a legal bike, I will obey the traffic laws. and I will ride that city.
 
#64 ·
Just a suggestion but a 5 or 10 dollar optional donation would to go toward helping pay any tickets issued directly related to the event, not to cover speeding and other non related violations. We did this years back when told we could not run a 45' waterfall in kayaks because it was deemed unsafe, we ended up with 200+ people overwhelming the forest service and running the falls with no injuries. 7 people were arrested and a portion of the money went toward bail. The publicity attracted pro-bono lawyers and all charges were overturned in a class action suit with no one being required to appear in court. I can run that waterfall to this day! Money raised was donated to providing kayaking lessons to underprivileged kids and it worked out well for everyone! Key is setting it up in a manner that does not alienate riders that cannot afford to donate....just being there is helpful and a big enough group can change things!

We had several magazines on board that contacted local press just prior to the event and ran articles after to bring national publicity to the kayaking community while not alerting the local authorities prior to the event.

I would love to see this on the news if planned well!
 
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