Thread: reg. questions

ok i know the states are different. but does anyone know what basically needs to be on the bike or fixed to pass inspection so far ive found it needs "all safety items" but seems how this is my first and it was never all together (i got it as a box of parts) i dont know whats missing and whats needing replacement. im sorry i know this may be annoying. im just a noob and hope i can get everything fixed before this spring. i think its almost done but i dont know.

I was just thinking the same thing....just bought the bike.....71' HK0...didn't have any turn signals on it, but has headlight and taillight??????????........If the bike has a title, doesn't it have to have signals?,,,,,,,or did the PO pull them off?

Anything from 1973 or older should not require turn signals or mirrors, as they did not come from the factory with those items until 1974. So you should be able to get them licensed/titled with just a headlight/taillight.

Anything after 1974 will require working turnsignals and mirrors for most states.

well i have the turn signals and lights and the brakes stop good on my k3. is there anything else needed safety wise?

Thanks, CKYLE.............Gonna go ahead and tag the 71'

A safety can be a tricky thing depending on where you live, and the mood the mechanics spouse was in the night before

you need most of the bike working the way it originally did

- headlight
- high and low beam functioning via switch
- horn
- rear running light
- brake light that works with front and rear brake
- speedo and backlight
- mirrors
- reflectors
- in Canada all indicator lights originally equipped must work (neutral, turn, high / low if applicable)
- wheel bearing slop is a common one overlooked that fails on a lot of bikes
- the throttle must return to closed on its own
- the idle cannot change when the handle bars are moved through full range
- the battery must have the strap holding it down

technically the handle bars (in Canada again ) fail for two reasons. The are too tall (qualify as ape hangers) and can be removed with those knobs. They have to be permanent by the strict letter of the law. This is commonly overlooked by a mechanic though.

I'm not so sure about the US state to state but I'm sure its more relaxed

They are talking in Canada about yearly emission tests for bikes like our cars need : (

They actually want to put emissions standards into place for lawnmowers and snowblowers too, and have a yearly vehicle safety too. Maybe we will live to see the day a lawnmower needs a plate and a safety.

Get you bike safetied while you still can, and keep it in safety shape if you get pulled over it will help to have everything properly working.

recently purchased directional turn signals for my bike and the 1st day I used them they saved my life at an intersection where a truck was making a right turn.
It's a no brainer. I purchased mine at www.safetybikesignals.com.
Why so few bike riders have them I'll never understand. Do you?

Joe Miller

I was one of the die hard guys against signals for a couple years. A part of it was the fact I liked driving a bike that didn't belong on the road, and the other part was the awkward look the signals give the bike. I also didn't mind using my left hand to signal while holding a liquor store bag hoping a cop would stop me, when really I was not breaking the law.

now I have signals on the bike, solely because I will have manual clutch and don't want to neutral shift in left turns waiting for an opening in traffic

As for safety, its a no brainer. Even the narrow signals give off enough light to get attention, even if it doesn't help indicate where you are going.

Another issue is mounting them, there is no real easy way to mount them looking nice, even the way honda mounted them was not pretty, as I find to be true with early CB models and many old school bikes