California laws...

[Ry_Guy]

I have a custom fabricated headlight assembly with drivelights and It's pretty much just bolted on the front. Anyone run into trouble getting this kinda stuff to pass inspection? I'm new to California, not really looking forward to all the nit-pick laws.

[jchc413]

just register it in another state is what I would do

[The Buddha]

CA has no yearly inspection.
They have a vin verification for titling out of state vehicles, but it is 1 time.
Lane splitting baby ... northern ca or southern ca ?
Cool.
Buddha.

[starshooter10]

yeah im also from CA (north bay)

and you dont really have to do shaZam!...

no inspection no smog

just pay the 30$ a year for reg + your insurance =-D

[Ry_Guy]

Awesome!! I just assumed the worst, but sounds like it won't be a problem.

Lane splitting baby ... northern ca or southern ca ?

Southern - Los Angeles area    Definately looking forward to lane splitting

[The Buddha]

Also, you have 1 bike, liability is say $75 a year, add another bike of lower risk, like a cruiser, and your bill goes up to 80 ... for both ... add a third, and its 82 ... just dont go up a risk category and buy a GSXR ...
CA is a very common sense state ... however sheite is $$$ and economy is literally dead right now there ... so Ry_guy what kinda work you do
Cool.
Buddha.

[fred]

I have a custom fabricated headlight assembly with drivelights and It's pretty much just bolted on the front. Anyone run into trouble getting this kinda stuff to pass inspection? I'm new to California, not really looking forward to all the nit-pick laws.

Yeah, there are no inspections. When I got my bike it had these terrible dual headlights that had no high beams, technically illegal, but no one ever knew or cared. I'm also currently riding around without a right front turn signal and I haven't gotten an flack for it, I just use hand signals to turn right and everything's fine. California is kinda annoying about car emissions laws, and has super strict weapons laws, but other than that it isn't any worse than anywhere else as far as I can tell...

[The Buddha]

NC is a POS ... I'd love to have the insurance rates and laws that CA does ... no common sense based stuff in NC ... and insurance is heavily regulated, you wont get lower quotes from competetion either ... they all are the same $$ ...
Cool.
Buddha.

[starshooter10]

irode my GS for almost a month with no mirrors >_<

now i have "short stem" mirrors so i stare at my arms half the ride...

and they viberate soo much they are ALMOST useless

stupid cheap aftermarkets!

[respite]

yeah im also from CA (north bay)

and you dont really have to do shaZam!...

no inspection no smog

just pay the 30$ a year for reg + your insurance =-D

No fair. DMV charged me 90 on my 07 gs.

[fred]

yeah im also from CA (north bay)

and you dont really have to do shaZam!...

no inspection no smog

just pay the 30$ a year for reg + your insurance =-D

No fair. DMV charged me 90 on my 07 gs.

Yeah, my 94 was like $80....

[Juan1]

You do have to have the bike inspected if you bring it in from out of state.  I have no idea what it entails.

As everyone else has pointed out, annual inspections are not required.

[Roadstergal]

Lane splitting baby

Lane splitting isn't legal - lanesharing is.  *halo*   

When I moved to CA, they did inspect my bikes.  They cared more about the VIN and engine number than the lighting, though.

[fred]

You do have to have the bike inspected if you bring it in from out of state.  I have no idea what it entails.

As everyone else has pointed out, annual inspections are not required.

The inspection for bringing the bike into the state is easy, all they do is make sure your engine number and VIN are good and then they make sure your bike has more than 7500 miles on it. This is the critical part, if you ever try to register anything from out of state with less than 7500 miles on the clock they blacklist your VIN forever and you can never register it in California ever again under any circumstance! You have to make sure your odometer reads more than 7500 before you go through this inspection. This is supposedly to keep people from buying stuff out of state without the California approved emissions stuff and then bringing it in to the state right away. I have a buddy who's dealing with the fact that his bike is pretty new and doesn't have enough miles on it. I think his current plan is to go get a junkyard instrument cluster that shows over 7500 miles on it just for the inspection, then switch back to the original one... Other than that you should be fine.

[Roadstergal]

If your bike has a CA emissions sticker - i.e. if it's a 50-state bike - you don't need the 7500 miles.  Both of my bikes were under 7500 miles at the time I moved; since they were 50-state bikes, no problem at all.

The 7500-mile thing is just a loophole to let you bring a 49-state bike in.

There are other loopholes for bringing in a 49-state vehicle, but probably none of them apply.

[Ry_Guy]

You do have to have the bike inspected if you bring it in from out of state.  I have no idea what it entails.

As everyone else has pointed out, annual inspections are not required.

The inspection for bringing the bike into the state is easy, all they do is make sure your engine number and VIN are good and then they make sure your bike has more than 7500 miles on it. This is the critical part, if you ever try to register anything from out of state with less than 7500 miles on the clock they blacklist your VIN forever and you can never register it in California ever again under any circumstance! You have to make sure your odometer reads more than 7500 before you go through this inspection. This is supposedly to keep people from buying stuff out of state without the California approved emissions stuff and then bringing it in to the state right away. I have a buddy who's dealing with the fact that his bike is pretty new and doesn't have enough miles on it. I think his current plan is to go get a junkyard instrument cluster that shows over 7500 miles on it just for the inspection, then switch back to the original one... Other than that you should be fine.

Good to know! 
I'm bringing the bike in from Wisconsin. It has over 7500, so not worried there. Does the inspection cost $?

so Ry_guy what kinda work you do

Behavior therapy. The job outlook in CA is pretty good. Not the best payin' job, but it's fun. I'll use the $ that the GS saves me to accomodate the more expensive lifestyle. Let's see...won't need the truck anymore. Might as well get another GS for back-up. Only $5 more per year in insurance anyway 

[Roadstergal]

I don't remember there being a separate fee for the inspection, but maybe I just forgot because it wasn't enough to notice against the other fees.  :p  You'll be charged 'use tax' - basically, sales tax on the current value of your bike - title transfer, and registration.  The use tax shouldn't be too much on an older GS, though.

You'll need to take a written test to have your moto license transferred.

[mach1]

cali is chill when it comes to bikes. I rode my GS without mirrors blinkers tail light and plates and passed cops in malibu and they didnt even look back. come down have fun and split as much as you can.

[The Buddha]

Behavior therapy - OK they better be paying you serious coin. So Cal is great for some types of careers, but you have to deal with insane commutes in spite of lane splitting, serious crime and gangs, lots and lots and lots of neighborhoods to avoid even venturing in after dark, and some seriously high real estate that in fact is dropping like a rock.
And being from wisconsin they figured they got your number ... they wave sunshine at you and you start seeing hollywood stars.
Hope you like it ... and now figure your upcomming cylinder head replacement labor cost just shot up 150% ... unless you swap it your self.
Cool.
Buddha.

[gaspy]

When I moved to CA, they did inspect my bikes.  They cared more about the VIN and engine number than the lighting, though.

What if you've done an engine swap? (sorry for thread jack  ). What are they checking against the engine number? emissions, or theft?