Filling out a reg 230 CA DMV Motorized bicycle application

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calpolymike

New Member
Oct 22, 2011
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cal poly pomona
What did you do?? and what where your results??

Ive done some searching on this site, but i get conflicting information..

I think i have an engine number..
 

bairdco

a guy who makes cool bikes
Aug 18, 2009
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living the dream in southern california
some china 2 strokes have a tag on them with a "serial number," but the ones i've seen, it's the manufacture date and they're all the same for that batch of motors.

i make up my own engine number, just in case someone else uses the one on the tag. i dunno what the dmv would do if they got different registration forms that all have the same number.

for the VIN, remember that you're registering a vehicle. if you put something down that's different from what's stamped on the frame, if you get pulled over and the numbers don't match, you can get ticketed, or worse, your bike impounded.
 

calpolymike

New Member
Oct 22, 2011
41
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cal poly pomona
Definitely gonna find the serial number off the bike, and put that in.

I thought the same thing what you said, how they have to match if I get pulled over.
 

MotorBicycleRacing

Well-Known Member
Jul 28, 2010
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SoCal Baby!!!
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Kinda off topic but if I go to register my MB do I need an endorsement or no?
Don't go anywhere like the DMV to get your plate.

Download and print out the form reg 230 and mail it in with $21
There is no place on the form that asks what endorsements that
you have on your drivers license.

I have heard some vague stories that recently people were asked
but everyone I know who sent the form in got their plates in 2 weeks
to a month.
I recommend that you use a US Postal Money Order to pay the $21
as it may speed up the turn around time.

yes, you are supposed to have a M2 or M1 endorsement to ride a
gas powered motorized bicycle in California.
 
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ProMcCown

New Member
Mar 21, 2012
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California
Don't go anywhere like the DMV to get your plate.

Download and print out the form reg 230 and mail it in with $19
There is no place on the form that asks what endorsements that
you have on your drivers license.

I have heard some vague stories that recently people were asked
but everyone I know who sent the form in got their plates in 2 weeks
to a month.
I recommend that you use a US Postal Money Order to pay the $19
as it may speed up the turn around time.

yes, you are supposed to have a M2 or M1 endorsement to ride a
gas powered motorized bicycle in California.
Thanks for the info, I was just curious if I needed an endorsement prior to registering the bike or not.
 

motobike

Member
Apr 14, 2012
37
0
6
Los Angeles
Just got mine this week. Took just over two weeks to get. Hard to put on the bike, as it is the size of a motorcycle license plate and I have no rear fender. I guess an angle bracket off of the rear axle will have to do. I wonder how long it will take until it gets bent!
 
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CroMagnum

Member
Sep 2, 2011
148
1
16
Los Angeles
These guys are giving you the good info - just put the bike serial down for the VIN, and if there's no number on the motor, just use the bike serial with an "E" in front of it. Leave the license plate number space blank because that's where the DMV clerk will write in your new plate number.

I've registered a few MBs with no problems so far. Things seem to move along quicker if you use a Postal Money Order for payment. And even though they will usually register for $18 like the web site says, the fee is really $19, so pay that amount just to be sure.


Move to another state.

Registration and laws are a two-edged sword. On one hand it you may be stuck with things like helmets, lights, or even something as horrible as a driver's license. But OTOH it makes you bullet proof. Look at the problem people in some states like FL, TX, AZ, and MI are having where the laws on MBs are vague or poorly defined. That leaves it up to the interpretation of the cops or judge, which rarely works out in your favor. At least in CA if a cop is getting too nosy you can say "Look, dude, here's my license plate, here's my helmet, and here's my lights. I'm legal, so bite me."

Ok, so I didn't actually say "bite me" to the officer. ;) I think the reason he was briskly walking in my direction was to bust me for riding some sort illegal minibike on the public streets. But he stopped short once he saw the license plate. I whipped out my official DMV registration that showed the name and serial of my Diamondback and the license plate number, so he knew it was legit. He didn't know anything about MBs. His partner had heard of them but never saw one before. I explained that basically they're like a homemade moped that the DMV will register. And as long as you have your plate and helmet you only get hassled by the cops once in a while. Luckily they thought that was funny.

So after a short, friendly conversation about building MBs and where to find information on the internet, they told me to ride safe and have a nice day, and let me go without any tickets or arrests. Sometimes it pays to follow the rules.


 
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MotorBicycleRacing

Well-Known Member
Jul 28, 2010
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SoCal Baby!!!
www.facebook.com
has anyone got personalized plates?

im thinking of trying to put something there, and wondered if they would make it.
in the plate section.
DMV does not make personalized plates for mopeds / motorized bicycles.

I doubt if they ever will because only a tiny number of these plates are
issued every year.

There is a whole DMV section on the kind of personalized plates you can get.
 

bairdco

a guy who makes cool bikes
Aug 18, 2009
6,537
264
63
living the dream in southern california
i sent them a letter about personalized plates a while back. they replied that they "are not available at this time."

dunno if that means they'll be available in the future, but i doubt it.

one thing i wanted to try, though, is i have an old black plate from a1967 honda ct90 that hasn't been registered since 1980 something and i wanted to put that down as my plate number on the form and see what happens.

i'll let you know if it works.