i am living in the communist state of california... just learned that i can not buy a bike with less than 7,500 miles if its in another state. this is the most ridiculous thing i have ever heard, but i have verified this on the calif d.m.v. website.

i just found my "dream softail" on the east coast- it has just over 3k miles. i want to have it shipped here but am wondering how i get around the most ridiculous and over-controling law i have ever heard of.

anyone here in calif ever bought an out of state bike with less than 7,500 miles? i am thinking of shipping the bike out here and riding it until it has 7,500 miles before i register it. maybe put the plates from another one of my bikes on it until then!?

i need to know what others do in this situation-

 

WOW! What the hell is the reasoning behind that!??? There's gotta be a violation of rights in there somewhere... What about "Life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness"!!! Really sorry to hear this bro...

 

Change odometers and make sure the seller writes the same mileage as whats on the second odemeter. To ride it for 4,500 miles could be problematic. ie how will you insure it? If you get pulled over and its not licensed/registered in Cal...

Or, do what a lot of others are doing, move.

 

Here's an afterthought... Why dontcha' fly out there and ride it back? Your mileage outta' be reeeal close by then. You can always get a temporary plate in the state where you purchased it... 30/60/90 day?

 

now thats a solution that i really like... only if i had a boss who agreed!!

 

The restriction is California's way to help stop the purchase of New non-California Emission cars from
being purchased and brought into the state.

The only way "Around" this is to ride the bike and bring the mileage up to 7,500 before the bike can
be registered in the State of California.

 

Consider waiting 'till you find your dream closer to home. It will cost about $500 to ship the bike.

The DMV or AAA (where you can register your bike) will inspect it. If your title transfer (pink slip) on the bike indicates that the bike had less than 7,500 miles when it was sold, that will be a problem with your plan.

Alternatively, if the sales documents (pink slip, etc.) says that the bike you happen to purchase had over 7,500 miles at the time of the sale (which I am confident the one you choose would) and that the odometer was changed due to a damaged or defective odometer (as you know, H-D stuff often fails prematurely) and now reads lower, it would certainly explain why the odometer has less than 7500 miles at the time of inspection. Of course, under those circumstances, you would most certainly have a document from the seller stating that the odometer was replaced due to it being broken, and at what mileage it was replaced.

But I don't have a crystal ball. Who knows what bike you will select. The bike that is meant to be often finds you. You just have to be looking in the right place for it at the right time.

 

Maybe I'm reading between the lines here, but I'm thinking they cannot keep you from buying whatever you want wherever you want, you just can't register it in CA under certain restrictions as in this case, under 7500 miles.

 

you are on the right track, but as above i wonder whether there could be insurance problems with an unregistered bike... there has to be some way around this stupid law!

 

I just bought a bike out of state that still had a lien on it. Bank had the title on hand and I paid the loan off and gave the seller the balance in cash. The lien holder had to sign off on the lien release and then we had the sale notarized at the same bank. On the back of the title (perhaps this is not true in all states) at the time of the sale the odometer reading is filled in and the notary filled it in.

If the sale can be completed without a notary or the odometer reading to be filled in at the time of sale is not a requirement then you might be able to ride it (unregistered a bit chancy) until you are at the mileage level needed. Or if the odometer box is left blank just put in 7500 miles. Of course, if California requires a vehicle inspection most likely the inspecting facility will have to enter the mileage on some necessary form.