Tex-s

This in not a rant on government per se, but rather a story of laws not keeping touch with technology and trends.

It's winter, even on the southwest, and in my area it's been in the 30's and wet for a good deal of the last several weeks. No one but the most devoted are riding motorcycles in the cold and wet, and the winter is the 'down season' for motorcycle dealers. As such, winter is a good time to negotiate bargains, which I did. I recently bought a motorcycle from an out-of-state dealer who replaced both tires and the battery at cost, no labor, and who is holding the bike for several weeks after payment so I can come and get the bike on my spring break, all for $1000 less than sellers in nearer markets would. The dealer also did a Facetime call with me to see, hear, and watch an employee run through the gears on the bike. Good people. The hope is, the weather will be substantially warmer by mid March when I ride her home....

Here's the problem. Texas law mandates a new purchase be registered withing 30 days of the purchase date, lest I accrue a substantial fine/late fee. Sounds reasonable, right. (I would have asked the dealer not to date the title transfer, but the buy was on the last day of January and doing that would have made their books iffy.) However, Texas registration requires a) I possess the title, b) I have insurance coverage on the bike, c) that I have proof of residency in the county in which I register the bike, and d) that the bike has Texas State Inspection certification. You see the issue? I cannot inspect the bike until is is HERE and it won't be here for 3 weeks after the 30 day deadline......

The current law simply does not take into account the fact that internet technology makes it so easy to purchase a vehicle from FAR away, and that the transport of that vehicle, even with contracted haulers, might take beyond 30 days. So, it turns out the only way to circumvent the issue is for me to initiate registration with the title, insurance policy, proof of residence, and photographic evidence that physical bike shares the same VIN as the title I now possess. The bike will still not be registered, but the so-called 'VIN inspection' suffices to forestall the fine and I can present a Texas Inspection Certification at a later date and finish the registration process.

I live 20 miles from the DMV office and I never have time off of work during DMV business ours, so I'll be taking a half-day off at least once to take care of this silly issue. I'll add this to my list of Texas red tape grievances... Then again, the NM dealership has a paperwork fee and NM collected sales taxes on the paperwork fee.....

And just to be complete: 2015 Vulcan S

dennis2146 Loc: Eastern Idaho

Would you not be subject to registering the vehicle until you bring it into the state of Texas? As I see it if the bike is not in Texas there should be no registration required in Texas. I just moved a while ago from Colorado to Idaho where my truck registration was $600.00 cheaper. Had I owned a motorcycle and left it at my brother's house in Colorado I would not be subject to Idaho registration until I actually brought the motorcycle into the state of Idaho.

Nice ride too.

Dennis

Tex-s

I called and asked, and I have 30 days from purchase. The VIN inspection is the only 'out' to the rule. Apparently, the state law just never anticipated the internet, Facebook marketplace, or cycletrader.com

RowdyRay Loc: MN

Interesting. Hope you iron it out.

I'm looking at a bike from another state. Plus shipping issues. If it were summer, I could travel down, ride back. Never thought about licensing issues. Hmmm....... More research is needed.

Hal81 Loc: Bucks County, Pa.

Most cops dont chase bikes.

krashdragon

When my Jeep died in Arizona, I bought a car in New Mexico. NM gave me a temp tag for 30 days. Texas paperwork wasn't done, NM sent me another 30 day tag.
However since then, you now have to have the vehicle inspected in the county where it's registered. I have a mailing/official address, which is in East Texas. My Moro Guzzi is currently residing in DFW. Like a 4 or 5 hour ride. Sucks.

Tex-s

Also, Dennis, I just realized I failed to address your last thought. I did not move. The bike is moving and is not registered to me in any state. Had I owned the bike in another state there is no 'purchase' to trigger the Texas 30 day rule, as it is based on 'purchase' of a vehicle by a TX resident. In fact, except for the inability to extend my current registration in the previous state (with no address in that state), Texas would likely not care at all if I rode an out-of-state cycle indefinitely. It seems to be the sales tax that motivates the statute.

roaddogie

Just get an illegal to ride it home for you LOL

Country Boy Loc: Beckley, WV

I purchased a new Goldwing 2 years ago in February and drove 6 hours and brought home on a trailer. I wonder if you paid all but $5 on the bike would the dealer be able to hold it for you and complete the sale on the date you pay the final payment. I don't know if he needs to show the bike sold for inventory purposes or if he needs to put the money in the till for profit structure.

agillot

i just move from calif to TX , and am finding out that texas is not that friendly , has some weird rules .so , TX is not the freedom state that i thought it was .

jaymatt Loc: Alexandria, Indiana

The laws sound logical to me--just take a trailer and get the bike. Problem solved.

Indi Loc: L. I., NY, Palm Beach Cty when it's cold.

Can you get the dealer to register the bike in his state using his address with your name, and transfer it to Texas when you can?

sr71 Loc: In Col. Juan Seguin Land

huh?

StanMac Loc: Tennessee

I lived in Texas for 23 years and, yeah, it’s a whole ‘nother country, as they like to say.

Stan

Abo

My heads aching just reading about it... I'm never going to
complain about VicRoads (an Australian motor vehicle bureaucracy)
again.

I live in Victoria and about 2003 I jumped on the Ghan (train) and went
interstate to South Australia, arriving at 7:30 am to buy a C model
KLX 650 Advertised there. By cab, from
a cafe/dinner where I breakfasted near the railway
station in the Adelaide CBD, I got to the Bike shop (Kessner Motorcycles)
to buy the used Kwaka. Took it for a blast, it checked out ok, so I paid for it
there and then. By the time we did the obligatory haggle,
visit to the SA traffic Authority, and paper work, it was
getting close 5pm and soon to be dark.

Anyway, I jumped on the bike, pointed it at home 463 miles to the South East
and launched... just as it started to get dark about an hour later,
a storm hit, I mean bulk rain,
lightning and thunder ripped through the night and stayed with me
heading East as weather does between
Adelaide and Melbourne... for the entire "trip"! I use the word "trip" in inverted commas
for the journey really was surreal.

The high beam on that bike was as good as any
search light and the machine beneath me treated the hostile meteorology
with sneering contempt, blasting happily Eastward like a bat out of hell
passing everything in sight. The bike and I were great friends by the
time we wheelied very wetly up my home driveway.

Perhaps counter intuitively, it counts amongst the best rides I've had. :-)

To transfer the registration/insurance from South Australia to Victoria was
a mere formality compared with what you're going through Bro.

You have my sympathy.

Anyway, keep your chain lubed/adjusted and enjoy your Kwaka Tex.

.

KLX not too long after I bought it

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