NC Dual Sport

[jap338kx]

has anyone converted their dirt bike to street legal use in nc? I had full intentions of converting mine untill I stumbled across this..

http://4strokesonly.com/NC.html

dont want to waste the money on mods if it is not possible?? can anyone help me?

[kpmnc24]

That info is wrong. I converted a bike to street use last year in NC and it's no big deal. Just ask the DMV and they will tell you how to do it. I asked a bunch of dealers and they all had the wrong info as well and told me it cannot be done. I guess the dealers were too lazy to call the DMV.

The main thing you need to do is to get the DMV to look at the bike and make sure it has the correct lights, mirrors, etc. The one change is they do check bikes out now because in the past they had problems with people gettting plates for all kinds of junk bikes and ATVs.

If you have any other questions let me know.

[jap338kx]

Where can I find the laws regarding the minumum requirements?

[kpmnc24]

You need 2 mirrors, DOT headlight, rear light/brakelight, DOT approved tires and a horn. I think turn signal lights are not required but if you have them they need to work. (I have them)

You can't go to just any DMV to get your bike looked at , only locations where they have a DMV person who knows about bikes. In Raleigh you can go to the DMV on Avent Ferry Rd - that's also the place you can take your road test to get your endorsement. If you live outside Raleigh you should call the DMV office to see if they can check out your bike - I guess they can do it in big cities like Charlotte, Greensboro, etc. If you are in a small town you probably need to go to a bigger city nearby.

Also you need a title to get a plate. If you only have a MSO you need to convert the MSO to a title to get a plate. If you are the first owner of the bike then it's not a problem. If you bought the bike used and don't have the title then you need to get person who was the 1st owner to convert the MSO to a title.

[jap338kx]

So first step: Convert bike to legal specs, then convert bill of sale to title? then visit dmv on avent ferry? or do i need insurance before I go to dmv?

[Goosedog]

So first step: Convert bike to legal specs, then convert bill of sale to title? then visit dmv on avent ferry? or do i need insurance before I go to dmv?

Your first step should be the title work. It requires the most hassle (red tape)and is not always possible with each bikes circumstances. Personally I would not spend the time or money on the street legal mods until I was sure I could accomplish the paper work end of it. BTW, this is getting more and more difficult to do in NC, if your original bill of sale has "off-road use only" anywhere on it they will more than likely turn you down.

[kpmnc24]

The bill of sale doesn't have off - road only on it, the MSO does.

I actually got lucky because when I went to the DMV to get my title, the person there didn't know about getting my bike checked out first - they gave me my title and then asked if I wanted the plate too - so I said yes and got my plate then. I was able to skip the DMV check of my bike but that probably won't happen to everyone.

If you just want a title that should be no problem if you have the MSO and bill of sale - you can do that without going to Avent Ferry. Then you can get your dual sport equipment and take the bike to Avent Ferry to get it checked out. The title + the checking of your bike gets you the plate. I talked to 4 different DMV people and none of them mentioned anything about the process being hard. I'm not sure how the story got around that NC no longer allows conversions.

You need insurance to get a plate - it's best to take your proof of insurance to the DMV to get the plate.

[jap338kx]

What is the mso, all I have is dealer invoice recipt (does not say off road only) and a hand written bill of sale which I wrote with the previous owner.

And then do I have to get a yearly inspection at a dealer afterword?

[kpmnc24]

The MSO is what comes with the bike from the manufacturer. (It stands for Manufacturers Statement of Origin) It acutally comes for all bikes and cars but most people never see it becuase the dealer turns it into a title and gives you the title. ( Most dirt bike buyers get a MSO and not a title when they buy the bike new. That way they don't have to pay a title fee. )

If you have a bill of sale from a dealer I guess that is the same as a MSO but the DMV has the final say on that. If your paperwork does not say "off road only" then you should be able to skip the DMV check of your bike and get your title+plate together. You also need to get yearly inspection like any other bike.

[jap338kx]

Just a idea: What if i went about getting a title by going as a salvage title? would this work? I know if you buy a trailer without a title you can make you own under "salvage" catagory?? would that work?

[kpmnc24]

I don't know anything about laws regarding salvage titles. If you can't get a title any other way I guess that's worth a try.

When I called the DMV they were very nice and helpful to me which is not what you would expect so hopefully they will give you the info you need.

[jap338kx]

Today I went down to south hills mall title and tag agency, and in order for me to make it street legal I first have to convert it(the bike) to specs, then have it inspected by DMV liscense and theft inspector, then i will need to get an indemnity bond from an insurance company to complete the titling process... after all this will the title say "on road use" or will they generate a manufacturer title saying off road use? let me know what you think, if i should take the risk of spending the money or not.?

[kpmnc24]

I don't think any NC titles say "off road use" - only the MSO says that as far as I know. If you get the title after the bike passes the inspection then it certainly will be OK for on-road use. I think I forgot to mention that you also need a odometer/speedometer. I don't know what they mean by idemnity bond for insurance. I just have normal insurance for my bike.

Are you doing this for your XR400? I guess it is a risk that you could be rejected at some point in the process but it's hard to say what the chances of that are. I used a Baja Designs dual sport kit for my bike but I think it's cheaper to buy the equipment yourself although I guess that also is harder to install.

[ddogride]

If your dealer is like mine. I just went in a couple of weeks ago and ask for the mso and they pulled it out of a file and gave it to me. Now to the next step.