contacting honda about epa street legality of crf 450x?

[notaek99]

I have been trying to convert a crf450x to a street legal supermoto, i know that you have to install all the required equipment but you also have to get a letter from honda saying that the bike meets emission standards for the state you live(oregon). but i can only find a mail address and it has been several weeks since i wrote honda and still no reply. does anyone have any first hand experience with this or any advice or an email address? I would really appreciate it.

Thanks alot,

keaton snyder

[Thresher90]

Keaton,

That is the first time I heard of someone wanting a statement of emission requirements. That is really weird. If it was me I would just make up my own letter of "Legal Emissions Requirements" and say here ya go. ?

Good luck with this,

Derek

[durangoman]

Keaton,

That is the first time I heard of someone wanting a statement of emission requirements. ? That is really weird.

I have never heard of that either, but I dont live in Oregon either.

[FORMA MOTO]

Honda will not reply to such a letter, as it is not going to admit one way or another what standards it meets, state-to-state wise. It just opens them up for thousands of other letters.

Honda does not make a real dirtbike that passes the '50 state on-highway emmisions standards' at this time, and probably never will. They sell 1000% more play bikes and CRR's than they ever would full dirt dual sport bikes. To many federal and EPA hoops to jump through for such a big company. Husqvarna, KTM, Beta, Aprilia, Sherco, are it right now, and their bikes are sitting in showrooms, unsold. All those Dualsport brands combined, for the next 5 years of sales would not equal the sales of CRF230's for the next 3 months.

[Beyond The Pale]

Take a close look at your bike. It has an emissions label. It doesn't say it meets standards for on road emissions. It says off road. If the label says on road then you should be golden.

Now if that label fell off and you had to replace it... hmmm.

You will never get that letter from Honda because they never tested it to EPA on road emissions standards, only off road.

[Kyron]

Sorry its been taking me so long to get back you you about the epa approvial for your CRF450X, Where do you want me to send your letter to?

Yours truley,

Mr. Honda

?

[barryadam]

I actually got a letter like that from Dodge when I imported a RAM Van from Canada (Roadtrek van conversion). It must have been the same specs as the US version that was certified by Dodge, or else they had done the cert for Roadtrek before. I called Dodge from the border and within a day or so, had a letter in hand to cross the border.

To register in Calif, I had to get smogged at a "Referee Station", not a regular smog check station. They stickered the van so it could forever more be certified in Calif. I ended up selling the unit to a guy from Oregon or Wa.

I alos got a letter from Suzuki that allowed me to import my RG500's to California for registration.

And, NO, you can't have a copy of my letters to change the name on to match your bike.?

[Rhaeger]

I can tell you confidently that they will not even send you any sort of letter if you let them know your intentions are to make it street legal. The best thing to do would be to either have a dealer do this for you ( if they even will ) or contact Honda and state you need the letter for registering your bike in your home state.

Once you mention "street licensed", "street legal" or "street registered", everything will grind to an abrupt halt with them.

Give me a day or so and I might have some other avenue I can find, but no guarantee.

[notaek99]

yeah i finally got a letter back and honda said that the bike is for closed course use only. blah blah blah. nothing i didn't expect.

i will probably send some more letters in worded differently and go talk to some dealerships.

thanks for all the help so far in this messed up ordeal.

does anyone know of a way to buy one from overseas? one of the crf450x E's, that come streeet legal?

[FORMA MOTO]

yeah i finally got a letter back and honda said that the bike is for closed course use only. blah blah blah. nothing i didn't expect.

i will probably send some more letters in worded differently and go talk to some dealerships.

thanks for all the help so far in this messed up ordeal.

does anyone know of a way to buy one from overseas? one of the crf450x E's, that come streeet legal?

I think you are missing the point completley. It's not the bike that's the issue, it's the bike's 'status'. Any bike can be 'made' into a street legal bike, according to what a Police or Highway patrol officers are required to check for. It's the status at the Motor vehicle department that makes it tough to impossible to do. The bike must fall into a category of 'on-highway epa compliant' or it cannot be registered for street use. There are companies that will 'fake' the epa compliance on your registration paperwork, and you may even get a plate, but it will not be permanent. They usually charge 500.00 to 1500.00 just for this paperwork, which has no guarantee or refund. It is considered by most here in the forums to be illegal, slightly immoral to provide such a service, and, a real gamble with your money and bikes registration (legally, it is forgery of a state document).

[72gag]

Give it up and go buy a KTM or Husky. If you insist on a jap bike there are half a dozen over weight under powered bikes available.

[sethsquatch76]

Immoral my ass...no loyaltys of morals with a goverment like ours, and yes I love the country Seth

[MotoChris521]

Give it up and go buy a KTM or Husky. If you insist on a jap bike there are half a dozen over weight under powered bikes available.

Yes, and those over weight,under powered jap bikes WILL go any where a KTM or Husky will go.?

[72gag]

Yes, and those over weight,under powered jap bikes WILL go any where a KTM or Husky will go.?

I am assuming that he is wanting a light and powerful bike and is a honda guy. I have friends that will never own anything but a honda.When the japanese build a bike compareable to the ktm and husky dualsports it will have 10 lbs of idiot switches and other totaly unneccassary stuff. We buy what we buy for many different reasons, I've bought most of my bikes from the same dealer since 1981 and will continue to do so. The point of my origonal reply is that he could be out riding instead of beating his head against the wall in fustration.

[FORMA MOTO]

Immoral my ass...no loyaltys of morals with a goverment like ours, and yes I love the country Seth

It's not the government is immoral, it's the dealers who overcharge for paperwork with no guarantees.........IMHO.........

[Rufjeep]

Basically, read through every avenue your state has for plating a bike and find the route with the least roadblocks.

You could:

Take a trip to your local Honda shop and check out what the emmisions stickers look like on Xr650L's...maybe take a digital camera.

Go to your local vinyl decal maker and ask if you can buy a few scraps of self-adhesive vinyl.

Microsoft Paint or Photoshop

Print it on a lazer jet printer, cover with clear packing tape to keep it from smearing and give the right sheen, cut it out, and stick it on your bike.

But I am definatley not advocating anything...

[kenr74]

I have been trying to convert a crf450x to a street legal supermoto, i know that you have to install all the required equipment but you also have to get a letter from honda saying that the bike meets emission standards for the state you live(oregon). but i can only find a mail address and it has been several weeks since i wrote honda and still no reply. does anyone have any first hand experience with this or any advice or an email address? I would really appreciate it.

Thanks alot,

keaton snyder

Take the title in to the DMV, play dumb and ask for a plate. Try different locations until you get somebody to hand one over. I hear that smaller offices just outside of Portland are good to try. You are not going to get a letter from Honda but you can get a plate if you are persistant.

[pops62]

Basically, read through every avenue your state has for plating a bike and find the route with the least roadblocks.

You could:

Take a trip to your local Honda shop and check out what the emmisions stickers look like on Xr650L's...maybe take a digital camera.

Go to your local vinyl decal maker and ask if you can buy a few scraps of self-adhesive vinyl.

Microsoft Paint or Photoshop

Print it on a lazer jet printer, cover with clear packing tape to keep it from smearing and give the right sheen, cut it out, and stick it on your bike.

But I am definatley not advocating anything...

You could rob a bank and take the money and buy anything you want, it would be just as legal...?