We have talked about all kinds of vehicles on the Dirt Legal blog. Some of them are unique and interesting, while most are average vehicles with some kind of title problem, or the owner would rather not pay high sales taxes. Of course, there is always the classic soccer-mom-wants-to-stop-getting-smog-checks. We do that, too.
One of our favorite programs is our OHV street-legal program. We aim to get whatever you’ve got in your garage legal for road use. Mini-bike? Yes. Go-kart? Why not. UTV? Too easy. And, of course, dirt bikes. These are logical progressions because most dirt bike makers these days produce a street-legal hybrid sort of bike, which they call Enduros. In fact, we’ve even written about making pit bikes street-legal!
How about trials bikes? You know, those weird machines with tiny gas tanks and no seats? Assuming you are cool with driving sans seat, let’s see your options!
What Is A Trials Bike? And Where Is The Seat?
Image by websiteproud from Pixabay
Trials bikes are a unique creation made for the specific purpose of running motorcycle trials. Made popular in Europe, motorcycle trials have become a global attraction.
The trials usually involve running obstacle courses with the bike, and the rider must not put their feet down. Great balance and throttle control are paramount.
The bikes are as unique as the sport. Made to provide the best power-to-weight, trials bikes are stripped-down dirt bikes with no amenities. Also, they are made to have a more rigid suspension than the motocross-style bike, which is made for big air. Trials bikes run at lower speeds and maneuver in ways that are completely unique.
They don’t have seats because the rider isn’t supposed to sit; they will be standing throughout the course, which is relatively short. This is also why they have such small tanks (around one gallon).
Are There Any Reasons Trials Bikes Can't Be Street Legal?
Well, the usual reasons apply. The bike has to be titled with a street-legal title and then registered and tagged like any other motorcycle.
The bike must also have all of the usual DOT-required items installed for street usage. These include:
White headlight with low and high beam
Red taillight with brighter or separate brake light
Reflectors: yellow front and rear
White license plate light
Front and rear turn signals
DOT tires
Mirrors
Horn
Quiet exhaust with muffler
Spark arrestor (if you plan to use trails, OHV areas, etc.)
Image by Christian Pischinger from Pixabay
You DO NOT need these parts installed for Dirt Legal to register and plate your vehicle as no inspection is needed for our services.
But the problem lies in your bike's title status from the factory. If your bike came from the factory with an off-road title, you must take care of the title work first so you can register it.
But more on that in just a little bit. In a nutshell, no, there isn’t any reason why you can’t make a trials bike street-legal once the minimum equipment requirements are met and the title is changed to a street-legal title.
What Does My Trials Bike Need to Be Street Legal?
So, there’s nothing specific about needing to have a seat. Me personally? Yeah, I’d want a seat, but to each their own.
The most important thing that your trial bike needs is an on-road title. Everything else is null with an off-road title. Of course, not all dirt bikes even come with titles. Some of the other common forms of ownership are:
Image by Christian Pischinger from Pixabay
Certificate of Origin/MCO (Bought from dealer)
Certificate of Origin/MCO (Bought from a private party)
Transferable Registration (From your state)
Transferable Registration (From another state)
Bill of Sale (Financing)
Bill of Sale (Not Financing)
Assuming you have one of these forms of ownership, we can work our magic.
However, your bike will need a few other things to get on the road without legal issues.
Insurance
As with all street-legal vehicles, you’ve got to have insurance. Trouble is, most insurance companies struggle with anything outside the norm, like insuring a street legal trials bike. Regular insurance companies don't have a clue what to do with that, and we know that from experience. We’ve spent the better part of a decade finding the best insurance companies that know their stuff – check them out on our Insurance page along with some helpful advice for making your calls with insurance go as smoothly as possible.
How Can I Make My Trials Bike Street Legal?
Well, here we are at the heart of the matter. How do you make a trials bike street-legal?
Your bike will need those street-legal parts we mentioned earlier, but you’ll also need a title, registration, and license plate. If you live in Arizona, that’s easy – just walk into the DMV, and away you go. But pretty much any other state will either give you a runaround or want to inspect the bike in person, at which point they’ll realize it’s not exactly a traditional motorcycle and most likely refuse to register it on the spot. That, or you’ll have to pass smog or install an exhaustive list of parts.
Image by Jim Critchlow from Pixabay
With Dirt Legal, you won’t have to worry about any of that.
All trials bikes registered through our program will be registered through Arizona, assuming the following conditions are met:
You have a trials bike, pit bike, or mini bike with an engine under 120cc or an electric motor
You have a bill of sale and are not financing OR you have a Certificate Of Origin (aka MCO), but you bought the vehicle from a private party OR you have a transferable registration from another state
We also work with South Dakota for other dirt bike street legalization. In case you have any other dirt bikes you’d like to make street legal, the requirements for a South Dakota registration are:
Gas-powered (Not electric)
Regular dirt bike (Not a trials bike, pit bike, or mini bike)
Over 119cc
Title, Transferable Registration (From your state), MCO (If bought from a dealer), or a bill of sale only (if financing)
Sales tax for South Dakota will be 4%. For Arizona, sales tax will be 6%. Both will be calculated using the vehicle purchase price or Average Retail Value, whichever is HIGHER.
The Dirt Legal Advantage
Dirt Legal is your one-stop shop for all of your car titling, registration, and tagging needs.
No matter what state you’re in, we can help you out. The states we work with generally have low sales tax rates and none have any in-state inspection or smog check requirements. And in some cases, namely California, it is your only shot to get a trials bike street-legal or even to navigate around the red sticker regulation updates.
You won’t ever have to go to the DMV. Our program takes all the guesswork out of the process. Just send us the documents we need, and we take care of the rest! Oh, and we can take care of your annual registration, too, so you don’t need to worry about that either. Once you are signed up for our auto-renew program, you never have to worry about it again.
What All Will I Get?
In your dirt bike street legal package for your trials bike, you will receive:
Out-of-state street legal registration and license plate
Proof of ownership in your name
DMV processing fees included in the package
BONUS - All paperwork is pre-filled to reduce errors
BONUS - A pre-paid envelope with tracking
BONUS - Step-by-step checklist and instructions
BONUS - Parts guide, so you don’t get picked up for missing something
BONUS - What to do if you get pulled over the guide
BONUS - Customer service throughout the process
Oh, and if you need to break up the payments a little bit, check out our Afterpay option; you’ll be glad you did.
Parting Thoughts
Using a trials bike for commuting would get a little old after about five minutes, but who cares what I think? The point is that we've got you covered if you want to register yours. Do you want to drive down the strip standing up? Cool. We’ll ensure you can do that with a legal registration and a fresh tag on the back. Just make sure to install all of the required equipment before you hit the road.
If you have a financed vehicle and want to register it out of state, you have two main options: South Dakota or a Montana LLC (with your bank's permission). South Dakota offers a straightforward registration with no residency requirement and a low sales tax, making it accessible for financed vehicles. Alternatively, a Montana LLC can save you on sales tax entirely, but typically requires you to own the vehicle outright, or get explicit permission from your lender.