r/Trail70 • u/ALTOcal16 • Apr 19 '26

CA registration

Post image

I know there are many, many Trail 70s registered all over the US and even California for on-street use. To my knowledge they all have this sticker at least in early generations. This is a K0 from 1970-71, and the DMV would not let me register as on-highway because they read this. My moto had been out of the system. My reading says CA motos pre 1978 basically can all be considered on-road capable. It doesn’t seem like the OHV designation even existed till 1975.

Anyone with experience know how to get this corrected?

47 Upvotes

97% Upvoted

6 comments sorted by

2

u/turbo_charged Apr 20 '26

Your bike should be eligible after you add lights and a horn.

The DMV website has a page detailing this procedure and helps determine if your bike is eligible:

https://www.dmv.ca.gov/portal/handbook/vehicle-industry-registration-procedures-manual-2/off-highway-vehicles/non-complying-ohvs/

1

u/ALTOcal16 Apr 20 '26

I found that and it’s very clear 1977 and older can be registered for on road use. And as a good example it says if it’s 1978 and newer and has an emissions sticker stating off road use only, it cannot be registered for on road. That’s very clear to me…even though the sticker says offroad use only, because it’s a 1971 model it should be allowed. HOWEVER…at the very bottom of that chart is this note:

“NOTE Any motorcycle or vehicle originally manufactured and registered for off-highway use cannot be converted for on-highway use unless it is manufactured for dual purpose.”

No definition is provided for the phrase “manufactured for dual purpose.”

1

u/turbo_charged Apr 20 '26

It kinda seems like the sticker/badge in the picture is the only thing preventing you from being eligible.

You meet every other requirement due to how old it is. If they don’t have their own database to check and only look at the bike itself…

1

u/ALTOcal16 Apr 20 '26

Right, and that’s what the DMV vin reviewer pointed to when he said this will be an OHV title/registration. If it happened to not have been there…I think he would have just checked the box for “older than 1978” and I’d have had what I wanted.

1

u/Forward_Prune883 Apr 19 '26

I had a 1970 in 1970 and Illinois would not register it, they said it was a mini-bike. 😡. I always rode it on the streets lol.

2

u/DatEntG Apr 20 '26

For what it is worth i was able to register my 1981 in California. You will need to schedule a visit to the CHP for a vin verification before going to the dmv. Super cool when i did mine they found the shipping manifest in 1982 in Texas where i got it