Building a Street Legal CT70

[Skullface]

Does anyone have any idea, or any good resources on what it would take to make my ct70 street legal? Stock 1970 ct70 gold i just purchased. I am going to restore it, but would like to use it to get around town, go to work, school run errands etc.

[Pony Express]

Mailorder the title paperwork from its-titles.com and go down to your local DMV and get a title and plates in the state you live in. Make sure your lighting and horn works, and voila, you are street legal.

[makotosun]

It's that easy! Just tell them at the DMV that the bike is street legal (their computer will not tell them otherwise). Just make sure the bike has all the required equipment to be legal for the year of manufacture, plus you may need to have the headlight on at all times depending on your state.

[yedi]

I have a 1970 ct70h. Live in Wisconsin I put a horn on, and all the blikers. Took pics, sent it in to the DMV, and they told me the bike isnt street legal (because when the bike was built, it was built for off-road use only) WTF? How is that any differnt than a newer CT70 w/ the same stuff on it. So Now I am going to apply for a Hobbyist Motorcycle plate, which is for any custom built bike. So I'll play their game. Wisconsin's DMV is a PITA.

[mrdouble]

Wisconsin's DMV is a PITA

LOL.. I like that one =)

[johnmacd]

Here in Canada, the vehicle safety check takes care of the paperwork to get your plates/insurance. If your bike doesn't pass the safety check certification, you cannot obtain plates. In the case here, to pass 'safety', as above, you require horn, lights, signals, brakes in good working order, no leaks, etc....and this 'safety' is completed by a certified vehicle safety check location, usually any garage/mechanic can perform & fill out the docs. Plates here in Ont are only issued with the title (which is also required to obtain the safety), safety cert, no less than 30 days old, and proof of valid license (I think) & proof of insurance (PL, PD min.) Sounds like you have a diff setup in the US....do you need/require some kind of safety check/inspection of your vehicles, prior to obtaining plates and insurance..?

[scfd471]

Make sure your title doesnt say "for off road use" if it does, DO NOT show it to them...play dumb and say its lost, and as some one else said "play the game".

[Campn Dad]

I live in California and bought my 82' CT-70 with only a bill of sale. I got all the original lights and signals working before taking it to the DMV. They had me see their referee to inspect the bike. It was loaded on a carrier on the back of my truck. He never had me take it off or even turn it on. He only verified that the proper equipment was in place. Soon after, I received my new title in the mail. It was really a fairly simple process. My understanding is that if the bike did not originally have signals on it, then it is grandfathered in and is okay to ride with only hand siganls. This may vary from state to state.

[hondaman]

I am from Wisconsin as well. I know what you mean about the DMV. You basically have to lie, cheat, and any other plan you can come up with to get a CT70 licensed here. "The DMV are total [excuse my language ] "pricks" when it comes to one of these bikes. Even if you do get it licensed do not be surprised if a cop with not much else to do decides to pull you over just for the hell of it.

[richlean]

For information on required equipment in WI, try here:

Proper gear for riding a motorcycle - Wisconsin Department of Transportation

Here's a long and boring story about my CT70 registration experience:

I'm in CA and I bought a CT70H K0 and got nothing but a bill of sale. The bike's VIN had been purged from DMV's database, so there was no record of it, and the seller had no paperwork on it. I downloaded a Bill of Sale form, and me and the seller filled it out.

Before going to DMV, I called first and was told that the VIN had been purged from their database and that I'd have to come by their office, get forms, take them to the highway patrol office, have the bike inspected, and the forms signed, then go back to DMV with the signed forms and...well you get the idea.

I walked in to DMV, waited my turn, showed them my Bill of Sale form, filled out a "statement of facts" saying who I bought it from and that neither of us knew who the original or registered owner was. About an hour and $102 later, I walked out with tags and a shiney new license plate and a shocked look of amazement on my face!

Here in California, we're about as regulated as you can get, especially when it comes to motor vehicles. I was not expecting things to be so easy...I thought it would be the first step of a long and drawn out journey to get this thing registered and get a real metal license plate with 2009 stickers and everything.

It just goes to show you can never know what to expect from these guys, seems like they make up the rules as they go along. Worked out in my favor this time!

EDIT: I should add that no one looked at the bike or even asked about it's equipment, for all they know, it's a self-propelled lawnmower with a flashlight taped to the handle. Amazing but true!