Californians - HELP!

[carpeDRZ]

I'm really new to dirtbikes, so bear with me. I purchased a DRZ400E in October (my first dirtbike ever) and have had a blast riding it for the past two months. When I bought the bike, I thought (and the dealer told me) that it was a green sticker bike. Guess what I got in the mail from DMV! ?

So now I'm trying to deal with the realization that I won't be allowed to ride my great bike in the summer. My questions are; What do the rest of you red sticker bike owners do during the forbidden season? Are there any off-road riding areas that are open year-round to all bikes? What will happen to me if I'm caught riding off-season? Finally, has anyone ever been cited for a red sticker violation?

I appreciate all the help and insight afforded to me by this forum. Thanks everyone.

[Flamed1]

Check with the rangers in the area that you are riding. My family has property near Ocotillo Wells and last season the rangers told me they were not enforcing the red sticker issue until DMV got their act together. I also heard at a local dealer that Gorman rangers issued $500 fines for red sticker bikes which I find ridiculous if true. BTW - They have to catch you to cite you! ?

Brian

[Rob_Gideon]

They can catch you, as they do carry radios, and that is faster than any bike that I know of. Plus they are usually more familiar wi the area that you. Something to think about before you run. ?

[eBayThumper]

Well I was one of the lucky ones who got a red in the mail and two days later I got green...guess which one's on the bike?

I heard that you can play dumb and just go to the dmv and tell them that you lost your green sticker and see what they give you...some have said they got green that way.

The only other way I know is really tedious and expensive...it is a real scam involving registering the bike out of state and then making it street legal and then bringing it back to CA as a street legal bike. (this has not been proven but some are in the process of trying this.) I won't recommend any such subversive tactics but I will say this...this law is garbage and not worth the paper it's written on.

I'm all for protecting the environment but let's start with the government owned deisel engines, then get into the trucking industry, and then there's trains, etc...

My little one piston thumper and I will burn about 4 gallons on a big day. If I decide to take a drive to the coast because my red sticker won't get me into the park...I'll burn 20 gallons of fuel. You tell me which activity should be controlled! Maybe we should outlaw all recreational driving during the summer.

Don't even get me started on lawn mowers, weed whackers, gas powered blowers, chain saws, chippers, argh!! ?

Woah, I guess I'm venting

Good luck on the red/green thing...let us know how it works out.

J

[Guy]

? Errm... I am going to sound daft BUT what is this RED/GREEN sticker thing????

We have nothing like it in the UK and I cannot work out what it is!

[Ron_in_SoCal]

Guy,

Here is a link to the BS propaganda web site the California Air Resources Board made for us stupid people that hate the environment. They are regulating us to death over here. Green stickers are for motorcycles that do not pollute too much, red stickers are for bad motorcycles. At first, the red sticker was to be for two-stroke motorcycles only, but what the heck, red stickers for everyone! It is a bunch of crap. This is the land of the free? Ha!

eBayThumper, you forgot about the Space Shuttle. I wonder if they are planning on fitting that baby up with a catalectic converter any time soon. ?

[Flamed1]

Mr.Gideon

Lighten Up Big Guy! My comment was meant in joking way. However, as I ride in the desert most of the time, you can usually spot a ranger truck from a distance and unless you are really close to him or stop to discuss the weather, you have a really good chance of going unnoticed while 'in the middle of nowhere'

Keep Roostin'

Brian

[Dan_from_HB]

Carpe,

Some good news! Mountain areas in Ca are many times still open in summer to red sticker bikes. Kennedy Meadows has been an open area in summer. There are also some areas in the western Sierras above Fresno, etc. CARB website has closures posted, but I forget the URL. Anyone have this info handy?

[Ron_in_SoCal]

I've been away for a while and just noticed that this new look seems to be hiding links. Put your cursor over "BS propaganda" in my above reply for the CARB website.

[Guy]

? Man that sucks!, As you say "The Land Of The Free?"

I am really glad that we don't have anything like that over here, well not yet anyway!