Hi kenvb: Interesting story. It is nice to hear this story about driving a quad on the roads legally there in Alberta province. I suppose street riding is a whole lot easier on the machine than bouncing up and down rough trails. And maybe this lower cost quad was well designed and built.

I wish more states in the USA had street legal laws for ATVs.

David

 

that one Chinese ATV is thee only one allowed on streets here,,the serial number comes up as a Motorcycle..not a offroad ATV when registries runs the no. we cant add signal lights and horn and just start driving any ATV here on the street. it has to have a ON road licence plate..not a Off road plate.

 

That serial number mix up makes an interesting on road ATV story even more interesting.

Shoot, I was hoping street legal ATV riding was in fact legal in your area. Sorry to hear it is not... yet. My ATV insurance company classes my ATV as a "motorcycle", which I found interesting. I sometimes joke that my ATV is a motorcycle with training wheels! The "defensive" riding skills needed while riding on the street is very similar to motorcycles; assume drives don't see you and keep your guard up at all times.

Street legal riding is very plausible in most areas. Just think about how much more useable our machines would be if we could ride them to the store, or around the lake, all on secondary roads of course. We follow all traffic laws, we ride at our own risk, and we ride responsibly.

Just like the lady in your story. She put a lot of kms on her "bike".

David

 

if your registration says Motorcycle and the licence plate Doesnt say Off Road. your OK to build a streetable TV.

 

here is My Motorcycle with Training wheels i built last winter.

 

Its not as simple as putting turn signals and other things on your quad to make it "street legal". In many places, atvs are just allowed on secondary roads because there isn't much traffic and police have a more relaxed attitude about them. But if they don't, they legally have the right to ticket you every time you ride on the road. Usually they will warn you the first time but they don't have to. If you really want to ride on the road, you should contact your local government and even local police to see what they say about it.

 

I always thought that ATV's were not able to be street legalized (in North America) because they are a "4-wheel vehicle" and have to adhere to crash test and safety standards of other 4 wheel vehicles (ie; cars, trucks, etc..).

That's why those Polaris Slingshots and Can-Am Spyder vehicles have 3 wheels and are registered as a motorcycle.

They only have to meet the safety and crash test standards that bikes have.

 

Hi UnkleRaRa: You are right, there ain't no way an ATV or UTV meets any of the voluminous automotive rules and regulations. However, there are about 20 states in the USA that have legalized ATVs and UTVs for use on public secondary roads. The requirements to ride in these various states varies as you can well imagine. None of them require 5 mph bumpers or air bags. ATV street legal riders ride at their own risk.

Adding the necessary equipment to make your ATV street legal is strictly up to the owner. If you want a license plate, you have to meet the local requirements. Makes sense to me.

Riding my ATV on secondary roads posted 45 mph or less carries much more risk than driving my pickup on the same roads. It is an enjoyment versus risk decision. Today I saw a low powered "mini-bike" riding on a busy street in the city. That rider decided to carry more risk too.

David

 

Hey Dave,

I think there are areas around me that also allow use on secondary roads.

Unfortunately I live a little to close to the city, and have 1 too many yuppies living where I am.

It's so bad it's to the point where you can't even have a trailer in your driveway because it's an "eyesore"....

I was thinking you were attempting to full street legalize the ATV!

I was hopeful that some of the rules were changing for ATV street use in N.A haha.

 

Those who live in cities have a lot more rules and regulations in the spirit of "comity". We do this and follow the rules to make the city more livable for all.

In the country we have more freedoms. No one cares if my trailer is visible from the road. I don't think anyone cares (except the sheriff) if I responsibly ride my ATV on the roads. I would not consider stunt riding, noisy muffler, riding under the influence, or trespassing on a neighbor's property. Most street legal states have rules and regulations usually including riding only on secondary roads posted 45 mph or less. It is legal to cross a highway, just not ride on it.

Some 20 or so states have legalized ATV riding on secondary roads, so rules are changing. Street legal riding has its advantages. It promotes tourism and it make ATV and UTV ownership more enjoyable. I could ride to town to run an errand. I could ride to the neighbor's and help plow snow. I could ride with a friend down to the river and back. I could ride from one trail head to another. And the list goes on. I can do all these things with a "dirt - street" motorcycle, or a motor scooter, or a horse for that matter. I would take a little while for folks to get used to this strange looking motorized vehicle going down the road, but we would.

All I got to do is convince my local legislator to sponsor a bill for me.

David