I checked the fed regs again and did find sections dealing with motorcycles (Standards 122 and 123). I couldn't see anywhere that a motorcycle is defined as a 2-wheeled vehicle. They probably didn't want to get into the wheel thing. Some cycles have more than two wheels, and they probably wanted the standards to apply to all.

Looks like a quad would only need turn signals and a horn to meet those standards. However, these are minimum standards and the states probably have stricter ones.

Personally, I would not want to ride my quad in fast or heavy traffic. But, I do like to ride around my neighborhood and on back roads.

 

That's about all I know on Idaho laws.

I agree, it's nice to take some easy drives on the back country roads. In Idaho and I think in Wisconsin too, there are still small rural communties that going to a market, cafe, or historic town areas that are along dirt roads. During the winter, once the snow floor is down, a lot communties authorize ATV use through the towns, where it's paved beneath.

 

It's all part of making quads more usable and more fun.

 

I think it is a great idea. We could have two/three sets of tires. One for trails, sand and roads. They get great gas mileage and take up much less space. SEADAWG

 

I'm accually trying to tackle the same issue in nj here. i took a 95 ninja 250 made a blaster swingarm fit and grafted the blaster front end on the streetbike frame using the uncut ninja with numbers still on it ran the quad steering stem through it and all the only real problem i'm having is trying to find tires that fit my rim's they do make dot approved golf cart tires in 10 inch though my rears are 8 inch front's are 10 but to skinny would be sweet to run kart tires all the way around and take to motor vehicle but then i gota have rim's that bolt my bike looks like a ninja used all streetbike parts tank shroud seat and all just stuck 4 wheel's on it is done very well to make it street legal you need dot approved tires, high beam, low beam, tail light, brake light with front and rear, blinkers, horn, speedo, mirror's that's a nother thing i gota figur out how to make the speedo pickup work offa the blaster front wheel build in progress here's some pic's http://photos.yahoo.com/king_butt_head

 

In certain townships in Potter County, Pennsylvania you can register ur ATV as street legal only if ur a resident of that township, they are registered the same as a motorcycle. The local goverments have the power to make them steet legal, it was done because ATV's out-number cars in that area. Take a drive thru Potter County during buck season you will see more ATV's in one place than you ever seen.

 

A few things to consider:

Rules and regulations about ATV operation are mostly set by local and state bureaucrats and officials. I am not criticizing any one but if you do a psychological profile on the kind of people who fill those positions you will find that they generally do not like new things and they do not like change. I have actually seen some of the results of some of these profiles. These people are empowered by the rules and regulations and often have little concept or care about what the rule or regulation is actually supposed to accomplish or what problem it is supposed to solve. They care about the empowerment and strength the law gives them and their agency.

Laws in the US, Europe and elsewhere usually employ a principle called precedent. Rules and procedures that occur first take precedent over what happens later. As an example in many areas in Europe an ox cart has more right of way on a road than a car does, because ox carts came before cars therefore establishing precedent. Try running a car into an ox cart in Germany and see who gets the ticket. In the US. You won?t find very many laws against operating an ox cart or riding a horse on a county road because there are none. ATVs are relatively new on the scene in the past 20 years or so. Can you imagine if motorcycles had just been introduced 20 years ago. Safety is generally not a factor. An ox cart, a horse or a motorcycle may be more dangerous than an ATV but the ATV has the disadvantage of being newer.

Some of the more open minded officials recognize the opportunities ATVs offer for raising licensing revenue. In Arizona, South Dakota and some other states they are happy to license an ATV for use on a public road because of the revenue it generates. I also want to complement our Canadian friends for their progressive attitudes toward ATVs.

 

Hum I race on hard tracks Hoosier tires and go super fast in the corners I bet one car could not take a corner as fast as I do sorry no stress on my chassis LMAO I guess I need to quit racing before I break my bike [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif[/img]

 

In germany they are. When I was stationed in Germany, I got passed by quadson the highways and city streets. Granted they have to have a license for them, insurence, license plates, the proper lights and street tires for highway use. I actually got pulled over there riding a Go-Ped (motorized skate board) on the sidewalk and got my european license taken away for driving without insurence and license plates

 

Because your newer ATV's have brake lights, head lights. They are street legal around here. You just hafta register them with the BMV or the woods people I can't remember what their called. They give you a number you hafta display on your 4 wheeler and then you can drive it around the roads here were I live.