[Jolly705]

My local dealer has a SM in stock and I was thinking about picking it up for the track but I really want to mess around on the street as well. The title is not stamped "for off road use only" so can I get it registered? Does anyone know about about this, especially if you are in NY.

Thanks

 

[SMR]

Can't say about NY, but here in CA, where it's getting pretty tough to do such things, I have tags on my 450smr. Your best bet would be to just put the onus on the dealer to get the tags. Tell them, that if they can get it registered you'll pick it up.

I'll tell you this, as far as on the road manners are concerned...it may be a 450, but around town it's a handful and a bit tougher to ride smoothly...or I should say, to ride it smoothly you have to be riding faster than the locals may like.

Still the tranny is slick, the engine is smooth, and with an open pipe it's just a wicked little bike. And all and all a much more refined package than the last models/motors.

You did see the picts of the 510 (maybe 610?), street-going Husky on this site? You might want to hold off for that one if your so inclinded.

 

[Sai Werd]

Jolly,

I have a friend who works for a NY Honda Dealership who has told me that since early 2000 NY changed all of there registration laws. It's really tough now to sneak anything by these days.

I would suggest calling your insurance agent first and have them run the VIN. Maybe that might answer some questions on whether you can get it to pass or not.

Good luck!

 

[Jolly705]

SMR
Are the 2005's coming to the US? I def. want a 450 so I can race it on the local kart track, anything bigger than that would be to much to handle.

Wai
I think I may have to go the VT route or maybe NJ? I wonder if that would work. I would love to get a little 450 and be able to legalize it. Who knows?

 

[SMR]

If past history can be used as a judge, I'd say you'll most certainly see the new 05 Huskies here in the USA. They have made a point to bring over at least a few of every model they have made thus far (Unless someone knows different). Just the fact that in 2000 you could buy a factory built moto here in the states from anyone was good news. Hell, pick up an 04...I found one on eBay new for 5,700.00 a couple months ago. All things considered, that's pretty cheap fun.

Wish I could put a proper sound file of what the motor sounds like with a pipe.

I would tend to think that you would not have any troubles getting it tagged back east. Join AAA and work through them....or better yet, get the vin number, take it to AAA and ask them if you would have any troubles tagging it. You'll get your answers, and it might just be as easy as just filling out the proper form.

Good luck.

 

[5thgear]

The 450 SMR is it a good bike. IS there any real life problems ? I was just asked to become a Husky dealer in Canada. No one up here has one. They sound really impressive and I can get smokin deals on the new 450.

 

[Jolly705]

That is a good question, is there any known problems with the Husky???

 

[SMR]

Welllll we're not talking Honda Civic reliability here, but I think we all know that with these bikes, with the acceptation of some of the more streetable ones like the Duke II or even Husky's 610sms (I think it's an SMS anyhow). My old 610SMR was a bike that, leaked oil from its valve covers endlessly, snapped it's exhaust header from vibration and lost a bunch of nuts/bolts along the way. But it never failed to run or start and it never did anything wrong...you did have to change the oil like it was water and it seemed to like to eat tires. To some this is all unacceptable...for others it's just part of riding something they like.

The new bike, at least by my first impression, is a completely different animal than the older 610. It's smoother, shifts like a real bike should (Neutral was about as easy to find as a virgin in a brothel on the old Husky), and pulls like a champ...and shows no sign of giving up its vital fluids like a veritable Exxon oil tanker.

Any Italian bike is going to be a risk though, if only for the reason that parts are harder to come by and you'll need a dealer to help you if you get in a real pinch. I'm just lucky enough that I have two of the best dealers (GP motorcycles and Oceanside Aprilia Ducati) in the country close by.

In the end the bikes we love so much really are kind of "forced" onto the road by our sheer desire to ride them there. They are not comfy, they are not the most reasonable or sane machines, they bark and backfire, don't work on the highway really, and need a lot of attention...but we all like it like that. As always, I say go for the Husky.

 

[Jolly705]

SMR
Bravo :clap: :clap: :clap: :clap: :clap: Bravo

Now that was a perfect answer....

Now I just have to figure out if I can afford to keep the Duke and get a 450 or be forced to sell my new toy for next season so I can race again. :hmmm:

 

[sliver]

that was by far the best answer to one of the most popular questions asked on these kinds of sites. thanks SMR!

 

[bobbyp]

I believe the original question was if this bike can be registered in NY.

All I can say is that I have seen plenty of interesting bikes on the streets of NYC lately that have NY plates. One of them is definitely a husky, others are KTMs (450s and 525s) and Cannondales.
There is a NY plated Husaberg on ebay right now.

A lot probably depends on how the DMV clerk feels that day.

Thinking about getting a KTM motard myself and tearing through Manhattan.

 

[5thgear]

Welllll we're not talking Honda Civic reliability here, but I think we all know that with these bikes, with the acceptation of some of the more streetable ones like the Duke II or even Husky's 610sms (I think it's an SMS anyhow). My old 610SMR was a bike that, leaked oil from its valve covers endlessly, snapped it's exhaust header from vibration and lost a bunch of nuts/bolts along the way. But it never failed to run or start and it never did anything wrong...you did have to change the oil like it was water and it seemed to like to eat tires. To some this is all unacceptable...for others it's just part of riding something they like.

The new bike, at least by my first impression, is a completely different animal than the older 610. It's smoother, shifts like a real bike should (Neutral was about as easy to find as a virgin in a brothel on the old Husky), and pulls like a champ...and shows no sign of giving up its vital fluids like a veritable Exxon oil tanker.

Any Italian bike is going to be a risk though, if only for the reason that parts are harder to come by and you'll need a dealer to help you if you get in a real pinch. I'm just lucky enough that I have two of the best dealers (GP motorcycles and Oceanside Aprilia Ducati) in the country close by.

In the end the bikes we love so much really are kind of "forced" onto the road by our sheer desire to ride them there. They are not comfy, they are not the most reasonable or sane machines, they bark and backfire, don't work on the highway really, and need a lot of attention...but we all like it like that. As always, I say go for the Husky.

Thanks that makes my decision easier . I"ve blown up KTM's , Honda , Yamaha they all wear out . I checked on parts on Husky and everything is less than 2 days away.

 

[sliver]

Thinking about getting a KTM motard myself and tearing through Manhattan.

:hmmm: that would be one of the funnest things to do while in manhattan and i'd never even imagined it before now. even seeing one rip by in in that city would be cool! i was so totally and unexpectedly impressed with NYC when i got the chance to visit. :thumbup

 

[M Dubya]

:lol: I have heard that some will use the same plate on two different bikes. :hmmm:

Of course I could never condone that. :headshake

But here in MD the registration reads 1998 Ducati MC or 2001 KTM MC or 2003 Suzuki MC with no regard to color, model, engine size. The only thing distinguishing is the VIN. I have never had an officer run a VIN # on any traffic stop.

Hypothetically speaking, of course...

anonymous

 

[Jolly705]

:lol: In NYC you are lucky if people even have plates, some of my friends velcro plates from one bike to the next, by the way that plate happens to be from his dads triumph that was sold 10 years ago or crashed :laughingr
In NYC they don't tow anything if you do not have a plate on it just sitting there on a sidewalk but they will try to ticket the hell out of it. Alot of peeps use photoshop and make fake registration numbers and all so if there is no plate they just walk by, stange huh :hmmm:
Anyways if I go ahead and get a Husky I hope I can register it. I did find out that the one I am looking at does not say off road use only on the title so anything is possible. I really want to make the dealer register it for me and say if I am going to purchase this bike you have to get me a plate :bringiton


PS anyone who wants to go for a ride in the NYC area let me know. I am out just about every weekend.. :thumbup:

 

[bobbyp]

:hmmm: that would be one of the funnest things to do while in manhattan and i'd never even imagined it before now. even seeing one rip by in in that city would be cool! i was so totally and unexpectedly impressed with NYC when i got the chance to visit. :thumbup

Till my 625smc got stolen, thats exactly what I was doing on my commute from upper manhattan to the financial district downtown.
Nothing like motarding home to relieve the stress of a busy day.

Now looking for something a bit more extreme to ride home. Subways are no fun.

Jolly - Let us know how it works out with the Husky. What dealer, maybe I can go by and have a look to see if they have anything else interesting.

 

[Jolly705]

BobbyP will do...If I fall in love with the Husky I might be getting rid of the Duke, that might be an option for you.

 

[SMR]

450SMR in town...

...just more two cents...

Get a ride on one if you at all can. Everyone has their tollerance for what they think is a streetable bike, and this 450 is riiiiiiight on the edge of it. Like I meantioned before, it shifts better, runs smoother (vibe wise) than the old 610 and sounds the business too (Sil/Ferracci pipe is dangerously/ticket loud...I like it though). BUT, it feels a bit of a handful to run smoothly at "in-town" traffice pace. The throttle response is "right there", with no real play or wiggle room and can make for a pretty hurky-jerky ride...once in 4th it's easier to control. The bike just feels happiest once it's spooled up a little.

Your mileage may be different.

 

[asg21]

Streetable?

I agree with SMR's post regarding life with an SM450R - I've only had mine a few weeks, but I've really been enjoying it as my "commuter" bike, and it's terrific on the local "mountain" roads (at least the tighter ones). It's "harsher" than the KTM Dukes I've previously owned - no cush drive, harder suspension, (especially the rear, even with compression damping at its loosest setting), and the throttle really is sensitive.

On the other hand, it really depends on your expectations. I had a friend years ago who wanted to buy an '85 Kawasaki 900 Ninja after trying mine, after not riding street bikes for years, (although he had entered a few enduros), and I suggested that he might be a bit uncomfortable on what was considered to be an extreme sport bike at the time (he was pretty tall). He reminded me that he was racing bicycles at the time, so how uncomfortable could it be compared to that? He bought a 900, and loved it.

A couple of things to remember - there's no electric fan, horn, or headlight dimmer switch, and you'll definitely want to raise the gearing (I went to a 16T countershaft - stock is 15 - and I've ordered a 42T rear - stock is 45). The shop installed a "hidden" battery switch, so I carry a disc lock if I expect to park it anywhere I'd be worried about. I plan on changing the exhaust, but the stock pipe sounds ok and isn't too noisy. It's not a torquey thumper motor - you have to rev it a bit to really appreciate it, but it's a fun ride. It's also really small, for a bike of its type (much smaller than an LC4, I'd say). To me, that's part of the appeal, but bottom line the KTM would be a more comfortable bike. I'm glad I bought mine, though - I already had a Ducati, and I like the way the Italians build bikes. It's the coolest single I've seen, and depending on your own application you might really like it.

 

[Jolly705]

Thanks guys for the input but I just found out the local dealer had a brand new (obvious left over) 2003 Cannondale S440 for a real good price and after taking it for a ride around the lot I purchased it! :clap: The owner and two other employees have it on the street with no problems registering it. I will most likely pick it up in a week so I will keep you posted. :thumbup: