Making a bike street legal in Tennessee?

50877 Views 35 Replies 21 Participants Last post by fishtaker24, 26 d ago

gary mays

Discussion Starter · Jul 11, 2007 (Edited by Moderator)

I very new to super moto bikes and was wondering how hard it is to get a CRF,YZF or WR registered in the state of TN for stret use? What is the process for doing so? How hard is it?
Thanks for your help!

1 - 20 of 36 Posts

AlHounos

· #2 · Jul 11, 2007 (Edited by Moderator)

It's easy, especially if you live in a small town. Tennessee basically will let you title anything with a mso/title, brake light, headlight, mirrors, and horn. Even here in Knoxville, they didn't even look at my dirt model drz or ask any questions, even though the title said off road use only.
Didn't even have to use the sticker trick.

Thumper450

· #3 · Jul 11, 2007

I got a legit tag on my CRF450R.

Of course i had to add lighting and brake light, but well worth it

gary mays

Discussion Starter · #4 · Jul 16, 2007

I would like to buy a CRF450x and make it street legal-Just afraid to drop the cash and be outta luck!What is the process in Knoxville?I just put on all the nessesary parts and take it to any DMV?Thanks for the help

MooShuPork

· #5 · Jul 16, 2007

When I got tags on my new bike the woman at the county clerks office thought I was tagging a dirt only bike(it's a street and trail)... it wasn't until after I had the tags in my hand that she asked if it had lights... and that was only because I said I'll probably ride it all night. Tennessee does tag dirtbikes, but it's an option. To be street legal all you need is a headlight and a stop/tail light and a mirror, you don't have to have blinkers.

mxmark4

· #6 · Jul 16, 2007

If They Give You Any Trouble Tagging It In Knoxville ,take It To Anderson County! Country People Dont Care At All!!

pookiebear

· #7 · Jul 16, 2007

Depends. There are some new laws on the books in TN last yr. I had trouble in Washington county because my street legal bike was not titled by the first owner, he only rode it in the dirt. I had to go through hoops with the police, notary public and the like. Plus a bunch of forms and a call to the DOT "magistrate" in nashville. Took me a month to get it all done. If you are going to get a new one make the dealer do it for you and throw on the baja kit.

MooShuPork

· #8 · Jul 17, 2007

I'm in Washington county too. Your trouble came when the last owner didn't title it (mine was brand new, had the MSO in hand).

Come to think of it, nearly everything about tagging a bike is on the website..

http://www.tennessee.gov/revenue/vehicle/index.htm

This page deals with bikes/mopeds.

http://www.tennessee.gov/revenue/vehicle/titling/importedmoped.htm

I had the bill of sale, MSO and a pic of the DOT sticker, but not the HS-7 (which no one knows anything about). The only thing the lady at the courthouse was interested in was the MSO and bill of sale.

smooth86

· #9 · Aug 26, 2009

anyone have any new information on this?
i have an '04 ktm 450 exc i'm trying to get plated.
so far i've been running circles from county clerks office -> sheriff's office -> dmv -> tennessee highway patrol -> CID criminal investigations department of morristown

right now i'm waiting on a call back from the CID.

the lady at the country clerk's office (tag office) said she had no way of knowing that it was street legal, but that i needed to get a checklist/form filled out by a LEO saying it was in fact street legal. anyone know who has this form or where i can get it?

thanks.

motocash74

· #10 · Aug 26, 2009

Rules Change

Wow what a load! I walked in with my KX title in hand stating clearly that it was off road only & walked out with a tag in hand. That was about 4 years ago. That was the tag office in Farragut. (Knox Co.)

TN doesn't require signals. Only a mirror (left side), functioning brake light & head light. Blount county may be more lenient than Knox at this point.

brodystephens

· #11 · Aug 26, 2009

anybody know the laws for georiga? (ktm 450 xc 06)

smooth86

· #12 · Aug 27, 2009

motocash, i already tried the easy way like you stated. i thought things were going smooth cause she wasn't asking any questions and was doin all the paperwork but then just handed me the registration and no tag, and i asked for it and then things went down hill. and my title doesn't even say off road use only, but she said it wasn't plated from the dealer, and there wasn't an odometer reading on the title which was required.

5oh

· #13 · Aug 29, 2009

smooth86 said:
anyone have any new information on this?
i have an '04 ktm 450 exc i'm trying to get plated.
so far i've been running circles from county clerks office -> sheriff's office -> dmv -> tennessee highway patrol -> CID criminal investigations department of morristown

right now i'm waiting on a call back from the CID.

the lady at the country clerk's office (tag office) said she had no way of knowing that it was street legal, but that i needed to get a checklist/form filled out by a LEO saying it was in fact street legal. anyone know who has this form or where i can get it?

thanks.

I'd go to a different county. Jeff Co took all of 2 minutes on a Monday morning. I did have the MSO though.

smooth86

· #14 · Aug 30, 2009

yeah i could try that. I don't have the mso though because that was given up by the original owner to get the actual title. which should be better than having an MSO

GofastR

· #15 · Aug 30, 2009

pookiebear said:
Depends. There are some new laws on the books in TN last yr. I had trouble in Washington county because my street legal bike was not titled by the first owner, he only rode it in the dirt. I had to go through hoops with the police, notary public and the like. Plus a bunch of forms and a call to the DOT "magistrate" in nashville. Took me a month to get it all done. If you are going to get a new one make the dealer do it for you and throw on the baja kit.

That's b/c of back taxes, not "making it steet legal"...:headscrat

kirkb

· #16 · Aug 12, 2012

New Information?

MooShuPork said:
I'm in Washington county too. Your trouble came when the last owner didn't title it (mine was brand new, had the MSO in hand).

Come to think of it, nearly everything about tagging a bike is on the website..

http://www.tennessee.gov/revenue/vehicle/index.htm

This page deals with bikes/mopeds.

http://www.tennessee.gov/revenue/vehicle/titling/importedmoped.htm

I had the bill of sale, MSO and a pic of the DOT sticker, but not the HS-7 (which no one knows anything about). The only thing the lady at the courthouse was interested in was the MSO and bill of sale.

Does anyone have any new information? The links above are old and I cant find the info TN's website.

Seems ppl are having different experiences.

Some folks are saying that if they give you greif in your county then just go do it in a more rural one; BUT, how do u do it in a county you don't live in? Give an address of a friend or relative?

I'm wanting to buy a WR450 real soon, to convert to street tard, and need to the deal before I commit.

((I would much rather just by one that was tarded and legal from the factory, like DR-Z400SM or WR250X, but every single one I know of has at least one deal breaker issue or another: too heavy, super high maintenance, not reliable.))

Thanks ahead of time for ANY info or advice.

See less See more

kirkb

· #17 · Aug 12, 2012

Yes, I read the sticky thread about requirements/laws for street and off-road motorcycles. You need a helmet, brake light and crap.. But that website is really about the equipment needs, and does not address the title/registration/plate/tags aspect of the whole thing.
http://www.supermotojunkie.com/showthread.php?72396-Requirements-for-Street-Legal-Motorcycles/page2

It doesn't implicitly say as long as you have all the required equipment then yer done--ready to buy plate & tags for your "off-road only" bike--and don't have to do anything regarding the title.

Is that the deal in TN? Just get brake light, headlight, etc then take your title and bill of sale or what ever to county clerk's office or where ever and walk out with plate and tags in hand?

Thanks!

kirkb

· #18 · Aug 15, 2012 (Edited)

Grim

The lady at the TN DMV office in Nashville said, "If the MSO says 'off road' then you will never be able to register it for street use in TN". WTF?!!

This cannot be the end of it.. because, pookiebear seems to have been able to do it somehow. He wrote:
"I had to go through hoops with the police, notary public and the like. Plus a bunch of forms and a call to the DOT "magistrate" in nashville. Took me a month to get it all done".

But what exactly are the hoops? What forms? "DOT magistrate"??

I'm looking to buy a WR450 on Friday, but I cannot until I get a definitive answer on this.

Thanks!

ded6080

· #19 · Aug 16, 2012

TN street legal

Had a problem getting a TN tag for mine - No MSO just a bill of sale - Same story - offroad bike can't title it - Had to get it titled in MS 1st then TN - Have to get title insurance (around $100) then tag it - Problem is that you have to know someone who lives there and will transfer the title back over to you.

kirkb

· #20 · Aug 16, 2012

Thanks for the feedback.

Am I confused about the WR450f being relatively reliable and relatively low-maintenance?

Are the WR250X and DR-Z400SM heavy because they are reliable and lower maintenance or is the extra weight due to something else, like simply a heavy frame or something?

Thanks.

1 - 20 of 36 Posts