Going Through the Motions

honorcode3 · 08-09-2009, 4:00 PM

It is time for me to register, ensure, title, yada yada my RC. This is my first bike and the first time I've gone through the motions so can anyone tell me what all I have to do and where to go to make this bike street legal.

ex.
Go to DPS to get motorcycle license.

Do I get the bike registered, titled, and license plates at the DMV? And do I need to get insurance before they will do this for me or can I get insurance last. Also, do I need to get any sort of inspection on the bike done or stickers like on a car?

Thanks everyone for the help and hopefully I'll see you all on the road soon.

jrivas · 08-09-2009, 5:56 PM

what up honorcode, i know exactly what you are going through.......first off you really dont need a morcycle license to get the bike in your name. It would be ideal for you to get your lisence first but its will be kinda hard to do so if you dont have insurance (and someone else with a motorcycle lisence will have to drive your bike there to dmv to get the driving part done). First thing is first, Insurance, then go to county tax office to get tags, they will ask you for insurance there so take it with you. The bike is officially yours at this point. When and if you do decide to get your lisense, this is what dmv will check on your bike (oh yeah and you will have to also take a car (thats insured) so someone else will drive the dmv employee while you drive your bike):

Horn
Lights
Signal lights
brakes
Brake lights (be careful on this, If you have aftermarket rear sets, some dont have the brake switch (in other words, when you use your rear brake, the brake light will not turn on))

if all of that is working properly, you will have no problem getting an inspections sticker also.

Good luck and congrats on your rc!! holler back if you have any questions

honorcode3 · 08-09-2009, 8:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jrivas

what up honorcode, i know exactly what you are going through.......first off you really dont need a morcycle license to get the bike in your name. It would be ideal for you to get your lisence first but its will be kinda hard to do so if you dont have insurance (and someone else with a motorcycle lisence will have to drive your bike there to dmv to get the driving part done). First thing is first, Insurance, then go to county tax office to get tags, they will ask you for insurance there so take it with you. The bike is officially yours at this point. When and if you do decide to get your lisense, this is what dmv will check on your bike (oh yeah and you will have to also take a car (thats insured) so someone else will drive the dmv employee while you drive your bike):

Horn
Lights
Signal lights
brakes
Brake lights (be careful on this, If you have aftermarket rear sets, some dont have the brake switch (in other words, when you use your rear brake, the brake light will not turn on))

if all of that is working properly, you will have no problem getting an inspections sticker also.

Good luck and congrats on your rc!! holler back if you have any questions

I took the MSF course so I was told the riding portion will be waved. So I think I can get my license without the insurance and having someone drive my bike there. When I go to the county tax office to get my tags, do they switch the title to my name or do I have to go somewhere else to get the bike registered in my name? Thanks for the reply Jrivas!

jrivas · 08-09-2009, 8:54 PM

has the title been signed over to you? at the tax office, they will ask you how much it was sold to you for, at that point they will charge you to put bike in your name, the actual title will not have your name on it, they will stamp the title on the back and you sign it. If it has had a couple of previous owners and there is no space on the back of the title, they will order you a new one. either way, the state will assign you to the bikes "VIN". taking the MSF course was the way to go cause it is a hassle having to take an extra car, ins.................... you get where im going with this. all you will have to do is complete the writing portion of the motorcycle lisence, its a walk in the park!! Easy!! take a pic and dont forget to smile.......... and you are on your way to cruisin the rc of yours!! holla back

honorcode3 · 08-09-2009, 11:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jrivas

has the title been signed over to you? at the tax office, they will ask you how much it was sold to you for, at that point they will charge you to put bike in your name, the actual title will not have your name on it, they will stamp the title on the back and you sign it.

I've heard different things about how they charge you and I was wondering if you knew anything about it. I didn't pay very much for the bike at all (it needed new plugs and a battery) and the guy selling it was my friend. Is there a price floor where if you paid below that price, they just charge you tax on the price floor?

ex.
Say I tell them I paid $600 for it and they have a price floor of say $1500. At this point they will tax me for $2000 on any price I paid lower than $1500. If I said I paid a price of $1800 they would only tax me on $1800 because that's above their price floor. Does that make any sense?

I'm trying to figure out if telling them I paid more for the bike than I did will save me money when paying tax, or if I should just go low and let them make me pay on their floor price or something. Thanks for any input.

zerogara · 08-10-2009, 5:55 AM

Welcome to the RC world. Keep the shinny side up on your first year on the street. Practice as much as you can in areas and times where streets are nearly empty. Practice going slow and practice going fast. Find someone to ride with for safety. Having broken legs in a Texas ditch and no cellphone can kill you.
Most DMVs/MVAs use NADA state low retail prices as their guide. If you don;t have a notarized bill of sale to prove purchase price and your claimed purchase price is below book they will overcharge you. Although for a 10 year old bike the price is probably going to be around the minimu tax for your state.
Best of luck.

jrivas · 08-10-2009, 10:34 AM

you beat me to the punch there zerogara......... well said

honorcode3 · 08-10-2009, 1:33 PM

NADA low retail price is $3,380 and I paid well under that. What do you guys suggest I do?

jrivas · 08-10-2009, 2:18 PM

here is exactly what they will tell you and there is probably no way around it so go by this..........they go off the "presumpt value" of the motorcycle (which is 80 % of the the nada value of the motorcycle) or the amount that was sold to you for...whichever is higher...... so here it is barney style in your particular situation:

Nada Value: 3,380.00
80% of that: 2,704.00

If you paid more that 2,704.00 they will go off that, so say you paid less than than the 2,700.00 since that will be the cheapest way to go (but keep in mind they will go off the 2,700.00 since it is the higher of the 2) if you say you paid lets say 3,000.00 for it (example), they will tax you on the 3,000.00 since it is the higher amount of the 80% and the sales price........ as far as the rate, well i dont know what the tax rate is where you live........ but thats pretty much what you will go through.......... oh yeah the seller will have to sign a piece of paper there also so take him/her with you along with the title..........holler if you need any other help,

honorcode3 · 08-10-2009, 5:25 PM

Woot, I just finished the motorcycle test (%100) and now have my license! Thank you for all the helpful info jrivas, you're awesome. I doubt I'll be able to get the seller into the tax office with me as he lives in Austin and I live in Houston. He did give me a filled out Application for Texas Certificate of Title to take with me though, that should be enough shouldn't it? Now I guess my next step is purchasing insurance! Thanks again everyone.

jrivas · 08-10-2009, 6:12 PM

you are exactly right, that paper is exactly what you will need........ congrats on the test.....pretty easy huh.....shop around for insurance, see who gives you a good deal, and dont settle for the first one ( unless its dirt cheap )