cited for turn signals, tail light, and mirrors...huh?

every brake light since the dawn of time has been red... yellow is seriously asking for trouble. I like the idea of using that housing though. I still think that if you get it all together, take pictures and bring it in you may have it reduced or written off.

I was accidentally riding my triumph with my KZ plate and my KZ with the triumph plate last week. No idea how I switched it. I got pulled over on the Triumph and even though I had both registrations, clearly in my name proving I own both and had insurance cards for both on me he still wrote me a false and fictitious plate ticket and said he was going to impound it blah blah.

Went to court and they threw it out as I had "remedied" the situation.

Sometimes i like living in missouri. Especially when it comes to these situations. Just a nrake ligt and running light is really required. If it has turn signals they must work but if it doesnt then it is not required. No speedo,chain gaurd,fender, mirrors liscence plate light is required to pass inspection and liscence the bike. Just basically horn, tail light, headlight with high beam. But you make damn sure you use hand signals if you dont have the equipment.

When I Was riding without functional signals - people would wave at me when I was using hand signals.

Sometimes I'm so glad I live in Africa, a free Big Mac and Coke smooth over lots of problems with our local LEOs.

fury413rb said:

When I Was riding without functional signals - people would wave at me when I was using hand signals.

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I have definitely never waved at people using hand signals ;D

when just changing lanes (rather than actually signalling for a corner) we all just used to stick out the appropriate leg and gas it

sancho said:

Anyway, gettin my sh%t fixed up asap.

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Good thinking!

Crazy

carnivorous chicken said:

..but the cop who cited you is also a dick...

... and if the cop's a dick he'll pile on whatever else he can.

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Agreed. Not saying it isn't unsafe for yourself but that guys a fucking prick for this and regardless of him saying "cool bike", he is still being that pretentious type of pig that everyone despises.

Say goodbye to your tax dollars gentlemen and say hello to fines and the possibility of raised insurance. Thanks to the good ole boys in blue for serving (fines) and protecting (the industry of law enforcement).

This post specifically is why I prefer to be in Columbus (or near any large city) because city police officers actually have real shit to do. Anytime I've been bent over for a ticket is by the almighty state highway patrol in speed traps or in little villages/townships where you are a fish in a barrel if you get pulled over.

Wow, I'm surprised by some reactions here.

Take a look at the OP's bike (not trying to finger point but......I am since this thread was started BECAUSE of the bike. Sorry Sancho). Now imagine it is your job to enforce various traffic laws throughout an entire city. Along comes a little Honda that lets face it - is trying to squeak past meeting the absolute minimum in required equipment. To anybody in law enforcement, a motorcycle with NO mirrors and a LOW mounted AMBER brake light is just screaming "PULL ME OVER!".

How many of you have been the first responder to a motorcycle accident involving a fatally? I bet the officer that ticketed Sancho has. And I'd be willing to bet the same officer isn't swimming in a Scrooge McDuck bank of money because he wrote a couple tickets that day. I'd say he doesn't want to call up Mama and Papa Sancho saying their son was involved in a gruesome accident.

Big Rich said:

Wow, I'm surprised by some reactions here.

Take a look at the OP's bike (not trying to finger point but......I am since this thread was started BECAUSE of the bike. Sorry Sancho). Now imagine it is your job to enforce various traffic laws throughout an entire city. Along comes a little Honda that lets face it - is trying to squeak past meeting the absolute minimum in required equipment. To anybody in law enforcement, a motorcycle with NO mirrors and a LOW mounted AMBER brake light is just screaming "PULL ME OVER!".

How many of you have been the first responder to a motorcycle accident involving a fatally? I bet the officer that ticketed Sancho has. And I'd be willing to bet the same officer isn't swimming in a Scrooge McDuck bank of money because he wrote a couple tickets that day. I'd say he doesn't want to call up Mama and Papa Sancho saying their son was involved in a gruesome accident.

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Totally respect that aspect and as someone who has attempted twice to get on the city fire department (also my dads a medic and FF) I see that sides strengths but don't think they are properly used to teach all the way to the forefronts.

So like stated above, punishment without a chance of fixing it is better than the alternative of explaining why it's unsafe and teaching others? That wouldn't have sufficed or even spread to other by experience?Or is some immediate form of punishment going to make everyone just follow the rules instead embracing why some are in place? There are fundamental reasons why this is a shit situation. All about the almighty dollar and how can we all teach each other a lesson the roughest way possible. There will be better alternatives to a lot of stuff in the future (hopefully!). Now as far as what to do to fix it, I'm still lost on that part, we may be too far gone or maybe not...

More on signals. They are not required in NJ, but if the bike has them, they must work and be in compliance (DOT Certified). Yellow facing rear lights in NJ are only for signals. Tail lights and stop lights must be equipped and must be red. Signals can be red too...

As long as my bike, registered and licensed in NJ, meets all NJ rules, the other states cannot ticket me for equipment violations. (Well they can ticket you, but it would not hold up).

Plates have similar rules about placement, orientation, and visibility.

btw thought I would report back about what happened. Went to court, told the judge my bike was a VA bike and VA doesn't require inspection for vintage bikes, got everything reduced down to $70.

So, bottom line, my turn signals were fine, license plate mount was a no no, tail light was a no no, but oddly enough nobody cared about the mirrors.

I remember back in 1980, I was stationed at Fort Meade, MD.

I had a Maryland address, Delaware license, and Virginia plates on my 1972 Roadrunner.

Don't remember how I got away with it.......just had to stay out of Virginia.

I live in Georgia, and recently looked all this stuff up. License plate must be illuminated and readable from at least 50 feet. One mirror. Turn signals on bikes that came with them, etc. Overall, it's lax and much of it is seldom enforced. I see the helmet law violated constantly. For sure if I was taking my stripped down bike across the state line, I'd made sure it was in compliance, or at least, be aware of what isn't. Once I go across, GA law no longer applies. I thought that might need clarification, because it applies in all 50 states.

jetmechmarty said:

I live in Georgia, and recently looked all this stuff up. License plate must be illuminated and readable from at least 50 feet. One mirror. Turn signals on bikes that came with them, etc. Overall, it's lax and much of it is seldom enforced. I see the helmet law violated constantly. For sure if I was taking my stripped down bike across the state line, I'd made sure it was in compliance, or at least, be aware of what isn't. Once I go across, GA law no longer applies. I thought that might need clarification, because it applies in all 50 states.

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If you are out of state, Georgia law still applies as far as equipment. If Ga requires 1 mirror, and you have 1 mirror, then Alabama cannot ticket you for having only 1 mirror (assuming Al requires 2). However, if you have no mirrors, then you can be ticketed and it will stick because you are not compliant with Ga. equipment laws.

In addition, as long as the bike meets Federal DOT rules on equipment, then you cannot be ticketed either. For instance, I have a headlight modulator on my NH750. Federal DOT allows it. So even though my home state Police have stopped me, I show them that the Fed DOT allows it (I carry the regulation with me). So you have to be in compliance with the state it is registered in, and at least compliant with Fed DOT.

What that also means, if your aftermarket signal lights do not have a DOT certification mark on them, they could ticket for that. What is odd, if a state does not require turn signals (NJ for instance), it is better not to have them then to have them and either not DOT or not working. In NJ, if you have signals, they must be operational and compliant with DOT. If you don't have them, that's OK.

Weird rules and they vary state to state.

The Fed. DOT prohibits tickets for equipment if you are in compliance with your state and Fed. DOT rules. otherwise, states would be harassing interstate trucks. They like extra lighting, and if it meets their state's requirements, then other states can't give a valid ticket.

budlite282 said:

I remember back in 1980, I was stationed at Fort Meade, MD.

I had a Maryland address, Delaware license, and Virginia plates on my 1972 Roadrunner.

Don't remember how I got away with it.......just had to stay out of Virginia.

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years ago, I spent six months working in Toronto. I lived in Southern California, and to avoid having to rent a car for six months, our plant in London, Ontario gave me a car from the company fleet. I went to college in Michigan, and had friends in both NY and MI, so I would go visit friends on the weekends. So every time I crossed the border into Canada with a CA drivers license, and a car registered in London, this is how it went:

"Where are you from?"
--"California."
"Who do you work for?"
--"GM"
"Where are you going?"
---"Toronto."
"How long are you staying?"
---(good question) "Just a week." (until I go visit another friend)
"Who does the car belong to?"
---"GM, in London, ONT."
"What is the purpose of your visit?.....Never mind, please pull over to the inspection area...."

So, I finally got wise and changed my tactic:
"Where are you from?"
--"California."
"Who do you work for"
--"GM"
"Where are you going?"
---"London to drop off this car."
"How long are you staying?"
---"Just long enough to deliver the car."
"Who does the car belong to?"
---"GM, in London, ONT."
"Go on through, and enjoy your drive, eh?"

^^^^^^^ha ha^^^^^^^^^

Big Rich said:

How many of you have been the first responder to a motorcycle accident involving a fatally? I bet the officer that ticketed Sancho has.

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20 year medic/fireman here. Yes, I have about seen it all. I'm not going to start on about helmets, etc because that's for another post lol. But, because of what I have seen, I tend to have a few things I do different than some guys when I build. I get some ribbing from my friends for having "large" or "clunky" turn signals and a very visible brake light. Well I'll tell ya, the bike accidents that AREN'T from someone riding like an idiot are almost always by someone who says "I never even saw him" and most times that's when a biker was about to turn or in the middle of a turn. IMO, signals are one of the most important parts of your bike, along with a very bright visible tail light. I also ride with the high beam on in the day.

I like to customize a bike as much as anyone but when it comes to being seen that's a biggie in my book- I don't wanna be the coolest looking biker in the cemetery. Besides, if you do get into an accident and your bike is not properly equipped the insurance company will screw you over saying that the accident might have been prevented had you been using a red tail light, or turn signals, etc. I occasionally run non-DOT knobbies on my enduro if i'm going for a really nasty ride and that's another way they can screw you.

Idk, sorry to go all "dad" on you guys.

In Ohio, there's a few funky laws for vintage bikes. Bikes are required to have a headlight on while riding, unless your motorcycle is old enough to have a headlight on/off switch. Then you're permitted to turn it off. Also turn signals are not required as long as you use hand signals. Having had turn signal problems a few times when riding I've found that hand signals are all but useless. If you point in the direction you're turning drivers understand but you can be cited because you're not using the proper hand signals. If you use proper hand signals no one know what the hell you're doing and they won't know you're turning. Also, my gf's new HD doesn't have a brake light, but both rear signals, which are red, light up when the brake is applied. I didn't know that was legal.

I'm glad your situation got sorted out with a (reasonably) good ending. And yeah that guy could have really nailed you to the wall- he could have determined your bike was unsafe to operate and had it towed.

Consensus seems to be... ignorance is no excuse bla bla bla... Ignorance when enforcing the the law should bear the same responsibility and subsequent fines when proven wrong. I would bet a months salary the officer who wrote the citations has no clue what the state statutes for motorcycle laws other than helmet are.