Street Legal in PA

[marsattacks]

In PA if you have an "antique" bike (25 years old or more) you can obtain an antique title for around $97.50. You need four color photos. You need insurance. Your bike must have its original equipment lights (e.g., if it didn't come with blinkers, it doesn't need them). It cannot be "heavily modified" from original.  This is a paper transaction only so there is no vehicle inspection.  Whether it has a horn or adequate sound supression, or whether the lights work, is not checked.  Obviously working lights and horn would be a plus for safety and if you get pulled over by an officer unfamiliar with the antique vehicle code provision.  This gets you an antique plate.  You never (ever) need to be inspected (not even initially) and never need to renew your registration.  You cannot ride at night or more than 1x per week but for a Penton this is a great deal. I went this route and it was smooth, no hassles.  You do need a title to begin with, though.

[PJM]

I like this process.  Thanks for the idea...I will see if Michigan has a similar process...that would be great!  Does the PA process/law apply to off-road MX bikes or only to road/enduro bikes?  Do you pay just once for the antique/historical plate?

Pat

[3putt]

This is very interesting if the bike does NOT currently have a title.   Please advise the starting point and procedure for this paper trail, and eventual PA Title so I may follow it also.   I have tried this on several occasions without success, and hope you can help me out.   Many Thanks in advance.
Nelson McCullough

[marsattacks]

The PA code is vague but the most reasonable interpretation is that a vehicle,if legal when built, may receive this privilege as an antique. That said, I doubt titles or MCOs restricted the use of the vehicle (i.e. "Off road only") that long ago so I'd bet that if you appear semi-legal in your photos there's a good chance of passing. The 97.50 fee in PA is a one time fee forever. If you sell the bike a transfer fee of same is needed to transfer the plate along w/ the bike. Good luck.

[marsattacks]

3putt -- this will not work w/o a title. You must have out of state or pa title to xchange for antique title. There are several ways to get title but none I have used. Maybe a title svc would work. ITS title svc (not sure of name) claims 7-day turn around on titles from scratch. You just verify you own it , and they get you a title through some clever paperwork.

Once you have a title to xchange for antique, you need (in PA) a form MV-4 I think it is (perhaps MV-1). You can only get the form itself at a title transfer agent, though the instructions are avail online. I'd be happy to help if you need more info. BTW, due to an interpretation of the vehicle code by AAA, West Penn AAA will require proof of insurance on the specific bike before processing the antique title application. I didn't need this the first time I did it(just proof of PA insurance on my car). AAA claims I got lucky that time and that insurance on the particular bike itself is a prerequisite. The effect is you must pay for two weeks or so of insurance on a bike you can't ride yet (because you don't get temp plates and need to wait for the antique plates to arrive from Harrisburg). The insurance is only around 100 dollars per year so it is not a big deal. Good luck.

[brian kirby]

In some states, but I know about Alabama in particular, motorcycles built before '75 dont have a title. All you have to do to get a tag for a bike built before '75 in Alabama is get a bill of sale from the owner notarized. Now, since the Alabama DMV doesnt know how do decode Penton or any other old vintge bike frame numbers, and before '80 no companies used the current federal 17 digit VIN with the year in it, it would be pretty easy to take a '75-'79 Penton/KTM or any other brand bike and get a tag for it. The last bike I got a tag for they didnt even want to see it run or make the lights go on, all they did was check that the VIN on the bill of sale and the frame was the same. I plan to eventually get a tag for a couple Can-ams a '74 and '77, a '69 Yamaha, and a '79 Maico.

Brian

[marsattacks]

Nice. I've heard that the gist of how title svcs work is to "sell" the bike to a "buyer" in a state like Maine (or Ala), then get registration there based only on a bill of sale, and then to "sell" the bike back to the orig owner. The original owner then takes the bill of sale to the DMV/transfer agent, who gets you a title in the finnicky state because even it will recognize the more "lax" requirements for proof of ownership in the sister state. Beware that (least in PA) you will accrue a sales tax liability to be paid to PA based on the sale amount (assuming there is a sales transx back to you). This must be paid to PA at the time your title appl is processed. I can imagine situations where you could accrue tax liab in each state but prob you could avoid this with careful choice of the right state into which you sell your bike.

[PJM]

Nelson,

Ask the dept of motor vehicles in PA what the process for obtaining a lost title or a junk yard title.  I have easily obtained titles for 2 bikes in Michigan.  The Secretary of State (Michigans equivalent to the DMV) has a form to complete.  Once completed you need to take the bike to a police department to run the VIN to see if it is on the stolen list.  If the results are clean, they sign the form and you return to the Secretary of State and for $20 you can apply for a title sent to you in the mail.  If you purchased the bike from someone, then you need to pay the state tax...but that is where the second receipt for little money comes in handy.[}:)]
I hope PA has a similar process.

Pat

[conrad2]

Hey guys, I used ITS (title service) for an antique registration and it worked flawlessly to get a title here in PA. I am also a police officer and what I see on this page is true in PA. Riding at night and one time a week is somewhat of a guideline. The vehicle code says nothing about riding at night IF lights are DOT compatible. It also doesn't say how many times you can ride it. It states "not for day to day transportation and for special events" I have three antique bikes and the permanent plate and no inspection exemptions are awesome.
As law dogs we have more motorcycling problems to worry about than how many times one rides a 1960's vintage bike!!  (like the V-Rod going 75 in 40 last week!)
No officer I know would give an antique bike a hassle if they are riding safe.
You do have to pay tax etc. but the process is well worth it.
CP

Conrad Pfeifer
1972 Penton Six Days

[conrad2]

apology...
I just re-read the vehicle code on atinque plates. At the end it says occasional use is defined as not more than one day per week. Sorry , but who is counting!!
But the title service deal does work great!!
CP

Conrad Pfeifer
1972 Penton Six Days

[marsattacks]

The PA motor vehicle code is quirky as it pertains to antique veicles. As Conrad points out, you could ride at night (if you really ever wanted to do so on your Penton), but that would subject you to the Vehicle code lighting requirements. You would not meet them unless you installed a full DOT lighting array, which would include turn signals.

 The Code --
  (m)  Antique vehicle lighting exemption. An antique vehicle, if operated exclusively between the hours of sunrise to sunset and not during periods of reduced visibility or insufficient illumination, is exempt from requirements of this section except requirements pertaining to stop lamps.

Even though the above language doesn't say it, I'm pretty sure Penndot does require "original-issue" lighting to be supplied on the bike.

Waiting for antique status on a 74 HS!

[marsattacks]

Update -- so my friendly AAA agent decided to issue me a regular Pa plate while I wait for the antique plate to arrive.  Nice! Cost another 20 or so but it was a Friday. I took the HS on a back road ride on Sat. This is in a gray area since technically one prob nds inspection to operate w/ regular plate but since I have all the antique paperwork submitted and copies in hand I don't think a problem will arise under good behavior.

[marsattacks]

Update. Antique plate and title recvd no problem. So the entire process took two weeks from submission to receipt. This included a title tranfer from prior Pa owner.