I've gotten a 1972 Wombat on the way. Intentions are to tag it and have the required insurance it so that it's street legal and I can putter around town and to the next village, in addition to riding the stuffin's out if it on the dirt and in the mud. On Monday I'll trailer it around to the Insurance office for their photo op and inspection, and to the local police station so an LEO can do the required VIN check and safety inspection and then off to the DMV for the tag, etc. AFAIK, a 1972 Hodaka "dual sport" only had a headlight, tailight/brake light, horn and speedo. No turn signals. But is there documentation online covering the Federal requirement for the signals? Alabama traffic code is convoluted and puzzling and I'm thinking that there is or was something about turn indicators on some models without specifying a model year. I'm not expecting problems, but my intuition tells me we may get into a long discussion.
I'm looking forward to this-- something I've wanted for 50 years.
So I thought it was 1973 and was also curious enough to do a little research. I couldn't find any specific DOT requirements but I suspect it is out there. I did find quite a lot of specific info on the requirement with DMV references ---- but it was all California. Calif always seems to be more restrictive before the other 49 states and california didn't require turn signals until Jan 1, 1973 which I suspect corresponds with DOT requirements. At that time even California could not require more the the federal DOT did. You might do that search and print off the Calif 1973 requirements even though it is not your state. I also remember putting a lighting "kit" on a early super Rat and getting it licensed - but that was in Calif. I never had any problem getting hassled because I did not have blinkers and I rode it all over the place.
Searching for other 1972 factory bikes and printing photos of all the ones without blinkers might also help.
Oddly enough I did get pinched for mirrors - again in California. I did have a mirror but it was tucked down and inside a bit - could not see behind me. I was about 16 at the time and it was common among my peers to tuck the mirror in because it was cool and you could always claim you had a mirror. I was lucky because John Law was pretty picky and took offense when I told him I had a mirror - right here! He stomped back - directed me to look in the mirror and tell me how many fingers he had up. No could do and I fessed up but told him I could roll it up on the bars and see behind me. He let me do that and I counted his fingers so he didn't give me a ticket. He did ask me why I didn't want to see the big ugly steel beasts behind me wanting to run me over!!!! The light bulb came on in my mushy little brain and I've run with 2 mirrors when I'm on the road ever since!
If you find the 1972/1973 Federal DOT specs please post the link - I'd be real interested in it.
I'll keep looking for the DOT specs. I'm not expecting a problem-- this is after all Alabama, and I've heard reports of headaches getting older non-Titled tagged. And DOT/Federal requirements can or do trump State requirements in many cases. Here, turn signals light are not required by code since hand signals can be used. And here is it is 2016, and the State still does not have an annual vehicle inspection. But we do have strict proof of insurance to get a tag, and older non-titled vehicles need to have brakes, horn and lights. Oh yes, and if you buy out of State, pay yo taxes.
When I licensed my first Ace 90, 3 years ago, I had to research this same thing.
I ended up searching the Utah Code for vehicle licensing and found that it was explicitly stated that any vehicle before 1973 did not require signal lights unless they came as original equipment, and in that case they are required.
Although we still have annual inspections, the inspection station was well aware of the pre-1973 exemption. Fortunately, they didn't require me to prove it, they took my word for it that turn signals weren't original equipment on a 1967 Ace 90. I think it helped that when they saw the bike, the first thing out of their mouths was, "What the hell is that!?"
I've had a question about getting a License Tag in Alabama, so here is a rundown of what I went through.
The bike is a 1972 Hodaka Wombat restoration that was bought out of State (Missouri)and never registered in that State. I went to my local DMV (county courthouse) and was told I needed a notarized Bill of Sale from the seller an inspection and verification from an LEO certifying that the VIN (Chassis Number) Odometer mileage and the "physical appearance" of the vehicle was copacetic and Proof-of-Insurance. The DMV gave me a suggested Bill of Sale form and the LEO Inspection form. I got the Bill of Sale upon purchase, trailered the bike to the next village for the Cop Inspection and Insurance from Haggerty at my local Insurance agent. Tootled on down to the Court House Annex with paperwork in hand, paid my Tag Fees and taxes on the sale (all of $85 total) and walked out with a proper tag. I have my annual Tag Renewal next month and I'll get Barber's Motorsports tags for my Hodie and the BMW (support your local track and Museum ( https://www.barbermotorsports.com/ )
I remember discussing that with you and I was apprehensive about getting my W'bat tagged. We used their Bill of Sale format just be be sure it met their bureaucratic expectations. The Officer Inspection form was a State form. Insurance is insurance. The Make "Hodaka" is in their computer database, and the actual model type is something that they fill in. IMO, you shouldn't have had problems. The DMV laws and regs are the same statewide and across counties-- I'd suspect that moving up the food chain at the Recalcitrant Local DMV is a next step-- some small fish might have not wanted to put forth the effort. Of course, in a small town where you've known everybody for the last 20-30 years you tend to be more than just a number.
On Monday I'll trailer it around to the Insurance office for their photo op and inspection, and to the local police station so an LEO can do the required VIN check and safety inspection and then off to the DMV for the tag, etc. AFAIK, a 1972 Hodaka "dual sport" only had a headlight, tailight/brake light, horn and speedo. No turn signals. But is there documentation online covering the Federal requirement for the signals? Alabama traffic code is convoluted and puzzling and I'm thinking that there is or was something about turn indicators on some models without specifying a model year. I'm not expecting problems, but my intuition tells me we may get into a long discussion.
