California state government is awful

I bought my 1981 kz650 earlier this year, 2011 -- it had been sitting five years, not running, in a garage.

I revived the bike -- it runs strong now. Great power, really decent handling.


I go to the DMV. They want $651 to register it.

"Why?"

"Because the prior owner didn't pay his registration since 2006."

"But it was not on the freeway. It was parked in a garage for 5 years, and got zero benefit provided by public roads. The registration pays for things like road upkeep, and so on. And besides, I bought it just a short while ago, this year. If you're accusing someone of not paying fees during the time they owned the bike -- shouldn't you go after them? Why should I have to pay because someone else didn't follow the rules?"

And no good answer was forthcoming from the DMV person. Because there is no good answer.

This just a money grab by our overspending state government. I'm 100% sure this happens in other states too.

Maybe a revolution will gets us some of our rights back.


I then called the main office in Sacramento and pointed out that "I have a choice. The bike is not worth $651 in fees, so I can junk it or part it out. I'm not paying more fees than the bike is worth." (it cost me a bit of $$ to revive the bike.)

"So, State of California -- you have a choice. Let me pay for the current year registration and presto, you have a two-wheel fee generator back on the road, think of it, years of registration fees. Or nothing."

The State chose 'nothing.' "Go ahead and junk it then."


Fuggers.

Title it somewhere else (another State) through relatives, and than "Buy it" as an out of state bike already titled, and flop it back into a Ca. title.

Kraz1 wrote: Title it somewhere else (another State) through relatives, and than "Buy it" as an out of state bike already titled, and flop it back into a Ca. title.

Thats what I'm going to do.
I bought a 1992 ZX11 for $500. and the DMV wants over $600. for the res so I'm going to a family member in Vegas to res it their for bout $75.

Wow, I guess some states are reasonable -- it is *really* good to know that some states don't view its citizens' sole reason for existing being to cough up money.

The weather is nice here. But overspending has politicians picking our pockets.
Motorcycles pollute so little -- you'd think the state would bend over backward to get people to reduce their carbon footprint and encourage smaller-engined vehicles.

It's real good to hear that some states don't make you feel stupid for living there.

newOld_kz1000 wrote: Wow, I guess some states are reasonable -- it is *really* good to know that some states don't view its citizens' sole reason for existing being to cough up money.

Well.... After Arnold spent all of your states' money on injectable steroids, what did you think was going to happen with your registration fees?

Kraz1 wrote:

newOld_kz1000 wrote: Wow, I guess some states are reasonable -- it is *really* good to know that some states don't view its citizens' sole reason for existing being to cough up money.

Well.... After Arnold spent all of your states' money on injectable steroids, what did you think was going to happen with your registration fees?

Good point, we always thought 'Republican = fiscally conservative' and 'surely Arnold, a Republican, will fix our state's anti-business climate and overspending.'

Politics don't matter here -- I think there's a certain 'state mentality' in our elected government that 'everyone who lives here is wealthy, surely they won't miss a 'few' tax dollars' then they overtax the shite out of us. Our county's nearing 10% sales tax, our state has 10% income tax (Florida, Texas, Nevada, others have zero state income tax) -- on and on.

If the tax is fair and relevant, it is easy to swallow. Making a new owner pay the prior owner's unpaid registration going back 5 years, when the vehicle was off the road the whole time, doesn't come across well. It feels like 'fu, if you don't like it, we are the government, obey!'

The plan of getting another state to title it in is the best, just be careful as here in Colorado they must inspect the VIN # by a Licensed dealer, and a affidavit signed.
From what I remember of the California laws, They Suck, way back in the 70's when I lived there last I had the same problem. I had to pay back Rego on some POS I bought to fix and drive. If it wasn't for the nice weather and the Pacific, no one would live there and put up with all the Stupid laws.

I don't get it. Here if your registration runs out... it runs out. Big deal. Don't get pulled over if it has. But we get little stickers to fix to our plate to tell if a registration is valid. I'm guessing you don't. Must be a lot of people running around with unregistered vehicles. I'm not so sure I would be mad at Cali since I guess it was the previous owners responsibility to notify the state that the bike was off the road. I'm supposin you have to turn in your plate. I'm just going by how it's done here.

650....that is like a whole months wages in those other states....boy that sucks...in cali we got 650 in our quarters jar...:woohoo:

pay it ride it forget about it..

650


is it a good bike????

I think you're forgetting one little detail. In Cali older vehicles are not welcome. They would much rather you go out and buy some hybrid or electric vehicle that you can enjoy for 30 minutes per day than revive an old polluter. This is just a not-so-subtle method to get you to see things their way.

Or move.

You do have a choice.

Guys registering in another state won't work either. When the DMV runs the VIN # through their system it will still come back as owing money because the bike had been registered in California before. The DMV uses the VIN number not the license plate number. There is no way around this. Yes California DMV sucks and they bleed you dry, I hate them. There is one upside here. If there is no activity on the VIN number for 10 plus years then the VIN falls off the DMV records so basicly you start fresh. I know 10 years a while to wait but that is the only way.
Whenever I purchase a bike I always make sure the registration is current or has a Non operation slip. I don't want any surprises when I walk into the DMV. Non operation slips are only like $25.00 and are good forever I don't know why people just let their registration expire.

I fixed up a bike after over 10 years of sitting in my basement. I had the title, but it wasn't in my name. I never had it registered since I bought it for parts. After fixing it, I just had to pay for the current registration and title transfer. I'm in Illinois.

California "Money-grab" for sure!