Cb750. I Call her Black Betty. Parts from SpeedMotoCo.com

TrialsRider said:

That's the whole point isn't it.
DOT is the engineering specifications behind public road use. . You hit a non-road worthy vehicle in the fog, dark or rain on the interstate or making a left turn in an intersection & law guarantees it's going to be his fault and liability not yours.

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It doesn't appear you have a lot of experience in the US, legal, insurance, or law enforcement investigation.
Federal DOT and State laws overlap but differ in some cases.
* Post military I did ODOT vehicle inspections and alignment with my Federal FAA license.
The ruling document in Oregon is what is called Oregon Revised Statutes and State Police, Oregon department of transportation, county sheriff's and city police follow those, in addition each county and city can & do have additional rules called " ordinance".

Here's a example, City of Canby Oregon has a rule that all lighting equipment must be turned on and visible from Dusk till dawn and if you are driving a car with marker lights only, not headlights, you can be cited. That's not state or county, or federal.

An officer can initiate a traffic stop for federal DOT but it has to align with state, county and city. I could go on & on, but you are pedantically over thinking this.

I have been in accident investigations and nobody tries to blame the victim for not having Federal DOT turn signals.

Now... One exception. If you are intoxicated, even if sitting at a stop light, and some idiot crashes into you, you are at fault as well. Nothing to do with turn signals, but recently a friend processed a crime scene where both drivers were drunk.

If you like, look up ORS rules on vehicle lighting. Only reason you would get stopped by the police on lighting, is if they are looking for a pretext to stop you such as a patch club.

* How do you know you are a British bike owner? If police pull you over for dim lighting and you express surprise the lights were working at all! " A gentleman does not motor about after dark" Joseph A Lucas.

** In Oregon you don't HAVE to add turnsignals if the bike didn't originally come with them ( pre 71) however you should not ride in the dark because hand signals are not visible. This is in contrast to seatbelts and shoulder belts in cars. You HAVE to install seat/shoulder belt's.
But nobody enforces it. Been riding since the 70s.

TrialsRider said:

Enforcement in USA, no idea, but your DOT is the same thing as my DOT up here in Canada and I am familiar with that and I know what will get you pulled over if you ride it up here.

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Chapter 816 is the rules here in Oregon, * additional can be county and city as well.

Unless you really get a weirdo officer, or they are looking for a pretext to initiate a traffic stop nobody really is enforcing these and reality with new technology coming out, these are really behind the curve. If you quiz a officer it's unlikely most know these.

Here's a example, on Buells they run dual headlights, one is low beam and high lights up both. A few people have been pulled over for having a headlight out and officers don't understand it's federally and state legal. I have not been pulled over for it but those I know who did tried to explain, but told the officer " write me a ticket & I'll see you in court!" Each time the cop failed to show & dismissed.
But a popular modification is changing both bulbs to dual filament for better lighting and avoiding ignorance in LEO.

But nowadays, a lot of people are running with out license plates or current, and list of other things and police are so short staffed unless a major crime, nobody's going to pull you over. Last September during fire fighting I was laughing but didn't have time to take a picture but several police cars brand new but. No license plates, been in service 4 months and DMV is so backed up even the cops don't get their stuff in a timely fashion.

A friend at Gresham police said they are so busy with homicides and violence that virtually anything else does not even get a response.