[ascentofstan2]

So I had a buddy that tried to pass his old suzuki with some standard clubmans and they wouldn't pass inspection. Some silly Texas law involving a gas tank, but I cant find it online. Is this always the case or is there a way around this. I was thinking of just taking the bike in with normal bars then doing a swap. Is that the standard for running cafes? Or do most of you guys know somebody who helps you pass... for a case of beer... or something... not a bribe...just a thank you case. anyways, that thought just re-entered my mind as i was about to order some bars and i figured you guys would know. (and yeah im trying to make it as street legal as possible)

d

 

[JB]

just pass it with the stock stuff and swap it out. in MD we only have to do the inspection once so it's no big deal!

CB650, FauxCatiFT500

 

[joe c]

in md if you use historic plates, there is no inspection. otherwise, you gotta be as legal as the next guy, well, for the inspection. then its a free for all!

jc

 

[joe c]

and actually, im surprised. alot of modern sportbikes have them down low. most of the time its about the height above the tank. i think the law is 15" but i could be wrong about that. but then again, alot of new sportbikes dont have the tanks under the "tank"

jc

 

[Geeto67]

I am not sure I follow, they did not pass the bike because of the clubmans? Is it because the clubmans hit the gas tank? If they do then the guy was right to fail your friend because they were installed improperly. Not only is it a crappy install but if they do hit the tank then there is the real risk of the bar puncturing the tank in an accident (another reason I advocate clipons). Doesn't sound so silly to me. It is not a standard to cafe racers, but it is common sense.

Before you go and get your self in a heap o' trouble trying to bribe a public official with alcohol, how about you actually look up and understand the law and see how it might apply to your and your friend's situation.

 

[joe c]

absolutely. your bars should in no way hit your tank. like i said, id be surprised if it was an issue of them being too low, or the fact they are clubmans. most of the time it has more to do with height.

i know in maryland, it is impossible to find this stuff out. they will tell you what the law is, but finding it in print is next to impossible.

jc

 

[parks61]

here in lynn, MA, where there is a strong pressence of hell's angles, there are lots of bikes with bars that are shoulder height and even one guy whose bars are over his head. if low bars are dangerous, than high bars must be really safe. it might be easier to put a small low gas tank on your bike for inspection purposes and swap back to your prefered tank than to do the control swap thing. I can't stand the position (or the look for that matter) of the stock bars which came on most sixties and seventies bikes and have clubmans on all my street bikes. bar to tank nerfing is a real bad thing, avoidable at all costs. loss of (a little) steering lock is an easy mod. usually.
parks

 

[ascentofstan2]

Thats where my real concern was. Im glad someone addressed the bars hitting the tank as a possible issue. I hadnt thought of that being the reason why the bike didnt pass, I simply got " they wouldnt pass it with those bars" from my buddy. SO I had to sort out why on my on. As another responder wrote, its hard to find the law laid out to a t here. I wouldnt let the bars hit a tank and wouldnt think most people would. That must of been the reason. Thanks. And the beer thing was a joke (dont get mad, sometimes we use comedy- even if that comedy is not funny- to make lite of a situation and get everyone comfortable with each other).
d

 

[parks61]

i'd be a lot more comforable if you sent me a case of new castle brown ale. it's really good and english too.
comfortabley yours,
parks

 

[ascentofstan2]

I would send you some beer, but im broke... i cant afford to buy chapstick so ive been using the grease from my nose and hair to sooth the dry lips. ha. its rough having hobbies.

 

[UngaWunga]

quote:
here in lynn, MA, where there is a strong pressence of hell's angles...

Lynn, Lynn, city of sin...

 

[Geeto67]

texas has a stat law that the bars cannot be more then 15" above the seat. This is the "ape hanger" law. nothing that says about how low they are, but the number of times state inspection is referenced in their vehicle code leads me to belive that inspectors have carte blance to fail a bike for anything that doesn't look safe.

Austin may also have it is own rules reguarding bars. they cannot prevent a state inspection from happening but they can ticket the crap out of you. Given the amount of car and bike culture in austin I would imagine they are pretty liberal, or as liberal as texans can get, but still you never know.

as for ribbing you about bribery, yeah i knew it was a joke but you never know. Ask me sometime about my high school friend who brought a bottle of JW black label to the DMV.

AMA has a good start on a summary of the laws:

http://home.ama-cycle.org/amaccess/laws/result.asp?state=tx

as always though, get a copy of the vehicle code and read it - your library should have one on file in reference. Like any code book there should be a few examples as to how to interpret the laws too. A little research goes a long way.

 

[joe c]

something i try and have work a lot of times is just take it to a different place. usually, with the dmv, i can get someone to give me the answer i want. if i just so "ok" to the person im talking to who gives me the answer i dont like. i just hang up, and call right back. you can almost always get someone who is willing to ignore, help, or be cool. i have found out it works the other way around too. if they offer something, and its on the table, dont do anything to let them take it off. because youre usually put into a situtaion that is 2x as complex as the one you walked in with.

i just went through an immisions inspection issue and had one guy tell me hed take care of a suspended registration for me. for non compliance of emmisions. i went back the next day with the stuff i needed, and he wasnt there. the dude who was there said there was no way anyone would be allowed to do what the guy said he would do for me and that i needed to bring the car in. (the dmv rep telling me to drive with a suspended plate. he wouldnt even tell me how much i was going to owe. so what did i do? i picked up the phone and had someone do it for me over the phone. no problem. and, she saved me over 200 bucks in fines to boot!

so if you dont get the answers you want the first time, try again someplace else. it can work.

jc