Ticket for no insurance.

[B-rent]

Why would you risk driving an unregistered un-insured vehicle?
They would have impounded the bike here and fined you heavily.

I mean what if you had caused damage in an accident?
Did you really intend to register and insure the bike? If so why not do it prior to the test ride?

I had bike on the brain. I was working all day on it to get it running and couldn't resist. If I get in an accident it will most likely be the other person not paying attention and the damage will be done to me. I fully intend to register and insure the bike, but not until it is completely road worthy, hence the test drive. It still needs a stator to keep the battery charged.

My insurance on the bike has been added and dated to the day of purchase. This will probably be a great help in court since the whole reason is that I was not insured.

[TheCafeKid]

Actually, Steve has it partially correct.
In Ohio, the following is true: (And I know these things from "young and dumb" experience)

Driving a vehicle without registration is a ticket, if you're pulled over by locals. If a statie gets you, though, you're screwed. He has the right to impound the vehicle. Same is true for expired tags.

Driving a vehicle with plates from another vehicle is a misdemeanor, and you'll pay a hefty fine and could serve jail time depending on who got you. "falsified and or fraudulent registration/tags"

Driving a vehicle without insurance, as in you have none, can result in impound, a trip to the department via black and white taxi, and WILL result in suspension of license for 90 days (first offense) and up to one year each subsequent offense up to the third, and then it's yanked for good. Not to mention points on your license.

Driving under suspension or revoked license is worse than driving with no license at all.

Violating leathers permit: ie driving after dark, w/o helmet or on the interstate is....get this (it's the one I know from experience) a CLASS 4 FELONY. (that's worse than a DUI). Imagine my surprise showing up to court thinking I'm gonna have to pay a hefty fine for a traffic violation, to have my judge as me where my attorney is, as I'm facing up to $6000 in fines and 6 months in jail.
I nearly died.

But as most have said, it's a revenue scam. I got an attorney, (a regular at work, did me a favor for $300 instead of $1500) and paid $90 in court costs.
No points, no suspension, etc.

Lesson learned. Btw, having your bike impounded is a very sad thing. Usually they'll call a wrecker, and have it swinging off the back. That was worse than the $$ IMO.

[Eli69]

when i was a punk kid i got busted w/ no insurance on a bike. the trooper was reasonable and let me ride home BUT the state of NY sent me a letter a couple months later and wanted my license, which they kept until i paid a $500 fee. i tried getting insurance the day after the ticket but the insurance company recorded the DATE and TIME that i purchased the coverage.

at the time i looked up the actual law at the library and found an interesting loophole. there was a form one could send to the state if you weren't informed that you would be loosing your license if you plead guilty to having no insurance. i remember mentioning that form to a judge at a later court appearance (i had a few back then) and he basically laughed at me which i took to mean i was not rich enough or well connected enough to use such loopholes.

anyway, your state may be different but you should probably use caution on this since it could be serious.

i suggest you look up the law and see what the details are. nowadays you should be able to do it online.

good luck.

[hampshirehog]

No messing over here. If you ain't insured your vehicle is seized and crushed. Sorry if it sounds harsh but I support that approach.

[skreemer]

Progressive only puts the day and month on their policies.
Ask Nerobro, he got pulled over for doing 122 in a 55 zone, no insurance, and he forgot to get a new license as his was expired a few weeks before... He got a nice stack of tickets for that mess.

He got out of the insurance fine by immediately going home and purchasing insurance for his bike and printing off the forms.

Another trick is to simply add the new bike to your policy. Depending on the insurance company the date on the documentation is from when the original policy was instated not when it was last changed.

[TheCafeKid]

Ohio also does this wonderful little trick too:

Random Insurance proof spot checks. If you've a vehicle registered in the state, roadworthy or not, they can and will send you a letter asking for proof of insurance on that vehicle, and they ask for specific date proof (say, August of last year, if you owned the vehicle then. ) even if the vehicle doesn't run, never leaves the garage, if it has valid tags, it better be insured.
Of course people would fail to register such a vehicle, but then also get fined by the state for not registering it within 7 days of tag expiration or 30 days of title transfer. A racket.

[1_v8_merc]

Never heard of such craziness where I live.....cops don't even glance at motorcycles.
You could be riding in a bikini with no lights, mirrors or plate......they "might" look twice...just because you're wearing a bikini.

[RageZro]

Driving a vehicle without registration is a ticket, if you're pulled over by locals. If a statie gets you, though, you're screwed. He has the right to impound the vehicle. Same is true for expired tags.

Don't try that in Hamilton, the youngest had his "spotted" sitting parallel parked between two cars with expired tags and it was towed by the locals, fines, tow and 1 day storage = $250! Never did figure out how they got it out between the two cars.

Ohio also does this wonderful little trick too:

Random Insurance proof spot checks. If you've a vehicle registered in the state, roadworthy or not, they can and will send you a letter asking for proof of insurance on that vehicle, and they ask for specific date proof (say, August of last year, if you owned the vehicle then. ) even if the vehicle doesn't run, never leaves the garage, if it has valid tags, it better be insured.
Of course people would fail to register such a vehicle, but then also get fined by the state for not registering it within 7 days of tag expiration or 30 days of title transfer. A racket.

That reminds me... truck insured?

Never heard of such craziness where I live.....cops don't even glance at motorcycles.
You could be riding in a bikini with no lights, mirrors or plate......they "might" look twice...just because you're wearing a bikini.

Depending on the terrain I might just like to ride in a place like that! (no bikini... er, I mean more like full gear!)
Where are you located?

[chuck hahn]

Merc...OH do tell the general vacinity of such a utopian spot!!!!

[TheCafeKid]

Jimmy, Jimmy, Jimmy....

DUH!!!

I only need to learn lesson once

[B-rent]

So, I'm glad I didn't do this in Ohio. Sounds like I would have had my bike taken, given a ride in a black and white car with christmas lights on top, license taken away, possibly raped in jail, and a stack of fines to pay. That would have been a full day.

[chuck hahn]

You dont need to go to jail to get raped...that ticket is proof of that.

[B-rent]

You dont need to go to jail to get raped...that ticket is proof of that.

I wonder if they have the option to have the ticket wrapped in barbwire?

[keman]

Wow. This is a scary thread...

Washington State does not require cycles to be insured at all!!

Personally I think it should require at least the minimum that is required for cars (liability). In a car, no insurance is a $400 or so fine. You do have to have a motorcycle endorsement here. If you get pulled over and don't have it they impound and ticket.

About 40% of the riders in Wa. have no insurance!!

Me... FULL coverage plus extra uninsured coverage. I'm almost 50, the bike is 31, the rates are pretty low for me. It makes no sense not to go full meal deal and cover my a--.

[earlfor]

Wow. This is a scary thread...

Washington State does not require cycles to be insured at all!!

Personally I think it should require at least the minimum that is required for cars (liability). In a car, no insurance is a $400 or so fine. You do have to have a motorcycle endorsement here. If you get pulled over and don't have it they impound and ticket.

About 40% of the riders in Wa. have no insurance!!

Me... FULL coverage plus extra uninsured coverage. I'm almost 50, the bike is 31, the rates are pretty low for me. It makes no sense not to go full meal deal and cover my a--.

Yep, bike insurance is so cheap, why would anyone not have it.