CA Fix It Ticket - Advice

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LArider

Joined
Sep 16, 2012
Messages
158
Location
Los Angeles
I was went out yesterday on my Sport 1000 and was driving down Venice Blvd and saw a LA County Sheriff on one of the cross streets. I wasn't speeding, lane splitting, keeping the RPMs low/attempting to be quite and generally behaving myself.

About 5 minutes later this guy comes up fast from behind and lights me up. He pulled me over stating he couldn't read my plate. We wrote me a "fix it ticket" for displaying my plate under the tail and was generally a complete jerk, as he I think he also had Db meter was eying the Termi for noise.

Anyway, I put the factory tail light assembly on this afternoon and will go to the CHP to have it 'verified' tomorrow and then pay the $20 court fee and be done with it. My question is does anyone know what will happen if I relocate the license back under the tail and get pulled over again? Is it just another "fix it ticket" or will I get something more serious as it would be a multiple offense?

I have the same set up on the Panigale and am just wanting to know what to expect.........as I have the same set up on both bikes it might happen again.

Cheers!
 
I've gone through this process many times...both for lic. plate relocation and turn signals (I had Clear Alternatives integrated light on my 675 and twice cops gave me tickets for it being illegal--even though I don't think it is--even Corvette's have integrated turn signals that do double duty with brake lights) and never had any issues. If you do get another ticket (or another or another), AND they check your history (they've never checked mine), you can always say that yes, you relocated it again, but to a different place that was more visible.
 
It's not integration, per se, that's illegal. Rather, the spacing of the signals from the vehicle centerline is what makes an integrated tail light illegal on motorcycles. The same US code dictates locations of side reflectors, stoplights, and other visibility devices.

License plate location is not dictated by the federal code, but rather by the individual States. For instance, here in New Mexico the requirements for the plate are that it be at the rear of the vehicle, parallel to the ground (so that the writing is vertical and can be read left to right) and at least 12 inches off the ground. Same code for cars, bikes, or other vehicles.

Not that this helps with your fix-it much....but for my nickel it's not worth fiddling with. Enjoy the bike as you bought it if the local constabulary are inclined to be repressive dicks. Better yet, leave California at the first opportunity and give your tax money to a jurisdiction that might make better use of it.
 
I have heard about all the laws in CA. When in doubt, consult a knowledgeable attorney. Good luck!
 
your state as well as mine is BROKE. you will see more and more of these tickets come your way. Tickets arent about safety they are about revenue another tax you could say. After all you have a motorcycle its a luxury item. you dont deserve that you should give more funds to the government. You have people and illegals to pay for. God forbid you enjoy the fruits of your hard earned labor.
 
I moved out of california a little over 5 years ago and havent looked back. the only thing i miss from that state are the canyon roads around LA, angeles crest mostly but just as i was leaving drifters were starting to move in and attract more police attention and was closed for years due to a bad fire. other than that i am so glad to be out of that state and los angeles, not to mention the nazi CHP and other cops that worry more about a loud exhaust and where your license plate is located compared to the more serious crimes that are constantly happening there.
 
LArider said:
I was went out yesterday on my Sport 1000 and was driving down Venice Blvd and saw a LA County Sheriff on one of the cross streets. I wasn't speeding, lane splitting, keeping the RPMs low/attempting to be quite and generally behaving myself.

About 5 minutes later this guy comes up fast from behind and lights me up. He pulled me over stating he couldn't read my plate. We wrote me a "fix it ticket" for displaying my plate under the tail and was generally a complete jerk, as he I think he also had Db meter was eying the Termi for noise.

Anyway, I put the factory tail light assembly on this afternoon and will go to the CHP to have it 'verified' tomorrow and then pay the $20 court fee and be done with it. My question is does anyone know what will happen if I relocate the license back under the tail and get pulled over again? Is it just another "fix it ticket" or will I get something more serious as it would be a multiple offense?

I have the same set up on the Panigale and am just wanting to know what to expect.........as I have the same set up on both bikes it might happen again.

Cheers!
Click to expand...

Im not a Lawyer but here is the section regarding license plate from the California Vehicle Code (VC) relating to requirements for motorcycles, motor-driven cycles, and motorized bicycles.

License Plate (5200, 5201, 5204 VC). The license plate shall be rigidly mounted on the rear of the vehicle, approximately perpendicular to and between 12 inches and 60 inches above the roadway and must be clearly legible. Validating tabs are to be attached to the plate. No covering is permitted on the plate.

I know a lot of people got the same violation you got thrown out.
 
Is lane splitting legal in CA? not here in NM. Sorry, slightly off topic
 
Unfortunately, you are going to be seeing more & more of this as the state continues to try to fund a generation of liberal bullsh!t legislature in CA.

We have red light cameras here in Florida which serve the same purpose (revenue). Anyway, I digress.

Answering your question... Switching over to the more visible competition werkes, DP, R&G etc tail tidy may be a better location for your local yokels'... assuming you are tucking it way underneath by the exhaust.
 
To answer the original question, yes you can get another fixit ticket and they seldom check if you've had priors. My wife gets them all the time for not having a plate on the front of the car. Put it back as standard, get it inspected at a chp station, pay the $20 then ride home and put it back the way it was.
 
Just some observations from my personal experience of currently living in California.

The Police ALWAYS check your record, this can happen prior to an intervention or in parallel while checking your credentials. They will rarely issue a ticket without actually checking your record.

You can lane split in California if generally deemed safe to do so.

I pay >50% of my income in taxes (California/State) however I reckon it is worth it to live the life I enjoy with others and have made for myself. Then again I have not found a state in the USA that I did not like.
 
I am personally amazed everyone with a license plate mounted well under the rear fender doesn't get pulled over. The installation sure is sanitary, but it really is more difficult to read the plate when compared to the OEM position. I put on the DP unit which is much smaller than the stock unit, but still keeps the plate extremely visible to the police when they are following you. The DP unit may not be quite as clean an installation, and it costs a small fortune (about $380), and it doesn't even come with all the hardware needed (missing a few 3mm machine screws), but hey, it looks good, and I don't get pulled over.
 
I live in so-cal close to the hwy2, I am keeping my bike 100% stock. Everytime I ride by a CHP, i can tell he's sniffing my bike out for the small violations. The pani attracts enough attention as it is, don't need to give them an excuse.
 
LArider said:
I was went out yesterday on my Sport 1000 and was driving down Venice Blvd and saw a LA County Sheriff on one of the cross streets. I wasn't speeding, lane splitting, keeping the RPMs low/attempting to be quite and generally behaving myself.

About 5 minutes later this guy comes up fast from behind and lights me up. He pulled me over stating he couldn't read my plate. We wrote me a "fix it ticket" for displaying my plate under the tail and was generally a complete jerk, as he I think he also had Db meter was eying the Termi for noise.

Anyway, I put the factory tail light assembly on this afternoon and will go to the CHP to have it 'verified' tomorrow and then pay the $20 court fee and be done with it. My question is does anyone know what will happen if I relocate the license back under the tail and get pulled over again? Is it just another "fix it ticket" or will I get something more serious as it would be a multiple offense?

I have the same set up on the Panigale and am just wanting to know what to expect.........as I have the same set up on both bikes it might happen again.

Cheers!
Click to expand...

You might return the aftermarket mount to the seller and ask for your money back since it's "illegal" to use in your state. That would pay off the 20 bucks anyway.

Personally, I sure wouldn't put it back on.
 

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