Plates?

[suspiciouspackage]

How long after you bought the bike did it take you to get your plates (and registration, but I don't care as much)? I don't wanna ride around on that stupid looking dealer plate for much longer. This is the first vehicle I'm buying from California so I don't know. But I hear the state's notorious for taking as long as they can.

[snowdriftless]

You just got to wait. Try to see it as a badge of pride. You have a new motorcycle so new you haven't even got the plates for it yet.

[steviede]

Wow is that how it works in the states? in Canada when you ride away from the dealer everything is done plates, registration all that is done for you when you pick it up. maybe i'm just a dumb canuk

[maybe07]

It's been more than two months with no plates for me, here in California.

[vi5a]

 

Wow is that how it works in the states? in Canada when you ride away from the dealer everything is done plates, registration all that is done for you when you pick it up. maybe i'm just a dumb canuk

In Massachusetts it's like that. Dealership does all the registration and gets you a plate. Some times it's as fast as the same day you buy your bike depending on the time of day you finalize your purchase.

[she3pdog]

Cali takes a freaking long time, man. Mine was like 6 weeks.

[steviede]

So they just give you a temp plate in the mean time?

[aeisan]

Got mine in about a week. Tennessee.

[anips]

How long after you bought the bike did it take you to get your plates (and registration, but I don't care as much)? I don't wanna ride around on that stupid looking dealer plate for much longer. This is the first vehicle I'm buying from California so I don't know. But I hear the state's notorious for taking as long as they can.

I got mine in just under 2 weeks. Los Angeles area.. I paid cash though so maybe title was easier to process?

[aeisan]

So they just give you a temp plate in the mean time?

Yes... The dealers have cardboard "temp plates" aka "30-day tags" or "drive out tags" that they fill out the purchase date, expiration date, etc. on with a black marker.  You keep that on the bike with a piece of paper you have to carry (usually the bill of sale) until the real plates come in to the dealer and you can go pick them up.  

[prediddy]

I got temp tags that day and had them on the bike for about a week before the dealership got the real ones in, that I stopped by and picked up. This is in MD, I'm sure every state is a little different.

[steviede]

So they just give you a temp plate in the mean time?

Yes... The dealers have cardboard "temp plates" aka "30-day tags" or "drive out tags" that they fill out the purchase date, expiration date, etc. on with a black marker.  You keep that on the bike with a piece of paper you have to carry (usually the bill of sale) until the real plates come in to the dealer and you can go pick them up.  

Learn something new everyday!

[aeisan]

... and knowing is half the battle!

[tino206]

I waited about 3 weeks

[vi5a]

While we're on the topic of plates, why do folks black out or cover up their plate number when taking pictures. I see that all the time and never know why.

[hippiebikerchick]

While we're on the topic of plates, why do folks black out or cover up their plate number when taking pictures. I see that all the time and never know why.

Because naked pics are forbidden on this forum. 

[so1102]

While we're on the topic of plates, why do folks black out or cover up their plate number when taking pictures. I see that all the time and never know why.

Because naked pics are forbidden on this forum. 

 
I do it because it is additional personally identifiable information that may be used for nefarious purposes against me.  Call me paranoid, but...
 
 
(sorry the black helicopters are overhead again.  gotta run!)

[aeisan]

Meh... I don't usually worry about it. It's nothing hundreds of others don't see while I'm riding. I do understand the reasoning behind it and I'll do it if I don't feel like it's a major inconvenience.

[Guest brickst3r]

I got mine in under 3 weeks here in CA. My friend had his bike for over a year and still hasn't put his plates on yet. You can get away with some tickets if you have traffic cams around the city

[skawdee]

I can't believe people are waiting that long here in the states! I just bought my bike from Southern Utah and drove back home to Jackson Hole Wyoming. The next day it took me a whole lunch hour to get the VIN inspected, TTL, and insurance all finished. I was riding that night after work, legally. Sometimes I feel like CA isn't really a part of the USA :/

[motomeek]

I only had to wait a month for mine, which didn't seem very long to me.
 
CA doesn't have temporary plates.
And it's not "illegal" to ride your bike after purchase as long as you have all the paperwork to cover you until you do get your plates.
 
And yes - You can ride without your plates, but if you ever get pulled over and they find out you already have them (it'll be in the system), you can get ticketed that way.
 
CA has a TOOOOON of vehicles. It's a highly populated/commuting state. It's why it can take a while.
 

[vi5a]

 

Because naked pics are forbidden on this forum. 

 
I do it because it is additional personally identifiable information that may be used for nefarious purposes against me.  Call me paranoid, but...
 
 
(sorry the black helicopters are overhead again.  gotta run!)

Enlighten me a little. What can another person do with knowing my plate number?

[so1102]

 
I do it because it is additional personally identifiable information that may be used for nefarious purposes against me.  Call me paranoid, but...
 
 
(sorry the black helicopters are overhead again.  gotta run!)

Enlighten me a little. What can another person do with knowing my plate number?

Read http://jalopnik.com/5941797/should-you-bother-obscuring-your-license-plates-in-photos. 
Also:  license plate theft.
 
Main argument against it:  "well, people see my plate when I'm on the road" -- yes, but when it's on the interwebs there is a significantly larger audience.
 
 
 

[suspiciouspackage]

I only had to wait a month for mine, which didn't seem very long to me. 
CA doesn't have temporary plates.
And it's not "illegal" to ride your bike after purchase as long as you have all the paperwork to cover you until you do get your plates.
 
And yes - You can ride without your plates, but if you ever get pulled over and they find out you already have them (it'll be in the system), you can get ticketed that way.
 
CA has a TOOOOON of vehicles. It's a highly populated/commuting state. It's why it can take a while.

So I could take the dealer plate out and run it naked? Then again I feel like I'd definitely get pulled over every time I go out.

[suspiciouspackage]

 
I do it because it is additional personally identifiable information that may be used for nefarious purposes against me.  Call me paranoid, but...
 
 
(sorry the black helicopters are overhead again.  gotta run!)

Enlighten me a little. What can another person do with knowing my plate number?

Some say that it's one of those things where they can look up your address via plate number and steal your vehicle or just rob you in general. I've never heard of it happening but you never know.