Depends on the street! Its interesting, moving from country to country, state to state, what constitutes a street legal motorcycle will change. However, when you legally register your motorcycle, you will know then or there whether it is street legal or not. You will get your license plate!
When you purchase a motorcycle, make sure the title (the piece of paper that shows ownership) will tell you right away if it is a street legal motorcycle.
How to make a dirty bike street legal
Living in Montana, I know that here it is very easy to change a motorcycle that was sold as dirt only, into a street legal motorcycle. You need one mirror, and blinkers. Simple enough. Montana is notorious for not having many laws. They only recently got speed limits on all the roads! (and many are still lacking signs).
California, on the other hand, it is near impossible to get a dirt bike street legal, and in the end not worth the effort turning a motorcycle that is not street legal into one that is.
Sweden, again, is a tougher country to make a dirt bike street legal. In general Europe has stricter policies when it comes to, well, everything. In Czech, the style is to get your motorcycle approved for street riding, and then take off all the unnecessary parts 🙂
If you really have this questions, I’d recommend to find the solution before you make a purchase. Call your local DMV or vehicle register in your country. They are always happy to help! Once you find out the difficulty of making a dirty bike street legal, you can figure out how much it is worth it getting a street legal dirt bike.
Why should you get a street legal dirt bike
There are pros and cons to both. For a motorcycle that is not street legal, you most likely will have a lighter motorcycle for the tracks. Tires are easier to get, because you know that you will be just riding dirt.
I, however, love street legal dirt bikes. Sure, they are heavier. But you don’t have to own a trailer or truck to drive the motorcycle around in to your riding spots. You can use it to commute to work, which gives you something to look forward to every day. And, you can take long, off road weekend adventures on a street legal dirt bike. Turning it into a dual sport bike!
Yes, when my friends kick my butt on the small trails when we do trailer our bikes in, I do wish I had a dirt bike. But, when I know on the crazy adventures I can go on, both on road and off road, that wish floats away.