License Plate in Washington
 

Hello, I've been looking a buying a new bike and the Gas Gas 300 has caught my eye. I have a KTM 200 and a Husaberg 470 that are both plated in WA. and would like the GG to be also because of where I like to ride. Can anybody tell me about thier experence at getting a plate?

How about buying a used GG in Oregon with no plate and trying to get a plate here?

The enviro-nazis in WA (and OR) are agressively pushing to prevent plating of good dual sports, making it very tough to get a plate.

I live in WA and have some expereince in this area. The best way to go over this is to PM me your phone number and I will give you a call.

Good luck! You'll need some. ;)

Please don't tell me I need buy a KTM instead. I called Cliffs's cycle and Skagit power sports and neither had any GG but said they had 08 KTM 300 in stock and could get a plate.

The MSO for a GG is no different than one for a KTM, both are "clean" with no "off road only" text. It may be like here in NJ, that now there is a "hit list", of bikes that are now ineledgible for registration. The only serious off road bikes that can get plates here now are the KTM EXC 4-stokes and Husky TEs. All other bikes are in the same boat, KTM XCs, Husky WRs, GG ECs. I had to get a Vermont registration/tag, which is perfectly legal and common practice by Vermont DMV. It is adequate for passing tech at enduros, but technically in NJ you need an NJ reg if your a resident. Depending on your needs and laws this may be a solution. It was my only option.

FWIW, this state (NJ) is like a prison camp compared to WA and OR. Were all outlaws.

WA and OR are making every effort to severely restrict off-road riding.

Aside from restricting dual sport plating, they are going to a policy of closed to motorized use unless posted as open to motorized use. How much effort does it take to tear down a sign?

The pressure to close trails creates a downward death spiral. It starts with fewer open trails, then more concentrated use, then more trail damage due to the concentrated use, then more pressure to protect the environment from motorized use and then close more trails.

Legal riding on public land was gone years ago in NJ. Only allowed during enduros now, and only in the south. Of that land used, the quality and quantity of single track has suffered over the years, with more black top connecters and whooped out fire cuts. The new DEP head put an end to the Ridge Run Enduro in north NJ a few years back ending a 30+ year tradition. Now its in Hancock, NY where bikes are welcomed. They cry land damage, but think nothing of destroying many acres at the base of a mountain so those guys with less balls and more $$ can spend the day chasing little white balls around the lawn. Makes me sick. As soon as my wife has had enough of her job I'm outta here.

I'll tell you from experience, riding will not stop. It will become illegal and an outlaw activity but it will go on.

I bought my '05 FSE new in '06 and the dealer here in eastern Wash. did all the paperwork and I recieved my Wash. plate a week or two later. I'm sure Eric can help U. I bought a XR400 used in Oregon about 2 yrs ago and had him get the Or. plate for it. I then got it licensed here in eastern Wash., But had to try two places before I found someone who would do it. I didn't even have to show the bike.
Eric is right tho. The ani-American's are here in Eastern Washington now! They are already having meetings about which trails and roads to close for the offroaders. We have trails here that were built and still maintained by offroaders, which is alot of work when U think back on our Jan. storm we had over here. Many many blowdowns.
This spring we were riding in the drier region east of us and a helicopter swooped down and ticketed one of our riders for not being on a green dot road. We took a bunch of pics and he later was able to rescind it. Now U have forest dept. guys and sheriffs on the lookout for street legal bikes on the fireroads and alot of them have offroad bikes to go hunting. Some of the them are real a344o43s too.
These greenies don't even fit in to this beautiful region. They are mostly pale and have stringy limbs and cold wet clammy hands with a limp rag handshake. They have money and liberal backing is all. Why in hell couldn't they stay over on the left side of the mountains! Eastern Wash. has been discovered and these people are buying it up. They make new more restricting rules everyday. Too bad America won't wake up.

I had a Wa plate for my 99 it was previously tagged in Fl. I bought a used 02 that was not plated and have had no luck in getting a plate for it. I went so far as to source an mso for another 02 but all for nothing. I now look at the ticket I will eventually get as a calculated expense of connecting trails together. I have saved two years worth of tabs fees allready and have yet to get a ticket, or stopped for that matter.

You should be fine with a new bike, but it certainly is not guarunteed that the state will let you keep the plate they give you.

P Bryant
Everett

PS. I think we might be pleasantly supprised by the outcome of the new FS Travel Plan. I have been looking at the maps recently released and it appears that there is very little area being restricted. In fact lots of new Green Dot type areas are propossed as well as a number of new trails. Should be interesting at the least. What the forest plan will do is end cross country travel, a real shame but there is always B.C.

From what I've heard over the last couple of years most Washington dealers wont even try to plate a new Gas Gas even if thats a deal breaker for them. I'm not sure exactly why thats the case when KTM's with plates go out of the same shops left and right with plates issued. Now Cliffs and Skagit have dropped the line so that leaves Condottas and the new dealer who hasn't announced publicly yet for those locally that want to try to get a new Washington plated Gas Gas.