While some parts of the world are covered in a blanket of white (Mine. It’s mine), thousands of miles of wide open spaces are still available to open up the throttle on. But what about the open road? Especially if you are a 2-stroke dirt bike enthusiast, while it is generally a non-issue to ride off-road in most of the United States, there are no options for factory-produced 2-stroke dirt bikes to buy and drive on the road legally.
But is there still a way? Even if you live somewhere like California? If you want to belch white smoke all over downtown, you need to make your two-stroke dirt bike street legal, and I’m here to tell you how while making the argument that doing this should absolutely be more common.
The Enduring Appeal Of Two-Stroke Dirt Bikes
Wouldn’t it be rad if anyone, just any single manufacturer, would produce a street-legal 2-stroke dirt bike? The short answer is obviously yes. Of course, that’s not real likely to happen. Unfortunately, whether you agree with it or not, the ‘green’ movement isn’t going away, and 2-strokes are decidedly not green (at least that’s the common narrative).
What is it that has kept riders wanting to ride 2-strokers for so long?
Well, mostly performance. A 4-stroke bike just does not compare to a 2-stroke in throttle response and overall fun.
On top of far better throttle response and torque on the pipe, the two key features that make dirt bikes fun and awesome to ride are the facts that 2-stroke dirt bikes are much lighter for two reasons:
Lightweight aluminum frames
Lightweight but extremely powerful engines
As a result, you can get the power and potency of a much larger bike out of a much smaller two-stroke, a recipe that is only just now being emulated – by electric dirt bikes – but that’s a story for another day.
Why Riders Still Love Two-Strokes
Riders still love 2-strokes because they are awesome. Look, if it’s a choice between a heavy 4-stroke bike with slow throttle response and a boring power curve and a lightweight bike with instant throttle response and massive torque, I’m going with the 2-stroke every time.
In a world where throttle response, torque, and weight are the primary factors, 2-strokes reign supreme. Do you want big air? Then your bike better be light, fast, and accelerate like hell. Oh yeah, and 2-strokes are really simple.
See, a 2-stroke engine has far fewer moving parts, making it a much simpler powerplant to work with. It also means they are cheaper to work on, cheaper to maintain, and way cheaper to overhaul if it comes to it.
Look, off-roading is hard on all vehicles. Trails are rough and unforgiving, and ruts eat tires and struts for breakfast. Simplicity is king, and weight is always a premium. A heavy bike lands harder and requires more mass to absorb and deal with the added mass. It's weird how that works out, isn’t it?
So You Want To Make a Two-Stroke Street Legal?
Ok, so now we get down to the interesting part. 2-stroke dirt bikes are not actually illegal in and of themselves everywhere. What I mean by this is that the engine itself would not be illegal if it were strapped to a bike that is otherwise street-legal.
What does this mean, exactly?
Well, most states don’t care whether the engine is 2-stroke or four-stroke. If the VIN matches what is on the title, they really don’t care all that much (unless it is a state with extreme smog laws like California – read more about that here).
So, why try to make one street-legal? For fun, of course! Why wouldn’t you want to strap a set of street tires on your 2-stroke dirt bike and rip open the throttle on all that hardball surface? Is it the most economical way to commute? Probably not. But it sure is one of the most exciting.
Again, more than a couple of states are unfriendly toward this sort of hoonery, but they are still the minority. The issue isn’t how the cops will react on the roads. The issue is how you will succeed in getting a street-legal title for the dirt bike, along with a tag and registration, so you have a plated bike that will pass muster from an officer at a stop light. Accomplish that and you’re good to go.
Challenges in Making Two-Strokes Roadworthy
What really stops two-stroke dirt bikes from being street legal isn’t the two-stroke engine, but the fact that most states don’t want to title a bike that was originally sold for off-road use only.
The main challenge is the paperwork. See, OHVs like two-stroke dirt bikes are intended to be just that: an off-highway vehicle. Not every dirt bike comes with a title; if they do, it is usually branded as an OHV. This is intentional; the manufacturer has a level of liability, so the title reflects that. OHVs are intended by the manufacturer to be driven on trails or motocross or wherever, and they don’t pass emissions and other testing required to get on the road legally right out of the factory packaging.
But thankfully, some states are willing to look the other way and make your dirt bike street legal regardless of how many strokes it has. Let’s look at which states those are, and how you can still do it if you don’t live there – which you probably don’t.
How To Make a Two-Stroke Dirt Bike Street Legal
The first step in the registration process, and the most important one, is the administrative action.
The team here at Dirt Legal offers two distinct options for this: one through Montana and the other through South Dakota.
Montana
Montana is a great overall option. You can get on the road quickly with a temp tag without any proof of ownership beyond a basic bill of sale. Also, Montana’s motorcycle license plate is permanent, so you’ll never have to register the bike again. Montana charges no sales tax, which is a huge bonus for most of us, and you will get an LLC out of the deal if you work with us, which you can use for other vehicle purchases in the future.
You can leave your bike titled in Montana and drive it wherever you want.
The main detractor for some people is that you need to own the vehicle outright, as unless you physically live in Montana, you cannot be financing the vehicle in question.
TLDR: If you own your bike outright, go with Montana.
South Dakota
South Dakota will title a two-stroke dirt bike that has a loan out on it, but they are more restrictive in other ways. For one, you must have a valid proof of ownership, and it cannot be used for:
Pit bikes
Mini-bikes
Trials bikes
Electric bikes
And the engine must be over 119cc
The biggest detractor is that if you don’t live in South Dakota, you won’t have the protection of an LLC to keep that bike titled in South Dakota beyond a fairly short window. You will likely need to retitle in your own state at some point, and if that’s your plan anyway, that’s great.
TLDR: Use South Dakota only if you are financing your bike.
Any Other State
If you live anywhere else, you can use Montana to get street legal by forming an LLC in the state with the help of an expert company like Dirt Legal. You can go through South Dakota if you’re financing, just know that you won’t have the protection of an LLC when it comes time to move the plate to your local area (exact timeframe based on your local laws).
Either state is amenable to 2-stroke dirt bikes, as neither has state inspection requirements or smog inspection requirements.
Besides the title and registration, the only thing you need to do is follow DOT rules on lights, markings, mufflers, and anything else.
The Future of Two-Strokes
So, what is the future of two-stroke bikes? Are they relegated to riding the trails of friendly states and maybe/maybe not riding the trails of unfriendly states?
Well, first off, the days are still shining bright for our smokey little friends. More than one manufacturer still makes a street-ready 2-stroke bike, and there are still plenty of options out there. For example, Husqvarna offers a full line of 2-stroke Enduros ranging from 150 ccs to 300 ccs. Just use Montana or South Dakota as outlined above and you can get bikes like these on the road easily.
However, if you already own a 2-stroke dirt bike and want to make it street-legal, that is no problem. Dirt Legal is your trusted source for making anything you have street-legal. We have helped tens of thousands of our closest friends get a title, tag, and registration for their vehicles.
With hundreds of Google reviews and a solid 5.0-star rating, you know you’re going to be treated right with our white glove service, all backed by our 100% Money Back Guarantee.
We started out predominantly as a dirt bike, ATV, and UTV service, and our roots haven’t changed. We still love to ride and are not above hooning around. And yes, we love 2-strokes and believe they belong on the road if you want to ride them there.
How Dirt Legal Can Help You
Dirt Legal is the best place to get your 2-stroke dirt bike titled, tagged, and registered. We have been doing this for years now and we serve around 800 satisfied customers every month!
No matter where you live, no matter where you shred, no matter where you hit the trails and pavement, Dirt Legal is your one-stop shop for making your two-stroke dirt bike street legal. And we cannot overstate this enough: If you want to drive any OHV on roadways, buy an ATV or UTV and use our street-legal services to get them on the road legally. You will receive a valid registration and tag, so your vehicle is legally on the road, and the world will be a little happier.
The Green Sticker rules from California Air Resources Board (CARB) will effectively ban 2022 model-year bikes from state trails that do not carry the green sticker.