Motorcycle Safety Inspection (to rent, car insurance, home)

[alloo66]

Where do I need to go to get this inspection done? Does regular automobile inspection stations do the motorcycle safety inspection also? Are they're motorcycle/scooter safety inspection stations?

[timbo31958]

You can get it done at any inspection station or you can go to a service shop for the bike and do it there as well.

[Arus]

any shop that does safety inspections will do it, but if you want, any motorcycle dealership will do it also.

[alloo66]

Thanks! Moving home in two weeks, just trying to line up my ducks.

[Razzbar]

I had a HUGE hassle getting a motorcycle legalized in Hawaii, and ultimately failed.

I bought a bike on a trip to California and had it shipped to Hawaii. Then, when I tried to transfer the title, I was told to get it registered first (?). So I went to the registration window, and they told me it needed to be inspected. To pass safety inspection, they will need to see proof of insurance. To get insurance, it has to be registered.

Also, to get insurance, you have to have a motorcycle endorsement on your driver's license. To get the endorsement, you have to take a road test on a motorcycle, which must be insured, which means you have to rent or borrow from someone who has insurance that allows an unlicensed driver to drive it.

It turned out to be impossible. Maybe, if you're going to Oahu, there is a motorcycle riding school like there is here. They take care of everything, including the road test, for a very reasonable fee. Here, at least. I was on the Big Island when this big shibai came down. It was a classic example of island runaround.

Eventually, I acquired a slew of tickets, which the prosecutor dismissed on agreement to plead guilty to a speeding charge. I was looking forward to drawing the judge a "flowchart to nowhere", but thought it wiser to take the prosecutor's deal. This was when the public defender didn't even show up. I guess I could have had charges dismissed because of that, but I didn't know.

And no, I wasn't an FOB haole with an attitude when all this came down. The cop who eventually wrote me up had stopped me something like four times, letting me go, before he understandably had to write me up.

It's funny to think back on it, but it was a huge hassle at the time. My California plates were expired for more than a year before the party ended.

[Arus]

Originally Posted by Razzbar

To get insurance, it has to be registered.

Huh? I had a motorcycle that I was rebuilding, and had insurance on it, and it wasn't registered at all with the DMV.

the Insurance company only requires your VIN, make, model, year, your address, name and where you plan on parking it. you can even use the registration of the person who owned it prior to you to show that you have the motorcycle.

I insured my sister on her motorcycle, despite not owning it, or having my name on the registration and title.

Also, to get insurance, you have to have a motorcycle endorsement on your driver's license.

Someone at the DMv/Inusrance/whatever has lied to you. You can get insurance without the endorsement. I didn't get my motorcycle endorsement until at least 6 months after I purchased my motorcycle. I had insurance on it from the day I purchased it.

seriously ,your story wreaks of bad information, and I don't know what happened in your case, but yours is not the norm


You can get insurance without registration or even having a motorcycle license. You can ride your motorcycle on private land without having a license. If you plan on riding in the street, you need to get a permit to do so.

[Jonah K]

Originally Posted by Arus

Huh? I had a motorcycle that I was rebuilding, and had insurance on it, and it wasn't registered at all with the DMV.

the Insurance company only requires your VIN, make, model, year, your address, name and where you plan on parking it. you can even use the registration of the person who owned it prior to you to show that you have the motorcycle.

I insured my sister on her motorcycle, despite not owning it, or having my name on the registration and title.

Someone at the DMv/Inusrance/whatever has lied to you. You can get insurance without the endorsement. I didn't get my motorcycle endorsement until at least 6 months after I purchased my motorcycle. I had insurance on it from the day I purchased it.

seriously ,your story wreaks of bad information, and I don't know what happened in your case, but yours is not the norm

You can get insurance without registration or even having a motorcycle license. You can ride your motorcycle on private land without having a license. If you plan on riding in the street, you need to get a permit to do so.

It depends on the insurance company. Generally, if someone's a good customer and already has multiple policies with a particular insurance company, they might be willing to issue a motorcycle liability policy without requiring a valid motorcycle license. However, according to the State of Hawai'i Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs, a valid motorcycle license is required in order to purchase a motorcycle liability policy.
Department of Commerce & Consumer Affairs -- Motorcycle Insurance Information

The "licensing before insurance" requirement is also noted on page viii of the State of Hawai'i "Motorcycle Operator's Manual"...
http://hawaii.gov/dot/highways/hwy-v...alMar2008r.pdf

The rationale behind the "licensing before insurance" requirement is to encourage would-be motorcycle riders to complete State-approved, "motorcycle education" (http://www.ocewd.org/public/ms2000.html - broken link) courses.

[Arus]

Originally Posted by Jonah K

However, according to the State of Hawai'i Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs, a valid motorcycle license is required in order to purchase a motorcycle liability policy.
Department of Commerce & Consumer Affairs -- Motorcycle Insurance Information

I go by what the Insurance carrier says, and they say I can insure a motorcycle without being registered or even licensed. In fact, right now, I have a motorcycle that isn't registered that is insured. Not so much against accidents, but more for theft.

and my insurance was through Progressive (since at the time I only had a motorcycle. No car insurance, no home owners, nothing else. I just needed motorcycle insurance)

The "licensing before insurance" requirement is also noted on page viii of the State of Hawai'i "Motorcycle Operator's Manual"...
http://hawaii.gov/dot/highways/hwy-v...alMar2008r.pdf

that's what DOT says insurance companies require. I don't go to the DOT to get insurance. I go through an insurance company. Their policies are not necessarily the same as what the DOT thinks they are. Each company is different.

Progressive and Geico will insure a bike for anyone who isn't registered or without a license. They just insure the bike. Once you get a license or permit, you just let them know and they adjust the rates accordingly.

The rationale behind the "licensing before insurance" requirement is to encourage would-be motorcycle riders to complete State-approved, "motorcycle education" (http://www.ocewd.org/public/ms2000.html - broken link) courses.

and I highly recommend it. The MSF licensing test is stricter than the DMV version, and once you pass, you just take your voucher to the DMV and voila, Motorcycle endorsement. No need to rent your own bike (if you don't have one), no need to have insurance. You use the MSF provided bikes.

I've taken the MSF course twice and the Advance riders course twice.

[Jonah K]

Originally Posted by Arus

I go by what the Insurance carrier says, and they say I can insure a motorcycle without being registered or even licensed. In fact, right now, I have a motorcycle that isn't registered that is insured. Not so much against accidents, but more for theft.

and my insurance was through Progressive (since at the time I only had a motorcycle. No car insurance, no home owners, nothing else. I just needed motorcycle insurance)




that's what DOT says insurance companies require. I don't go to the DOT to get insurance. I go through an insurance company. Their policies are not necessarily the same as what the DOT thinks they are. Each company is different.

Progressive and Geico will insure a bike for anyone who isn't registered or without a license. They just insure the bike. Once you get a license or permit, you just let them know and they adjust the rates accordingly.



and I highly recommend it. The MSF licensing test is stricter than the DMV version, and once you pass, you just take your voucher to the DMV and voila, Motorcycle endorsement. No need to rent your own bike (if you don't have one), no need to have insurance. You use the MSF provided bikes.

I've taken the MSF course twice and the Advance riders course twice.

When did you last attempt to get a motorcycle insured in Hawai'i?

While Progressive seems to be rather lenient, many insurance companies in Hawai'i have become a little more strict over the past few years when it comes to providing motorcycle liability policies. For instance, Farmer's Insurance requires folks to own a motorcycle for at least a year or have three year's motorcycle riding experience. In addition, they won't insure it if the engine size is less than 251ccs, if it's built from a kit (or self-constructed), or if it's savaged (or rebuilt).
https://secure.farmershawaii.com/FRM_MOTC_Quote.asp

Four years ago, all a person had to do to get motorcycle liability insurance policy with most companies was provide basic information (make, model, VIN, mailing address, and address where the motorcycle would be usually parked overnight). Few insurance companies even bothered to find out if the motorcycle was registered or if the primary rider was licensed to ride it. Things appear to have changed somewhat during the past few years...