08-19-2026, 10:31 AM
(08-18-2026, 01:04 PM)discoganya Wrote: [ -> ]Nice looking CB!
I have bought over a dozen bikes from all over the US and imported them into CA.
If the bike was CA compliant "50 state legal", i.e. sold new in CA, the bike it can be registered used at any mileage.
If the bike was not CA compliant "49 state legal", i.e. not sold new in CA, the bike it can be registered used only if it has 7500 miles.
Canadian and other international non-EPA non-CA compliant bikes are almost impossible to register in CA. I would love to own a CB1300 or MT01, and they do show up for sale occasionally, but they simply cannot be registered for use here in CA.
Anyway, the war in Iran has for the most part killed off this hobby. Shipping has become very expensive, and it is rarely worth it to buy an out of state bike now.
How's that for thread digression?
Oh yeah, you are right, you can register a low-mile 50-state vehicle in CA without problems. I remember now, when I was shopping for an NC750X. There was a very low-mile bike in Phoenix that I was eyeing, and did enough research to discover that it was a "49 state bike", and I'd have problems.
Regarding the "forbidden fruit" bikes in California, I have an acquaintance that I see at Cook's Corner frequently who always rides some JDM Honda model not available here. I asked him how he does it, and he replied that he just puts a current plate registered to a Honda on whatever bike he decides to ride. He's never been pulled over, but figures that if he is ever pulled over and an officer checks the registration, he'll see that the plate is currently registered to a Honda, the bike says Honda on the tank, and what cop is ever going to take the time to look at the VIN sticker. Seems reasonable enough I guess. Maybe that's your ticket to a CB1300.