If a person isn`t content with something, he/she tends to either change that thing entirely or alter it according to his/her specific wants. The same thing goes for some motorcycle owners who cannot curb their desire to throw a few mods on their bikes. Whether it`s placing an additional accessory or replacing a part with another, motorcycle modifications will always be
motorcycle modifications. Well, it`s fine if the mods are legal, but if it`s the opposite, then you`d be digging your own grave, folks.
If every country has traffic laws and regulations, then there are also vehicle modification laws that each country observes. So, I suggest you educate yourself before buying something that would be illegal when used or added to your motorcycle. You don`t want your money to go down the drain and land yourself in trouble for the sake of looking cool and unique.
Below are the things you should be careful of doing:
- Putting LED and/or neon lights
Some people love attention, and in the case of some motorcyclists, this means adding LED and bright lights to their bikes. All those bright lights look awesome if you want to be seen as a show-off and an attention-seeker. Things are great, or so you thought because sooner, those LED lights will catch the law officers’ attention and your bike may get seized for illegal modification. If you still insist on using LED lights, you may want to use a led light helmet instead. They`re not illegal, so long as the level of brightness is not over the top.
- Removing mirrors
Yeah, sure, your bike looks cooler without the mirrors on it. But just so you know, it`s illegal in several places in the United States. For some states, you may get away with using just one mirror or none at all. However, if you live in a place were mirrors are required, then just let them serve their purpose in peace if you don`t want to be ticketed.
- Using loud exhausts
Imagine your motorcycle gunning through traffic with a blaring noise. What do you think will happen? There are two things I can guarantee you. One, you`ll get lots of attention from the public. And two, you`ll likely find yourself escorted by police officers. Extremely loud pipes won`t save a life. They will just annoy the hell out of anyone near you, especially the people with law badges.
- Swapping the engine
There`s no better way to get your motorcycle seized than to engage in engine swaps. Many states ban engine swaps, especially if you`re replacing it with an engine from another manufacturer, or one with different specs. Before you consider changing the engine for a more powerful one, you should know that every motorcycle`s chassis is designed to hold a specific engine, power, weight and more.
- Improper placement of license plate
Many motorcyclists, particularly the young ones, think that it`s slick to subtly hide or block their rear license plate. Yeah, yeah, we hear you. Just don`t go beating yourself up later on because you got stopped by police and got fined. In case you don`t know, improper placement of the license plate is illegal. Law officers will likely think that there`s something fishy going on if they couldn`t see the plate. So, be careful on this one.
- Using a police helmet
Apart from using obvious motorcycle modifications, the fastest way to get yourself in trouble with the local police is to wear a police helmet. As absurd as it sounds but some people have done this and got themselves arrested. A police helmet should only be worn by a police officer, therefore, anyone who goes against this law is punished accordingly.
