PA Inspection Motorcycle Rip-off
#11
08-19-2009, 05:18 PM
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I moved to Pennsylvania last January and registered and inspected my bike in February. I took the bike in for service yesterday and was informed that my inspection had expired in July!
From the PennDOT FAQ page:
"Upon passing a safety inspection most passenger cars and light trucks will receive an inspection sticker valid for one year from the month of inspection or one year from the expiration of the current inspection sticker on the vehicle...."
However, this does not apply to motorcycles! They publish a chart for motorcycles that in affect shows that if you register your bike between November and May, your first inspection is only good for 6 months. Of course you still get charged for a full year!
If I hadn't taken the bike in for service I would not have realized this was the case until next January. (The 7 on the inspection sticker looks a lot like a 1). Or have been stopped and ticketed!
Anyone know why motorcycles are treated different than cars here in Taxsylvania?
From the PennDOT FAQ page:
"Upon passing a safety inspection most passenger cars and light trucks will receive an inspection sticker valid for one year from the month of inspection or one year from the expiration of the current inspection sticker on the vehicle...."
However, this does not apply to motorcycles! They publish a chart for motorcycles that in affect shows that if you register your bike between November and May, your first inspection is only good for 6 months. Of course you still get charged for a full year!
If I hadn't taken the bike in for service I would not have realized this was the case until next January. (The 7 on the inspection sticker looks a lot like a 1). Or have been stopped and ticketed!
Anyone know why motorcycles are treated different than cars here in Taxsylvania?
#12
08-19-2009, 05:19 PM
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Haha. Welcome to PA. I will tell you this though, I ride with at least four others whos bikes have been out of inspection for who knows how long and have never gotten heat for it, at least in my area, a few miles south of Pittsburgh.
#15
08-19-2009, 08:14 PM
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Only good thing about inspections that I have seen over the years is that there are some people who will ride a tire down to the cords, the brakes to nothing. Just my .02... other than that yeah inspections suck!!!
#16
08-19-2009, 08:48 PM
Well you could do like I did the past two years.... I figured out that chart thing. and I took my bike to a used car dealer/garage and had them inspect it... As long as you are smart enough to know you bike is safe, and do what's needed, take it in there.... They will slap a years sticker on your bike. Most used car dealers haven't quite figured out the new PA bike inspections out yet. Hopefully by the time they do it will be back to normal.
#18
08-20-2009, 06:13 AM
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Well you could do like I did the past two years.... I figured out that chart thing. and I took my bike to a used car dealer/garage and had them inspect it... As long as you are smart enough to know you bike is safe, and do what's needed, take it in there.... They will slap a years sticker on your bike. Most used car dealers haven't quite figured out the new PA bike inspections out yet. Hopefully by the time they do it will be back to normal.
m.c inspection is a seperate certification in pa . i do them at my shop . you only get screwed the first time after that its yearly . one of my employees has been ride a bike with sticker from 1989. hasnt been pulled over but if your in an accident could be a problem
and in philly you could be impounded
JR
Last edited by cardoctor; 08-20-2009 at 06:16 AM.
#19
08-20-2009, 06:23 AM
I don't know anyone that pays attention to the inspection sticker, including cops
NH limits mc inspections from June and a few months beyond although the owner is free to have them done almost any time. We do tend to get some snow from time to time. Cost is around $25 to $30. However registration is on the high side.
Inspections are not necessarily the idea of the state. Federal funding can be determined by the state's emission testing program if I'm not mistaken.
#20
08-20-2009, 09:33 AM
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Welcome to the Commonwealth Of PA Our DOT SUCKs AZZ!!!!! Yes indeed this is just one of many bullch!t things they pull. BTW if you happen to get a ticket on your bike and they add a charge called CAT fund, don't pay it!!! Motor cycle traffic citations do not pay into the CAT fund. I found this out from a ABBAT lawyer. The cops still add it to the ticket and if you don't know the law and pay it, then it's your loss.