Hello from Idaho!

Finally upgrading my dirt-bikes. I’ve had my '97 KTM LC4 R/XCe and '05 WR450F since new. I like them both, but they are quite maintenance-intensive. I was ready for less wrenchin’ and more ridin’.

I posted the KTM for sale last Thursday afternoon. I priced it where I thought it was a bit high. Apparently, I was wrong. Within 5 hours, I had 15 parties clamoring over it.  One guy called late in the evening and really wanted it. When he found out I had several test rides scheduled for early the next day, he came over at 11:30 PM and put down a deposit without even riding it. He eventually came back Sunday to pick it up. It's been a great bike and I was happy to see it go to a guy who appreciates it.




I am preparing the WR450F for sale this week. Hope it can also find a good home.




For my first replacement, I’ve wanted a WR250R for quite a while. Since being discontinued, they have been getting harder to find. There were none available locally, so I hauled my trailer about 120 miles to get one. Though it’s still in the break-in period, I love it so far!




My second dirt-capable bike will be a ’21 Tênêrê 700 that I have on order for delivery in June. Currently doing farkle research for engine/frame & lever protection and luggage options for tank and light saddle bags.

I had an 05 WR450F many years ago, what an incredible bike! I replaced it with the worst bike I have ever owned, a DR650, and then got the WRR.

You don't miss the power of the 450?

The WR450F is indeed an amazing machine. Until a few years ago, we had a home in the mountains north of here and could ride it from my garage right onto the trails. We sold that place and now I need to trailer the WR450F to take it anywhere to use it. I decided to get a street-legal bike so I can again just hop on and go. I'm sure the WR250R won't compare to the 450F, but then I was never a good enough rider to use all of it's capability anyway. Also not going to miss all the regular maintenance that the 450F requires. I just wanna' kick the tires and light the fires!

I thought that you could plate just about anything in Idaho, I suppose environmental regulations are creeping up everywhere nowadays.

Indeed, the power of the 450 was a bit of a handful in the dirt, but it was addictive on the tarmac; that's what I miss most from the WRR.

Enjoy the new toy!

Hi johnkol, You are correct about Idaho's liberal plating laws - at least in the past. About 20 years ago, I was able to plate a Polaris Trail Boss 325 4x2 simply by installing a bicycle bulb horn and a bicycle mirror. At the time, the procedure was to find a friendly, sympathetic LE officer to inspect your vehicle and provide you with a form stating that you meet the letter of the law. You took the form to the DMV, paid your dues and voila - you were street legal. The responsibility was on the officer to make the determination that your vehicle is legal.  We rode that little 4x2 all over and around the town of McCall ID.

More recently, I looked at plating my WR450F and found that Idaho had changed the procedure. Rather than putting an LE officer on the hook, the owner now has to self-certify that their vehicle meets all requirements to be street legal. The responsibility is on you to certify that your vehicle meets the current Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards and DOT standards. That means that the off-road-rated components on the 2005 WR450F must be changed to DOT components - even if it's a downgrade to function and/or safety. I don't remember all of the necessary changes, but it included the lights, brake hoses, wheel and tires, emissions and lots of other stuff. It became cost-prohibitive to try to make it street-legal. You could lie and say that everything is copacetic and probably get away with it, but if the shit hits the fan and you have an accident, the insurance company can deny coverage if you haven't updated everything.

What you describe as the current situation in Idaho, is how California used to be 10-20 years ago: a state trooper could certify that your bike met all regulations, or you could even get a plate from a DMV employee that did not know any better. I got the WR450F from a guy that lived in the boonies, and the bike came with a plate; when I tried to renew the registration at my local DMV they caught the error and I lost the plate.

Nowadays, unless the bike comes from the factory as street legal, there is no legal path to get a plate for it.