Favor Plz! - 2008 WR250R Owners w/EPA Label Still Present?

Hi Everybody,
Need a huge but easy favor if at all possible.
A new job has me very recently relocated from Michigan to California, and (re)registering my beloved WR250R is proving near impossible. I won't bore everyone with all the details, but the missing piece for me, literally, is the EPA label that says blah-blah-conforms to EPA standards for blah. . . This label, on 49-state models, is on the right side of the rear swing arm but mine is long gone. Because the DMV has to physically inspect the bike and see this label to sign off, I'm SOL. Replacement parts are obsolete and unavailable to order (Plate, Epa (Non California) 32C-2179W-00-00), and my talks with Yamaha Corporate, while polite, are not giving my any hope. So. . . If anyone has 49-state US model with that label still there, maybe you could take a clean, straight-on photo and post it here? (Or send it to my personal email, whatever you're comfortable with.). I'm not trying to pull a fast one or break any laws, this label is the same for all non-CA bikes that year. I'll make my own replacement sticker if I can get the artwork. The craziest part about this whole thing is if my bike had more than 7,500 miles on it, this wouldn't matter. Given I only have 2,400, my Michigan plates will long run out before that happens!

And if anyone wants pointers on registering out of state vehicles in Cali, drop me a line. It's quite the process for which I'm becoming somewhat of an expert. I can save you about 3 trips to the DMV,.

Thanks for the support everybody,

Todd aka DrTorq

I registered an out of state bike in California a few years ago. DMV required CHP to verify VIN number. The next year did another bike, DMV said they would verify VIN. They put the engine casting number on title, not even close to VIN!  Nobody ever check for the EPA Label, I would just keep going to different DMV offices until someone passes it.   Maybe they have different requirements under 7500 miles. I'll go see if I still have a label and p.m. photo to you.

Edit: No label on swing arm of my 08

I believe he's looking for a label similar to this, only for his specific model year:

Thanks for responses thus far. Going to different DMVs is plan "B". Each experience chomps at least a few hours out of the day and it's not exactly a pleasant place to spend time (and that's with an appointment!) Going to CHP for inspection is plan "C", I'm not sure if they're going to be bothered by aftermarket exhaust, lights, etc. Maybe not, but I don't want to get the bike blackballed, worst case. As far as the sticker shown in the photo above, that's actually a California specific "EPA plate" which, I've learned, is on the LH of the swing arm. The 49-state (Federal) plate is on the RH.

I also took a chance this weekend and ordered the "plate" (sticker) from an online store which was about the only one that did NOT show it as obsolete/unavailable to order. $9 gamble, I figured. I got a shipment confirmation today, although I have my doubts the right thing is going to show up.

And plan "D", just keep renewing my Michigan plate.

(When you're old, you learn to have lots of back-up plans and ask for help.)

We'll see! Like on the side of U-Haul trucks, "Adventure in Moving!" (Do they still say that?)

drtorq wrote:

Thanks for responses thus far.   Going to different DMVs is plan "B".  Each experience chomps at least a few hours out of the day and it's not exactly a pleasant place to spend time (and that's with an appointment!) Going to CHP for inspection is plan "C", I'm not sure if they're going to be bothered by aftermarket exhaust, lights, etc. Maybe not, but I don't want to get the bike blackballed, worst case.  As far as the sticker shown in the photo above, that's actually a California specific "EPA plate" which, I've learned, is on the LH of the swing arm.  The 49-state (Federal) plate is on the RH.  

I also took a chance this weekend and ordered the "plate" (sticker) from an online store which was about the only one that did NOT show it as obsolete/unavailable to order.  $9 gamble, I figured.  I got a shipment confirmation today, although I have my doubts the right thing is going to show up.

And plan "D", just keep renewing my Michigan plate.  

(When you're old, you learn to have lots of back-up plans and ask for help.)

We'll see!  Like on the side of U-Haul trucks, "Adventure in Moving!"   (Do they still say that?)

I had a CHP officer in training look at my old BMW that had no title, only Bill of Sale. She disappeared inside and came back a few minutes later with a printout of the Craigslist ad for the bike! She said the $$$ amount on the ad ($3000) did not correspond to what I reported to the DMV as the purchase price ($300). I told her the bike was $300 and it came with $2700 worth of spare parts! Her superior told her that was not her responsibility. No one ever looked for charcoal cannister (oops), etc.

So you can bring in a bike with under 7500 miles? Good luck, let us know how it turns out.

drtorq wrote:

As far as the sticker shown in the photo above, that's actually a California specific "EPA plate" which, I've learned, is on the LH of the swing arm.  The 49-state (Federal) plate is on the RH.

Yes, I see now that the example I copied from the web is the California-specific version.  

My 2011 WR250R is the non-California version and the Vehicle Emission Control Information label is located on the RH swingarm.  

Regarding label part numbers:
32C-2179W-xx-00 is the non-California label, substituting "00" for "xx" for 2008, "10" for 2009, "20" for 2010, "30" for my 2011, and so on.
32C-2179N-xx-00, as shown in the image above, is the label for the California models.

The only label on my LH swingarm contains Tire Information.

Update -- My internet order package arrived today and, lo and behold, it was genuine circa 2008MY EPA cert plate.  I'll affix to the bike and head off to my next DMV appt with high hopes. . . . and full expectations there will be a new hurdle revealed.  

To be clear the vast majority of online part houses showed this part # as obsolete/unavailable, so I was really doubtful when I found one that did NOT say that. Heck, even 3 Yamaha dealers told me they couldn't get one. Sometimes the luck plane tilts in your favor I suppose!

Hi Everybody,

I'm glad to say I succeeded in getting my WR a CA license plate after a peaceful life in Michigan the past 8 years.  I affixed my new EPA "plate" onto a totally non-stock location (under the seat), went to the DMV and the nice lady dutifully inspected all the labels and subsequently checked all the boxes -- never mind the non-stock exhaust, lights, etc. etc., thank goodness!!  

Here's a primer for registering vehicles in California from another state.  It's not detailed, and wouldn't hold a candle in a court of law, but it's a great guideline I wish I'd had at the beginning of all this.  (I have 4 vehicles to register, 2 down in 3 months. . . )

1)  You're going to need a "vehicle verification."  This involves someone from the DMV or Highway Patrol inspecting your vehicle in-person to see the VIN plate, EPA plate (doesn't matter if it's 49-state or CA emissions, just that it says certified for on-road vehicles in year of manufacture), odometer reading, and for motorcycles only, the engine number.  (This is different than the VIN and is stamped on the engine/gearcase.)

2)  Cars and trucks need to be "smogged", or emissions tested, with a passing result.  For newer vehicles, this test nvolves plugging into the OBD-2 port and making sure there are no active error codes.  Basically if you're engine light isn't on, you'll pass.  $50 please!

3)  Pick-up trucks are considered commercial vehicles and need to be weighed at a certified California weigh master station.   (Trucks are taxed based on weight.)

4)  If you don't own your vehicle outright, you're going to need a power-of-attorney and a copy of the title from the lien holder allowing you change the state in which the vehicle is registered.  (I had just leased my truck before moving, so this was a debacle in itself.  Took 3 weeks to convince someone at the finance company to send me the POA instead of them telling me what the DMV needed -- which was totally incorrect.)

5)  This one is really tricky!  Because I was a good boy and got my CA driver's license nearly immediately after moving, the DMV thought I was trying to pull a fast one by re-registering a Michigan vehicle with less than 7500 miles.  The nice lady behind the window whispered to me to suggest I go outside, complete a new registration form with my Michigan driver's license info, and try again.  She was right.   Mine was a case of following the rules a little too closely, apparently.

6) Make a bunch (half dozen) appointments, each about a week apart, to the DMVs in your area ahead of time.  It will take several to get this done.  Showing up without an appointment can be a 2+ hour wait.  With an appointment at least you're not stuck in line very long, and since the transaction usually ends being incomplete you'll have some patience left to try again later.  Different DMVs have different personalities too, some more lenient/cooperative than others.  Ask around.

7) Kinda goes without saying, just to be clear you'll need proof of California insurance.  

Hope this helps someone -- Happy riding!

Hello and thanks for sharing your experience. I know it's been a while but hopefully you see this. What was the site that had the label in stock? I'm in a similar situation and unless I can find this obsolete sticker, my wrr will be banned from road use here in CA. Absolutely ridiculous!

Rseven wrote:

Hello and thanks for sharing your experience.  I know it's been a while but hopefully you see this. What was the site that had the label in stock?  I'm in a similar situation and unless I can find this obsolete sticker, my wrr will be banned from road use here in CA.   Absolutely ridiculous!  

Yes I know it can be frustrating for sure!   I ordered the plate (sticker) from BikeBandit.com.  The part numbers are in this thread above.  Since I completed the WR I've also registered my final Michigan transfer, a. 1987 Honda Motorcycle, for an OHV sticker.   This one I had to go to the CHP for verification because it was so old it didn't (ever) have such a federal EPA  sticker.  The first 2 CHP offices I called were friendly but the soonest appointments were nearly a month out.   The 3rd office I was able to get in the following day and the officer was super courteous and professional.  Having said that, the Honda is bone stock so I had no worries about the inspection.  He went over it pretty thoroughly, gave me the paperwork and the DMV processed the registration straight away after that.  

good luck!

CA resident here. I recently bought a 2014 WR250R that has an OR tag & title. The bike has over 9K miles on it so I thought it would be no problem to register the bike in CA. Well, the CA DMV still wants to see the EPA sticker, and the previous owner pulled it off a long time ago!

I tried searching for the part number (substituting 60 for the xx since my bike is a 2014). Nothing is coming up in my search....on any website. Am I doing something wrong?

I need to locate an EPA sticker for a (non-CA ) 2014 WR250R. Please someone help me find this stupid sticker or my wife is gonna never let me forget this expensive mistake!

Howdy - I went back to BikeBandit to look if the EPA plate (sticker) was still available.  It is not.  

You may want to have CHP inspect the bike; a CHP officer's inspection w/signature is all the DMV needs.  I had to do this for my old 1987 Honda.   At least where I went (Hayward post), the officer was extremely helpful and had a good attitude.  He checked things over fairly thoroughly and signed off no issue.   Heck, he didn't even make me take the bike out of the back of my truck!

Alternatively, if you have some photoshop skills download the pic of my 2008 EPA plate in this thread, photoshop for 2014 and stick it on.   As I mentioned, I put my new plate under the seat -- totally wrong location -- and showed it to DMV and they signed off.  They just want to see a sticker that matches the year on the title.

Good luck!!

Thanks for the extra help and advice. I really appreciate that you also checked out BikeBandit to verify I didn't do something wrong when searching. I love the motorcycle community! :)

Well, hopefully either trying another DMV location or the other sticker option will work out.

It is stories like this that motivate me not to reside in the State of Kalifornia.

The Real Estate prices, State Taxes, and State Government are others as well... that and I am too cheap to live out there. LOL

Heard that there is a trend now of people leaving the State and heading to Kentucky, Texas, or Tennessee. Then again that could all just be media hype.

Beautiful scenery though.

As far as I know, California is the only state where bikes can legally split lanes with other vehicles, so this alone makes California a haven for motorcyclists. It is extremely frustrating to have to ride my bike like a car when visiting other states.

The amazing variety of roads and scenery is just a bonus.

johnkol wrote:

As far as I know, California is the only state where bikes can legally split lanes with other vehicles, so this alone makes California a haven for motorcyclists. It is extremely frustrating to have to ride my bike like a car when visiting other states.

The amazing variety of roads and scenery is just a bonus.

Come out to the southeast sometime and I will treat you to some rides!

I can see where Lane Splitting can be helpful in high traffic areas but if you don't have to deal with traffic it really doesn't do much - high traffic volume itself is a liability for a motorcyclist. Always thought that Lane Splitting would be a neat thing to do in the ATL area but I am not sure how many drivers would react. I have friends who lane split around the Atlanta traffic mess but I prefer to just stay away from it! LOL

I have a 7- 8 mile commute to work depending on if I want to use dirt/gravel roads or not. I may see 10 cars along the way in the morning and most of those are at the one traffic light I encounter while crossing a highway. Many times I will opt to ride my bicycle in - need to do that more often. Then again I am not much of a people person so I tend to like to be in more rural areas.

If you are heading out this way (N. GA, TN, NC,) let me know and I should be able to scrounge up an extra bike and we can hit some trails and pavement.

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