Need Help- Failed MD Safety Inspection

So I bought my 2009 WR250X with every farkle I could imagine, but I found out it failed inspection because:

1. no hand hold for passenger (seat strap had been removed)
2. mirrors were less than 7 sq inches each (stock replaced with bar end)
3. brake light/license plate light wires switched (license plate light comes on when you hit brakes)

So I need some help getting this thing passing. I ordered some big clamp-on mirrors for #2 and I plan on going over the wiring this weekend for #3. Is there anything special to know? But I could use some help on #1....

Anyone have any photos or recommendations on how to affix a passenger hand hold? I was just going to tie on some webbing but don't know if that will fulfill the requirement...

Thanks!

James

sure someone hear will have a seat strap laying around. If not take off the passenger pegs.

I asked if I could just take the pegs off and was told no....

Any I'm looking for an aftermarket idea that is cheap. Thanks!

James

Get a belt or nylon strap and loop it under the seat. IMHO: Pretty trivial.
My ex-strap is 1" wide, 15" long and has two holes punched 5/8" in from the ends, bolted to the seat bottom.
I think you could staple the new one, or just use the belt buckle or...

Silly rule.

There are connectors for the wires to the rear lights under the seat. They run through a plastic cover next to the air flapper. It could be the connectors are just swapped.

Where in Maryland are you?

And what kind of fucked up state is Maryland that some shitty little strap across the seat causes you to fail inspection?

A passenger should never hold that strap. That's just stupid.

I may still have my strap somewhere buried in garage. Depending on where you are we might be able to arrange a "borrow".
If I can find it.

Are you anywhere close to Newark, De. ?

Move to Florida - no inspections!

The passenger strap is the easiest of the 3. As above, just buy some kind of strap and bolt it in where the old one was.

BTW Moto, I went to U of D. Lived in Newark 4 years.

I lived in Maryland for several years, and as far as I can tell, MD's inspections are just a way for shady garage owners to pocket $$ for repairs that aren't needed. They always seem to find something wrong.

Sadly hilarious that a seat strap is an issue but an after-market exhaust (I assume from "every farkle imaginable") isn't a problem....

They probably wouldn't have gotten you for the strap if the mirror was OK and the lights were working.

Did you not know that the lights were screwed up before you went to the inspection?

Anyway, lucky that they all seem like easy fixes.

Fix the light, and find a small shop that doesn't care, or is too busy to nitpick. Not all inspection places are the same.

Sounds like he was trying to fail you... that seat strap is for getting a grip of the bike when you arent on it... not for passengers.

shep546 wrote:

Sounds like he was trying to fail you... that seat strap is for getting a grip of the bike when you arent on it... not for passengers.

that's is what it is used for by people with common sense. however, I remember my dealer saying something about it being a "passenger" strap as well. has anyone actually tried to make their passenger grab onto it? because it looks like you'd need to sit on the rear fender to be able to grip it

novaks47 wrote:

Fix the light, and find a small shop that doesn't care, or is too busy to nitpick. Not all inspection places are the same.

+1
There are shops around here that try to fail your bike too and ones that are run by guys who ride bikes and let some stuff slide.

I would just take the passenger pegs off and take it elsewhere to have inspected. Or would that be a "You have a 'passenger capable seat' thus you must have both pegs and hand hold" deal? Seems bogus to me

"And what kind of fucked up state is Maryland that some shitty little strap across the seat causes you to fail inspection?"

And I thought California was bad!

In Maryland, we have Obama's buddy, Governor OMalley to deal with, so we've seen a lot of stupid laws recently. And he just introduced his "gun bill" limiting magazines to 10 rounds and banning "assault" rifles (you know, rifles that aren't really assault rifles).

adamoto wrote:

In Maryland, we have Obama's buddy, Governor OMalley to deal with, so we've seen a lot of stupid laws recently. And he just introduced his "gun bill" limiting magazines to 10 rounds and banning "assault" rifles (you know, rifles that aren't really assault rifles).

Especially when about 80% of firearm deaths are from handguns and it takes about half a second to swap magazines... Deer kill far more people every year than rifles, shotguns, and "assault weapons" combined.

Laws on motorcycles and guns are not made by those that actually understand either in this state.

But alas, I digress....

My bike passed inspection!! I put some goofy looking mirrors on, put on a cyclerack (had passenger hand grabs built in and preps me for some touring :) ), put on some 1" reflectors with two sided tape, and rewired the brake light. Hooray!

Now just to battle with DMV to get it registered...