Bonneville America Forums Forums Rider Safety Forums Legislation Turn Signal Clause: Virginia

I just took the bike in to get inspected. VA doesn't require turn signals, but the inspection clause reads something like "if installed, they must be operational, a minimum 9 inches apart, blah-d-blah..."

Mine are out of 9" spec which was the only info the guy at the gas station gave me regarding the failure (nevermind the fact that they're LED's and probably not DMV approved). I'm wondering what the rest of the clause is, and whether at the next place I try I could just pull the fuse and tell the guy they were hazard lights that I just never got working.

Does anyone know where I can find the full text of the clause about turn signals, for inspection purposes in Virginia?

When I put these LED's in I wired everything so that I could switch back to the pumpkins if this happened, but would prefer to not have to pull the tank to switch the relay, etc.

TIA,
Joe

i'm just remined of pulling up beind a rice rocket and wondering why he had a little red light blinking on his back fender then realizing that cute little thing was his left hand signal. go back to the pumpkins.

http://leg1.state.va.us/cgi-bin/legp504.exe?000+reg+19VAC30-70-360

Take it somewhere else, don't even worry about the "hazards" excuse. In VA any inspection station must do motorcycles as well, so take it to an auto shop. They'll spend ten minutes gawking and chatting about your bike, and 2 minutes filling out the paperwork.

Here's the full code.

Here's the lighting excerpt:

19VAC30-70-360. Motorcycle lights: headlamp, rear, signal, warning.

A. Inspect for and reject if:

1. Motorcycle is not equipped with at least one motorcycle headlamp.

2. Any motorcycle headlamp is not of an approved type (SAE-M). A motorcycle may have one or more headlamps. In addition to the headlamp(s), a motorcycle may be equipped with not more than two auxiliary headlamps of a type approved (SAE-C) by the superintendent and identified as "auxiliary front lamps."

3. Lens and reflector do not match except in sealed units, or if the lens is cracked, broken or rotated, or if the lens and reflector are not clean or bright.

4. Any motorcycle lights-headlamp, rear lamp, signal or warning lamp has any wire, unapproved lens or plastic covers, any other materials that are not original equipment or any colored material placed on or in front of lamp or lens.

5. Motorcycles may be equipped with means of modulating the high beam of their headlights between high and low beam at a rate of 200 to 280 flashes per minute, provided they are equipped with a switch or device that prevents flashing of headlights when headlights are required to be lighted.

6. Lamp is not focused or any filament or bulb fails to burn.

7. The center of the hot spot is set more than four inches up or down from the horizontal centerline or more than four inches to the left or right from the vertical centerline.

8. Lamp is not mounted securely or if switch does not operate properly.

NOTE: Inspection is to be performed with lamp on high beam.

B. Aiming the headlamp. All headlamps that do not comply with subdivision A 7 of this section shall be aimed straight ahead. (Zero inches up or down and zero inches to the right or left.)

C. Rear lamp.

Inspect for and reject if:

1. The high beam indicator does not burn when the high or "country" beam is on or does not go off when the low beam is on.

2. Motorcycle is not equipped with a rear lamp of approved type SAE-T-S-P-A).

3. Lamp is not mounted near rear of vehicle, or is not mounted securely, or if lamp does not make a good electrical connection.

4. Lenses are not red to the rear and clear or amber to the front or any lens has a piece broken from it. The lens may have one or more cracks provided an off-color light does not project through the crack(s).

NOTE: With the changing technology, there are a few rear lamps that do not have a red lens but rather white with red diode bulbs that have been approved.

5. Filaments in all lamps do not burn when headlamp switch is turned on to any position.

6. The rear license plate is not illuminated by an approved license plate lamp.

D. Signal device (intention to stop or turn).

1. Signal devices are not required on motorcycles; however, if installed, they must operate and be inspected.

2. Signal lamp lenses installed on the front of the motorcycle shall be amber and be located on each side of the vertical centerline of the motorcycle and as far apart as practicable and not closer than nine inches, measured from the optical centerline of the lamps, and to be located on the same level and not less than 20 inches above the ground plate. The optical centerline of the lamp shall not be less than four inches from the retaining ring of the headlamp unit.

3. Signal lamps installed on the rear of the motorcycle shall be red or amber and shall be located on each side of the vertical centerline of the motorcycle as far apart as practicable but not closer than nine inches, measured from the optical centerline of the lens, and shall be located on the same level and not less than 20 inches above the ground level.

4. Inspect for and reject if:

a. Motorcycle, except an antique vehicle not originally equipped with a stop lamp, is not equipped with at least one stop lamp of an approved type that automatically exhibits a red or amber light to the rear when the brake control foot pedal or hand grip brake control device is activated. (On motorcycles manufactured prior to January 1, 1972, the activation of the front wheel brake control device is not required to activate the stop lamp.)

b. The signal lamp is not of an approved type (SAE-D) or does not flash.

c. Lens in brake lamp or signal lamp has a piece broken from it. (Lens in brake lamp or signal lamp may have one or more cracks provided an off-color light does not project through the crack or cracks.)

d. Wiring or electrical connections are defective or any filaments do not burn.

e. Switch is not convenient to the driver and not of an approved type.

f. Signal devices are not installed as provided in subdivisions D 1 and 2 of this section.

E. Warning lights.

Inspect for and reject if:

1. Warning lamps are not of an approved type or have been altered.

2. Any lighted advertising sign is present.

Statutory Authority

§46.2-1165 of the Code of Virginia.

Historical Notes

Derived from VR545-01-07 §36, eff. May 1, 1990; amended, Virginia Register Volume 10, Issue 8, eff. February 9, 1994; Volume 12, Issue 21, eff. August 7, 1996.

Amended, Virginia Register Volume 21, Issue 4, eff. September 22, 2004.





Where did you have it inspected? Way too much attention to detail wherever it was.

Have it reinspected at the Honda dealership on Mathis in Manassas. Bike has to be on fire to not pass.

Regards,

Tom

Thanks for the help everyone. I ended up just taking off the rear indicators (I had prepared for this possibility when first installing them) and then just took it to the next place down the street from the first place I tried. The guy didn't even make a comment about not having them (there were 2 Harleys parked at the station - I think they belonged to a couple of the guys working there).

I think the real problem with the first place was that the guy had just had his emmissions license pulled due to faulty equipment or something, so he was just being really anal.

And thanks for the advice on the pumpkins. I think I will find some bullets or similar, mostly for safety but also to appease the wife.

What did come to me, however, during the day I had no signals installed: Using hand signals seems to be more effective than any illuminating device you can have installed on your ride. It just seemed to me that people behind me slowed more quickly than they ever had before because I was doing something that they kind of had to take notice of...don't get me wrong - I don't think that 3/4 of them knew what an arm sticking out actually meant, just that something was out of the ordinary that they should probably pay attention to.

You are right. Anything that makes a cager wonder, "What the ****** is that guy doing anyway?" causes him to admit to himself that he sees you, so he can't pretend otherwise any longer.

Then I guess all that crap the sporties do is actually effectual and should be condoned?

It DOES get them noticed after all

Noticed and distracted are two different things!