Hi Stan - That was one option for title only, but I decided to get a valid current registration so it could be driven. It was not in the CA DMV system, so I did not have any delinquent fees. Also, after a lot of consideration, I"ll be putting the CT1 up for sale after I get the title document. I have three "horses in the stable" at this point, and something has to go. I was going to keep the CT1 for my 3 young grandkids, but I don't think they'd appreciate it when they get old enough to ride it. It needs to find a home where someone will appreciate it and ride it.

I have one part left from the CT-1 I had back when I was in high school, a plastic high front fender, with an aluminum bracket I bought back then. I decided to clean it up the best I could, and put it on. The aluminum bracket was so oxidized that I used a belt sander to clean it up.  It originally had sort of a brushed finish anyway, so it looks pretty much how it did when new. 

   

Well leave it to the California. DMV to screw everything up. They just sent me back my original title and all the paperwork, with a note on the top that says only plates up to 1980 can be year of manufacture (YOM) plates. The plate I showed them is the original plate that was issued in 1971, a blue and yellow California license plate. They say send the requested documents in, but they don't say what documents to send in. Good grief.

  

I think I see what they did. They listed the year model as a 1971 Yamaha, but they listed the year is a 1991. It also looks like they want another $138 for a current plate. Looking at the application, I listed 1991 as the time it was transferred over to me as a used motorcycle. They should not have changed the date of manufacture or the date that the plate was assigned though. I think she asked me to go over the information to make sure it was correct, but I was mainly looking at my name and address. I didn't notice they changed that to 1991. Nothing is ever easy.

Guess I'll have to make another appointment and get it cleared this up, or I may stop into the local Quick Plates place and see if they can take care of it for a reasonable fee...

Hopefully they'll take care of it, I had an agent typo the milage on my WR250R as 72,000 instead of 7,200 and one trip in with the bike to verify odometer and they fixed it.

Thanks for the reply Darinm. I keep looking at the form, and thought maybe it was my fault for listing 1991 as the date it was transferred to me, which is true, it's the date on the title with my name on it, but I really think I filled it out correctly. I also listed 1971 as the year it was first put on the road, which is also true. I think the DMV clerk just goofed. Not to mention they stopped making the blue and yellow license plates in 1982.

I'm going to take all the paperwork and license plate to that nearby "Quick Plates" shop Monday, and let them look at it. I made an appointment at the DMV for next Friday, but if this Quick Plates place can take care of it for a reasonable fee, I'll just let them do it. I believe they can hand me the stickers right there, whereas if I have the DMV correct it, I'm probably going to have to wait for another month.

My neighbor that has refurbished many vintage cars and motorcycles uses them all the time, as have many of his buddies. In fact I called them after I'd already gone to the DMV with some questions, and they said they could have done this much quicker.

By the way, I found a picture I took when I was in high school of the CT-1 I rode back then, with the same plastic fender on it. This was for my photography class, where we would take pictures and develop them ourselves. This pic is 50 years old, and now this CT-1 looks pretty much like it, with some added patina. it's like riding a time machine.



  
 

i am trying to get my MX360 registered in CA for a Green Sticker; OHV license. I built it out of parts, No paper work. I started by going to the DMV, waiting for ever in the vehicle ID area. I couldn't  get the guy to take my word for it that it was a 1973 Yamaha MX360 even using the SN's references posted on this site. Referred me to the CHP. I have an appointment next week. It should not be a big deal..Frame and engine number; spark arrestor, create a title and be done with it..
It comes down to how lazy or how willing the people are at these government-run facilities who are in charge of these types of things.. You are at their mercy.

MX360, I don't know where in California you live, but if you can't get it done at the CHP, my neighbor said he has built bikes out of parts several times, and a place here in Huntington Beach called Quick Plates was able to get them all titled and registered. Also cars that have been built up out of parts. You pay for it, but if the CHP won't bother to do it for you, it's an option. Another member mentioned a place out in Corona, and I'm sure there's others up and down the state that will do the same service. Good luck!

What I've found with the "registration service" is that if the VIN is not a standard 17 digit type that started in 1980-81 the DMV will sometimes reject the third party VIN inspection.  Then you get to go to CHP anyway. 

I've even had a DMV VIN inspector try to tell me an older bike didn't have a valid VIN because it wasn't in the standard 17 digit format...  I had to get a manager involved who looked up and verified that earlier bikes did not have standardized VIN numbers...  but they sent me to CHP anyway as I was told CHP has better resources/training on VIN verification.  Now it sounds like that has become standard practice. 

Here in Nevada the DMV has a specialized VIN inspection team at the DMV...  often in a separate building in the DMV lot.  You can go without appointment before you go into DMV.  Only once they sent me to the "main" DMV because state that titled the bike left off the leading zeros on the title and bike had two leading zeros stamped into frame and engine.