Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/1531887
in this gray area in recent years, with many people still receiving Red Stickers, some receiving Green Stickers for non-compliant bikes, some receiving a title only, some receiving an MSO only. The mess that ensued has grown for over three years and is apparently now affecting procedure on the law enforcement end. OHMVR BULLETIN EXPLAINED OHMVR Division is the Cal Parks department that manages State Vehicular Recreation Areas (SVRAs)—your friendly neighbor - hood rangers patrolling places such as Ocotillo Wells, Hollister Hills and Hungry Valley. It seems that the mishmash of newer non-emissions-compliant com - petition OHVs with DMV-issued registration stickers showing up to ride in California State Parks is causing headaches at the law enforcement level, enough so that it prompted the OHMVR Divi - sion to issue the aforementioned bulletin, stating that law enforce- ment agencies are to treat all of these stickers as valid, whether they are in compliance with the updated CARB regulation or not. For the end user, this is good news. It means that if you got a sticker, you can keep your sticker. Regardless of your dirt bike's emissions rating or model year, no one is going to take it away from you. The same bulle - tin goes on to state a reminder of the end of Red Sticker seasons, which was part of the original Red Sticker sundowning plan. In a "Guidance for Owners" section of the bulletin, it reads, "Begin - ning January 1, 2025, Red Sticker and Green Sticker registration are equally valid year-round in all public areas designated for OHV recreation," meaning state SVRAs as well as federal BLM land. This is more good news for those who recently obtained a Red Sticker, since it's now as good as a Green Sticker. When reached for comment, the OHMVR Communications divi - sion offered the following clari- fication: "This bulletin serves to pr ovide clarity for all law enforce- ment agencies across California that participate in OHV enforce- ment. The OHMVR Division is not advising law enforcement to disregard restrictions. Rather, the bulletin is stating that if the DMV issues valid OHV identification, the vehicle is permitted to operate on public lands designated for OHV recreation." SO NOW WHAT? The cat is now out of the bag, as the OHMVR bulletin serves as an official recognition (the commu- nication was acknowledged and approved by both DMV and CARB before it was published) that the updated CARB regulation is not working as intended. It is not yet clear what will happen next, or whether the next move will be from the DMV or from CARB in order to rectify the situation. But we can rest assured that this issue will be addressed at some level, and at some point. As history shows, the California Air Resources Board does not take kindly to being ignored. But when and how they will take action is anyone's guess at this point. The OHMVR bulletin has been a point of discussion for OEMs and California dealers, and whether or not this clears the way for regis - tering non-emissions-compliant OHVs. What does this mean at the sales level? Is this a green light? Now that law enforcement has officially recognized that Red Sticker registrations are still being issued and they don't plan to pursue any action against consumers, does this also mean no action will be pursued against dealers? Now that the finger is squarely pointed at the bureau - cratic misfire between DMV and CARB (again, both parties ac- knowledged and signed off on the OHMVR bulletin), does this poten- tially absolve dealers of liability? At this point, most OEMs are leaving those questions to the dealers to answer on their own. The same goes for powersports advocates, who also report hav - ing been contacted by dealers seeking advice on the topic. The OHMVR Division itself also offered that it "is not providing guidance to OHV dealers on how to proceed with registration for model year 2022 and newer non- CARB-compliant OHVs. CARB's executive order still stands." WHAT DEALERS ARE SAYING This entire issue once again puts dealers in a pickle. It's up to them to interpret this bulletin and what it means for their business. Reaching out to several dealer - ships has produced several different answers. Among those who were familiar with the bul- letin (some were not and had no idea what I was talking about), some do think it's a green light and have said they plan to sell VOLUME 62 ISSUE 4 JANUARY 28, 2025 P37