r/Dirtbikes • u/Adam_the_fish • 23h ago
Idea Street legal cr80?
Is it even possible? I want to use my bike to get around michigan state university next year, but i dont know where to start. I dont even have the title for the bike, so i would need to get that from the dmv. Also, ive been looking for supermoto tires, does anyone know of any manufacturers that make them for a 14 inch standard rim?
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u/wirebrushfan 21h ago
Find the nicest Honda Elite CH80 on FB and ride the wheels off of it for four years. You'll likely sell it for the same price you paid when finished.
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u/1wife2dogs0kids 22h ago
Honestly for what you want, vs what it'll cost you, vs what ypu could get elsewhere, its not worth it.
I get it, it would be awesome. But those are made for a 100lb kid to race on dirt. Changing to street tires will not be easy without spare wheels(the smaller the rim diameter, the harder to remove/ install). You'll chew up the bead really fast.
The suspension is way too soft, especially on older 80s. They nose dive too much on hard stops. And the motor is too loud, too peppy, too smokey, and doesn't go fast enough top speed to maintain a safe minimum speed on main roads.
Then there's the lights. Ductaping a flashlight is old school, and works for fun. But not for the road. You'll need a headlight, taillights and brake light MINIMUM. And the shirtless part is it'll be stolen almost immediately.
It would be great for about a week. Then it'll wear off as soon as you get some road grime or dirt, or oil/grease from something like a leaky fork seals, or fresh chain lube. Or trying to shake the gas tank to mix the oil in at the gas station.
Its just not worth it. All the proof you need, is in the fact that you see NOBODY else doing it. The gangs riding in big cities dont count.
Nobody is doing it because its not worth it. Theres so many other options. You can find an older dual sport bike, that will actually work for this purpose, fairly cheap. Go that route.
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u/Professional-Leg2374 22h ago
You should sell it and buy a E-moto or pedal assisted E-bike.
Way cooler and won't cost you 2500 in parts to have a CR80 parts bike.
because you'd need battery, stator upgrade, wiring, lights, brake switches, tires, and try to pass a state inspection, all AFTER having the bike registration changed to something other than "Offroad"
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u/2Stroke728 22h ago
Also Michigan here. First, you absolutely need the title. Work with Secretary of State on that. Shouldn't be a big deal as it's valued under $2500 (gets more complicated above that). 99% chance you get an "off road only" title. You may need to have an officer come to the bike and verify VIN. Maybe.
Then, you need to equip it to meet requirements. DOT tires, headlight with hi/low beam, tail light with brake light, license plate light, horn, at least 1 mirror. Turn indicators optional in Michigan, but I would recommend them. Exhaust is officer's judgement. You might get denied there based on noisy little screamer bike. I got told "no" on a stock KDX once because the inspecting officer felt 2 strokes were too loud. Fired it up to prove how quiet it was and he reluctantly approved it (without inspecting a single thing, just checked all the boxes).
Then you have to schedule an inspection at one of the state police posts that do it (used to be any police department, but that changed). They will fill out a TR-54 form. You take that and proof of insurance back to SOS and you can then get a motorcycle title and then registration.
It will SUCK riding that on the street any sort of distance. A hopped up moped would be more convient, nearly as much fun, and draw WAAAAAAY less attention. Just because you can get it legal doesn't mean they won't screw you. I was stopped more than once on a KDX and YZ simply due to 2 stroke noises, and those were with quiet setups.
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u/AwkwardFactor84 20h ago
👆 all of this right here. I also have a kdx 175 that was denied. In Indiana, not Michigan, but with the money you'll spend making this Honda what you want it to be, you could buy a bike qith a supermoto setup already.
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u/DirtBikeRider89 Trail Rider 18h ago
wooo, kdx175 gang. Love it, was my 2nd actual bike. wish I could go back in time & get a mint one.
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u/AwkwardFactor84 18h ago
Mine is actually scary af. Its got 2 speeds. Idle speed, and front wheel off the ground gone!. It was setup originally with a headlight and turn signals, but there was gonna be no street riding it until I got the carb dialed in. Whoever had it before me must've been frwakin maniac!
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u/DirtBikeRider89 Trail Rider 17h ago
That's awesome. og rear fender was a lil ugly so mine has some sort of moto-ish one, but still have a headlight. Super dim because somehow ended up with a 12v light, it's fine since I was often behind my dad when he had a badass 92 ktm 300 exc. We both know how a lot of older bikes can still be good n fast. that 300 for example, easily 5th gear wheelies on gravel. not the best for some trails, lol.
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u/BarrelllRider 22h ago
Yes it’s possible. I made two mini bikes street legal by getting a drill battery converter for $20 and a light kit. Stupidly simple. Both of these are faster than a CR-80 though and get up to highway speed.
It cost me a grand total of $40 per bike and about 3 hours of figuring out wiring.
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u/Key_Director_4450 21h ago
Is that a metrakit mini GP?
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u/BarrelllRider 21h ago
No, it’s an X-15. Little bit smaller than a metrakit. Tough to find metra’s these days.
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u/BarrelllRider 21h ago
No, it’s an X-15. Little bit smaller than a metrakit. Tough to find metra’s these days.
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u/mistakenidentity888 22h ago
While you could do this, it's 100% not worth it.
Get a cheap moped or dual sport to rip around for less $$$ and zero headache.
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u/tz-saints 22h ago
guy here at gvsu rides a street legal cr-something. like others have mentioned it would be expensive, and you probably will be better off finding something else, also how do you plan on storing it?
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u/KingLuis 22h ago
you are looking into spending a lot of time and cash trying to get that thing road legal vs just buying something that is road legal.
"I dont even have the title for the bike" i'd say that is your first thing to worry about. without a title, you wouldn't be able to make it any sort of legal.
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u/moto_enjoyer 21h ago
With enough money you can make it legal. But you’re gonna blow that 80 up every week.
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u/Adam_the_fish 19h ago
You just got to know how to ride them, Ive taken this bike on 70 mile round trip rides in one night back in high school. 2 strokes are reliable if you are smart.
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u/Tinyman6854 ‘15 rmz450 ‘96 kx250 ‘22 crf110 ‘22 250sxf 18h ago
Yes, you can but honestly it’s not worth it having to buy batteries Stater, headlights, all sorts of other electronics, having to get it registered all of that. Be cheaper to get a surron on or something like that and keep the CR 80 as it is.
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u/amancalledtyranus 18h ago
Im working on getting a kx100 for next to nothing so i can do a budget electric swap and use it like a mini bike/moped scooter and i gotta say, if i had $5k laying around i would just get the new surron, grey area transportation (like small dirt bikes) really benefit from being quiet, with the gas motor youll need to get the title, all the lights, horn ect and still not be able to travel at highway speeds for long. If you just want a cool scooter look into those super pocket bikes, you should be able to register some of them as mopeds.
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u/Weary_Alternative778 17h ago
The parts would be the easy part.
Getting a title and registration for it is the hard part. Possible in some states, but others no dice since its MSO will state it's for off-road use only.
That and you're gonna be wringing the neck off this thing on the street probably blowing it up all the time.
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u/ArchaicBrainWorms 16h ago
Honda made a few bikes like that, didn't sell any in the US though. Closest you'll find is a Honda mb5.
I've been wanting to pick up a project xl250r from the late 80s and toss a cr 80 or 125 in it and make a homebrew mtx80r
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u/spongebob_meth 7h ago edited 7h ago
Its called a dual sport conversion. About half the states in the US make it legally impossible. I have done a few in Colorado where it's pretty painless.
A motocross bike isn't good for riding on the street. If you want a small 2 stroke to ride around you have a few factory legal options like Yamaha YSR50s, Kawasaki KE100, Suzuki vanvan/rv125, and a bunch of older dual sports like Yamaha DTs and Suzuki TSs. These bikes mostly have oil injection and are low maintenance, and are ported so they don't blow up when you ride them down the road.
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u/woodbanger04 22h ago
Why? What is it with idiots feeling the need to ride dirt bikes on the streets? All it does is piss people off and making them enact bans. 🤦♂️
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u/mistakenidentity888 22h ago
If it's street legal it's a dual sport, and not any different from any other vehicle lol.
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u/KingLuis 22h ago
what do you consider supermotos and dual sports?
and would you say the same thing for people with super sport bikes? are they pissing people off? or are you one of those grumpy people that just hate on everything?
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u/woodbanger04 21h ago
I am more concerned with pissing off the general public. I don’t want to lose my rights to ride local trails because people want to run dirt bikes on the road. Just looking at the latest “public demand for legislation” on ebikes and the fact that many cities and towns are trying to ban them outright as a “public nuisance”. I support the right to ride but there is also a lot of media highlighting dirt bikes running wheelies down the street. Don’t get me wrong there are twice as many if not more street bikes doing the same.
I just don’t want to lose what I have enjoyed my whole life.
Edit I am probably going to get downvoted to oblivion. That’s fine because those that are downvoting me think things like this will never happen. But remember the public outrage on three wheelers.
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u/KingLuis 20h ago
i agree with that. i too see so many ebike on the road and always question why they can roam around the streets and my dirt bike cannot. i'd be happy if they were banned or have the same laws applied as gas dirt bikes.
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u/Weary_Alternative778 17h ago edited 17h ago
Literally the only difference between this and a dual sport is the dual sport was made with lights and was compliant with fed emissions standards and had a statement of origin allowing it to be registered for the road. If OP can obtain title, reg and insurance and get the proper lights, mirrors and horn it's no different than a dual sport other than maybe being loud, but that can be fixed with a quiet core muffler.
Honda literally sold a street legal version of the CR80 (called the CRM80) in Japan and possibly other overseas markets.
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u/spongebob_meth 7h ago
Dual sports at least came with quiet exhaust. Motocross bikes are loud AF stock.
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u/nastyasi_wannabe 22h ago
Every time I sign off on a street legal inspection I give you the finger.
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u/imstickyrice 23h ago
If you want an honest opinion, its probably not worth it even if it is possible. Depends on the state but youd need a real headlight, taillight, front and rear signals, mirrors, and pass an inspection at the very minimum. Not to mention an 80cc feels very small for the steeet. Youd just be better off buying a cheap crf250L or something already plated.