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Overlanding on Quad bikes - Ever been done ?? Overlanding on Quad bikes - Ever been done ??
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Travellers' questions that don't fit anywhere else This is an opportunity to ask any question, and post any notice you wish that doesn't fit into one of the other sections.
Photo by Marc Gibaud, Clouds on Tres Cerros and Mount Fitzroy, Argentinian Patagonia

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Photo by Marc Gibaud,
Clouds on Tres Cerros and
Mount Fitzroy, Argentinian Patagonia



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  #1  
Old 25 Dec 2007
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your links trashed Patrick.....
Quote:
Originally Posted by mollydog View Post

Check this thing out:
http://www.trailtail.com/main.html
well I would if I could but I cant cos it doesnt.......
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  #2  
Old 25 Dec 2007
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Are they legal?
In the US and possibly Canada, quads are illegal on many public roads, so you'd have a hard time going far "overland" in the US. For the most part, they are used on farms, and hauled to special riding areas for recreation purposes.

Of course, we've seen them buzzing around in the cities and out on the dirt roads here in SA, but I suspect you'll attract the boys in uniform - and if you think the gotchas for motorcycles are amusing, how you gonna bluff the man when he waves his little infractions book in your face.
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Old 25 Dec 2007
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Quote:
Originally Posted by quastdog View Post
In the US and possibly Canada, quads are illegal on many public roads, so you'd have a hard time going far "overland" in the US. For the most part, they are used on farms, and hauled to special riding areas for recreation purposes.

Of course, we've seen them buzzing around in the cities and out on the dirt roads here in SA, but I suspect you'll attract the boys in uniform - and if you think the gotchas for motorcycles are amusing, how you gonna bluff the man when he waves his little infractions book in your face.
Shame... They are legal on the roads of Britain as long as they have plates and lights etc..

Infact, you can drive/ride ANYTHING on UK roads as long as you can get a certificate for it. I literally saw a guy riding a Toilet on wheels with a lawn mower engine. Hilarious and LEGAL !! LOL
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Old 25 Dec 2007
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I believe most Quads all are currently illegal for road use in the USA. Our DOT (dept. of transportation) make it tough to certify a four wheeler for road use.

I do think some variation of the Kawasaki MULE may now be street legal?? but they cost nearly $10,000. The OEM's are going to be pushing for this I believe because its what customers want. God help us!

I would think in most of the 3rd world if you had a plate and proper road registration and of course fully legal street equip, you might sqeeze by?
Who knows.

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  #5  
Old 26 Dec 2007
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OK in Europe, Asia and Africa.
In all of the European Community, these things (and the buggy above) are classed as either lightweight or heavy quadricycles. There's plenty of restrictions on this (20hp being the main one), but if the manufacturer has homologated it in the EC then you can register it and get your plates. In the UK you can also register one using the Single Vehicle Approval scheme as long as it meets the requirements.

I've been researching whether you can then use one outside Europe and it seems OK for Asia and Africa, but I don't know about Australasia nor North or South America. Still that covers a lot of the world, and for me going through the EC, Russia, Mongolia and China it's fine (assuming we can get Chinese driving licences).

What'd be interesting to know is whether you could drive a European registered quad or buggy on the road in the US for instance, after all they'll let you drive cars which they wouldn't let you register.
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Old 27 Dec 2007
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This thread has got me thinking. I wonder if a kit car based on something like a Citroen 2cv could be converted into a road legal quad bike. The reason I ask is, it so happens these are easy to convert to use the punsen V twin diesel engine.
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Old 8 Jan 2008
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Quads can be made street legal in the US state of Arizona, as long as it has certain street-legal equipment. However, a quad with an Arizona license plate would not be allowed on the streets of California.

However, if the quad was street licensed out of the country, and the rider had a license from outside the country, they might be allowed into the US.

The "old" Volkswagen Beetle was manufactured in Mexico until 2003. A US citizen was not allowed to purchase one and bring it back into the US as they were not certified for the US, and thus, they could not obtain US license plates. However, a Mexican National could bring one into the country as a visitor.

I know that a US citizen/resident from a state that street legalizes quads would not be allowed to ride a quad, on public roads, into a state that does not allow them on the road; however a non-US citizen riding a non-US plated quad may be able to ride them into the US. Of course, check this out yourself, but living along the Mexico/US border, I have seen many cars that are not US certified for road use driving on US roads with Mexican license plates, so I think this might be your loophole in the US, at least.
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