Title 39 — Motor Vehicles

It is the purpose of this chapter to establish performance and equipment requirements for the manufacture, sale, and safe operation of a motorcycle upon public highways and to furnish administrators with a guide for registration eligibility and continued conformity as related to …

1. The manufacturer or distributor shall provide a certification of the fact that a motorcycle or class of motorcycles is designed and manufactured for use upon public highways and complies with the performance and equipment requirements of this chapter and the rules and regulati…

1. The motorcycle frame-chassis, including the suspension components and engine mountings, must be of substantial construction, capable of supporting the combined weight of all vehicle components and riders for which the vehicle is designed, and withstand normal road shocks and o…

1. Every motorcycle must have either a split service brake system or two independently actuated service brake systems in accordance with rules adopted by the director pursuant to chapter 28-32. Brakes must act on the front and rear wheels. 2. Every motorcycle must meet the requir…

The department may require an inspection of the brake on any motor-driven cycle and may disapprove any brake which is not so designed or constructed as to ensure reasonable and reliable performance in actual use.

1. Motorcycle tires must be of pneumatic design with a minimum width of two and twenty-five hundredths inches [57.15 millimeters] designed for highway use. 2. Tires on two-wheel motorcycles and the single tire on the front or rear of a three-wheel motorcycle must have a load capa…

1. Motorcycle steering and suspension systems must be designed and engineered to provide the operator with the means of safely controlling vehicle direction under all maneuvers required for normal and safe operation. 2. The rear wheel of a two-wheel motorcycle must track behind t…

1. All fuel system components, including the tank, pump, tubing, hoses, clamps, and other components, must be securely fastened to the motorcycle so as not to interfere with vehicle operation and be leakproof when the vehicle is in its normal operating attitude. 2. Fuel lines mus…

Motorcycles must be equipped with an exhaust system incorporating a muffler or other mechanical device for the purpose of effectively reducing engine noise. Cutouts and bypasses in the exhaust system are prohibited. The system must be leakproof and all components must be securely…

Every motorcycle must be equipped with at least one mirror of unit magnification, securely affixed to the handlebar and capable of adjustment within a range that will reflect an image that includes at least the horizon and the road surface to the rear of the motorcycle. Such mirr…

Each wheel of a motorcycle must be equipped with fenders or otherwise covered by the body configuration. Fenders must be securely mounted and of sufficient size and strength to minimize water or other road surface substances from coming in contact with the vehicle riders, or thro…

A seat or saddle securely attached to the vehicle must be provided for the use of the operator. The seat or saddle may not be less than twenty-five inches [63.5 centimeters] above a level road surface when measured to the lowest point on top of the seat or saddle cushion with the…

Any drive chain on a motorcycle must be equipped with a chain guard or covering device to prevent chain or chain sprocket contact with any rider.

All motorcycles designed with two wheels must be equipped with a retracting vehicle stand to permit the vehicle to remain in an upright stored position without outside assistance. The stand may be of a side or center type and must be of substantial construction to hold the vehicl…

When equipped, all motorcycle windscreens and windshields must meet the following standards: 1. The glazing material must comply with the standards promulgated by rule of the director. 2. The metal support must be of a material which bends rather than fragments under impact. 3. C…

Every motorcycle must be equipped with an operative horn in good working order as described by subsection 1 of section 39-21-36. The horn must operate from a control device located on the left handlebar.

Every motorcycle must be equipped with a properly operating speedometer and odometer calibrated in miles [kilometers] per hour and miles [kilometers] respectively and must be fully illuminated when the headlamp is activated.

1. A motorcycle must be equipped with lamps, reflective devices, and associated equipment as required by and in compliance with standards adopted by rule of the director. 2. A gearbox indicator light, if provided, must be located within the operator's field of vision. 3. A headla…

1. The headlamp or headlamps upon every motor-driven cycle may be of the single-beam or multiple-beam type. 2. Every headlamp or headlamps on a motor-driven cycle must be of sufficient intensity to reveal a person or a vehicle at a distance of not less than one hundred feet [30.4…

Motorcycles designed to carry more than one person must be equipped with a securely mounted seat for each passenger located to the side or rear of the driver such that the passenger seat does not interfere with the driver's control or operation of the vehicle. In the case of a tw…

Repealed by S.L. 1985, ch. 451, § 1.

Footrests must be provided for each designated seating position. Each footrest for a passenger must be so designed and constructed to support a static weight of two hundred fifty pounds [113.40 kilograms] applied at the center of the foot pedal. Footrests must be so located to pr…

If a motorcycle is so equipped, highway bars must have a maximum width of twenty-six inches [66.04 centimeters], must be located less than fifteen inches [38.1 centimeters] from the foot controls, and may not interfere with the operation of the foot controls.

All motorcycle lighting devices, electrical systems, brake components, glazing materials, and exhaust systems, incorporating a muffler or other mechanical exhaust device, required or optional, must be approved by the department before they will be available for use within the sta…