mm0000001

Me and a friend got to talking one day just after we had got in from riding 4wheelers around, and we thought it would be fun to use one as a way of transportation on open road. i know it is possible to obtain tags for them to be street legal, but i have no idea what all is involved in it.... anyhow does anyone know what kind of gas mileage most 4wheelers get? i'm thinking something around a 300. nothing huge, just enough to get up to around 60mph. i'd hate to know that i'd have to stop and fill up every day i decided to drive it more than 40 miles because of the small gas tank.



i wouldnt use it as a DD or anything, but taking it to school a couple of days each week would be great. its about 25 miles to school, most of it is on the highway, but theres quite a bit of town driving. just imagine rolling up beside of a ricer and leaving him on a 4wheeler.... well up to about 30mph at least... but still if i drove a "kited out civic" complete with the flames on the sides and light up exhaust tip, and i got killed off the line by a 4wheeler, i'd really consider putting it up for sale... or driving it off of a bridge. (ya know those light up exhausts have to add at least 20HP at the tires... or so a ricer will claim)



anyways, gas mileage? i know the tires would probably need to be changed to something a little more road worthy. but keeping the regular ones would be kinda cool if ya took it offroading... or decided to bypass a traffic jam on the side of the road. can anyone think of any other flaws of this idea?



hmmmm... rotary powered 4wheeler.... single rotor maybe?



-Adam

CrashFactory

they get shitty gas mileage.......i think...



Sean

TYSON

Have you tried driving one for 20 minutes at a time @ 60mph?



It's not as much fun as you think.

mm0000001

if they get bad gas mileage, that will totally suck.



i've never drove one for 20 minutes at 60mph. but i have for around 5. its kinda cool, i like the wind. but then again, the area i live in i wouldnt drive but for around 10-15 minutes at 60 (depending on where exactly i was going). i think town driving would be the fun part.



now... i wonder how many times i'd get stopped by the police... especially in town.



-Adam

TYSON

Considering my grandfather managed to roll his going 2mph on his asphalt driveway I can't see them getting certified. THough of course motorcycles are, so you never know.

Baldy

In order to get a title for a vehicle, the DMV needs what's called a Manufacture Statement of Origin, or a Certificate of Origin. This comes with the information on it from the manufacturer. If the manufacturer intended it for off-road use, you cannot get it registered for street use.



I'm looking at a certificate of origin right now from Honda (1985 3-wheeler, actually), and it clearly says at the bottom, "THIS VEHICLE WAS NOT MANUFACTURED FOR USE ON PUBLIC STREETS, ROADS, OR HIGHWAYS."



If you think that one's too old, now I'm looking at a certificate of origin from Polaris (2002 400cc ATV) that clearly states, "THIS ATV IS INTENDED FOR OFF-ROAD USE ONLY."



I also called the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles to confirm this. (it could be different in other states, but I doubt it)

rx7girltk

it is possible in some states but its not easy..you have to get blinkers, a break light, mirrors, and a horn. they get great gas mileage..its scary how good it is...also i would be worried about the body roll on turns on the street...also street tires would be needed

mm0000001

i guess i'll give the NC DMV a call tomorrow, but i've seen plenty of 4wheelers that have a place for the plates on the back... so i'm 99% sure you can get them registered



hmmmm scary good gas mileage.... now i really might look into driving it on a more regular basis. i figured they wouldnt get more than 30mpg... but as i think about it more, they probably would get 50mpg @ faster speeds. this may be a bad comparison, but i know gokarts get awesome gas mileage... just think how small their tank is and how long you can drive them around. most gokarts go up to around 30mph and idk about everyone else, but my gokart (well my old one) has 2 speeds... idle and WOT. i use to ride it for hours without having to fill it up. just a guess the tank is 1/2 a gallon, maybe 3/4ths at the most.... so 2 hours, 30 mph, and 2/3rds of a gallon...



60 miles on 2/3rds of a gallon... so 90mpg

all of that is estimated though... but the number couldnt be that far off.



lets hope 4wheelers get about the same.



so i need a horn, turn signals, emergency flashers, break lights, and head lights.



my dad is an electronics major (as well as a few other things) and i learned alot from him, i'm 100% sure i can wire all of that stuff up no problem. and i'd have to put some of those pulsing headlights on it... those look really cool IMO... plus i'd hate for someone to pull out in front of me and me wreck... ouch



-Adam

TYSON

The plate holder is to register them, but not for the street. Up here snowmobiles have to be registered and have plates, but of course you can't drive them on the road. It's for legal use on the trails.

Baldy

I think the main difference between a go-kart and most road-bound engines is that it's 2-stroke, as opposed to most vehicles on the road. Hence the trip to Aspen made by Harry Lloyed on a mini bike, getting great gas mileage.