From Trail Trekker to Street Legal: How to Make your Honda Offroad Street Legal
Aug 14th 2020
Converting your Honda Pioneer or Talon to a street legal vehicle is quickly becoming a discipline in itself among UTV lovers. Like so many endeavors in life and in UTV maintenance/upgrading, there is more than one way to go about it. It’s hard to deny the convenience of being able to jump on the nearest road and become the hero of the camping trip with that clutch firewood, pizza, and/or beer delivery. Thankfully, as UTVs become more prevalent, local regulators are making it easier for us riders to establish street legal status with our Honda Pioneers and Talons.
Ready for a full-blown (but short and sweet, we promise) dissertation on turning that vehicle of yours fully street legal? It’s a lot less complicated than you may have been led to believe, so don’t be stressed out. The more you research, the fewer wrong turns you will take in the process, so let’s just take a few minutes to review this information.
Overview
Alright, we’ll start with the “for dummies” approach just to make sure everyone is on board. First and foremost, when considering a Honda Pioneer street legal kit or piecing one together on your own, you have to be aware of the local laws. We can’t disseminate this info for all of our customers, so it’s important that you do your diligence in that regard. What are your jurisdiction’s requirements when it comes to achieving street legal status? Nine times out of ten, these criteria will require you to seek out one or more aftermarket parts. It also means that you need to follow the rules of the road. This part may seem like it goes without saying, but the rules of the road for Honda Talon street legal riders are sometimes different than the rules for more conventional automobiles. Let’s break these ideas down one by one.
Reaching Compliance Level
UTV street legal requirements are determined at the state and local levels. That’s why it’s so important for you to familiarize yourself with the appropriate laws. As it stands currently, many states support a relatively simple street legal conversion process for Honda Pioneer, Honda Talon, and most other UTV models. It’s a broad spectrum, however – in many states, there’s still no way for you to go street legal. So, for the last time, at least poke your nose in those books for a minute before you end up wasting time and money!
How and where exactly is this accomplished, you might ask? Checking your area Department of Motor Vehicles is an ideal place to start. They will be able to walk you through the laws that govern street legal status for UTVs in your area. You can also check online, but make sure you’re browsing official legal sites and not third-party op-ed dribble.
Finding the Hardware You Need
Alright, so we’ve made it past phase one. You have checked your local DMV and/or other reputable sources and determined that a street legal Honda Pioneer or Talon is indeed a possibility in your area. In the process of making that determination, you should hopefully come across a detailed breakdown that describes the specifics in terms of what gear you will need to add to your stock vehicle. Again, this is one hundred percent dependent on local and state laws, but the following list of the “greatest hits” will at least give you a general idea:
-Lights (head, tail, brake) and reflectors
-Mirrors
-Speedometer
-Windshield
-Reflectors
If it seems a bit daunting, don’t be discouraged. There are plenty of aftermarket street legal kits you can by for your Honda Pioneer or Talon. In fact, we offer a highly comprehensive kit ourselves, complete with LED blinker lights, indicators, toggle switch, horn (w/button), LED-lit license plate, wiring, and everything else you need to achieve street legal status in most states that support it. This Honda ATV/UTV Street Legal Kit by ATV Tek sports a universal fit to boot!
Just like our kit, most street legal kits are designed for a hassle-free setup, so long as they are compatible with your particular UTV.
The Home Stretch
We’ve got good news and bad news. The bad news is that when you’re done with the above, there are more requirements in most cases for you to meet street legal status with your Honda Pioneer or Talon. The good news is that these are generally simple and cost-efficient steps that many of us are already taking.
For example, it’s highly likely that you will need a safety inspection, possibly including emissions testing, to be declared street legal.
Additionally, you will likely need to show proof of insurance for your potentially street legal Honda UTV.
Finally, the person driving must be legally licensed to drive. Conventional licenses almost always work, but in some rarer cases, your jurisdiction may require that you have a motorcycle endorsement.
Closing on the “Why”
If you’re having second thoughts about pursuing a street legal kit for your UTV, just think of what you do with street legal status. If you would take advantage of it often enough, and to a great enough effect, then it’s worth it. If you won’t, then maybe it’s not. Don’t over-analyze when you can research. Just inform yourself, find the right products, and act! If and when you do decide to make the change, Everything Honda Offroad will be ready for you with the guidance and resources you need to make it a smooth one.