Texas lawmakers saved me $25,000.

Hi everyone,

I was on the internet and found this new 3-wheeler called the Polaris Slingshot SL (pic#1). Since I'm kind of weird with my hotrods, I fell in love with it. Texas told Polaris they could register it as a motorcycle when they introduced it last fall, then changed their minds since it didn't meet the rules (rule states a motorcycle must have a saddle to sit on and this has bucket seats). Thought about having my son in Arizona register it there, then found out I can't get insurance for it in Texas. What a bummer. It's so laughable, I'm 72 years old and they let me register and drive my 28 (pic#2) but I can't have this new toy I want. Go figure......

Have a great day,
Milner

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HARRUMPH!! and all this time I thought Tejas was so liberal and free thinking... now I find out they're just as prudish as the puritans still living in Massachusetts!:LOL::LOL::LOL::HMMM::rolleyes:

If you could see some of the Rat Rods that are registered, licensed and insured down here, the word "Liberal" would only apply to the Rides themselves.- - -:eek::confused::3dSMILE:

Liberal? Texas? You must be thinking of Austin. ;)

Even Austin isn't that liberal anymore. I remember like only five years ago, crusing up and down Congress Ave., everyone was doing short burnouts in front of the Continental Club during the Lonestar Roundup. Even the cops were lighting them up..... Now you so much as chirp a tire, you go to jail.

Milner

That is a sweet looking ride!!

Met a cool car dude this morning driving a '65 Falcon Convertible and pulling one of those small Tear Drop Trailers. He said that he had logged in 10,000 miles on this Road Trip and was headed back to California from Florida. Also said that he was wanting to swing by the Capital Building at AUSTIN so I told him the easiest way to get there, we shook hands and he went on his way. Come to think of it he did look a little "Liberal" cince he was eating breakfast at McDonalds.

A friend of mine has one of these three wheeler's Can-Am Spyder: 3-Wheel Motorcycles for Touring, Sport-Touring, & Sport | Can-Am Spyder US that he keeps at their river property, for running errands and just playing around. He loves it!

FYI, I saw a FB post from a friend who moved to San Antonio some time back, working with one of the big bike/ATV/UTV dealers down there. He says that there was some initial confusion at the state level, but that he thought that the registration issues were now resolved. Not sure about insurance issues, but I'd think that they must have solved the insurance question too if it can be registered.... He's at Alamo CyclePlex in SA, and says they have one Slingshot in stock. You might go talk to them about registration & insurance issues? He's Joe Bryant, and tell him Roger says "Hi"!

Roger,

Thanks for the info. I just got off the phone with Kevin at Alamo Cycleplex (Joe was off today). The situation is the same, they can order and sell you one but you can't register it in Texas. He has no idea when the lawmakers will change this. Might even be a year or two the way they operate.... As far as hotrods go, it's basically wide open as far as what you can drive down here. You can get Antique Plates for anything over twenty five years old, $50 fee for five years (very cheap), no vehicle inspection, only one plate needed (for the rear). By the way, they now make a turbo for the Slingshot (makes me want one even more, lol).

Have a great day,

Milner

Well, sorry for the mis-information. Joe is a new transplant from Kansas and has only been at Alamo for a couple of months or so, but when he posted a picture of the Slingshot on FB I messaged him and said that I understood that they couldn't be registered in Texas. His reply was that he "...thought that they had gotten that resolved, and that we have one in stock now, with more on order." Obviously he hadn't done his homework. I'll let him know, too, so that he doesn't step into a bad situation. I don't think he's in sales, but could well be wrong....

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Saw one of the Polaris Slingshots in the parking at WallyWorld today, sporting a Kansas Motorcycle tag. Those things are massive!! Lots bigger than I had expected, evident by the amount of the parking space that it fills.....

Yesterday while sitting in a swap meet (and not selling anything) a friend says he didn't think the automakers could legally even build a roadster any more. SO of course I had to disagree! LOL..

and now I have proof! While it isn't a proper roadster.. it is an open vehicle!

That thing's HUGE!

And butt ugly!

According to Joe at Alamo, Texas has come around on licensing. They have one, five ordered, selling first come.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by johnboy

That thing's HUGE!

And butt ugly!

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Wasn't gunna say anything,,but,,,yup,Johnboy..Not gunna disagree with ya.. Prefer the little three wheeled Can AM jobbies we have down here..

In California they are considered a motorcycle because the seat is refered to as a saddle. Here if you want to have one and drive it legally you need to register it as a motorcyle and wear a helmet!
Nice little video explaining what's in it, with a test drive
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oISqdXwbK8c

Here is a nice twisty turning road test drive of the polaris. The guy pickks it apart, but admits for 20k it does the trick!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B6HGPvOxKU8
I liked this video to, because they compared it to other three wheelers, and used 4 guys, with differing opinions!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zuXWHGEBPT0

The issue here is that Texas did not recognize the Polaris Slingshot in any category, basically refusing to license them for the street, and the fact that the state has now found the necessary language to allow them to be street legal. I posted that change, provided by a friend who works at the local shop in San Antonio, just to let "Milner" know of the change, and that he could hurry down there to get on their "want" list, and rid himself of the $25K burning a hole in his pocket, nothing more, nothing less.