3 weeks until UTV's are street legal in NC

Folks have been doing that here for a hot minute. It's not "legal", so no tags, no inspections, etc. The smart folks will have one of them orange dune buggy flag thingies, but that's it. 'N it's not a problem at all. We're a half mile off a 55mph road & they run up & down that all the time, frequently at faster than that in their big sport buggies. Folks even ride 'em into town to run errands & park em in front of the courthouse. They stay off the four lanes & I've never had a problem with one in traffic.

Can't imagine why folks would lose their minds down there, though y'all's population density & traffic is WAY higher than ours. We are way the hell out in farm country here & it is definitely a very different vibe.
 
Crazy Carl said:
Folks have been doing that here for a hot minute. It's not "legal", so no tags, no inspections, etc. The smart folks will have one of them orange dune buggy flag thingies, but that's it. 'N it's not a problem at all. We're a half mile off a 55mph road & they run up & down that all the time, frequently at faster than that in their big sport buggies. Folks even ride 'em into town to run errands & park em in front of the courthouse. They stay off the four lanes & I've never had a problem with one in traffic.

Can't imagine why folks would lose their minds down there, though y'all's population density & traffic is WAY higher than ours. We are way the hell out in farm country here & it is definitely a very different vibe.
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Missouri people out there still have common sense.

Yankees moving here left it elsewhere.
 
Many cars are illegal here due to crash testing (cars that are legal in MANY other countries around the world), but these will be ok?
I was hassled about my dualsport that has road-going equipment from the factory, but these are alright?

Im not thrilled about this, but more bummed that they'll ok this while ignoring many other items that are, at minimum, just as safe for road use.
 
Bocephus said:
Right, because it is all those darn Yankees that brought us the Carolina Squat 😉
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Nowhere did I say they brought it.

What I said was they left their common sense elsewhere


Reading comprehension sure is slowing on this forum
 
People do stupid stuff- don't matter if they are from the north, south, east or west. I have done plenty of "Here, hold my beer" things.

It's not going to be the end of the world. Yes there's going be some time before it all settles down- drivers to to learn the law, cops got to learn the law, Darwin has to get a few more idiots, ...

I would rather get behind a SXS on a country road than a DUI bike or god for bid a bicycle. I am sure if WV and TN can handle them on the roads, we can
 
Is there blood in the streets yet? Have they started getting high centered on the piles of bodies from all the CCW people shooting each other from the previous blood in the streets scenario? I hear that's a thing.


On a more realistic note, something like this is as close as any of us are likely to ever get to being able to cruise around in a CJ5 or other small off-road centric vehicle. Cheap jeeps, suzukis, etc are gone for good, but a $10k ($12k?) little SxS could fill the order in many locations that don't require stints at 70mph.
 
Jayne said:
Is there blood in the streets yet? Have they started getting high centered on the piles of bodies from all the CCW people shooting each other from the previous blood in the streets scenario? I hear that's a thing.


On a more realistic note, something like this is as close as any of us are likely to ever get to being able to cruise around in a CJ5 or other small off-road centric vehicle. Cheap jeeps, suzukis, etc are gone for good, but a $10k ($12k?) little SxS could fill the order in many locations that don't require stints at 70mph.
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I definitely would feel safer riding around in a newer SxS than my old 69 CJ5. That thing was a death trap that could barely hit 50mph and now hasn't been on the road for 25 years. Honestly it probably saved me in college because it was broken down so much. It's been sitting in the garage of my now rental house since 2000 needing yet another transmission. I still love it though as I grew up with it. It also didn't keep me away from Jeeps as I currently have a 74 CJ5 project.
 
I'm currently researching radial DOT tires for my SxS. Some folks are Changing Rim size and using LT tires. They are typically heavier than ATV tires but are often priced less for a better wearing tire.
My SxS comes factory with 12" wheels and 26" non DOT tires. I will probably replace them with 27" ATV radials. Leaning towards the Tusk Terribyte.
Going up one size shouldn't hurt my bottom end power and it should give a 2mph extra on the top end.
Everyone who uses these tires agree they ride smooth and decently quiet on pavement and balance ok while still doing well off-road.

  • DOT test standard compliant (FMVSS 571.119) at max operating pressure.
  • Radial, 8 Ply Rated Construction.
  • Truck style tread for smooth ride on hard surfaces.
  • Excellent off road performance.
  • High load ratings for today’s larger machines.
  • Tread depth: 3/4 inch.
  • Medium/Hard terrain tire

Screenshot_20210913-172258.pngScreenshot_20210913-172301.pngScreenshot_20210913-172305.png
 
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Seen several around Lexington and Thomasville - and seeing more show up on used car lots
 
I have had mine tagged for a few weeks now. My machine will do 65+ so no issues keeping up with traffic.

Two lane roads with 55mph and under speed limit, and 4 lane roads with a speed limit under 35mph are legal. Plan your route and you can go almost anywhere.
 
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Unless you have one there's no real $ advantage to get one IMHO...
- The price to register is more$.
- The MPG is worse that the average auto.
- A UTV needs a few updates unless they're factory.
 
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rdinatal said:
Unless you have one there's no real $ advantage to get one IMHO...
- The price to register is more$.
- The MPG is worse that the average auto.
- A UTV needs a few updates unless they're factory.
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They are fun, though. I don't feel all that comfortable on the road, so I don't make a habit of it. It is nice to zip down the mile & a half or so dirt road into town on a nice summer evening, though.
 
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I'll be curious to see the crash reports after a few of these get swallowed whole by jacked up pickup trucks and spit out the back. I doubt it's going to be pretty.

Same reason I'll never drive one of the little teeny cars, not because there's anything wrong with them, but because the huge trucks turn them into crumpled tinfoil in a crash.
 
I’ve got one and I don’t think this is a good idea. Wait until a couple accidents happen and the wash people out of these things. Jus sayin…
 
How many people are going to let their underage kids drive them on roads down to the corner store? Is going to be a learning curve around the beaches and campgrounds this year.
 
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