SxS Rules and Regulations

[MTUH3]

Ladies and Gentlemen,

I am from Michigan, I do not currently own a side by side, but I am involved with an organization that is expanding its scope to included the Side by Side users.

We have run into some concerns about where a side by side is legal. Some are registered with the SOS and legal to operate on may ORV Routes in MI with an ORV sticker, but are they still allowed on MI roads or shoulders where ATVs are allowed. What about a non SOS vehicle, is it allowed on the road shoulder? Can you operate in ORV Routes? Current MI law does not allow SxS vehicles on ATV trail.

If you can help, please see the thread below, and I will also ask that some of the guys check out this site for help too.

Thanks!

Carl

http://www.glfwda.org/showthread.php?12622-Side-by-Sides-and-UTV-s-and-GLFWDA-Stance

[SBA800]

good question. I recently was looking into this for my area as i was considering a suzuki samurai, that was registered as an ORV.

what I found for my area was it was legal to use on any crown land (not privately owned) including all ATV trails. also, if it had an orange caution triangle on the back and did not exceed 40 km/h it could be used on backroads (gravel) and shoulders. could also cross highways.

its all going to depend on your states rules. which I myself cannot help you with. to find out the answers to my questions i hit up a local Offroad Club. they had everything i needed to know.

[MTUH3]

Right, SxS's are over the leagal ATV designation for width in Michigan, therefor they technically fall under "Full Size ORV" laws. There are of course gray areas of the law, most of which I posted above.

Laws, can't live with em, can't leave without em.... or caaaaaaan you?

[SBA800]

haha, whats the width limit? i think the non "s" rzr 800, and the rzr 570 are the same width as atv's for that reason alone.

might want to look into those ones?

[MTUH3]

MI width is 50" or under. As I understand it most, or many SxS's are over that width. To further complicate MI laws, just cause you can fit on the trail, does not mean you are legal. There are a number of ORV Trails, that I can Drive a Raptor or H1 down and still have a foot to each side, but they are designated ORV Trail and the vehicle must be 50" or less in width to operate on it.

[SBA800]

here you go. 50" wide.

http://www.polaris.com/en-ca/rzr-side-by-side/trail-vehicle/ranger-rzr-800/specifications

800 non "S" version

and

http://www.polaris.com/en-ca/rzr-side-by-side/trail-vehicle/ranger-rzr-570/specifications

570 is 50" wide as well.

both those should be perfectly fine on trails.

[MTUH3]

Thanks for the help.
I think at this point, because of the way some laws are written, GLFWDA will continue to support the SxS users in MI. (more people / members can't hurt right?)

[SBA800]

more the merrier.

side by sides sure do look like a ton of fun.

[nosbusa]

until someone falls out...... then you are lopsided....... kinda like aaron.....