Motorcycle Modifications In New Mexico: How to Legally Modify Your Bike

Motorcycle Modifications For New Mexico Riders

New Mexico is home to tens of thousands of registered motorcycle owners. New Mexico’s beautiful scenery and unbeatable winding roads create the perfect backdrop to weekend rides and longer road trips. While motorcycle owners have their favorite makes and models, sometimes, they want to take their bike to the next level by adding aftermarket modifications. While many modifications are completely legal, New Mexico has restrictions at just how far you can go when customizing your motorcycle.

In The Article

Is it Illegal to Have a Modified Exhaust in New Mexico?

While you can modify your exhaust, New Mexico strictly prohibits modifications that create extremely loud mufflers. Mufflers are meant to prevent noise pollution, and they allow the motorcycle operator as well as other drivers to hear potential dangers or warnings while on the road. Having a motorcycle with a muffler that has been modified to make sounds over certain decibel levels can negatively affect driver safety.

For that reason, there are three main rules that apply to mufflers, noise prevention, and emission control devices:

1. Your vehicle must have a muffler. According to § 66-3-844, “Every motor vehicle shall at all times be equipped with a muffler in good working order and in constant operation to prevent excessive or unusual noise.”
2. Motorcycles should have mufflers that do not cause excessive fumes. New Mexico does require admissions testing on vehicles to ensure motors meet state standards.
3. All vehicles manufactured in 1968 and after should have factory-installed mufflers. However, you can replace them with exhaust mufflers that are “designed to prevent, reduce or control exhaust emissions or air pollution.”

While it’s always fun to rev your engine, ensuring that your muffler functions in a manner that doesn’t cause excessive fumes or noise is essential to staying within New Mexico state law.

What Are the Handlebar Rules for Motorcycles in New Mexico?

One common modification popular among motorcycle enthusiasts is adding “ape hanger handlebars” to their bikes. These large handlebars may give riders the “fists-in-the-wind” look they want when riding, many states have different sets of restrictions. According to Viking Bags, there are currently no restrictions on handlebar height in New Mexico. However, some states require handlebars to be no higher than the rider’s shoulders.

Does New Mexico Have Decorative License Plate Restrictions?

While it is okay to have decorative license plates in New Mexico, modifications to the plate mount can be grounds for a moving violation. According to Justia, “Legibility and visibility of the registration plate would include legibility and visibility of any renewal sticker,” and any modifications that block the license number or registration sticker are prohibited.

Is it Legal to Modify Your Motorcycle Tires in New Mexico?

New Mexico does have regulations vehicle tires to ensure safety and reducing motorcycle accidents. Tread depth is incredibly important. While some modification enthusiasts know that tread creates friction and less thread can help motorcycles accelerate faster, tread depth in New Mexico must be at least 2/32 inch when driving on roadways.

The material your tires are made of is also important in New Mexico. Tires should be made entirely of rubber, and it’s illegal to have any part of the tire that touches the roadway to be wholly or partly metal or other hard material, with the exception of snow tires that have metal studs for traction on ice and snow.
Finally, it is illegal to have protuberances such as blocks, flanges, and spikes on your tires. These can be incredibly dangerous in the event of a motorcycle accident, no matter how cool they look while you’re riding.

Why Are There Laws on Modifying Motorcycles

Laws, rules, and restrictions on motorcycle modifications in New Mexico are put in place to ensure that all drivers on New Mexico roads are safe. All vehicles in New Mexico need to meet safety and emissions standards.

According to FindLaw, “Depending on the specific modifications, a modified vehicle may no longer meet factory standards including safety, emissions, or legal requirements.” Therefore, it’s important to ensure that you are meeting all New Mexico’s modification standards for motorcycle modification.