Crazy rules? No,never. Not in California.
To give you an idea about how crazy it is, we have a law here that states that if you rent your home or apartment, you MUST have current tags on your vehicle. If you do not, there is a 75 dollar fine. Get this, Brickheads, the fine goes to your landlord! So,if you are restoring an old car (or bike) and want to follow the law, you get to pay yearly fees to the Department of Motor Vehicles even if the vehicle is not on the road! If that is not bad enough, the DMV will let you pay the fees but not give you the tags if you do not have proof of insurance. I was told by a LEO that this craziness is part of a law that was passed to help fight gang violence.
Welcome to California.