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Bike with no title.

30K views 6 replies 7 participants last post by  Chainsaw 
#1 ·
I understand it will vary by state, but what are the general rules for a bike with no title. Hypothetical situation: A classic (1965), collectible type bike is for sale in my area. The price is good, but the bike is in parts. The guy that has it has no time to restore it, and wants it out of his garage. The catch is the bike has no title. How much trouble is it to get a title for a bike like this, if a person buys it and makes it road worthy again?
 
#2 ·
I am working on a similar situation here. My son needs a project bike for a high school recreation engines class. This summer a guy came through town trying to ride a Honda Rebel cross country and blew it up here. Took it to the local dealership and when they told him it had a siezed motor he hopped on a plane and never came back. They do not even know his name or how to get ahold of him. They have the bike I need, and would love to do something with it, but no title. So far the DMV has not been very helpful. I will let you know if we get a positive resolution.
 
#3 ·
Hot potato!!

Here in Virginia you go online thru the DMV and search the VIN for leins or stolen reports. If you come up with nothing you can apply for an abandon vehicle title. Dmv will try to find the previous owner. If they find him you must start some paperwork to get him to release the title. You can send him a bill for storage to perswade him to release it, or if they don't find the PO they will issue a new title to you. Costs are minimal but it ususally takes 90 days. I think there is a federal database to search for stolen vehicles but I don't know how to find it.
 
#4 ·
You need to save all the envelopes and registered mail receipts - that's your countdown of when you submitted the paperwork to previous owner. It is not a big hassle, but you never get someone in DMV that knows what they're doing. (Ask me how I know ... )

Records do get purged from active db, so they pro'lly have to do it at HQ. Since it is in parts and depending on what you need to rebuild, you may qualify for rebuild title or salvage title. More restrictions that way.

(oops - only speaking about VA DMV - o)

Good luck.
 
#5 ·
Bikes with "No Titles"

You are absolutely correct, when you stated it varies state by state.

Some states are so easy it is a joke and then the extreme other side is, you will never get a title; but most are somewhere between those two.

I can speak from experience; I was a dealer and a notary, not anymore though.

When fuzz, responded with the details from VA, that is a real easy system there; I wish they all were that easy.

You can try the Title Services, that will get you a bill of sale or maybe a registration from another state; they work in most states. It will cost, maybe $150- $200 for all the notary work and the title company fees. They advertise in most cycle trader magazines. This is what most people use.

The title laws have changed drastically in the past few years in most states, so be careful. If a seller says he has the title, but didn't put it in his (seller's) name to avoid the taxes, and the title is still in the first seller's name and signed; that is an "open title" run away from that one. I get that a lot, usually from NJ sellers. Just tell him to put it in his name and then you will buy it, then watch his head explode.

For me, now: If it doesn't come with a good transferable title it is a parts bike, Period. And will be priced accordingly.
 
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