title nightmare

engine22 · Full Member Joined: Apr 10, 2008 Posts: 104

I was given a 78 special about a year ago and after getting it in good working order I am having a helluva time getting a proper title to be legal. I have been dealing with the department of revenue for more than 2 months now about getting a bonded title for the bike and I am about to explode I am so frustrated....

Is there any way to legally ride a motorcycle untitled?? even if it is just temporary.. I cant look at this bike anymore just sitting in me driveway, its driving me nuts!!!

killtrip · Posted: August 4, 2008, 1:37 am Post subject: Re: title nightmare

I still gotta go through that mess.. dunno where you are, but here in washington, this is what I gotta do.

Go to the titling department, get the last known registered owner and their address..

Send a certified letter to that person/address requesting them to sign it over.

If there's no response, I take the unopened letter to the state patrol, they get to inspect the bike to make sure its street legal.

After all thats done, I get a 3 year probationary ownership.. which means that I can register the bike and ride it legally.. but for three years, the owner can pop up and say 'hey. thats my bike, I want it back'.. and legally its theirs, and I'd have to.

weekendrider · Posted: August 4, 2008, 9:36 am Post subject: Re: title nightmare

In MO it's a no-go situation also. You can file for an abandoned property title if it was on a piece of property you bought. If it doesn't have a clear title it is only worth the value of the parts imo.

xsjohn · Posted: August 4, 2008, 9:40 am Post subject: Re: title nightmare

Illegal's walking everywhere and can't register a 28 year old bike......go figure.....they trust them but not us.....?????

..xsjohn

bulldog1980 · 650Rider Supporter Joined: Mar 28, 2007 Posts: 175

Your DMV should have a procedure on what to do.. more then likely it will involve putting money down for a bond and getting it inspected... I would just go to the DMV and them what the procedure is to get a bonded tittle as long as you have a bill of sale you should be ok.. if you dont "get" a bill of sale....

BigGeorge · Full Member Joined: Apr 13, 2008 Posts: 267

Isnt it sad that you try to do everything legal and by the book but often the red tape involved leads you to a dead end and forces you to to go another route. Now I'm not suggesting you go out and buy a 1978 frame off of e-bay that comes with a title in hand. Nor would I ever suggest changing the numbers of said frame to your bike. Nope, never heard it from me..............BG

bulldog1980 · 650Rider Supporter Joined: Mar 28, 2007 Posts: 175

Most D.M.V.'S will work with you.. however I have heard of the frame trick and here in Iowa I have never had anyone look at a bike when i went to title it....

p73ornstar · Full Member Joined: Jun 17, 2008 Posts: 54

I second that notion. I have never seen a DMV (in my area) physically go out and inspect a vin number on a bike. If anything, go on EBAY, buy your titled frame, swap the vin's, and your set. How is anyone to know any different?

weekendrider · Posted: August 6, 2008, 7:05 pm Post subject: Re: title nightmare

The inspection stations here check vin against the registration. No inspection no tag.

engine22 · Full Member Joined: Apr 10, 2008 Posts: 104

what do you mean "swap the vins," you cant exactly just swap something engraved into metal.. But I think that might be the best route, I know the dmv here doesn't do vin inspections and I'm sure the cops dont like for the vin when you get pulled over... thanks for the advice

weekendrider · Posted: August 6, 2008, 10:16 pm Post subject: Re: title nightmare

engine22 wrote:

what do you mean "swap the vins," you cant exactly just swap something engraved into metal.. Run a bead over it grind it down and restamp the number
But I think that might be the best route, I know the dmv here doesn't do vin inspections and I'm sure the cops dont look for the vin when you get pulled over... thanks for the advice. Ah but some do, yessir they will, and they will match the VIN to your registration and insurance card

Never done the first, but have experienced the last. I think one even saw Easy Rider cause he wanted permission to "search" my bike. Silly flucker looked in the gas tank and under the seat. Good thing he didn't cut the seat or the little bride would have to come up with bail. Like Loretta said we'd have gone to fist city.

BigGeorge · Full Member Joined: Apr 13, 2008 Posts: 267

Vin numbers can be mudded over and new numbers stamped next to where the old ones were or as someone suggested welded over and new numbers stamped after the weld is ground down. Most cops arent going to look at the numbers unless they have reason to believe the bike is stolen. Alot of guys swap engines into their frames for one reason or another and they end up with numbers on the engine and numbers on the frame being totally different but thats legal and that also would be confusing to any cop looking at numbers. I think as long as you got a title and registration in hand and numbers stamped on the neck of the frame that match the registration (even if you put the numbers there yourself) you will be ok. Ya just gotta out smart the system.............BG

p73ornstar · Full Member Joined: Jun 17, 2008 Posts: 54

Here's another idea, might not be the easiest, but it'll save you from dealing with the inspections. Buy a titled frame (ebay, locally) and over the winter, swap everything over. Then you don't have to switch vin's or deal with that mess. It'll take you over the winter, but it'll also give you something to do.

bulldog1980 · 650Rider Supporter Joined: Mar 28, 2007 Posts: 175

p73ornstar wrote:

Here's another idea, might not be the easiest, but it'll save you from dealing with the inspections. Buy a titled frame (ebay, locally) and over the winter, swap everything over. Then you don't have to switch vin's or deal with that mess. It'll take you over the winter, but it'll also give you something to do.

This would be the legal thing to do and possibly keep you out of hot water, another thing you can try (not sure if you have tried this yet) If you have a good friend or a relative that lives in another state (or town/city for that matter) you can have them register it with a bonded title under both [i][u]of your names and then have them immediately sign over the title (no date) so that way when the bond date is up you can register into your name only....

midnrider · Posted: August 11, 2008, 9:30 am Post subject: Re: title nightmare

www.its-titles.com/index.htm don't know whats involved, but they say they can get anyone a clear title?

kenb · Posted: August 11, 2008, 11:10 am Post subject: Re: title nightmare

With regards to running a bike with mis-matched VIN's, I think your most serious concern should be the liability aspect if there is an accident involving injuries and property damage. The vehicle inspection guys and the police might not bother checking for matching numbers on your bike, but if there is a serious accident involving injuries and property damage, you can bet your last buck that your insurance company is going to check for sure.
A missing or mis-matched serial number on the frame is all an insurance company requires to legally deny liability coverage, leaving you on your own to face the (sometimes huge) consequences. When faced with the possibilty of a liability judgment against them, the very first thing the insurance people do every time is to check the numbers to verify that your bike is really the one they agreed to insure.

Ken

bulldog1980 · 650Rider Supporter Joined: Mar 28, 2007 Posts: 175

midnrider wrote:

http://www.its-titles.com/index.htm don't know whats involved, but they say they can get anyone a clear title?

this site scares me i just hesitant to give them my vin number and information lol

Shannon60 · Posted: August 12, 2008, 4:56 pm Post subject: Re: title nightmare

i would go to your local cycle salvage and purchase a title from them, stamp those #s in your frame and register it

Barbara · Posted: August 12, 2008, 6:12 pm Post subject: Re: title nightmare

Hi guys,

I had to have the WSP run the numbers on my XS650, because I had lost the title and it was too old to be in the State Computer. I got a trip permit, went in and a nice WSP lady crawled all over the bike looking for numbers, found only the frame number, wrote it down and verified that it was indeed on the bike. (Duh!)

After that, verification in hand, I went to the Dept. of Licenses and gave them the number verification (they just check to see if it has been reported stolen) and a hand-written statement that I am the owner.

That was it. I got a new license plate and a "conditional" title, which means I have to wait a couple of years for the real title, but it's not going anywhere anyway, and if I want, I can sell it, but the new owner would also get the conditional title.

Sounds complicated, but it only took me about two hours.

That's Washington State. Anywhere else may be more rational, I dunno.

Getting a junker frame would work, but it would be a lot of rebuilding. How about removing the old one and welding on a different, titled headstock? (That would scare me.....)

Legal is best----and most frustrating.

sschering · Posted: August 12, 2008, 7:12 pm Post subject: Re: title nightmare

I wonder how old is to old to be in the system..

y 77 XS400 was last tagged in 1984

Barbara · Posted: August 12, 2008, 7:23 pm Post subject: Re: title nightmare

Pretty ironic!

y bike is a '77"D", and was last licensed in 1984! They told me the records in Olympia don't go back that far, and since I'd lost the title I "had no proof of ownership".

That's why I had to jump through the hoops. If you have your title, or even a registration that has your name on it, and the bike's numbers, they will probably title and license it for you, depending on the position of the Sun in the sky, and how good an evening the clerk had the night before......

Don't ya just love working with bureaucrats? Rolling Eyes

sschering · Posted: August 13, 2008, 3:11 pm Post subject: Re: title nightmare

I had them check today.. No record of it.. No papers either so I'm off to visit the patrol. Does it have to be running for them to inspect it?

I remember getting a salvage title for a MG when I was 16.. We spent days making sure all the lights, switches and horn worked before taking it to the State Patrol.. They never checked Smile

Barbara · Posted: August 14, 2008, 12:49 am Post subject: Re: title nightmare

All they were interested in on my bike were the numbers. I'd fixed the turn-signals and all that, and all they looked for were numbers. If you are riding it, I'd have it legal, but if it's in a "Harley position"--you know, the back of a pick-up--all they are interested in are the numbers.

If you can find an old registration or anything it will help....

Good luck!

p73ornstar · Full Member Joined: Jun 17, 2008 Posts: 54

I still like the frame swap idea. Hey shannon60, I see you are from Neenah, I'm up in Appleton. Howdy fellow Wisconsinite!!

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