Anyone bought a motorcycle with a lost title before?

[waffenampt]

I was looking at this bike for sale and it has a lost title or the guy says theres no title with the bike. Does anyone have experience on obtaining a new title for a situation like this?

[kevin2502000]

Run away from that or just consider it a parts bike.

[Kreylyn]

I was looking at this bike for sale and it has a lost title or the guy says theres no title with the bike. Does anyone have experience on obtaining a new title for a situation like this?

Varys from state to state... some are very strict, and the only for a general person to resolve the issue is track down the owner the title's name is currently in, file (pay) for a lost title... have them sign it over to you, and then swich it into your name.

Other states are willing to do it with a simply "bill of sale" where they will send a timed notice of intent to change the name on the title to the address the title was registered in... like 60 days or something (again, varys by state).

Then you have options where some states will allow a mechanic's lean to be used instead of a title...

Check your states laws, call and speak with the tag office about your sitaution... that is the best advice you can follow.

Krey

[bobthebiker]

if the current owner is the REGISTERED owner, tell them to go to the DMV and get a replacement title. every state should do this for them.

if not, its more or less a parts bike, and fairly worthless really. without a title, I wouldnt pay a dime over $300.

[kat_kitten]

i would be concerned aboot payin' the dude some coin for the bike, he really does have the title, then goes to the po-po to claim it as stolen....
he gets your money, and the bike back.... and you get some jail time....
just a thought

[ctandc]

Yes I did.

It was called a parts bike. And the 750 engine is in my Kat

Every time you hear a seller say

"its EASY to get a title........"

Just ask them why they haven't done it.

[bobthebiker]

here in FL they say they "have the paperwork to get a title" but if you are at all familiar with Florida law, if you dont have a title to begn with, or are not the owner listed ON the title, no paperwork in the world will get you a title legally in our DMV.

[rexazz2]

I trust pretty much no one , especially with my money
When I sold my truck I pulled my plates and put a trip permit on it because he was driving it home
The guy gave me a certified cheque and I still made him let me scan his drivers licence so I had a photo and personal info on him

[Newbie2it]

Rhode island is a state where you do not need a title for any vehicle over 10 years or older. What is required now, which wasn't prior, was knowledge of the previous "registered" owners name. This change was made to catch those that buy and resell cars without registering them.

Being that RI does not require a title after ten years, a ten year old vehicle can be sold numerous times in the state and not incure a title fee. However, neighboring states Like Mass and Conn. require one to register. I found this out recently when I sold my Kat to a guy from Ct. I simply went to the registry and obtained whats called a "Certificate of Titled Ownership" Which is mandatorily accepted by any state in the US. Basically Its the State of RI saying "Cha Yeah, heres your title" Since it was registered in this state, and the state will not ever issue a title after 10 years LOL.

[setite]

Late post. The bill of sale method, in NV at least, requires that the bike be 10 years or older if memory serves. I had to play some games when I got my bike because the seller bought it from a friend, got it running and tried to flip it while being too lazy to get the title into his own name. I didn't know the flip part until I got a better idea of the bikes condition, 10 minutes into driving the bike home

[steves]

Since your location says New York, expect the process to be long, laborious, expensive, and require no fewer than 4 trips to the DMV...

In other words... parts bike.

[professa_riddler]

As Steve said.

But you can start here.

http://www.nydmv.state.ny.us/reg.htm

[ctandc]

That's funny...the 01 Kat 750 I parted out was titled in NY....guy had two folders FULL of paperwork dealing with the DMV. It's story was a bit odd..

Military guy bought it new (no lien ) then was stationed in VA.

Sold the bike to another soldier (Signed over the title etc) and was transferred. That soldier who bought it signed the wrong spot on the title. VA DMV told him he needed to get another signed copy of NY title to get it straight. He was deployed...came back, sold bike to another soldier...somewhere along the line someone kept saying "it's easy to get a title)....it passed hands a couple of more times until I bought it.

Shame..it only had 4K miles on it. But the engine went to good use in my 91 Kat

[TheSteve]

I just went thru this with a friend and his bike. The seller skipped town and said the title was in the mail, and of course it wasnt. This is the story in AZ:

1. AZ is a title holding state, whoever has the title owns the vehicle and all road vehicles need titles.

2. Since the seller was never going to get him the title he needed to get a Bonded title. Basically this title means the bike is his unless the last owner comes forward and demands the bike back. Previous owner has 3 years to do this.

3. To get the bonded title you need to purchase bonded title insurance for 50% of the appraised value. I think it cost him about $150ish on a $1200 valued bike. This is a one time thing, and in the event that the PO does repossess the bike the insurance pays you for it (50% in this case).

4. Take the insurance verification to the DMV where they verify that the bike isn't stolen etc and they give you the bonded title.

5. Three years later and it becomes a clean title.

This is all in AZ and I may have missed a small detail as it was my friends bike and not my own. Thats about it though, your state may differ. Good luck.