No Title? WTF!

I have been looking for bikes, nothing particlular, just for something that might catch my eye. However, it seems like every other bike older than 1995 does not have a title. Is it that many of these bikes were obtained illegally or are there that many careless stupid people who lose titles. I rarely see this with cars.

Both.

With cars, I see plenty of much to new cars with no title or it isn't disclosed in the ad rebuilt title.

It is becoming increasingly difficult to find a good project bike with a title. It is neither easy nor cheap to get a title via a title company. I have gone this route before.

Don't know how it is in PA, but in KS, if its got a VIN and no title, you call the highway patrol, they send an officer to the vehicle's location, check the VIN against their 50-state database. If it comes not reported stolen, and they find a title issued in another state, you have to go through that state to get a reissued title. If its not stolen and there's no title, they issue an affidavit that says it passed their inspection and that you can apply for a lost title in KS, then you go to the treasurers office and you get your title in the mail.

Not sure what happens if it HAS been reported stolen...

In reply to JohnInKansas:

My guess is that it'd get confiscated if it's listed as stolen. IIRC some DMVs allow you to check VINs on their website, that way you can at least see if the vehicle comes up as stolen.

Depends on where you look.

NH does not issue titles to bikes over 10 years old
Maine does not issue titles to any vehicle over 15 years old
Vermont does not require titles for any vehicle over 15 years old
Mass does not require titles for vehicles purchased before 1990 (mad e before 1980 too)

All of these states have ways of forcing your title requiring state to register the car and issue a title, but most citizens are completely unaware of these methods.

So no, not everyone is stupid, some people are just unaware, others are stupid.

You want to talk about stupid? I bought a bike from my neighbor who had lost the title and was unable to get a new one because he had some weird unlapsed lease on it that wouldn't release the titling rights or whatever. Total clusterberkeley. So I sold it to my friend from NH who sold it back to me three days later and then I got a title for it. Title washing? Maybe, but otherwise the thing was going to end up in the junkyard.

It's also worth noting that any police department should run a VIN check for you at no cost over the phone. I'm pretty sure your local cops want to deal with a stolen vehicle less than you do.

Increasing difficult to find cheap bikes with titles because everybody wants a $500 bike, with a good aftermarket, common engine, and a clear title.

Hence why I'm asking $1250 for my running, riding, plated, registered XS650. I've seen an uptick in $500 titled FRAMES recently because the bikes are getting harder to find in state with titles.

In PA, no title (or no regustration for older pre-title bikes), no registration in PA. I had to title a bike in Vermont (much more lenient), then re-rergister it in PA. Even then, PA wanted to know why I did this.

PA is so bad that, if you bought a bike from someone who never registered the bike in their name and the title was signed over from the original owner to the person from whom you were purchasing the bike, PA will not register the bike in your name. The person from whom your were buying it from would first have to register it.Then, when he gets his title, he can transfer it to you.

PA is the worst.

Bought a dirty, but running CB450 for $300 las May. Fixed fuel lines, installed new Mikunis and painted the frame, tank and side covers. Forks are being rebuilt now. Afer that and some wiring, it should be good to go.

Moparman wrote: PA is so bad that, if you bought a bike from someone who never registered the bike in their name and the title was signed over from the original owner to the person from whom you were purchasing the bike, PA will not register the bike in your name. The person from whom your were buying it from would first have to register it.Then, when he gets his title, he can transfer it to you. \

Isn't that every state? Even Alabama with it's awesomely lax title laws requires that.

All Vermont wanted was a Bill of sales and a theft check done on it. I did not even have to have an address in the state. I would do the same again, but I knew the person with whom I was dealing with my Suzuki. I knew that the theft search would show up clean.

Also. I f I had any signed registration, plus the bill of sale, VT would have registered it no problem.

PA is the most strict. The almost did not accept my own transferring the bike from Vermont because of the time involved. They wanted to know why I registered the bike in Vermont at all.

In NJ or NY, one can simply sign over a title or registration without a notary present. Not so in PA.

States, such as VT and Maine will usually let it through with a notarized bill of sale.

In reply to Taiden:

Not having a title when none exists due to the age of the bike is one thing. If that is the case, there shoudl be an old registration which could be signed over. My point is: What is the deal with all of these no-documentation bikes?

Some states wont allow you to give the next owner your registration. While other states require you to have the previous owners registration. It's all screwed up. The best advice I can give you is learn each states rules and educate your sellers.

PA sucks. However, at least we can do everything at a local notary and not have to go to a DMV where we stand in line for hours.

I laughed no end when my father moved from Maryland to PA, in part because he thought Maryland was too tough on old cars. Oh did he learn! Took him about a year to finally get tags for his old Mustang from PA.

It also can be problem if you have an old title, from before the computer era. I have some paper titles that the state MVA computer system has no record of. That can be quite interesting.

And most of the time, finding the right person will take care of it. Here, the key is to skip the MVA offices, and go to a private tag and title company. What the MVA cannot/willnot do, the tag & title company will quite easily and quickly.

In reply to ddavidv: Very true!