[Ducati] Getting a bike titled with only a bill of sale

[Mark Hatten]

Hey Garth:

What kind of bike do you need a frame for?  I have several with clear, clean 
titles.

In almost every state, getting a replacement title is a huge PITA.  If the 
frame has a VIN, it's a matter of tracking down where the title 
stopped"  -- in other words, who sold it without a title.  Your title 
agency/BMV should be able to run the VIN and tell you who "owns" the bike. 
You then need to somehow get that person to sign off on the replacement 
title, which usually means greasing the skids with a few $$.  And that's if 
you can actually locate them.  Legally, you should go through that with each 
owner in between you and this person, but from a practical matter, you can 
usually get them to sign it over straight to you and skip those 
intermediaries.

It would also be interesting to see why the frame was sold without a 
title -- generally there's a reason, and it's usually not good.

If the frame does not have a VIN, you *may* be able to register in your 
state as a home-built vehicle, although that's getting to be difficult if 
not impossible in most states.  In Ohio, they now limit you to one 
home-built vehicle in your lifetime.  The State Patrol oversees the process, 
and they require receipts for all parts, and the receipts must include the 
VIN of the donor motorcycle from which the parts came.  I've had customers 
tell me the State Patrol flatly refuses to accept any parts that were 
purchased on eBay, so you'll need an alternative bill of sale from the 
seller.  Also, make sure the frame indeed was a factory replacement without 
a VIN (it's rare those get out into public circulation, but it happens). 
Here in Ohio, they look at the VIN area on the frame neck with a magnifying 
glass, even going as far as to remove paint, to check for any grind marks 
that would indicate the VIN has been removed.  If that's the case, they 
seize the entire motorcycle.

As Vicki pointed out, if the bike is old enough (20 or 25 years) there are 
companies that can secure a new title for you.



Mark Hatten
Wounded Duc -- Used Ducati Parts Online
Home of the "Loud Clutches Save Lives" T-Shirts
www.woundedduc.net
(Note the URL change!)
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----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Garth Williams" <garthfw at gmail.com>
To: "Ducati Owners Group" <ducati at ducati.net>
Sent: Thursday, October 04, 2007 2:40 PM
Subject: Re: [Ducati] Getting a bike titled with only a bill of sale


Hmmm, it appears to be much, much more difficult here in Texas.  It involves
getting the rebuilt bike inspected, signed off by the DOT, then stamped with
a new VIN and such. That's a big pain in the ass, so I'm not buying the
frame.


Garth