Question about Frankenstein Bikes and Titling

[Prafeston]

Looking at buying another GS. For the price I feel like I just can't pass it up. Thing is it's being sold with a junk title. Owner says that once a vehicle has a junk title it can't be titled as anything else. Is there a way around this? I got to thinking and I was just wondering how titling works with bikes that are basically built from random parts of other bikes. How are Frankenstein bikes titled? All this bike needs to be running is a battery and some carb work, but if I can't get it titled it's really good for nothing but part for my current GS. Any solutions?

-Rafe-

[yamahonkawazuki]

some states have a provision for a builders title. ( check with your dmv regarding this)

[Kasumi]

I would think most states will have a title for custom built vehicles of varying sorts. Some states may require certain saftey or regulation checks to be carried out i would imagine to determine whether the bike passes all laws before issuing a title.

Here in the UK when you build kit cars - cars built from other car parts etc... you have to have a special inspection done to determine road worthiness etc... then they will issue you with a registration document.

[scottpA_GS]

From what I have seen on here... a Salvage title is one thing... a junk or scrap title means that frame/VIN can never be registered again 

All you can do is get a new frame 

[Prafeston]

So bacisally it's only good for as a parts bike. There's no way I could have two running bikes with titles...bummer. Say I paid $120 for a parts bike with a useless frame...that a good deal. I mean seems like I could part it out for more money than that. Only problem is I really just wanted to get this one running and sell the one I have now, but there is nothing really major wrong with the bike I have now so I don't really need a parts bike. It's so tempting though. Such a cheap bike.

[ben2go]

South Carolina you can title a bike with no frame VIN as a custom.That's how a lot of people title theft bikes.In my area they have been inspecting bikes,and arresting people with titles that don't match the bike.I almost got arrested.I had to sand down my freshly painted frame to reveal the VIN.I was given 24 hours to reveal the VIN.South Carolina also has a bad habit of making up the rules as they go.

[Prafeston]

Guess it doesn't matter anymore...was bidding online. Was winning with 30 secs to go and got out bid. Bike ended up going for $155. Someone got a good deal.

[mullethunter3]

That's too bad. But, for future reference, salvage (Missouri name for it) or junk (other states' name for it) titles are no fun to deal with. I used to work at a DMV in MO a couple years ago and I still don't know how to iron it all out. I believe the problem lies not in the title but the insurance covering the bike. Some insurance companies won't insure a junk/salvage title. In Missouri, some of these questions can be answered by your local Highway Patrol Troop Headquarters. I think Rolla is Troop F territory.

Personally, I would never buy anything but something with a clean title. It's way to much hassle to jump through all the hoops, even if you do know what you're doing. IMO.

[CndnMax]

That's too bad. But, for future reference, salvage (Missouri name for it) or junk (other states' name for it) titles are no fun to deal with. I used to work at a DMV in MO a couple years ago and I still don't know how to iron it all out. I believe the problem lies not in the title but the insurance covering the bike. Some insurance companies won't insure a junk/salvage title. In Missouri, some of these questions can be answered by your local Highway Patrol Troop Headquarters. I think Rolla is Troop F territory.

Personally, I would never buy anything but something with a clean title. It's way to much hassle to jump through all the hoops, even if you do know what you're doing. IMO.

Salvage titles can't be that hard to deal with, thats how you make money off the insurance when they total your bike. you get a salvage title and fix up your bike with half of the money they give you  

[Teek]

If it's totaled it's because the damage was serious, and if it's salvaged the pink will always have "Salvage" on it, which can make it harder to sell, because possible tweaked frame problems, etc. can make people nervous. As in stress fractures in the welds that aren't visible, and a frame bent enough to make the bike handle a little funny, but you can't tell where the tweak is. Then if you try to straighten it out, just end up tweaking something else. If you're pulling everything off the frame to use elsewhere or parts it out, or rebuilding from the ground up with a different frame, then not such a big deal.

I used to use Auction Sniper to get a top bid in, but now the stinkers bill you 1% for every win. Doesn't seem like much, but I overpaid a little for an older Husqvarna Viking sewing machine (finally got a Husky!) and here they're telling me I owe money, and I thought it was a scam email, but it's legit! I emailed them since like WHEN did they start billing??? It used to be you just paid a quarter for each snipe. I paid $385. for the machine, and they want $3.85 and my credit card. They can kiss my hiney, they never notified me of any change in their agreement.   

[bobthebiker]

had you won the bike with a COD(certificate of destruction) title, you could have easily just made a trackbike from it. I would.