so i bought this bike in october and i got the title and everything. however, i didn't get a bill of sale, but the title has his signature next to the price and everything. i haven't done anything about getting the title in my name or anything, or registration or insurance because i didn't plan on doing anything till spring. so i hear that you have to get a title moved over within a certain amount of time or something? and do i also need to contact the guy i bought it from and get some sort of bill of sale? what do i need to do?

Quote from: jrains89 on December 30, 2008, 06:04:36 PM
so i bought this bike in october and i got the title and everything. however, i didn't get a bill of sale, but the title has his signature next to the price and everything. i haven't done anything about getting the title in my name or anything, or registration or insurance because i didn't plan on doing anything till spring. so i hear that you have to get a title moved over within a certain amount of time or something? and do i also need to contact the guy i bought it from and get some sort of bill of sale? what do i need to do?

A signed title is a bearer document. Whoever has it can claim ownership of the bike. You probably should have registered the bike as planned non operation though. When you do finally go to register it the DMV will want back registration if the registration expired after you bought it. As for insurance, it shouldn't matter too much if you're not riding it. If I were you I'd register it planned non operation, then get normal registration and insurance in the spring when you're ready.

It is usually a good procedure to title the bike as soon as you buy it.  That way, if any unforseen issues come up, you stand a better chance of dealing with the seller.

thing is that he bought it from an insurance company. they had had the bike for 4 years on their lot, after the dude who first owned it "totaled" it. so i don't think even he has some sort of old registration stuff.  i guess tomorrow i'm gonna have to go downtown and see what the deal is.