Cheep Bike Challenge <$1500

[WVhillbilly]

I'm not even a Harley fan, but I too would have jumped on that deal in a second.
Nice score Rudolf!

[GI_JO_NATHAN]

I have to be honest. Title issues make me worry.

[ben2go]

Originally Posted by GI_JO_NATHAN

I have to be honest. Title issues make me worry.

Just curious but why?

[jdgretz]

Originally Posted by ben2go

Just curious but why?

In some states, getting a replacement title when one is still on the books can be a real PITA - California is one such state. I've got an old Yamaha XT that was abandoned at my house by my mother's caretaker. There is no title for the bike and the DMV says there is a title in the system but won't tell me who is on the title or the guy's address, but did verify it was not from the caretaker's family. So, I'm still working on getting it in my name so I can do something with it - it does have a green sticker on it so I'm hopeful it can get a current sticker for playing in the forests.

jdg

[Brian-M]

Originally Posted by GI_JO_NATHAN

I have to be honest. Title issues make me worry.

Ditto, that's the one thing I won't touch.

I've looked into it before in a couple states, and one there was NO resolution. You either have the title or you get the title from the registered owner (whom the DMV won't provide any info about). The other required a "Bonding" process that cost roughly the same as the bike I was looking at ($1500), and it was in no way a $3000 bike.

Georgia is weird, apparently you don't need a title for 1985 and older. I MAY take a chance here if I can find something that's cheap enough to risk losing my money on and that I'd want anyway.

Still cheaper and easier to just wait a couple weeks and buy the next good deal that HAS a title.

[rudolf35]

Originally Posted by Brian-M

Ditto, that's the one thing I won't touch.
I've looked into it before in a couple states, and one there was NO resolution. You either have the title or you get the title from the registered owner (whom the DMV won't provide any info about). The other required a "Bonding" process that cost roughly the same as the bike I was looking at ($1500), and it was in no way a $3000 bike.
Georgia is weird, apparently you don't need a title for 1985 and older. I MAY take a chance here if I can find something that's cheap enough to risk losing my money on and that I'd want anyway.
Still cheaper and easier to just wait a couple weeks and buy the next good deal that HAS a title.

Getting a bonded title in TX is easy - inspection, sales receipt and then bond insurance for three years ($150). After three years the title will revert to a clear TX title. If a owner shows and says it is his the bond insurance will pay 1.5 times what was paid for the bike - to me.

Plan is to invest as little as I can to make it totally legal, bond it and then have fun. Once the bond is in force and I do not spend more than 1.5 time what the bike cost me I am good - only thing wasted would be wrench time.

[GI_JO_NATHAN]

Originally Posted by rudolf35

Getting a bonded title in TX is easy - inspection, sales receipt and then bond insurance for three years ($150). After three years the title will revert to a clear TX title. If a owner shows and says it is his the bond insurance will pay 1.5 times what was paid for the bike - to me.

Plan is to invest as little as I can to make it totally legal, bond it and then have fun. Once the bond is in force and I do not spend more than 1.5 time what the bike cost me I am good - only thing wasted would be wrench time.

Wow that would be awesome.
I don't think we have that in SC.

[smack doogle]

Originally Posted by rudolf35

Getting a bonded title in TX is easy - inspection, sales receipt and then bond insurance for three years ($150). After three years the title will revert to a clear TX title. If a owner shows and says it is his the bond insurance will pay 1.5 times what was paid for the bike - to me.

Plan is to invest as little as I can to make it totally legal, bond it and then have fun. Once the bond is in force and I do not spend more than 1.5 time what the bike cost me I am good - only thing wasted would be wrench time.

This is pretty much what you do in NC. I'm going through the process right now. I bought the bike and the previous owner never titled it. I got the bill of sale, got it inspected for theft and such and today I spent $125 on 3 year bond through an insurance company that does that. I get the paperwork tomorrow and take it to the DMV and I'll be good to go. (I hope).

[rudolf35]

Well, in the quest to get a bonded TX title you have to have the bike inspected. I know the tank has Kreem in it (flaking) and the tires are the original; major age cracks. So, the tank went to the radiator shop and after the strip it, steam it and acid vat it I will have nice metal tank. Right next door is a paint shop and the can fix the two small dings and paint it back H-D black; I am thinking of skipping the decal - nice and clean. After that Pirelli Night Dragon time.

[noman]

just picked up a 73 CB350F, complete but needs a full mechanical and cosmetic refreshing. in a shed, then cellar for 12+years; recent PO had deams but stalled out. "ran when parked" 12 years ago.

came with 4 sudco carb kits, full engine gasket kit, new SS spokes for both wheels, and a service manual on CD.

have refreshed quite a few early seventies cb's, including one 72 cb750k bagger and a 550 cafe'. also a small number of early ring-dings.

this one is rough enough where i don't feel bad about not restoring to original. current vision is a stripped down racer of some sort (no blinks req'd in VT).

to get any perfromance out of this one she'll need to be very light, so i've removed: speedo, centerstand, blinkers, kickstarter, front sprocket guard, chain guard, rear sprocket chain thingy, mirrors, rear fender, will chop/minimize the front fender, swap the mongo-weight seat for a fiberglass unit, swap the rear light/plate holder for smaller, and massive oem footpegs.

overall too ugly for pics, but here's a carb that's been refreshed and now ready:



paid $200 to an inmate here, a good deal i think.

[thumpism]

Originally Posted by Brian-M

Ditto, that's the one thing I won't touch.

I've looked into it before in a couple states, and one there was NO resolution. You either have the title or you get the title from the registered owner (whom the DMV won't provide any info about). The other required a "Bonding" process that cost roughly the same as the bike I was looking at ($1500), and it was in no way a $3000 bike.

Georgia is weird, apparently you don't need a title for 1985 and older. I MAY take a chance here if I can find something that's cheap enough to risk losing my money on and that I'd want anyway.

Still cheaper and easier to just wait a couple weeks and buy the next good deal that HAS a title.

Timely posts. An '04 KLR in nice shape for $800 turned up on the local CL this week, but no title. I'd love to grab it but just don't feel like the hassle it is bound to become. I have not even investigated Virginia's stand on this, so I did not call and I'll console myself by thinking that someone beat me to it anyway.

[dilandau]

no title can be a PTA but if you are in hell, look into Maine. There are ways to get your bike titled there, and then transfer the title to your state- its sneaky but sometimes the only way.
Im in the same boat on one of my bikes- im waiting for it to "fall out of the system" in cali. eventually this happens- but you can't go and try and title it or the time will reset. best to check online- you can put in the VIN and the license plate # (hopefully you have it) and it will show you the back fees etc on the bike.

if it desn't show anything then its off the records.

it takes somewhere between 7 and 10 years - so quite a wait if its fresh.

[hzoltaan]

I'm a cheap basterd. Got all my bikes cheap and did have troubles with them.

First was a Z650 (got no picture at hand) which looked awesome, but was hell stubborn to start. Paid like 1000 dollars for it, and maybe half of that in the next 2 years trying to fix it. Finally I traded it for some cash and a Jawa 350 634. the price of the Jawa was around 300$. turned out to be my best so far workhorse. I rode that device (most would not call it a bike) from Hungary to UK. Simply loved it.



In UK it was hard to get parts, and big end bearaing started to rattle, price of fixing it was way over it worth. So off I went on ebay and luckily got a GS450 for about 300$. Needed a welding on the swingarm, chainset, and it went through MOT no problems. I used it for a year until moving to Poland where a local mechanic wrecked the cyl head while trying to change valve stem seals... I sold it for chips afterwards. :(



Present bike, Jawa 350 638 is just about 1500$ with all the extras I spent on it over the last 2 years... which is a lot. Got it for 500$, got a sidecar for it for about 400$ and swapped wheels, a few parts, new handlebar, electrics, wheel for the sidecar, you name it. I must say I liked the old Jawa engine more, but this has a few advantages in electrics, cooling.



God knows, I like to grab bikes on bargain prices even if there's a bit to spend on them afterwards... try the same with cars and you end up with a rustbucket which completed the Earth-Moon distance a few times already, just has a new wax on it.

[WVhillbilly]

No title?
http://www.motorecyclenow.com/title-service.html

Here is a good one for the under $1500 club.
http://westmd.craigslist.org/mcy/3214708000.html

And I have no idea what this is http://westmd.craigslist.org/mcy/3221595112.html

[ben2go]

My little titling secret.

http://www.dotheton.com/forum/index.php?topic=19695.0