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Thinking of buying bike w/no title. Advice Please!


chipolte_cowboy

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A neighbor of ours recently asked me if I'd like to buy a used Suzuki he'd bought at a yard sale a few years back. The bike runs great, is in pretty good shape for its age, and would be the ideal bike for my girl to learn to ride on (He bought it for his wife to learn on originally. Thing is, the bike has no title. He has a bill of sale, and he would give me one as well. How hard is it to obtain a title in Ohio for motorcycle. Its a 1979.

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OH makes it damn near impossible to get a title for a bike unless you lost the title when it was already in your name.

That's a simple trip to the BMV, but you'll never get that bike street-legal in Ohio. Other states have looser laws. If you can find a friend in such a state, they might be able to obtain a title in their name and state, and then sell you the bike for $1.

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It's illegal in ohio to buy or sell any vehicle without a title. At least that's what I've heard for about 5 years now.

I'm not sure it's "illegal" per se, but you can't sell something that doesn't belong to you.

If you don't have a title, it doesn't belong to you.

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I just tried the same thing. You have to go to the BMV, check out the VIN #. If they don't have anything on it, then you call the title bureau. They will give you the info that you need to write out and fax to them, then you have to go to court to get it. My bike is a non-runner, so I decided that it was to much trouble to deal with. But if the bike is a runner, looks good and you can get it cheap enough, I would buy it and deal with the BS at the BMV.

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Thanks for all the info and advice. The bike does have VIN numbers. Oddly, there is virtually no info on this process online. The BMV website just asks you to contact them, and you know how well that works out. I did find a post online that alludes to an issue with bikes older than 1984 being much easier to title than newer ones.

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Icalled the BMV last year and asked this question. They told me it is NOT possible to get a title for this bike unless the LAST KNOWN titled person applies for a new one. Unless the last known titled person is you you WILL NOT be able to title this bike. BILL OF SAL doesn't mean SQUAT. Sorry, didn't mean to sound rude or anything, but that's the deal.

DON'T BUY IT!!!! RUN FORREST, RUUUUUNN!! :)

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Icalled the BMV last year and asked this question. They told me it is NOT possible to get a title for this bike unless the LAST KNOWN titled person applies for a new one. Unless the last known titled person is you you WILL NOT be able to title this bike. BILL OF SAL doesn't mean SQUAT. Sorry, didn't mean to sound rude or anything, but that's the deal.

DON'T BUY IT!!!! RUN FORREST, RUUUUUNN!! :)

Most drones at the BMV don't know anything beyond processing licenses and plates. Don't expect a single phone call to get you all the answers you need.

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