New Bike Wrong Title

Hey guys, I just traded my old motorcycle for another one a few days ago. I traded for what I thought was a custom bike that supposedly consisted of a yamaha frame built up with kawasaki parts. I was trying to do research based on the pics I was looking at and came to the conclusion that bikes like the Yamaha XJ650 looked ALOT if not identical to the pics I had. So when I went to trade and he had title in hand for an 82 Yamaha. So we both signed off on title, yet to complete transfer and registration and then I ended up riding it home. We were sort of pressed for time due to working schedules, so I did a quick view over the bike to make sure I wanted it but never checked the frames VIN number. So I get it home and check it out and the VIN on the bike is in fact the original Kawasaki VIN and obviously it does not match the title. I notified the PO I just traded with and he claims this is a frame that was not the original bikes frame and that the title he gave me was the one that he got with the frame when he purchased it himself. He claims he has contacted the person who sold him the frame and informed me that the seller realized he gave him the wrong title and went to find the correct title and couldnt. So this seller apparently filed for a duplicate title 2 weeks ago. My question is what options do I have here? The guy I traded with seems like an honest guy and he has been in contact with me trying to help me. But what can I do if this "lost" title never shows, or one day he stops contacting me back? I checked the VIN on the bike to see if it is stolen and it is NOT stolen. Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

I am having a similar problem getting a title for my Seca Turbo herein Alabama. While I have a perfectly good Indiana title with VIN that matches the frame VIN (9 digits), Alabama insists that the VIN on the title must be at least 17 digits since it is an 82 model. Long story short some states including Indiana have a VIN verification form that can be completed to have the "faulty" title corrected. Check into your states vehicle title/ registration laws. You may find a remedy there.

well at least you have a matching vin and title. I dont even have that! My title is for a 1982 Yamaha and has the 9 digit VIN number on that one. Whereas my actual bike has the full 17 digit Kawasaki VIN and it comes up as a 1981 KZ650H

Take the bike back and get yours back

In most states 20 year old motorcycles valued at less than 5000.00 dont require a title to get
a title. a bill of sale and a police inspection should be enough.

go to th PO and get a bill of sale signed and notorized with the correct VIN get a police inspection done and take that to the DMV they will give you a hassle and may make you fill out
another affidivit but stay in their face and you should get a title application

dont mention a yamaha frame or custom built some states require receipts for all the parts (
Engine, Trans, front end etc... when they believe a chop has occurred)

and for good measure I would get the original ownerws name and number and deal with him since he is the legal owner.

If the other guy wont give you your bike back and hasnt titled it in his name yet Id go to the dmv and tell them you lost your title and file for a new one in your name,that title will supersede the title you gave the other guy since it is newer title.
then you have some leverage to hold the new title over his head till he gets you the right title for new bike or gives your old bike back
But do it quick though before he registers it

Thanks for all these different ideas guys! Honestly I dont want my old bike back... So far I contacted him today and he seems just as adamant as I am to get the correct title in my hands and have this done and over with. I fell in love with the bike riding it home and will do whatever I have to, to keep it.

Ramtough,
I am really liking your idea about the bill of sale/police inspection. For the police inspection, do they just look over the bike and verify that the bikes VIN matches the bill of sale? I would never mention a Yamaha frame, especially since it does not have one. The bike seems all original except the motor. PA is so strict about this stuff, I have a feeling I couldnt accomplish this... But I could be wrong

HeartOfSwords wrote: Thanks for all these different ideas guys! Honestly I dont want my old bike back... So far I contacted him today and he seems just as adamant as I am to get the correct title in my hands and have this done and over with. I fell in love with the bike riding it home and will do whatever I have to, to keep it.

Ramtough,
I am really liking your idea about the bill of sale/police inspection. For the police inspection, do they just look over the bike and verify that the bikes VIN matches the bill of sale? I would never mention a Yamaha frame, especially since it does not have one. The bike seems all original except the motor. PA is so strict about this stuff, I have a feeling I couldnt accomplish this... But I could be wrong

Yeah basically they come out fill out a form (VIN YR Etc..) check it with the stolen vehicle database Cost me 5.00

Then I took that with the bill of sale to the license branch. I had to get the manager involved because it was an out of the box situation and most government employees just want to say "no"

the manager started out with "no" but I was addiment on if she couldnt do it to call the the main office in INDY, and she eventually told the girl to process it. if you are dealing with a DMV you may have to tell them to call the main office or if its a courthouse as it is here in KY you have them call the state capital

If you happen to get a helpful person it will go without a hitch. just make sure your bill of sale doesnt value it more than 5000.00 the lower the better. (The lady at the main office told me the 5000.00 limit was to deter chop shops and the ever growing industry of frame swapping on stolen merchandise. nobody wants to steal a motorcycle and do all that work for less than 5 grand lol

Mine was valued at 300.00 so made it a pretty silly argument for them to withhold a title on a 300.00 motorcycle lol

before 9/11 and all the privacy laws you could fill out a form to get the previous owners info and send them a registered letter giving them 10 days to respond if they held any interest in the vehicle.

Thats what led me to talking to the main guy (girl) I filed the paperwork to get the info
and eventually got the head of the DMV explaining since the feds wont let them give you other peoples information anymore without a court order That they have no choice but to issue titles based on bill of sale and a clean police report.

if over 5000.00 then it becomes an issue for the courts.

ramtough_63 wrote:

HeartOfSwords wrote: Thanks for all these different ideas guys! Honestly I dont want my old bike back... So far I contacted him today and he seems just as adamant as I am to get the correct title in my hands and have this done and over with. I fell in love with the bike riding it home and will do whatever I have to, to keep it.

Ramtough,
I am really liking your idea about the bill of sale/police inspection. For the police inspection, do they just look over the bike and verify that the bikes VIN matches the bill of sale? I would never mention a Yamaha frame, especially since it does not have one. The bike seems all original except the motor. PA is so strict about this stuff, I have a feeling I couldnt accomplish this... But I could be wrong

Yeah basically they come out fill out a form (VIN YR Etc..) check it with the stolen vehicle database Cost me 5.00

Then I took that with the bill of sale to the license branch. I had to get the manager involved because it was an out of the box situation and most government employees just want to say "no"

the manager started out with "no" but I was addiment on if she couldnt do it to call the the main office in INDY, and she eventually told the girl to process it. if you are dealing with a DMV you may have to tell them to call the main office or if its a courthouse as it is here in KY you have them call the state capital

If you happen to get a helpful person it will go without a hitch. just make sure your bill of sale doesnt value it more than 5000.00 the lower the better. (The lady at the main office told me the 5000.00 limit was to deter chop shops and the ever growing industry of frame swapping on stolen merchandise. nobody wants to steal a motorcycle and do all that work for less than 5 grand lol

Mine was valued at 300.00 so made it a pretty silly argument for them to withhold a title on a 300.00 motorcycle lol

Great info! I will have to check into that. I was also thinking about the approach that I read you can put a mechanics or storage lein on a vehicle if its in your possession for more than 60 days. Then the registered owner is contacted and required to respond and pay storage fees for its return, so if there is no response or they refuse to pay then the vehicle is awarded to you. I was also thinking abandoned vehicle title but that seems to be a pain.

HeartOfSwords wrote:

ramtough_63 wrote:

HeartOfSwords wrote: Thanks for all these different ideas guys! Honestly I dont want my old bike back... So far I contacted him today and he seems just as adamant as I am to get the correct title in my hands and have this done and over with. I fell in love with the bike riding it home and will do whatever I have to, to keep it.

Ramtough,
I am really liking your idea about the bill of sale/police inspection. For the police inspection, do they just look over the bike and verify that the bikes VIN matches the bill of sale? I would never mention a Yamaha frame, especially since it does not have one. The bike seems all original except the motor. PA is so strict about this stuff, I have a feeling I couldnt accomplish this... But I could be wrong

Yeah basically they come out fill out a form (VIN YR Etc..) check it with the stolen vehicle database Cost me 5.00

Then I took that with the bill of sale to the license branch. I had to get the manager involved because it was an out of the box situation and most government employees just want to say "no"

the manager started out with "no" but I was addiment on if she couldnt do it to call the the main office in INDY, and she eventually told the girl to process it. if you are dealing with a DMV you may have to tell them to call the main office or if its a courthouse as it is here in KY you have them call the state capital

If you happen to get a helpful person it will go without a hitch. just make sure your bill of sale doesnt value it more than 5000.00 the lower the better. (The lady at the main office told me the 5000.00 limit was to deter chop shops and the ever growing industry of frame swapping on stolen merchandise. nobody wants to steal a motorcycle and do all that work for less than 5 grand lol

Mine was valued at 300.00 so made it a pretty silly argument for them to withhold a title on a 300.00 motorcycle lol

Great info! I will have to check into that. I was also thinking about the approach that I read you can put a mechanics or storage lein on a vehicle if its in your possession for more than 60 days. Then the registered owner is contacted and required to respond and pay storage fees for its return, so if there is no response or they refuse to pay then the vehicle is awarded to you. I was also thinking abandoned vehicle title but that seems to be a pain.

That is basically an old wives tale in most states without a signed work order or some sort of agreement from said person listing work to be performed and staorge fee disclosure no court will give you the lein.

But I am sure there are other ways via the court system. I had a buddy buy a harley from a sherrifs
sale with all of the propper paperwork he still had to have a court order to license it. it was only like 35.00 filing fee but took 6 weeks to do.

What state are you In?

the easiest way to do it would be if the guy the PO got it from would sign an affidavit stating he holds no interest in the vehicle and gives you power of attorney to do with it as you see fit
then its just a matter of the affidavit and a police report. if he wont go to the DMV with you. (and as long as it was titled in his name)

Where the problems come in with titles these day is the child support laws have allowed the courts to
put leins on vehicles and they hold interest in the vehicle until the child support arrearage has been settled.