headstock swap/ legal issues with VIN

So I'm brand new to the bike modding world (read paying someone to weld my frame)and am kicking around the idea of raking and swapping out the headstock on my 83 440. I talked to my frame guy and he told me that I should be careful with the swap due to the fact that the vin numbers are on the headstock.
So what im asking is... Is there a way that i can legaly put my vin number on a new headstock?
How many incompetent bureaucrats am i going to have to go through in order to build a legal bike.

Thanks in advance

check your local dmv.
an altered vin is typically a felony in most states i believe.if you can cut your neck out and clean the neck and save the vin just re-use the neck and rebuild your frame to it,without altering the vin and you will prolly be fine.
again don't take anyones word fo it chekc your local dmv for the LAW!

leon

That's been the general consensus.

thatsclever wrote: So I'm brand new to the bike modding world (read paying someone to weld my frame)and am kicking around the idea of raking and swapping out the headstock on my 83 440. I talked to my frame guy and he told me that I should be careful with the swap due to the fact that the vin numbers are on the headstock.
So what im asking is... Is there a way that i can legaly put my vin number on a new headstock?
How many incompetent bureaucrats am i going to have to go through in order to build a legal bike.

Thanks in advance

Why?
The bearings are the same I.d. and o.d. as the bigger bikes.
Only one of them is narrower on the 400 and the stem off the bigger bikes are longer.

no need to replace neck for a rake, but either way headstock neck replacement is like learning to color in kindergarten for the DMV worker. any altered untitled bike must be inspected by
the police (sherrif) (county clerk) (bonded DMV Associste) and they are all wanting to find the red crayon. it is almost funny to watch them on these old KZ's that look like I welded it when it was new


if your already titled its a bit easier just buy a titled fram from a dealer or friend get a bill of sale and title do the welding and retitle as the donor neck bike.

What I meant by the crayon comment small courthouses and DMV's are always looking for some excitement and the first thing they are taught when inspecting biked is to check the neck mid
frame welds and correct engine year for frame if one doesnt look right then its off to the hoop jumping contest title for roiginal bike with motor number or receipy for parts intstaleed it can get overwhelming


indiana has a law if its not a Harley Davidison is atleast 15 years old and has a NADA value less than 5000 all you need is a police report and a bill of sale (hand written receipt qualifies)

keeping the original neck is far superior in the beurecratic realm.

Ramtough... thanks for the laugh, I am in Atlanta so with any luck, some prayers, and all of my run good for the year, somebody will be able to at least find a pink crayon and we can go from there. I will be calling at least a dozen offices tomorrow and with any luck I will get some unofficial statements from government officials.

I'm glad i'm getting the advice now rather than later. So thank you for the input

As far as the mod (ear muff time for the purists) I'm trying to use a sportster front end because I prefer it over the original 440 trees, and for those who think its a bad idea well at the end of the day i'm doing this because i can and want to!

thatsclever wrote: Ramtough... thanks for the laugh, I am in Atlanta so with any luck, some prayers, and all of my run good for the year, somebody will be able to at least find a pink crayon and we can go from there. I will be calling at least a dozen offices tomorrow and with any luck I will get some unofficial statements from government officials.

I'm glad i'm getting the advice now rather than later. So thank you for the input

As far as the mod (ear muff time for the purists) I'm trying to use a sportster front end because I prefer it over the original 440 trees, and for those who think its a bad idea well at the end of the day i'm doing this because i can and want to!

have you done any measzuring on thre sporty tree some years rear shocks dorec tbolt front fender and others etc...