I wanna know if a bike my buddy is looking at is stolen?

[Lokair]

My Bud has found a 1997 YZ250, it is being sold by some one who I am not sure if he is trustworthy I got the vin when my bud went for a test ride yesterday. #(I was asked by my police officer friend to remove this vin from any where I posted it). On going Investagation is what I beleive is going on now.

Is there a place where you can look this up , I saw someone had post inwich the person was told a bike he was looking at was stolen. I hope its not , but the price is under a grand and the bike is in ok condition, other than the plastic is all cracked and it needs brakes badley , as we found out yesterday.

Thanks for any info in advance.

 

[Mophuka]

you might be able to go to your local police station and have the vin# run there. tell them that you are looking at buying a bike and want to make sure that it isn't stolen.. better to find out now than to find out later and have the bike taken away. and loose his money..

 

[snb73]

Lokair

I second what Mophuka said. Tell your friend to personally verify the VIN. Have your local Police Station run it. It might not be in their system, but at least your making an honest effort.

Hope this helps, Steve.

 

[Lokair]

Yea, I never thought of going to the police , lol. I will have him do it, best to keep him from having it taken away.

 

[trevor9a]

Just call your DMV. You will get any due fees at the same time.

 

[mischi_punk]

Did you ask him where he got it?!? Or for how much? How long he's had it? If he can't answer those, THEN go to the police or elsewhere... Also, don't worry too much.

 

[Lokair]

Yea, thats why I was woundering, he is selling for his brother who lives in anouther state. So he does not have any answers.

 

[Britt Boyette]

No title? That would help.

 

[robwbright]

I once bought a bike with a jump title and no VIN on the frame. Wierd. However, I bought the bike because the guy had the title (from the original owner who purchased it new), told me how to contact the original owner and the seller signed a notarized bill of sale. Plus, I knew where he lived . . . He had a whole garage full of kids bikes and trophies from his sons.

 

[dante]

if it does'nt have a title, don't buy it... Don't bother listening to any excuses, just walk away...

 

[tony91]

In Maryland, titles for off-road only bikes are not required....don't know if it is the same in PA. The guy should at least have a bill of sale of some sort. Anyhow, sounds shady to me. :yikes:

 

[sick 96 250]

There use to be a webiste stolenvin.com where you could check but it doesnt look like its working anymore. You can prob just go to a cycle shop or even call one up and have them run it just to check. I live in Pa and the last 3 bikes i bought never had a title, always got a bill of sale and just made sure i had all the sellers info and his sig saying the bike wasnt stolen or anything. I always got their drivers license number as well on the Bill of sale

 

[Lokair]

Well the local police said they have no record of the bike. The officer said that it is a limited search, due to the fact that most off road bikes here do not have titles. So my bud is gonna get a bill of sale or he said he will not buy it(good idea for the drivers license number on it).

 

[oldguy]

ok I reran it today and what I am getting for a result showing stolen is not this bike but a close hit on one with a VIN that is 1 digit off. It also is a 97 Yamaha sorry for causing you any confusion :bang:

 

[Lokair]

Ok the guy sold the bike to some one in Ohio, He said my bud was taking too long to get the money. Just as weird is that he now said he gave the guy the title, so who knows whats really going on. If it does check out as stolen I will report the guy to my local PD.

 

[Thumpitythumpity]

Bike thieves should be beaten to mush, set on fire, skinned and salted, drawn and quartered, then tortured.
Then handed over to the police.
Turn the maggot in, and sleep well, knowing you have done a good and noble thing.

 

[Lokair]

No Problem Oldguy , just got a call to remove the #'s from any where I posted it (me thinks something is going down with this guy anyway). The bike was spotted still at his garage , by the officer in ?.

 

[Lorin]

As to walking away if there isnt any title, that would be nonsense in this area. I have owned a handful of bike since getting into riding, and none came with a title. I did get a handwritten bill of sale with vin #, price, date, and signature on any bike I bought or sold. You wouldnt have much to look at here if that criteria caused you to walk away from a bike purchase. By all means, do your homework to verify when possible, but if I followed your idea, my only option would be to buy new from the dealer. good luck in your endeavors.

 

[Britt Boyette]

A lot of older bikes no longer have one. People lose them or never change the name. In Oregon, where I live, bikes have always been issued with a title. But, I've bought a few that came from other states that don't issue titles and I've always obtained a bill of sale. The only time this becomes a problem is if you try to do a trade in or a consignment at a dealer here. No title will kill the deal every time. :|

 

[karterron]

Some States don't issue titles on off road vehicles, so you can't say walk away without a title. You just have to do your due dilligence like this guy did and maybe some poor guy will get his stolen bike back and this punk can be bubba's bitch in jail for a little while.

 

[Red Mamba]

What if the bike is not a stolen item, and the poor guy has to put up with all these labels on the internate ? I would suggest you go to a dealer and buy a new bike or a used bike that you can afford and it will save you a lot of problems, because you have no proof to whether he stole this bike or not, but if you are the stolen bike police, i would suggest you go after this guy.

 

[Lokair]

There is some proof of some thing going on , plus I never posted the guys name or even the city he lives in, I asked him strait up for a title , his answer was I do not have it. Then He claimed it was his brothers, when I asked the police they said no record of the bike being stolen, but then I got a call from the officer and he said to remove the Vin from any where I posted it on line, And my one friend who is a police officer also asked me alot of ?'s about where this guy was hanging out. This could all have nothing to do with the bike, wich seems more likely with all the ?'s I was asked.

I asked if the bike was stolen , at no time did I say the guy stole it.

as for you telling me what to do with my money, thats not gonna happen.

 

[oldguy]

Lokair did the correct thing he thought it looked suspicious and did what he could to check it out. He made no accusations only asked reasonable questions. If you buy used (even from a dealer) and later it is found to be stolen you are out a lot of maoney and headaches.
As far as titles here in Wisconsin offroad bikes do not have them and when I sold a used one to a friend in IL I wrote him a sales receipt in hopes he could get one issued in Illinois

 

[MXP1MP]

I know it's different on other state but here in WA without a legal title you can't get the bike registered which means you can't ride it legally other than private land! Plus if you don't register it out of the owners name within a certain time frame (I think it was 90 days could be less!) from the date or purchase you get taxed. The title also has a section you the seller send in with the buyer info on it signed showing you did sell it to them.

 

[Peer Lovell]

A buddy of mine bought his first dirt bike. I told him to take me with him as he knew nothing about bikes. Anyhow, he came home with a two year old CR in decent shape. I looked it over and every serial number had been removed or ground off. We called the guy he bought it from and gave him one hour to come and pick it up and return the cash or we were calling the cops. Guy showed up in 20 minutes.
Got his license plate number and called the cops anyway.
Sweet.