Going through a MAJOR hassle right now with an eBay bike an old buddy had delivered at my house. Softail (not HD) custom frame with MSO, receipt for tranny and title for engine. Everything had been purchased by the previous owner in 2004 and had never been registered in his state of New Jersey.
When it got here, I figured out why. Totally unroadworthy, basket case without the basket. Everything from not being able to roll when the rear axle was tightened (axle was too short) to many many twist and taped electrical connections that weren't functional. I had to go over the whole bike with a fine tooth comb and make everything functional. A good friend of mine totally stripped the previous wiring mess and did a bang up job of rewiring. 6 month winter project, my shop isn't heated and chasing parts for a bunch of unknown and out of business parts vendors.
Finally got it to the point of a couple of short test rides, one by me and one by the friend who owns the bike.
Now it's time to get an Oklahoma title and tag.
He had a friend who suggested a local tag agency who would help him with the process so 6/26 we took all the paperwork to her and she was very helpful and assured us that she would take care of us. She would send everything (original papers) to the state and all we needed to do was sit back and wait. After a couple of weeks I called her to see how it was going and she said it would actually take @3 months for it to work through the Oklahoma Tax Commission. After 3 1/2 months my friend tried to call her and see if something was wrong.....several phone calls were not answered. He finally called direct to the OTC and got in touch with the department head and was told there was never any papers delivered there for his bike. WOW! He did some snooping and found out that the tag agency went out of business 8/3.
It's looking like things are gonna have to go through the court system to rectify the situation.
Had to rant.......

 

Tell us what VIN is on the Neck. If it has a real un re- stamped HD VIN it is an HD. If it does not it is not an HD. If it is re stamped with HD VIN by anyone other than HD it is not worth a dime because it can not be titled.
HD can issue new frames if old frame neck is cut off and sent to them. They will then sell you a frame with your factory VIN.

 

In the UK it is possible to build one off bikes and get them inspected, what we call Motorcycle Single Vehicle Approval (MSVA).

The bike will then be given a registration number that although similar to normal ones show it is a custom one off build.

 

The head tube is stamped and I've got the registration papers have arrived (in the UK the old owner sends the papers back to the central DVLA with the new owners details, and they post the new documents to the owner).
Its registered as a 1996 Harley-Davidson XL1200 sportster and all the numbers (engine & Fram) match the document.

 

To be a Harley it needs to be wholly made and have a title from HD, you can change anything on Harley except the frame, but I have seen the VIN part of the tube grafted into a custom frame.

Most of us here are US based,, in the US this bike would not be a Harley. That frame came with a MSO, Manufacture Statement of Origin,

The MSO should have a VIN and whom ever made it would be the manufacturer. In NYS the DMV would have to approve the whole build and look at all the paperwork matched up to the frame, fork and the engine etc, before you could get a title.
*first builder only not every time.

Even if that engine was in the original frame the VIN is forever linked to the 883 it was born as, which is actually beneficial here as less then 1000 cc is cheaper to insure.

 

It cost me $83 to insure for a year.
I've been riding bikes for 30 years without a claim, so that helps to keep the price down.