What paperwork and checks...?

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Nov 13, 2005 | 10:22 AM

howie_the_yowie

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What paperwork and checks...?

I plan on buying a few bikes and importing them back to Australia next year sometime.
I have read about clear titles, no titles etc.What do they mean? Does this vary from state to state?
I was planning to go to California, would this be a good place to look?
I plan to drive around so distance isn't a problem. The bikes will have to be pre- 1990.

What checks should I do to make sure the bike is legit,never been wrecked and do you have a dept. that makes sure the bike is financially unencumbered; no money outstanding.

Is there any other things I should be wary off before handing over the cash?
I don't mind reading from links or any other info.
Thanks in advance
Jason

Nov 13, 2005 | 10:41 AM

pococj

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From: Texas! Ya mean there's someplace else?

RE: What paperwork and checks...?

Quote:

ORIGINAL: howie_the_yowie

I plan on buying a few bikes and importing them back to Australia next year sometime.
I have read about clear titles, no titles etc.What do they mean? Does this vary from state to state?
I was planning to go to California, would this be a good place to look?
I plan to drive around so distance isn't a problem. The bikes will have to be pre- 1990.

What checks should I do to make sure the bike is legit,never been wrecked and do you have a dept. that makes sure the bike is financially unencumbered; no money outstanding.

Is there any other things I should be wary off before handing over the cash?
I don't mind reading from links or any other info.
Thanks in advance
Jason

In most states the bike will have a piece of paper called a "title". The serial numbers, aka VIN (Vehicle Identification Numbers), on the title must match the numbers on the frame of the bike. Engine numbers might vary, as not all years have matching engine and frame numbers, and the engine might have been replaced. If money is owed on the bike to a financial institution, it will be listed as a lien on the title. When the bike is paid off, the lien is signed off. All this varies somewhat from state to state. Alabama used to not even have titles for motorcycles; don't know if that is the only state, or if it is still true.

If the bike was totaled by an insurance company, the title will reflect that by having the word "salvage" on it somewhere. Again, this varies from state to state. You can generally have the police run the numbers on a bike to ensure it isn't on a stolen list.

While there are tons of bikes in California, they generally hold their value quite well; higher cost of living in generalk, and pretty much year 'round riding season. Prices in colder areas drop in the late fall through the winter, and then start climbing as spring approaches.

Here's a link you can check for bikes, prices, etc. It's the best one I know of and covers the whole country, and is searchable by area, state, year, model, price, or any combo of all these.

http://www.cycletrader.com/adsearch.html

Nov 13, 2005 | 10:59 AM

howie_the_yowie

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RE: What paperwork and checks...?

Thanks for clearing that up Pococj, I was wondering what it all was about.

I guess the other thing about Cali or LA was the ease of shipping back to OZ.
I will have to get my head around a decent map of all the states.

Any ideas on what would be considered the southern point where the Winters are cold enough for people to pack up their bikes"? And or states?
Cheers
Jason

Nov 13, 2005 | 11:34 AM

Fatboy2

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Posts: 350

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From: Illinois

RE: What paperwork and checks...?

Illinois is probably not the most southern point that the bikes are stowed away for the winter but a lot of them do from Illinois and points north. There are still a number of riders though that will ride year round as long as there is no snow or ice on the ground.

I can only speak for Illinois. Maybe some of the members south of Illinois can give you some first hand information for points south.

Pococj provided you with solid information in the previous post.

Nov 13, 2005 | 12:44 PM

JamieWG

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Joined: Oct 2005

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RE: What paperwork and checks...?

Just a generalization here, but when I was shopping for a bike, I noticed that prices on used HDs were lower in Florida than other states. Since you have to ship them back to Oz, it might not be a large enough difference to worry about. Just thought it was worth mentioning.