[VTEC_EATER]

Well, many people say to run a check on the bikes VIN and you can get the info from that, however, I have been testing this theory with a few VIN's from this very site. I did a search for "stolen bike" and found a few posts about people who have had their bikes stolen, and they were good enough to put the vin numbers on the post, so I checked them out. All 4 came back clean as a whistle. All of them had 0 records about them, but they have obviously been stolen. I think all of them that I checked had full coverage and reported this to their insurance companies, yet no records are being shown.

What the hell is up with that. Are there better VIN checking websites out there? So far I have used www.autocheck.com and www.consumerguide.com

carfax doesnt show motorcycle VINs.

 

[Rogue6]

A local police dept. should be able to tell you.

 

[murfnamedsmurf]

It is probably not likely for the bike to be stolen if you are looking to buy. It seems like the vast majority end up in pieces (and on ebay, often) rather than being sold as the entire bike, since it's a lot harder to trace that way.

 

[MT Wallet]

what if the engine and the frame don't match?

could that be a sign it's stolen?

 

[murfnamedsmurf]

It could be a sign it's stolen, I guess. It could also be a sign they blew the engine (or transmission, even) and had to swap out. Or maybe they blew the engine and replaced it with one from a STOLEN bike

 

[VTEC_EATER]

Well, I called the police and they can not legally check the VIN number unless they have probable cause. I checked the VIN of the bike on some of the above websites, and just like the others it came out clean.

THere are a couple things that make me feel that the bike isnt stolen however. First, the bike is all in one piece. As mentioned, most stolen bikes end up torn apart and sold in parts. Its harder to trace that way. Secondly, the guy has an original Kawasaki key for the bike. Most bikes that are stolen, dont have keys, or ignitions for that matter. Thieves would have to hot wire the bike to get it to stary and the bike would be switch operated, not key operated.

Does anyone out there have some sort account with any of these VIN places that could do a check on the VIN number:

JKBZXJB193A008567

THe bike is in surprisingly good shape. Only suffered a small tip over. Scratched bar end, brake lever, slight scratch on the case cover, and a couple little dings in the tank. The tank dings Im not to happy about, but for the price I can get this bike, Im not too woried.

 

[njdjh2o]

If they are selling a bike without a title is a sign of stolen bike. I would be very leary of buying a bike without a title.

You can also go to your local DMV and let them know that you are trying to buy this bike an would like to know if it is stolen or have any other issues.

just my 2 cents

 

[VTEC_EATER]

If they are selling a bike without a title is a sign of stolen bike. I would be very leary of buying a bike without a title.

You can also go to your local DMV and let them know that you are trying to buy this bike an would like to know if it is stolen or have any other issues.

just my 2 cents

Why do you think Im asking about it? Of course Im concerned about it.

BUt selling a bike without a title, doesnt always mean it is stolen. Many track bikes do not have titles, but bill of sales. Maybe the previous owner lost the title, was too lazy to get another one printed, and sold it because they needed the money right away.

You never know.

But I still want to check out the VIN to be sure. IF the DMV says all is good, or that its a salvage bike, or anything other than its a stolen bike, Im getting it.

 

[njdjh2o]

Yeah, you right about the track/ lost and to lazy. For me, no title no money.

DMV is probably the best updated sourse of this type of info. Because that is where all these autocheck websites get there info from anyway. So cut out the middle man and go straight to the source.

 

[Hagios]

what if the engine and the frame don't match?

could that be a sign it's stolen?

That could be the case. They should either have a title for both the bike and a seperate one for the engine (The case of the person I bought my EX from) or they should have a title that states the engine VIN which differs from the stock VIN (My case.)

 

[BadBoy1404]

I bought my F3, clean title to an F2 frame but with F3 plastics and engine. The seller said that he wanted to upgrade to all F3 stuff which was cool with me cause I got to insure an F2 rather than an F3. Long story short the police got my engine number, called honda and got the original VIN, original VIN was a stolen F3, and now i am bikeless. I wont buy a bike with a different engine again. And niether should anybody else. Clean title or not.

 

[VTEC_EATER]

Wow, that sucks. Probably the guy stole a F3, then bought or had a F2 frame that he threw it on.

Well, Im going to call the DVM or DOT tomorrow to do a check on the VIN.

 

[Hagios]

That's simple. You check the VIN for the engine too. No biggie, there. I did that before buying the EX.

 

[njdjh2o]

I bought my F3, clean title to an F2 frame but with F3 plastics and engine. The seller said that he wanted to upgrade to all F3 stuff which was cool with me cause I got to insure an F2 rather than an F3. Long story short the police got my engine number, called honda and got the original VIN, original VIN was a stolen F3, and now i am bikeless. I wont buy a bike with a different engine again. And niether should anybody else. Clean title or not.

Did you get charged with receiving stolen property, if so I would fight it.
You have the bill of sale from the old owner, you should have his contact info.
I would have pasted that along to the cops. Maybe you can get some of your money back.

 

[VTEC_EATER]

Okay so here is how my paper trail is going. Talked with the Wisconsin DMV, they say the title is clean, but can not conform if the bike is stolen or not. They suggest I talk with Kawasaki and find out where the bikes origins came from. So I call Kawasaki, I find out the bike was purchased at a dealership in Illinois (sounds good so far), they cant give me the name of the person who purchased the bike, however they can give me the name and number of the dealership. They also tell me that their records do not show that the bike has been reported stolen. So I call the dealership and talk to the sales manager. Explain my situation and he tells me that the bike must have had a title at one point or another because they have to title every bike they sell. They also tell me that I can probably get the original owners contact information but they will need time to look it up.

They recommend talking to the Illinois DMV to find out what else is up with the bike.

But so far, the internet sites, Wisconsin DMV, and Kawasaki Corporate all say the bike is clean, and Kawasaki Corp says they show no reports of the bike being stolen.

The problem now is the Illinois DMV has no contact info that works. One is an out of order number, another is a fax number, and the third is a secretary of state office number where they apparently dont work past 4 PM on weekdays. How cushy of a job they have.

Im just about ready to buy the bike. Im not planning on regestering it, or insuring it. If I sell it down the road, Ill explain where my paper trail went to and it all came up pretty good.

I will however print out an Illinois "Bill of Sale" sheet off the internet and have the guy sign it, so if there is any harrasment down the road, I have the contact name and number of the previous owner.

 

[VTEC_EATER]

Heres a couple quick pics:

Yes the bike is very dirty.