Question on Title/Reg out of state

[HalfEvil]

I am looking into purchasing another sport bike. This would be 99% track duty, but I'd like to have title/reg for resale purposes.

I found a bike which was purchased originally in PA, but never registered because it was then shipped to CA. It has been ridden illegally for a few years in CA, but is in very good shape. It has less than the required 7500 miles to be transfered here.

If I buy the bike, and it just ends up being for the track, can I still end up in some serious backfees? from CA or PA? Can I ride it on the track until 7500 miles and then attempt to register it??

If i buy it 'under the table' as a track bike only, is the original owner still liable for it? or can report it stolen?

It is a good deal but I don't want to end up in trouble legally.

Any advice would help
Brad

 

[Caddywumpus]

if its been attempted to be registered in CA, its probably blacklisted, unless its a 50 state bike.

Get a bill of sale and transfer the title, if at all possible, just dont reg it.

 

[fast4ward]

Basically, yes you can. You would have to sign a 'Statement of Facts' stating the bike had been purchased in PA (with date purchased) and that the miles had been put on the bike on the track only. Then you decided to ship the bike to CA and register it. Providing it then has enough miles on it, you shouldn't have a problem. You might need to fill in a no-op for CA, and get a statement from the PA DMV stating the bike was never, ever registered in PA. But it can be done (I just did it, or something very similar).

 

[HalfEvil]

I ended up buying the bike this evening.

The bike has a MSO (Manufacturers Origin Certificate) from PA. I just got that and a bill of sale.

Like I said, the bike will be track only for now, but I would like the option to title it in the future if that is possible.

With an MSO in hand, is there any way for a lien to be on the bike?

Brad

 

[KooLaid]

Miles means nothing as far as I know. It should and I read on line that it SHOULD but I don't think it did.

Monday morning I went to the Daly City DMV and registered my bike that originally sold in New Hampshire. When I bought it, it came with a Washington title. The DMV processed it no problem. Just did a vin verification, engine number and odometer reading. I might of had to pay an additional fee though since I ended up paying about $70 more than I had calculated on the DMV website. I've used the calculator atleast 5 times on vehicles and it's always been spot on.

fast4ward, what do you mean by "blacklisted"? Don't you just pay those nasty fees and registrations and penalties for a max of 2 years + the current year registration and fees?

 

[HalfEvil]

I think he is referring to bikes not have the "for sale in California" sticker, aka, "49 state bikes"

 

[fast4ward]

fast4ward, what do you mean by "blacklisted"? Don't you just pay those nasty fees and registrations and penalties for a max of 2 years + the current year registration and fees?

I never mentioned blacklisted, but maybe Oceansides meant "red-flagged"? If you try to register a bike and it fails due to not meeting a CA requirement (miles or emissions equipment), the bike will be red-flagged and can NEVER be registered in CA (as I am led to understand).

 

[HalfEvil]

So is it safe to say I can turn the PA MSO into a CA title/register it once I have 7,500 miles on the bike, even as a "49 State" bike?

Brad

 

[edchung]

Brad,

You need the MSO and a Bill of Sale to register it. I don't think there's a system in place to verify if there's a lien on it, but a bank wouldn't hand over the MSO/title unless you paid it off. If the Bill of Sale has a recent date (of sale), then you can register it as the "first owner" in California once the odometer reads 7500 miles.

Before you go, fill out a REG343 form and bring it with you.

You'll need to bring the bike to the DMV for "verification" - drive it around the building in the verification lane, ring the doorbell, and wait for someone to check it. S/he will positively need to see the MSO, VIN, engine number, EMISSIONS LABEL (<--important!), and odometer. If the bike "looks bad", she will mark it as a Refer-to-CHP-for-inspection - the CHP will check that it has lights or whatever; CHP has been really lenient for me every time, but you'll lose at least 2 hours of your life if you need to goto CHP.

Assuming you aren't referred to CHP, you can bring it (paperwork) inside, pay your normal fees (expect around $100+10% of purchase price) and walk out with a license plate.

By the way, you only have to register it if you're planning to operate it on public roads. If it's strictly a track-bike, you legally own it 100% just by having the MSO and the Bill of Sale - make copies and save the originals someplace.

Did you find your S1000RR already?

--Ed

 

[edchung]

BTW,

The EPA label is really important for the DMV, regardless of whether it's a Cali-bike or a 49-state bike. I was turned away because they couldn't find it. I found mine under the gas tank and, literally, had to go through verification and remove the tank to show them the EPA label.

(The CHP, on the other hand, did not care about seeing the EPA label when I went to them with a different bike - I just told them it was removed.)

--Ed

 

[edchung]

Lastly,

I don't mean to condone "weird" things, but your "back fees" will be based on the date of the Bill of Sale. If your BoS conveniently has no date, you would need to pen the correct date on it before you go to the DMV.

--Ed

 

[HalfEvil]

Thanks for all the info.

Last question (i think), So even if the cluster was to read over 7,500 miles, but there is no EPA sticker, then I am still in trouble? (AKA 49 state bike, over 7.5K?)

Thanks,
Brad

 

[edchung]

Them DMV won't "pass" you on verification without seeing the EPA sticker.

If it's a Cali-bike, it'll have a Cali EPA label. If it's a 49-state-bike, it'll have a 49-state EPA label. The label might be hidden on the air filter (trumph) or under the fairings (honda); I've heard of Kawasaki's that have the EPA label on the right fairing.

If you don't have an EPA sticker (i.e. removed), you can make photocopies of your paperwork and submit it to some DMV office in Sacramento and ask for "special permission" to register - but I don't know what that really entails or if that actually works. The one time I was sent to CHP for verification, he just marked it as having a 49-state label without seeing it and I was able to register it.

Hm... if you really don't have an EPA label, you might have better success getting verification from the local CHP office. Those Moto-LEO's tend to be pretty chill guys when it comes to paperwork-laws, based on my experiences.

-E