More Motorcycle Crime - Always Be Aware - Antiques are vulnerable

[chuckthebeatertruck]

Purely curiosity on my behalf but how were you alerted to the cloned VIN?

I wasn’t alerted. I had to discover it and then do all the work.

I noticed I had not received a renewal for my registration on my beater bike. After a decade, it was always the same week. I logged on and the online system said we can’t help you, go to the dmv. When I did, I was informed I couldn’t register my bike because I sold it.

according to the dmv I had sold my bike to a shop in Pennsylvania who immediately resold my bike. Problem is that my bike was sitting in my shop.

Then, a multi week saga ensued of police inspecting my bike to verify I still had it, verifying my original title was still valid and legal, and then illinois voiding the sale and agreeing I still owned my bike. I had to do every bit of it. The dmv nor the state police would help. My local police were the only ones who lifted a finger and did the inspections.

The most amazing part was Pennsylvania not being able to produce a voided title or bill of sale, but insisting the transaction took place anyways. They would not help and most of the info I needed to clean it up came from me buying records online to show the false transaction dates. Even funnier, the Illinois dmv unit that deals with this only accepted FAXES from me, not calls or emails. It was actually a challenge finding a fax machine. Once I did fax them, they became very easy to work with.

If I didn’t keep my bikes on current registrations, I may not have found out for years.

[Peter Cooke]

Wow, that sounds like 1 huge pain in the ass! Thanks for sharing.

[KNUCK]

Another reason not to show you VIN or motor number on the net.

[Buster]

I know several people that ride bikes (mostly vintage harleys) with tampered with and restamped vin pads on cases, They tell me it is no problem. It has always been my understanding that possession of a bike or just an engine case with tampered with and restamped cases is a felony. Am I correct about this?

[chuckthebeatertruck]

A restamp is not necessarily illegal. There are legit reasons and ways to have a restamp.

An altered VIN, however, is illegal in all states.

[Buster]

I am definitely talking about altered VINs. Ground down pads and restamped with fake Harley VIN numbers.

[droptopford]

I am definitely talking about altered VINs. Ground down pads and restamped with fake Harley VIN numbers.

You are right, that stuff is illegal. The Law can confiscate a bike a bike with the issues you describe, and never give it back. For some reason though, Law Enforcement doesn't seem as zealous about checking VINs (or as educated) as they were years ago.

I see quite a few bogus VINs at the local car/bike cruise-ins every week. Some are really bad, others look pretty nicely stamped, but are sporting numbers like 49 FLH ****. Even if the cops look, they just don't know.