No title bikes....don't bother?
 

Perusing marketplace and found a R75/6 that looks really nice for a reasonable price. No title. Looking at the sellers other stuff listed my guess is he buys junk to flip. But this thing is pretty.

So is a no title bike a complete waste of time? Possibly stolen? Is there some sort of due diligence you guys with bike habits do to get a comfort level on such a thing?

Asking is $3k. Better off paying a bit more for a no stories bike? Not really shopping for a bike but.....

Run the VIN and plan accordingly.

dumb question but where is that done? is there a carfax for bikes?

I think the DMV (or some law enforcement entity) keeps a database of stolen vehicles.

Saints Engines can get the bike titled in TN. Have a look at their website for this service.

Many states do not issue titles on vehicles that old. If he has a valid registration and will provide a bill of sale, you may be fine. Check with a DMV in his state.

Plenty of nice R75/6s For sale between $3000 and $4000. I wouldn’t waste my time on one with no title.

Ive been looking at bikes on FB marketplace for 2+ years. Its amazing how many have no title. In Indiana if there is no theft record you can get a title but you have to jump threw hoops and get a court ordered title. Not sure what would happen if you apply for a title and there is a lien on it. I am not doing all that.

Check with your local tag office. They will have the best advice on what's involved getting a bike titled and registered that came without a title.

Then you can make an informed decision.

I speak from experience. :)

In NYS vehicles before 1973 had transferable registrations, no title. It was a bit of a pain to register my 1972 Kawasaki H2 which had been stuffed in milk crates in a garage since 1977.
I managed to get it registered after 3 trips to the DMV. I would get a form, fill it out and then on the next visit told wait, now we need this done. Then a brief waiting period while they run the VIN to make sure it was not stolen.
It will stay a transferable registration as they still do not issue titles to older vehicles. When I sell it one day I just sign the back of the registration along with a form stating the selling price. The twist is NYS sales tax minimum by the book value, not on selling price.

Sounds much like my experience with a jet-ski many years ago in CA. I had to physically bring it into the DMV to verify both hull & the motor serial numbers. Took like 3 months after that inspection visit, which was my second trip to the DMV to have a title issued in my name. I was told they had to run the numbers and attempt to make contact with the last titled owner via mail to confirm they had no held interest in the thing any longer. When I finally was called in to pay fees and register it, they would not tell me if there was a response to the mailed inquiry.

Last year, I looked at a Honda 360 CL as a project. The seller had no title as he said his dad had removed it from a rental property after the tenant had skipped out. I advised him he could net a lot more on the sale if his dad put a lein on it and had the court award it. It was a nice, complete machine.
I have looked into the process with other vehicles and it just renders most to parts status. The procedure may be different in your jurisdiction.

Best
Les

The process does vary by state so ask your local DMV. Let them know you are considering the purchase of a vintage bike with lost title and would like to know the process to get it titled after purchase. They have done this before and will know which hoops need to be jumped through.

Ok I'm convinced to leave it alone and just passively wait for a titled Beemer from that era to show up. Thanks for sharing your experiences!

Better off paying a little bit more for an R75/5. :)

Was thinking I’d prefer a longer wheelbase. All look nice though.

Totally depends on the state. Ny is pretty easy on older that 72. You may be going to dmv alot of times just to figure out what they want to hear. Dont tell them too much. Like if the previous owner never registered it dont bother giving them a bill of sale. But do get one just incase. Just say you have owned it for years and finally got it together. Here they want you to have owned it over a year that way its had time to be reported stolen thats the biggest thing.

Iv never had that problem. Are you down by the city maybe their rules are different.

Get a long wheel base R75/5 :)

Same wheel base as the /6.