Got a great deal from Craigslist, eBay, or classified ads?
Maybe, maybe not.....
Many people buy dirt bikes without a Title.
This is because not all States require dealers to provide a Title, only a Certificate of Origin.
Often times Titles and Certificate of Origins are lost, misplaced, or thrown away.
Because most manufactures do not clearly mark the frames as to their year, and none to my knowledge mark the Engines with their year, people often buy used dirt bikes thinking that they are newer then they really are.
To make matters worse, some sellers knowingly misrepresent their bikes to get more money out of them.
I have spent a lot of time trying to help Craigslist sellers with the proper ID of their bikes.
I do it in a very nice and professional manner.
I provide evidence with links so they know I am not pulling a fast one.
Most never change their ad or they call me many names
Ok, we all know that this happens.
However, the problem we are finding more and more is engines that do not match the frames.
We have found some to be a decade older than represented.
Since I sell a lot of parts I have more and more people buying parts that do not fit.
We run their VIN and find that it is often ok.
Then, we run the Engine ID numbers and find them way off.
Because of this I have been working for the last few years to build a list of engine ID numbers.
You can find them here:
http://oem-cycle.com/BikeIdentification.aspxIf you have any positive suggestions for these lists, I'll always listen as it's a work in progress.
Many of you have contributed in one way or another to these lists and I thank you for your help.
In the end, it is BUYER BEWARE!
