Titling a racebike??

[tshort]

Wasn't sure which subforum to post this in : question about titling a racebike.

I bought the bike (05 SV) as a racebike in 2007 and had the title signed by the seller, but I never registered or re-titled it here in California with the DMV. Now I want to sell the bike and the buyer, who is in Canada, is going to need the title to be current or otherwise copacetic in order to get the bike over the border into Canada. California title shows an issue date of 9/27/2006 and an expiration date of 3/20/2007. No liens.

If I just hand the buyer the title the border folks will likely want to know why he hasn't done anything with it since 2007, so I think I am probably going to have to submit it and get it redone in my name. Seeing as how California DMV is notoriously hard to deal with, and I have a brother in WI who I could use for a mailing address, I was wondering whether anyone there might know if WI is an easier state to deal with in terms of getting the bike title transferred into my name via the mail. The bike isn't street legal.

Anyone know what the options are? Anyone know what the DMV there (or in any other states) will have to say about it if I just show up with the signed title from 2007 and try to make the transfer happen now?

Thanks for any thoughts.

[GSXR RACER MIKE]

The Title expires?

That's really weird, I understand yearly license plate registration expiring, but a Title? I just checked all my Illinois Titles and none have an expiration date, just a purchase date and Title issue date.

[tshort]

Problem is that the title was signed over to me in2007, but I never bothered to submit it to dmv,since it's a race bike - no insurance, no plate, no registration needed. But now with it sold and heading across the border, the buyer says he'll need a title to import it. And if I just leave it with the previous owner's name and signature on the title, dating back to 2007, I'm not sure how the border people will react to that.

[GSXR RACER MIKE]

I can think of 2 different routes to take:

(1) Anonymously find out what the fine is going to be for Titling a vehicle 3 years after it was sold to you. The issue I see here is not only might they hit you with a fine concerning the late Title transfer, but depending on the laws in California they may have also required that you to pay taxes (on a used vehicle purchase) when you bought it in 2007 - if that's the case you could potentially owe a hefty fine on 3 year old back due taxes.

(2) The other way is to get a hold of the previous owner and see if he would help you out and apply for a 'Lost Title' (since 'technically' it's still owned by him according to State records) and then when he gets the new Title he can release it with a signature again (that is if you trust the previous owner enough to do this). If the State asks why the bike hasn't been Registered since 2007 he can say it was in storage and it wasn't being used (as long as California Registration isn't required every year on vehicles that are stored and not used). By doing it this way the only cost is going to be the 'Lost Title' fee which here in Illinois is $95 - in Illinois the new Title is in your hands in about a month. Also, by going this route if you don't personally Title it in your name (and just give the replacement Title directly to the new owner) then your not obligated to pay any taxes if California requires that on a used vehicle purchase.

8)

[tshort]

Thanks, Mike . After doing some more research (including with the DMV) , I've found out that the previous owner already filed for a Non Operation registration, which means that as far as the DMV is concerned, the bike never needs to be registered again. So that should take care of things from my end.