I had been in the process of rebuilding my xt600 and after the cost of new bits started to get out of hand I thought of looking for a cheap donor bike. Anyway 1 Saturday afternoon there on Gumtree I spotted one in Hobart Tasmania. The price was right. A bit far away but the guy was happy to let me organise transport. Purchase price plus transport from Tas to my place in Victoria set me back $900. Once I had the bike in my garage and started looking at it I figured there was a potential to put this xt600 back on into use mind you I can also see potential in a pile of rusty parts when it comes to bikes. So I went looking for a compliance plate, not there, ok vin number that too was missing courtesy of a cold chisel. Now 2 choices either strip it for parts and dispose of the offending numbered pieces (not very hard to do and I figured the guy who sold it wouldn't say a lot) or report it. I went with plan B and off to the local police station, I felt I had to give the rightful owner the option of what he wanted to do with it. At the worst I was out $900 and at best I still may get to keep the bike. It turns out that the bike had been stolen 2 1/2 years ago. Anyway the rightful owner was contacted and after looking at the pictures said the bike wasn't recognisable except the engine number confirmed it was his and wished to have nothing more to do with it and signed it over to me. So I am one grateful budgie, still have a bike I can see potential in much to the wife's disgust, and still need parts to finish the first bike.

I hope the cops are on to the guy who sold you the bike. Legally you'd have a claim for your purchase price of the bike on them... if you want to take it .. maybe the original owner is in Hobart and can act as your agent to get the money ..

Welcome to HUBB.


Honesty pays. You can sleep at night or eventually sell the rebuild with no hassle. Well played sir.


Here in the UK you'd be better taking the bike to the furthest chav estate you could reach with the petrol in the tank, leave the keys in the ignition and walk away. The plod would want to have you for receiving stolen goods and any insurance company that had paid out would be suing you for the missing plates and the previous owner for seeing his bike again after they coughed up.


Andy

How do you even manage to buy the bike and transfer ownership without giving a VIN number and engine number? Or proof that the bike had been scrapped?

I assume the original owner had no insurance, because if paid out the bike belongs to the insurance company.

Well done for being honest. The only way to stop bike theft is if everyone offered a stolen bike reports it. Hard to believe someone would even advertise a stolen bike for fear of being reported.

Bonnie
you would have far more issues with the insurance company wanting the vehicle back , but if the vehicle was in a bad condition they would prob come to an arrangement with you .
Handling requires you to "know or believe " the goods were stolen - so if you checked and there was no Vin plate , then thats totally different to never checking in the first place . Unless of course the price is so good its a steal - literally .

Yesterday (Sunday) I was at the local BMW dealer looking over the test ride bikes outside. There was a key in a K 1300 R with a 18'000$ price tag...

Gave the key back naturally, but I hope it helps me get a better price when I order a new ride.