Abandoned Bike/ Scratched Off Vin

[Tanerrc]

I found an abandoned bike by my buddy's place. I've seen it laying on it's side for close to a year so it's probably been down even longer. Finally set it up and took a look at it and the VIN number is scratched off. So, looks to have been stolen before but I found out the guy who had it before moved out in 2012. I'm just going to take it and convert it into some sort of off road things. It's a Suzuki GN400. Should be fun. I was just wondering if anyone knows what the consequences would be for be having a bike with a scratched off VIN number would be.

[JEEPRUSTY]

Gee possession of stolen goods is what?

Is the engine serial gone too? Some jurisdictions require both to be regged and this could be in a database somewhere.

[Tanerrc]

Engine serial number is still there. I had my brother who is a cop try to look it up but nothing came back.

[Buffalo Bill]

The consequences would be that you'll never get it legally plated.

[jabcb]

Some day you may be run into a officer that notices the missing VIN.
He will then think STOLEN BIKE.


I don’t know about the GN400.
But on the old two strokes, Suzuki had the VIN on a VIN plate attached to the frame, and also had the VIN stamped into the frame.
Maybe one of the site experts will know if the bike has a second VIN on the frame.

[Big Rich]

Let's look at it this way: you really have 2 options. Keep it or turn it in to the police. If you turn it in, the police aren't going to crack a 30 year old stolen property case with a damaged VIN. They will scrap the bike in its entirety.

So "if" you keep it, you're left with a damaged frame and a pile of neglected parts. I'd search around on Craigslist for another GN400 (didn't Suzuki use that engine in a dirt bike too?) that was a good candidate to get back in riding condition for cheap.

[Tanerrc]

Thanks guys. Basically confirming everything I was thinking. I'm just going to strip it down, put some off road tires on it, and have some fun. No street riding. I'll try to find another VIN on it somewhere as I'm tearing it apart.

[chuck hahn]

You can also find a titled ( or untitled if its not a pain for you to get a title at some point ) frame and use the steering neck to weld onto the best frame. Just swap heads and get on with making a titleable bike out of the two.

[Joe H]

There are companies out there that will sell you a titled frame from the specific bike you want, then you have the option to take the frame and pay shipping or just the title and they scrap the frame….sounds shady but it is done.

[chuck hahn]

JoeH..what good does a title with a VIN do anyone if the head stock doesnt have the corrosponding numbers if the cops ever check the bike out. He needs a good title frame or a frame thats title but bent that he can transplant the heads out.

[Tanerrc]

Honestly I'm not concerned with getting a title for this bike. Maybe someday I'll try but I want to see if I can get it going first. My next question on this matter is what do you guys suggest for an ignition? Obviously I don't have a key for the bike. I looked on ebay and there were some really cheap ignitions with a key but I don't know if all ignitions are the same. Could I swap in just about anything?

[barnbiketom]

If you do get it running the chances of the ignitor advancing the timing correctly is about 1 in 10..they are all bad and impossible to find...