New GS owner VIN help

[Guest]

Hey guys so I recently purchased my first project bike and I honestly have no clue what year or model or even what the main history is. I bought it from a dude that had it stored in his garage for like over 10 years. He says it was abandoned so he sold it me for pretty cheap. My issue is I wanna see about getting a title for it but it doesn't have the usual 17 digit VIN. It only has 11. I've been doing some research for a few days and I've had no luck with getting any info about it. Whats stamped on the frame GS850-121621. I checked the engine and come to find out its different. Its GS850-126416. I wanna try to get as much history as I can about it because I'm afraid I may have bought stolen property. I told the dude once I found the VIN I would request a bill of sale since he doesn't know anything about the bike either. I just really don't wanna get in trouble as well be able to get the appropriate paperwork so that once I'm done getting it fixed up I can sell it or something.
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[Big T]

That's the VIN. 17 digit ones came in a year or so after your bike was built

A few better pictures will help identify the year of your bike

You did check to see if the sticker is still on the left side of the steering neck. it would show the month and year of manufacture

[Sandy]

That's the VIN. 17 digit ones came in a year or so after your bike was built

A few better pictures will help identify the year of your bike

You did check to see if the sticker is still on the left side of the steering neck. it would show the month and year of manufacture

IIRC 17 digit VINs started in 1981, that and the bike having CV carbs would make it most likely a 1980.

[Henry]

yea i dont have the sticker. it got worn off since it was sitting for roughly about 10 years i think. i got the plate that was for it as well but when i check for its records nothing in the state data base come up either.
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[steveb922]

Both engine and frame number are for a 1980 model, and don't worry about the fact that they don't match - they never did. As mentioned above, the States started using the long VIN numbers in 81. You have a GS850GT.

[Steve]

One more vote for a 1980 GS850G.

As mentioned previously the CV-type carbs started in 1980. The previous VM-series carbs were there for just one year, 1979, the year the 850 came out. The straight forks, oval gauge cluster, large tank and (missing) tail cowl confirm that it's a G, not a GL.

As much as I like a bucket seat, that one appears to be two or three inches too tall, making it an uncomfortable ride. Depending on your riding style, you might want to cut that one down to lower it, or look for a stock flat seat to replace it.

.

[Henry]

Sweet. You guys have been a great help. How do I write the bill of sale for it? Do I need to write just the vin on just the frame or do i need both vin from frame and motor. Also, how do i go about getting a title for it so i can legally say its mine?

[cowboyup3371]

Use the VIN from the frame and as far as the title is concerned, the PO doesn't have one? I'd suggest you check into your state's rules but I fear you're in for a long haul.

[Rob S.]

Sweet. You guys have been a great help. How do I write the bill of sale for it? Do I need to write just the vin on just the frame or do i need both vin from frame and motor. Also, how do i go about getting a title for it so i can legally say its mine?

Use the VIN from the frame and as far as the title is concerned, the PO doesn't have one? I'd suggest you check into your state's rules but I fear you're in for a long haul.

Unfortunately Cowboy is probably right. Now if it were just up to us, you could put your right hand on a shop manual and hold a dirty wrench in the other.

[Grimly]

Is Virginia not one of the easier states to recover a lost title in, from what I've been reading here and elsewhere.

[bwringer]

Every state is COMPLETELY different in whether and how you can title a groovy old bike without papers.

< rant >

With the gawdawful tangle of laws around vehicles, we're a loose federation of 50 countries trying to do everything as confusingly and differently as possible to keep the populace subdued and compliant. Or something like that.

I'll also mention that every state is also full of people who claim it's easy because they once heard of a guy who knows a guy who's cousin's friend's brother's grandma's uncle allegedly accomplished the feat with a Bill of Sale on a napkin back in 1992.

Anyway: NO ONE from some other state can help you. You need to find up-to-date info from YOUR state. You could just walk into your local license branch (or whatever they call this satanic lair in Virginia) and explain what's up and see how feasible this all is. You may need to do this several times, assuming they will talk to you, because you will likely get different answers depending on who you happen to talk to.

In most states (like mine, Indiana), this is 99.99% impossible, only potentially worth the effort and expense for extraordinarily valuable vehicles. I've also tried to deal with several other states in my moto-career, and it's been fairly fruitless. A paperless bike in Indiana is no longer a motorcycle; it's only a collection of parts.

In VA, who knows? It might even be fairly easy; a few states have relaxed laws around vintage vehicles that help quite a bit.

There's also a famed "Vermont Plate" workaround, but many states are closing the door on this. Research this carefully if you decide to try this route.

Honestly, it's quite sad that a stupid piece of paper has totalled more cool vehicles than just about any other cause.

< /rant >


Anyway, good luck with your quest.

And yeah, the engine number on a Suzuki never matches the frame number. Not something Suzuki ever did. Most states do not document the engine number separately, but some do.

[Grimly]

There's also a famed "Vermont Plate" workaround

That's the one I was thinking of.

[Rob S.]

And yeah, the engine number on a Suzuki never matches the frame number. Not something Suzuki ever did.

Same with Kawasaki.