You’ve probably seen track bikes posted on Craigslist or Facebook. They’re often much cheaper than their roadgoing counterparts, yet they have loads of modifications. Custom fairings, full exhaust, and Power Commanders are just the start of what makes a track bike a totally different animal.
Trouble is, many track bikes don’t have a title. Some have been raced since day one and were never titled, while others haven’t had one for years. Once a motorcycle crosses that threshold and becomes a track bike people tend to stop caring about titles at all.
For the rest of us, here’s how to title a track bike, title a parts bike, and title a motorcycle in general.
Making a Track or Parts Motorcycle Street Legal
Does This Sound Like You?
You need to title a street bike
You’re browsing Craigslist when you find a sweet street bike. It’s modded to the 9’s and the price is super low. Ride it, flip it, both? The choice is yours. Then you learn why it’s so cheap: there’s no title. Now you’re not sure if you should pull the trigger because let’s face it, people say it’s hard to replace a motorcycle title. People are wrong.
You need to title a track bike
Maybe you’re buying a bike to race or found a smoking deal on a track-only bike online. Having a title would help resale value down the road. How hard can getting a title really be?
You need to title a parts bike
Someone on Facebook posted a cruiser for sale. It’s been parked for a long time. It needs work but could be a great runner with a little elbow grease. The problem is the owner “lost the title” (or so he says) and is selling the bike as a parts bike with a bill of sale only - which isn't as safe as you might think.
You need to title a normal motorcycle
Do you have a bike that you’ve never had a title for? Don’t sweat it! It’s easy to restore a lost title for any motorcycle, just follow the easy steps in this article.
Why Title a Motorcycle at All?
Sounds like the Craigslist mentality to me.
People say you can find an insurance company to cover a motorcycle with no title. People also say, “Cops don’t mess with bikes, you’ll be fine.”
You should know that in most cases insurance companies won’t pay out if you’re not the titled legal owner of the motorcycle. Don’t be left holding the other guy’s repair bill after a costly accident that you didn’t cause, or repairing your own bike out-of-pocket if anything happens to it. Make your motorcycle street legal and steer clear of any danger.
What if it’s Stolen?
Theft is the biggest risk when buying a motorcycle with no title. Before you put money down, you should always run a VIN check to confirm it’s not stolen.
When someone contacts us, the first thing we do is run a VIN check. That’s why when you find a too-good-to-be-true deal on Craigslist and the seller claims to have lost the title, call us first! We’re glad to help you sound out a situation, and we have years of experience with all kinds of scammers and schemers.
Wait, did you mean you’re trying to title a stolen motorcycle?
For real? Ain’t gonna happen. The first thing we do is run a VIN check. The second thing we do is let the police sort it out. Because f**k thieves.
Why Title a Track Bike or a Parts Bike?
Why should you always title a motorcycle and have plates, insurance, and lights? Because Johnny Law is watching.
The benefits of riding a track bike
It would be awesome to ride a fully-modded street legal track bike on your favorite local roads. That gives you a chance to learn the bike and see what it’s truly capable of. Otherwise, the only seat time you’re going to have on it is at the track – not only is that inconvenient, it also costs money. That puts you under a lot of pressure to get everything right the first time, because after all, you only have so many laps.
The only way to make a track bike street legal on public roads safely and legally is to have a title, license plate, and all the proper safety equipment (lights and so forth).
Reasons to title a parts bike
Why title a parts bike? Because that turns it right back into a normal bike! Well, that and a little elbow grease. You know it’s too nice to part out, so why not ride it around? Double your resale value and quadruple your odds of getting a quick sale by fixing that lost title.
The Fastest Way to Title a Track Bike
If you call your local DMV to replace a motorcycle title, here’s what will happen.
First, you'll sit through 45 minutes of hold music. Then you’ll talk to a person and ask, “How do I title a track bike?”, to which they will respond with a long pause followed by “Like a bicycle or a motorcycle?”
So yeah, the DMV is out.
If you speak to someone in person, chances are they can provide you with some paperwork to start the process. That process is long and tedious and if you make any mistakes you’re back to square one.
Take the easy way instead. Contact us by email or phone and tell us you want to title a parts bike, title a track bike, or title a motorcycle in general. We’ll charge you a nominal fee and:
You will never need to go to the DMV
You won’t need an inspection, and
We guarantee a title for your bike or your money back.
Sure, you could do it yourself. Get ready to spend hours doing it. Cross your fingers and hope all your paperwork is correct the first time, because if it isn’t, you will pay for it in fees and in time. After all that work, something could still go wrong. Not with us, though.
Dirt Legal carries a 100% Satisfaction Guarantee. If we fail to make your motorcycle street legal for any reason, you get your money back. No questions asked.
Stick to what you do best and leave the rest to us. Title a track bike, parts bike, or title a motorcycle today with the help of Dirt Legal.
And whatever you do, don't get scammed like I did.
Read next: I Fell for a Craigslist Scam and Learned a Hard Lesson
About the Author
As an automotive journalist, motorcycle racer, SCCA member, and collector of anything with wheels, Justin Dake makes a living out of being a professional car nerd. As a former employee of the State of Missouri, he knows how complex and convoluted state processes can be, and that experience underlies his role as the Editor of Dirt Legal.