Buying and Riding Away

[Petorius]

I'm ready to pull the trigger on the next good deal I find for one of the bikes I'm looking for (SV650/1k, Z1k, F4i). Problem is, I don't have a truck, so I will need to ride away. I'm thinking I either need to take my FZR's plates, throw 'em on there and risk the ride home or ask the seller to leave his plates on it until I can register it. That damn RMV-1 form will take a few days in the mail from my insurance company after I make a purchase. What are you're thoughts on the best way to do this? I live in MA and am assuming I will buy in MA.

[JohnnyV]

I've gone both routes. Definitely ride it home on the seller's tag if he allows it, tell him you'll overnight it back to him the next day. I've done this with a number of bikes and all the sellers I've dealt with were cool with it.

Riding on a tag from another bike is a bit dangerous, not sure I'd reccomend it. If you do decide to go this route, carry all the paperwork from the sale, the reg for the bike you took the tag off of, and hope that if you get pulled over you can explain your way out of it to a somewhat cool cop.

I'm ready to pull the trigger on the next good deal I find for one of the bikes I'm looking for (SV650/1k, Z1k, F4i). Problem is, I don't have a truck, so I will need to ride away. I'm thinking I either need to take my FZR's plates, throw 'em on there and risk the ride home or ask the seller to leave his plates on it until I can register it. That damn RMV-1 form will take a few days in the mail from my insurance company after I make a purchase. What are you're thoughts on the best way to do this? I live in MA and am assuming I will buy in MA.

[JettaJayGLS]

I'm ready to pull the trigger on the next good deal I find for one of the bikes I'm looking for (SV650/1k, Z1k, F4i). Problem is, I don't have a truck, so I will need to ride away. I'm thinking I either need to take my FZR's plates, throw 'em on there and risk the ride home or ask the seller to leave his plates on it until I can register it. That damn RMV-1 form will take a few days in the mail from my insurance company after I make a purchase. What are you're thoughts on the best way to do this? I live in MA and am assuming I will buy in MA.

Rent a uhaul or ask a friend with a truck to help.

Other than that, you can pay for the bike, take the title and leave it there until you get plates. You have to trust the bike in his hands until this happens though, with no insurance. Granted, its very easy to take the title, go get insurance, go get it registered and receive plates all in a couple hours.

[Kazinator]

its very easy to take the title, go get insurance, go get it registered and receive plates all in a couple hours.

That's what I did.

[Jaynnus]

Just remember that either way, your riding home with no insurance for you, the bike, or damages you may cause.

[Petorius]

That's what I did.

Granted, its very easy to take the title, go get insurance, go get it registered and receive plates all in a couple hours.

How did you guys get the RMV-1 form with insurance company stamp same day? Local agents? I use progressive

[gamorg02]

in MA i believe you legally can use your plates for like 24 hours on a new purchase to get the car home. i wonder if there are similar stipulations for bikes?

[gamorg02]

How did you guys get the RMV-1 form with insurance company stamp same day? Local agents? I use progressive

progressive they just email you the thing the same day. at least they did that with me.

[Kazinator]

Just remember that either way, your riding home with no insurance for you, the bike, or damages you may cause.

I went and paid for my bike, stopped by my insurance agent, then went to the DMV. Drove the bike home registered & insured. Simple.

[Kazinator]

How did you guys get the RMV-1 form with insurance company stamp same day? Local agents? I use progressive

Local agent. She even called me on my way to the DMV to let me know the wait time.

[aldend123]

When I bought mine, I had the previous owner ride it to my place. We took the plates off, and then I drove him home. You could also call a cab for him and pay his fare, or hell, even a town car ride is like $80 if you really want to be nice to them.

[aldend123]

in MA i believe you legally can use your plates for like 24 hours on a new purchase to get the car home.

Once upon a time, yes. But I don't think that's true anymore.

[jasnmar]

I picked up my last new bike in Rhode Island and rode it home to NH. Since I was riding through 3 states, all with completely different rules about such things (I spent like 6 hours trying to figure out some reasonable thing that could work, without making 2 trips to RI, and even in that case I might have had to stop at each border and switch stuff around) it was almost impossible for me to actually follow all of the rules. I when to the NH DMV, who were willing to give me a temporary plate with a signed bill of sale, which of course didn't even come close to fitting on the bike. I just took my plate off of my existing bike and put it on the new one and rode it home. Was this legal? Mmmmm, no, but I took registration from my old bike, had a signed title from the PO with me, as well as the temporary plate, and if stopped would simply throw myself on the mercy of the officer. I also had my SO trailing me in the car, as additional proof that I really was 100 miles from home picking up a bike and not just out for a ride with all of this paperwork :-).

As for insurance that's another matter entirely. Rules are quite different in NH, and I was actually able to call my insurance company and insure the bike before I even paid for it or had the title (I had them start the insurance 1 day before picking it up, just to be safe). All I need is a VIN and a check, and they will insure it. I understand that the rules in MA make this much harder.

Once I got it to NH, I got it registered that day.

I'd done what I could reasonably do, so took a chance. YMMV.

Sounds like getting a small U-Haul or a U-Haul trailer (U-Haul trailers can typically be had for $20/day) might make things easier and "legaler".

jason

[CBR929RE]

I've gone both routes. Definitely ride it home on the seller's tag if he allows it, tell him you'll overnight it back to him the next day. I've done this with a number of bikes and all the sellers I've dealt with were cool with it.

Riding on a tag from another bike is a bit dangerous, not sure I'd reccomend it. If you do decide to go this route, carry all the paperwork from the sale, the reg for the bike you took the tag off of, and hope that if you get pulled over you can explain your way out of it to a somewhat cool cop.

if the seller isn't reusing those plates he can just cancel them online. preferably later that day or the next day. no need to mail them back.

[nhbubba]

It's a real problem if you are traveling any distance. I worried about this myself when shopping last summer.

In the end I put a hitch on my car and borrowed a trailer. I had been planning on the hitch for a while anyway. Since last summer I've found about 5-6 other good reasons to hitch up a trailer. In fact the borrowed trailer is still in my yard.

Trailering also opens you up to some cheaper stuff that maybe needs some TLC to be ready for the street.


All that said, I have loaned plates on vehicles I've sold so the new owner could drive it home. It worked out for all parties.

[BLACK SQUIRREL]

The Law is You can put the Old Plates on the New bike IF you have gotten rid of your old bike. So you need to have a Bill of sale that you Sold your original Bike. Its called the 5 day Law.

Or in My Case the 5 Month Law.

[bstnsboy]

The 7 day law. http://www.mass.gov/rmv/faq/7daylaw.pdf

[butcher bergs]

Reminds me of the bike I bought in St Pete, FL a few years ago. Nothing like cutting a check for $8k on a bike that's 1500 miles south and then flying down with the hopes the seller is going to actually meet you at the airport.



Had it registered and insured before I left NH.

[j4eric]

ask the seller to deliver.

[nhbubba]

Ahh, the infamous fly'n ride.

You brave.
Me impressed, kinda jealous.

[butcher bergs]

FJR1300

6 days to come back, 3 of them spent in the Great Smokey Mtns. Yeah, it was rough!

[StrayNut]

When I bought mine, I had the previous owner ride it to my place. We took the plates off, and then I drove him home.

This is really smart. If that's not possible, then I agree with the UHaul being another good option. You pay by distance over a certain radius so it's likely to be more than $20, but I picked a bike up in RI (about 150 miles round trip) for about $100. Local ride should be much less than that. Bring a good amount of cord/straps to secure the bike inside.

[jwm2k3]

if the seller isn't reusing those plates he can just cancel them online. preferably later that day or the next day. no need to mail them back.

Im pretty sure you cant just cancel plates/registration online. I believe the actual plates need to be returned in person to the dmv.

[mell0]

Just rent a home depot truck. $20 for the first hour $10/hour after that. They are massive too.

[nhbubba]

And sky high!



Can't imagine trying to load a bike up onto that bed.