How to buy used bike from owner. [NC]

[marasciallo]

Hello everyone!
I'm Paolo from Italy and I recently moved to Charlotte (NC) for work. I ride since I was 18 and I always loved to travel with my bike around Europe.
Being here in the US and seeing all this beautiful landscapes makes me wander of traveling around riding a Goldwing, which has been a dream for me since I was a kid.
I'm in the process of getting the motorcycle endorsement (my Italian one is not accepted) and I'm searching around for GL 1200 to stay on a budget.

My question is about all the procedure to buy a used vehicle from private owner: what are the steps? After I find "the One"... which paperwork do I have to provide? Is there any chance I can go meet the guy, pay cash and come back with the bike?

I'm completely new to this country so any suggestion will be really appreciated.
Thanks in advance for your help! I hope to meet you soon on the road!

[harvey01]

Most sellers would be happy to meet you, take the cash, and give you the bike. The biggest problem I see with riding it home is you needing to get state tags or a temp tag to be legal riding home. Of course you would also want to have insurance. You will probably need the insurance to get the tags.

The seller should have the state title and with a written Bill of sale, you should be able to go to the appropriate DMV and get the tags.

Some states will permit you to use the sellers plates to ride/drive the vehicle home but you need to double check with the state.

Of course an inspection of the bike might reveal problems you don't want to buy so be careful and be aware that it is the responsibility of the buyer to be sure about the product he is buying.

Check for a PM!

[marasciallo]

Thank you harvey for your help!
I understand one visit will not be enough anyway. Now I have to figure out if it is better to get the endorsement on a rental bike or get a learner permit and do it with mine.

[Hoosier Jack]

Welcome from Indiana Paolo. I imagine that you have seen this but here is the website for getting a motorcycle endorsement in NC. https://www.ncdot.gov/dmv/driver/motorcycle/

The only thing that I can see in there that was making me scratch my head was the road test. When you take it they must follow behind you I guess. Dunno. They mention that but there is also what looks to be a cone test that is set up in a parking lot. Since you have been riding for a while I would not mess with getting the learners permit. Get a smaller bike and go at it.

I agree with Harvey about worrying about a ticket on the way home, but my gut instinct is that if you were stopped, explaining the situation to a cop should get you out of that. But do make sure the bike is insured. Talk to your insurance agent about legality and coverage when you do buy a bike.

Tons of bikes in the Charlotte Craig's List. You'll find a nice one. North Carolina has the beach on one side and the mountains on the other. I envy you.

[Viking]

Hi Paulo. I agree with Hoosier Jack on getting a smaller bike to do your license testing. If you can get to know some of the folks who ride there in North Carolina, perhaps borrowing a bike to do the test would be exactly the idea. The testing is always easier on a smaller motorcycle. Then when you have the license, all possibilities open up for you. When you find the bike you would like, get hold of an insurance company, with the VIN (vehicle identification number) of the bike you are thinking of buying, and get a binder, by putting a down payment on the insurance, or even paying it in full. Then you will be legal to go to a DMV for plates for the bike if you buy it, or even just for a trip permit to get the bike home. You should be looking to pay a bit more for a bike that has just had timing belts changed and all maintenance up to date. You mention remaining within a budget, but GL1500s sell for a pretty decent price too.

[MiWinger51]

Hello everyone!
I'm Paolo from Italy and I recently moved to Charlotte (NC) for work. I ride since I was 18 and I always loved to travel with my bike around Europe.
Being here in the US and seeing all this beautiful landscapes makes me wander of traveling around riding a Goldwing, which has been a dream for me since I was a kid.
I'm in the process of getting the motorcycle endorsement (my Italian one is not accepted) and I'm searching around for GL 1200 to stay on a budget.

My question is about all the procedure to buy a used vehicle from private owner: what are the steps? After I find "the One"... which paperwork do I have to provide? Is there any chance I can go meet the guy, pay cash and come back with the bike?

I'm completely new to this country so any suggestion will be really appreciated.
Thanks in advance for your help! I hope to meet you soon on the road!

I am currently trying to sell an 87 GL1200 Appencade. It is in the for sale section of this forum. Less than 10,000 actual miles. As far as buying from a private seller here in the U.S., the only thing you need to do is find the bike you want, contact the seller, make the deal, and transfer the title. Title transfer is the only step that involves a government entity. Good luck, I hope you will take a look at my bike that is for sale. there are a lot of miles left on it for your enjoyment.

[marasciallo]

Thank you guys, this helps. I spent hours reading material on the web but nothing is like first hand suggestion from expert riders.
I will try to have a small bike borrowed locally to do the road test. In Italy we have both the cone test and the road test with the examiner following in a car so I'm not worried, I just need a bike

@wireguy51: your 1200 looks very nice but Michigan is pretty far...

[Mag]

M - check in your state regarding the size of bike for testing requirement. Here in WA state, to ride a GL, I had to test on a bike that was (I believe) 700cc or higher. I do not know if yours is the same way.

Oh, welcome to the group and welcome to the US to ride.....you should find lots of deals out there, especially coming in to the end of the summer season (can't believe we are losing summer already).

[MiWinger51]

Thank you guys, this helps. I spent hours reading material on the web but nothing is like first hand suggestion from expert riders.
I will try to have a small bike borrowed locally to do the road test. In Italy we have both the cone test and the road test with the examiner following in a car so I'm not worried, I just need a bike

@wireguy51: your 1200 looks very nice but Michigan is pretty far...

In Michigan the testers are independent contractors. When I took my class and riding test the instructor brought a 250 Honda that he allowed us to use for the riding test. A lot easier to ride thru the cones than using a Goldwing. By the way, thanks for the compliment on my bike. Hope you find one nearer you. Good Luck and Safe Travels.
Al

[WingAdmin]

Hi Paulo. I agree with Hoosier Jack on getting a smaller bike to do your license testing. If you can get to know some of the folks who ride there in North Carolina, perhaps borrowing a bike to do the test would be exactly the idea. The testing is always easier on a smaller motorcycle. Then when you have the license, all possibilities open up for you. When you find the bike you would like, get hold of an insurance company, with the VIN (vehicle identification number) of the bike you are thinking of buying, and get a binder, by putting a down payment on the insurance, or even paying it in full. Then you will be legal to go to a DMV for plates for the bike if you buy it, or even just for a trip permit to get the bike home. You should be looking to pay a bit more for a bike that has just had timing belts changed and all maintenance up to date. You mention remaining within a budget, but GL1500s sell for a pretty decent price too.

When I moved to Ohio, I had to re-take both my drivers license and motorcycle license tests - from scratch, as if I was a brand new driver!

All I had at the time was my GL1100, so that's what I took the test on. I barely passed - not because I made mistakes, but because the wheelbase of the bike was so long that it was physically incapable of making some of the turns inside the lines that were prescribed on the ground! There were two 90-degree turns where you were not allowed to have a wheel touch a line, and my bike was not capable of doing that. I therefore had to be PERFECT on the rest of the test - one actual mistake would have sunk me!

If I had failed it, I was going to go try to borrow a scooter or 250 or something from one of the other people waiting in line, and re-take it on that.

[garwil]

The suggestion of borrowing a bike for the road test has some dangers. When I took my road test (back in the 70's if I remember), there was a guy on a borrowed bike. First, the bike was a chopper, and the engineering was all messed up. Second, he had only road the five miles from his friends house to the test site on the bike, so he wasn't even close to familiar. Third, he was a fairly new rider. Long story short, he could not pass the test. Some of the others offered their bikes, but the test official would not allow him to test on any bike other than the one he had. Kind of sucked for him.

If you are an experienced rider, this should not be a problem since you will know if a bike is within your comfort zone, and recognize crap when you see it.

[SlowTyper]

All I had at the time was my GL1100, so that's what I took the test on. I barely passed - not because I made mistakes, but because the wheelbase of the bike was so long that it was physically incapable of making some of the turns inside the lines that were prescribed on the ground! There were two 90-degree turns where you were not allowed to have a wheel touch a line, and my bike was not capable of doing that. I therefore had to be PERFECT on the rest of the test - one actual mistake would have sunk me!

Your comment about the Ohio motorcycle test brought back a humorous memory... My dad lives in Ohio, and decided perhaps he should take the exam so that his riding habit would be legal. When he took the test, there were four other riders on choppers there who were clearly very experienced riders who also were finally taking the exam so as to be legal.

My dad remarked to the exam officer how incredibly skilled those four were. The officer answered back that even though the riders were highly skilled, they would not pass the exam. At that time, there were four 90-degree turns and it was impossible to pass the test if you went outside the lines on more than three of those turns. The office pointed out that it was absolutely impossible for those bikes to execute the turns with their very extended front forks without either going outside the lines or putting a foot down so they could take back up and realign their bikes midway through the turn.

But guess what? All four passed the test!! Each of them entered the turn, and then rev'd the engine and dropped the clutch with some front brake applied. This caused the rear wheel to spin and fish-tail so that it stayed within the lines. They were so good that only one rider missed one turn of the four.

My dad and the officer were incredulous at what they both witnessed.

[harvey01]

With the spinning of the rear wheels, I am surprised the testor approved this. Loosing traction is illegal in most states.

[SlowTyper]

I was glad to hear of a tester that remembered the purpose of the exam, rather than his ability to puff up his chest over the power he had. I personally would question whether the riders 'lost traction' since they clearly did not loose control over their bikes or have to put a foot down. In reality, any torque applied to a wheel results in lost traction. This is apparent when he brake or accelerate in a turn - the torque introduce because of those actions results in less traction available for cornering. Also, is it illegal to ride in the rain? That scenario results in loss traction, as evidenced by not being able to brake as hard.

Note that I don't dispute than many exam officers would indeed flunk the riders in this situation, but my point is that they do so without thinking through their decision. Loss of traction is at all times relative, and it is the degree of loss that is at issue - not a yea or nay. Specifically, it is not an issue if the operator does not lose control, or put life or property at risk.

The guy would have more of a case in my mind if he cited them for exhibition driving, and flunked them for that violation. But kudos to the guy for honoring the intent of the test over the letter.

[grwsystems]

I had a similar experience some years ago when I moved from Pennsylvania to California. California accepted my automobile driver's license, but not my motorcycle endorsement. I owned a Kawasaki KZ900 at the time. I went to DMV, took the written test, got the permit, went home for my bike, and had a friend ride back to DMV that same day (not allowed to ride alone with a permit in California, at least at that time). When I arrived, there were no other bikes there to test. The tester, a CHP officer, looked at my bike, and told me that there was no way I could pass their test on that big bike. He also told me I was crazy to try to take the test the same day I got my permit. I explained the transfer from out of state, so he allowed me to take the test, all the while reminding me that he told me that I had no chance on that big bike. Needless to say, after more than twenty years in the saddle, I cruised through the test with a perfect score.

When I moved from California to Nevada, it was start over time again...

[marasciallo]

Hi everyone!!!
Thanks again for all your suggestions and help.
I got my bike ('85 Aspy) and license. I had to sweat a little bit to make it through the cones but I made it.
I will upload some pictures of my new beauty asap.

See you on the road!

[Viking]

All of these statements about having to retest from one state to another totally bewilders me. I am not saying I do not believe it mind you, because I do. What flabergasts me is that you folks are going from US State to US State and having to retake testing. I moved from Canada to Colorado in the 70s and my licences were reciprocated, moved back to Canada three years later, same thing. I moved to New Mexico in the 80s, same thing, and back to Canada three years later, and again, same thing. I have moved to every province in Canada over the past many years, and have never written another exam, nor taken another road test. As we did not have motorcycle licenses in the 60s, when they came out, I was grandfathered. I have only ever tested both written and road test one time, in the 60s, when I got my first automobile drivers license. After listening to my brethren here, who have had to test over and over again, I am totally amazed at what I seem to have gotten away with.

Now, just so nobody thinks that perhaps I should be tested, not only for vehicle use, but for psychiatric purposes, I do take motorcycle driving courses, and have tested during them, both written and road, as well as all the training and testing the military required over the years to drive their vehicles, however, these have nothing to do with MOT (our DMV) (Ministry of Transport). In eleven more years, I will have to test due to age.

And I am sorry for having assisted in the hijacking of this thread.

Congrats on having passed your driving tests, and on the purchase of your new to you bike, marasciallo.

[WingAdmin]

All of these statements about having to retest from one state to another totally bewilders me. I am not saying I do not believe it mind you, because I do. What flabergasts me is that you folks are going from US State to US State and having to retake testing. I moved from Canada to Colorado in the 70s and my licences were reciprocated, moved back to Canada three years later, same thing. I moved to New Mexico in the 80s, same thing, and back to Canada three years later, and again, same thing. I have moved to every province in Canada over the past many years, and have never written another exam, nor taken another road test. As we did not have motorcycle licenses in the 60s, when they came out, I was grandfathered. I have only ever tested both written and road test one time, in the 60s, when I got my first automobile drivers license. After listening to my brethren here, who have had to test over and over again, I am totally amazed at what I seem to have gotten away with.

Now, just so nobody thinks that perhaps I should be tested, not only for vehicle use, but for psychiatric purposes, I do take motorcycle driving courses, and have tested during them, both written and road, as well as all the training and testing the military required over the years to drive their vehicles, however, these have nothing to do with MOT (our DMV) (Ministry of Transport). In eleven more years, I will have to test due to age.

And I am sorry for having assisted in the hijacking of this thread.

Congrats on having passed your driving tests, and on the purchase of your new to you bike, marasciallo.

I think it depends on the state. Every state has their own unique rules.

Georgia was perfectly happy to issue me a Georgia driver's license because I just SHOWED them my Ontario license.

Maryland took my Georgia license, made me take a written test, then issued me a Maryland license.

Ohio looked at my Ontario license, said it didn't do my any good, and made me take a written test AND practical test, for both car AND motorcycle. I had a "new driver" status on my Ohio license for a couple years, even though I had been both driving and riding motorcycles for over 20 years.