Topic: Registration problems in California: rebuild or part out?

[tima]

Hi All,

First post after joining properly, hoping someone can help....

I moved to Los Angeles from the UK a couple of years ago and brought a modified '78 CB750K8 with me in our shipping container. It was something I picked up cheap in London and it runs fine, it was fully registered and road legal in England, but had been messed with a bit and is by no means standard. I've ironed out most of the problems and was just about to get it on the road when the DMV got involved....

Now I'm finding real problems registering it here in CA, and learning that registering an imported bike made after '75 isn't at all straightforward. My fault, I should have done more research but what's done is done.

Options I have:

- find a solid replacement frame with clean title, get it blasted and powder coated and build up the bike on that - maybe making it a bit more stock along the way.
- part out the bike - the engine runs fine - really smooth actually, it was rebuilt in the UK and it lovely when it's warmed up - and has some good Keihin CRs on there that I have just cleaned out. Kickstart return spring seems to have failed but I have a spare.
- Try and contact Honda USA and see if they can provide any kind of paperwork to help me register it.
- Go see the CHP to try and obtain new VIN as if it was a custom bike (it's had some minor frame mods, nothing more than cutting off the rear footpeg mounts and a couple of other bits under where the original seat was mounted)
- Someone said to register it in Nevada then register it here. Bit complicated. How realistic is this?

I'm told that I need a 77/78 frame to rebuild it but will the SOHC motor fit in frames of other years? I know it's probably a massive question but what i the interchangeability of parts like across the SOHC bikes? I'm not hugely fussy about putting my motor in a different year frame if it will work...

Has anyone had any experience in registering this kind of bike bearing in mind I'm way past the '75 threshold?

Thanks in advance!!

Tim A

[alacrity]

Yep.  What Cal said.
:-)

I am in LA, and just did a chp inspection yesterday (bike passed - was "clean")
I can help you.
And welcome.
And I know where the good pubs are.
And I like Marmite.

And I have to go back to work

-steve

[SOHC4 Cafe Racer Fan]

I had a 1972 BMW registered in CA imported from Romania. 

I am not sure what the obstacles are you are experiencing.  Frame modifications should not present an issue. 
From CA DMV (https://www.dmv.ca.gov/portal/dmv/detail/pubs/brochures/howto/htvr9a)
You always need:
•Evidence that the vehicle has cleared customs.
•Nonresident vehicle registration requirements as follows: ◦An Application for Title or Registration (REG 343) form.
◦Out-of-state title or proof of ownership.
◦A Verification of Vehicle (REG 31) form.
◦A Lien Satisfied/Legal Owner/Title Holder Release (REG 166) form.
◦A Vehicle/Vessel Transfer and Reassignment Form (REG 262).
◦A Statement of Facts (REG 256) form.
◦A Declaration of Gross Vehicle Weight (GVW) Combined Gross Vehicle Weight    (CGW) (REG 4008) form, if applicable.
◦A smog certificate, if applicable.
◦A weight certificate, if applicable.


You may also need:
•Evidence of compliance with United States (U.S.) safety standards (vehicles 24 years old and newer).
•Evidence of compliance with U.S. emission standards (vehicles 20 years old and newer).
•Evidence of compliance with California emission standards (1966 year-model and newer gasoline-powered vehicles and 1980 year-model and newer diesel-powered vehicles).

[nwwa]

+1 Vermont route

[radiowar]

+2 on Vermont. Bought a CB550 last year with no paperwork (it was a parts bike). Rebuild it, got it running. Luckily I live in MA so I just put in my truck bed and drove it up to vermont. Got a Plate and Registration that day. Last Monday, I took my registration and paperwork that MA needs to the RMV, and now I am rocking MA plates.

The only bump you might have in Cali is finding someone to do the VIN inspection form.  Since its a VT form, some other state officials can get weary of signing the paper.


From the VT DMV
Does a person have to be a resident of Vermont in order to register a vehicle in Vermont?

No.


How do I register a motorcycle in Vermont when I purchased the motorcycle in another state?

You must provide DMV with the following: a completed Registration Application form #TA-VD-119 ([​IMG] 424.7KB), the bill of sale, the title to the motorcycle, an updated (current) odometer statement and payment of the proper fees. If you did not purchase the motorcycle from a dealer (if you purchased it from a private individual) you will also need a "Visual Verification of Serial Number" completed. If you had registered the motorcycle in another state you will also need proof of the amount of tax paid to the other state.

Here is the registration form.
http://dmv.vermont.gov/sites/dmv/files/pdf/DMV-VD119-Vehicle_Reg_Tax_Title_App.pdf

VIN Verification
http://dmv.vermont.gov/registrations/drivers/requirements/vinverification
http://dmv.vermont.gov/sites/dmv/files/pdf/DMV-VT010-Vehicle_Vessel_ID_Verification.pdf

To value your bike use the NADA Guide. I belive they used the FAIR value to calculate sales tax. I printed out a copy of the website for reference at the DMV.
http://www.nadaguides.com/Motorcycles/1978/Honda/CB750K-MODEL/Values

The VIN verification should take care of the Odometer statement. I also took a picture of the Odometer.

For the bill of sale: Since I bought the bike, I had a bill of sale. For you, have a friend sell you your bike for $800 on paper.

*I am not a registration expert, (and I am defiantly not a CA DMV expert) take all advice with a grain of salt*. That being said, it worked for me.

[camelman]

I wonder if you could get by with a lien title sale and see if playing dumb as to the origin of the bike would work. There should be plenty of lien sale services in LA. I use one in SF occasionally and it only costs $70 including VIN inspection.

[Wobbly]

The Honda CB 750K8 ONLY sold in North America while the K7 was sold anywhere else in he world in 78. It must have U.S. specs and there must have been a domestic title to that bike. I would try to attack the problem from that side rather than treat as a new import.
The K7/K8 are almost 100% identical. The different seats are interchangeable. The frame is identical like almost every other single part.
Only differences, but still interchangeable or in fact replacing previous parts: 


CB750E-2700001 K7
  carbs w/accelerator pump, shorter intake rubbers, new final drive shaft, sprocket w/center bolt, wider chain line (as F2), final drive 15/41, new clutch, new camshaft (as F1), new pistons (as F), compression ratio 9.2/1. New transmission: 4th gear 1.133 i/o 1.087. Final drive gear 50 teeth i/o 56 (as F1), primary drive 1.985 i/o 1.708
CB750E-2719530 new valve guides
CB750E-2719997 new cam carriers (as F2)
CB750E-3000001 K8
  new intake and exhaust valves, new valve spring retainers and cotters
CB750E-3021913 new cylinder block w/larger cam chain tunnel

[Stev-o]

...there must have been a domestic title to that bike.

Not necessarily true, some states did not require titles for bikes back then. 

[Wobbly]

All the same: the fact is that the bike sold initially in North America. It must have been imported from the U.S. to the U.K. at some point in time. It should not be treated as foreign specs--because it cannot be. So there is no need to pretend: the bike is original U.S. specs. It can just be treated like any other bike bought in the U.S. lacking a title. That the bike was registered out-of the country for some time is irrelevant. That's the point I am trying to make.

[tima]

Yeah I'm working very hard on finding where the good pubs are

[camelman]

If the bike was originally sold in the USA, then just do a lien title sale and be done with it.  I just did a quick search on "Lien Title Sales Los Angeles" and came up with a long list. I included a few links below. You can get the title in as few as 6 weeks!

http://www.lienonmenow.com
http://www.lewisliensales.com/Lien_Sales_FAQ_s.html
http://lienworks.net

You could also do it yourself through the CA DMV, but that would take much more time.
https://www.dmv.ca.gov/portal/dmv/?1dmy&urile=wcm:path:/dmv_content_en/dmv/pubs/brochures/howto/htvr7

[tima]

The Honda CB 750K8 ONLY sold in North America while the K7 was sold anywhere else in he world in 78. It must have U.S. specs and there must have been a domestic title to that bike. I would try to attack the problem from that side rather than treat as a new import.

Thanks very much for this. It seems that this may very well be the key to solving this and your msg prompted me to call the Special Processing Dept at the DMV and relay what I had learned. A nice chap there dug out my file and said he had no idea why the bike hadn't been registered. He promised to get all the paperwork and plates out to me in about 10 days. OK, so I really don't want to just assume that everything is going to go ahead as planned, but it would be wonderful if it did.... If not, I'll try the VT route and see how that works. It's always nice to have a backup option.

Either way, I'm enormously grateful for everyone's help and guidance -- thank you very much. In the meantime I have everything crossed that the guy in Sacramento does what he said he would. Let's see...

[Stev-o]

Seems like good news, keep us posted.