[tjupille]

My local Craigslit just popped up with a 1997 Enfield India 500. Supposedly last used in 1999 or thereabouts. No paperwork, no keys. Apparently still has a CA license plate from 1999, so I should be able to get it re-registered. Obviously will need all new fluids + tires, carb cleaned, gas tank flushed. It's not old enough to be a true classic and it looks in the ad to be far from perfect cosmetically. Any thoughts on what I should offer (or should I just walk away and enjoy my 2017 C5)?

[ace.cafe]

A lot will depend on the conditions it was stored in.
The dry sump engine keeps no real oil bath on the bottom end, so it could have some rust inside there, possibly. Also, same thing with the bore being rusted. You need to see if the engine turns smoothly.

So, whether it will need an engine rebuild, or not, would make a big difference in the offering price.

[tjupille]

Thanks! I'm off to take a look at it now.

[tooseevee]

Thanks! I'm off to take a look at it now.

       Be very careful that you will be able to register it.

        For that bike in RI, I would need a Bill of Sale (preferably with both buyer and seller's notarized signatures on it) and the last valid registration that was for that bike. I would not need a Title for that year bike. It would also have to be insured before it could be registered.

       

           

[tjupille]

In the event, the seller flaked out on me, and I don't want the bike badly enough to warrant driving there again.
As far as licensing goes, I'm in California. The pre-UCE bikes were never certified to meet smog standards, so they could not be sold in the state. The only loopholes:
- you can bring in a used bike from out of state, but it must have more than 7,000 miles
- an out of state resident moving to California can get their bike "granfathered" in.
- an "unusual" bike may possible be registered as a "collector's" bike, with limitations on how many miles it can be ridden.

This bike supposedly has CA plates that expired in 1999, which means that a replacement title can be obtained after jumping through the appropriate paperwork hoops. From the ad, it looks like it might have been an Indian domestic bike.

If anyone is interested in pursuing it, here's the link:
https://sfbay.craigslist.org/eby/mcy/d/san-ramon-1997-enfield-500-obo/6970133000.html

[ddavidv]

Looks like the handlebars are mounted backwards.

In my state no paperwork makes it fairly worthless though you can get a title from Vermont. http://www.chinonthetank.com/2014/04/get-a-title-with-a-vermont-registration/

Condition looks okay but it's been parked quite a long time. I paid about that for mine with an engine partially apart with a bad head and piston. I'd allow at least $1000 in parts/shipping charges to get one like that back on the road...and you can buy a running one for what you'd have in it. Bullets aren't terribly expensive to buy in decent shape which makes bringing one back from the dead a poor investment. I did mine more for the hobby of doing the mechanics and didn't care about the final value.

I know the OP passed on this but wanted to opine in case someone else comes along.

[AgentX]

You can Vermont register it easily with a notarized bill of sale.  (Generated my bill of sale online and took to Kinko's with the seller...no issues from VT DMV.) There's also a mileage validation required for bikes over 350cc; might want to look into your local law enforcement apparatus to see who's willing to sign that for you.

That gets you a valid registration and there's no need to have any connection to Vermont or a Vermont address...just send money, receive plate and sticker.

No vehicle over 15 years old gets title in VT, so you can transfer registration to your state of residence if you choose and receive a title from the state at that time.  They get bitchy about it in DMV sometimes but they have to honor the VT registration.

[heloego]

Quote: "They get bitchy about it in DMV sometimes but they have to honor the VT registration."

Have you ever known a DMV employee that didn't get bitchy?

[ddavidv]

One of the few good things about Pennsylvania is that tag and title work is done through local notary publics. Though one can go to the DOT office in Harrisburg for instant titles who wants to deal with bureaucrats? I fell for those in DMV states.