Where are all of the Spyder's ID numbers

[srarndt]

I'm hoping that some of you might be able to help enlighten me. I have several questions as a result of my attempting to register my Spyder at the Arizona MVD:

1. Does the VIN number appear anywhere else besides the right rear as shown on page 100 of the Operator's Guide? The MVD inspector seemed convinced that it should appear elsewhere.

2. Which panels need to be removed to see the Engine ID number? Does anything else need to be removed? The inspector wants to see this number, too.

3. Is there yet another number? The inspector said she needed to see the "Stock" number. (I've never heard of that.) She indicated that on most bikes it is around the dash/instrument cluster. She thought I might need to remove the dash cowl to find it. I'm hoping she's wrong.

Background: I bought my Spyder new in California on 12/1/07. I registered it there (per what the dealer explained was the law in CA) because I was going to ride it home to AZ. I was supposed to receive my registration and plate within 90 days. When I did not have either by the beginning of March, I contacted the dealer and they helped me file for a replacement for a lost plate (the dealer guesses they were lost in the mail. Nothing received yet, and I'm two weeks away from my departure on a road trip up to WI. I have no plate and an "expired" temporary registration from CA. The AZ MVD will not issue a plate because I do not have the CA registration to give them, nor do I have the title, my lender does. They might be able to give me a 90 day temporary tag if I can meet the requirements of a "level 1 inspection"

4. Do we have any one here who knows the CA DMV or the AZ MVD really well enough to suggest any way I can resolve this in the next two weeks? Any inside info, brilliant suggestions, helpful tips, etc. would be appreciated! I really feel I need a plate and valid registration before setting out on about a 6,000 mile trip!

5. What about anyone here in law enforcement or insurance who knows how I might determine if I am or my Spyder is in the CA database???

Thanks,
Steve

 

[SpyderMark]

Page 100 of the Operator's Guide shows where to look for the engine ID number.

Regards,

Mark

 

[Dyno824]

Your dealer was wrong about you having to register in Calif,and i would complain.I bought in Calif took a out of state delivery in Oregon in Oregon ( they trailered up).They had to do paper work at a notary public to cover there butts. You most likely will have to re-register in Arizona.To bad you got that idiot,at MV, go back with your certificate of origin ,if you have one ,and try to find a different idiot maybe at another office.Sorry you have had so much trouble.Didn't mean to rub salt in a spyder bite.A cop would have said something about those Calif plates if you are a AZ resident sooner or later.Hope you get to enjoy your trip Not much help. Good Luck Dennis

 

[bjt]

srarndt, after reading your post and lamonster's about having to buy a Spyder in another state and then having registration and license issues, I am so glad that I was able to buy mine in my home state of Michigan.

This should be a good warning to anyone else who is going to buy a vehicle in a different state to find out about getting it licensed and registered in their state before buying. Talk to your state's DMV (or Secretary of State in Michigan) so you know what has to happen to get it registered. Be sure you know what has to happen so that you can work with the dealer and possibly educate him as to how the transaction should be completed.

I would guess that most of these dealers do not have to deal with licensing a vehicle for another state as most if not all of the products they carry are readily available in every state. The Spyder is unique in more ways than one.

I wonder if you would have went to your DMV with the Spyder's info before going to pick it up, that they could have given you a registration and temporary plate / tag to drive the Spyder home?

 

[srarndt]

Page 100 of the Operator's Guide shows where to look for the engine ID number.

Regards,

Mark

Thanks. I did see that, but I guess my question is which way is best to get at it...right side or left, which panel(s) to remove, is there anything else besides panels that need to be removed to see it. (Obviously I'm not mechanically inclined - the only panel I've removed so far is the one to check my oil.)

Steve

 

[srarndt]

Your dealer was wrong about you having to register in Calif,and i would complain.I bought in Calif took a out of state delivery in Oregon in Oregon ( they trailered up).They had to do paper work at a notary public to cover there butts. You most likely will have to re-register in Arizona.To bad you got that idiot,at MV, go back with your certificate of origin ,if you have one ,and try to find a different idiot maybe at another office.Sorry you have had so much trouble.Didn't mean to rub salt in a spyder bite.A cop would have said something about those Calif plates if you are a AZ resident sooner or later.Hope you get to enjoy your trip Not much help. Good Luck Dennis

Thanks. Yeah, it was riding the bike out of CA that caused my dealer (and the other So Cal dealers I shopped) to register it. I am fine with re-registering in AZ - that is, in fact, what I am trying to do. But with out a title (lender has it) and without a registration (CA DMV has it tied up some how - ???), AZ MVD will not issue a plate.

They did, however, say they could give me a temporary - 90 day registration if I can show them the numbers mentioned in my original post. Hence my questions about other locations for the VIN, accessing the engine id, and the "Stock Number"(?)

 

[Roaddog2]

srarndt, after reading your post and lamonster's about having to buy a Spyder in another state and then having registration and license issues, I am so glad that I was able to buy mine in my home state of Michigan.

This should be a good warning to anyone else who is going to buy a vehicle in a different state to find out about getting it licensed and registered in their state before buying. Talk to your state's DMV (or Secretary of State in Michigan) so you know what has to happen to get it registered. Be sure you know what has to happen so that you can work with the dealer and possibly educate him as to how the transaction should be completed.

I would guess that most of these dealers do not have to deal with licensing a vehicle for another state as most if not all of the products they carry are readily available in every state. The Spyder is unique in more ways than one.

I wonder if you would have went to your DMV with the Spyder's info before going to pick it up, that they could have given you a registration and temporary plate / tag to drive the Spyder home?

Bought mine in Mass.took home to CT went to DMV to get plate proof of Ins.payed sales tax that easy in Ct. :spyder:

 

[NancysToy]

Thanks. Yeah, it was riding the bike out of CA that caused my dealer (and the other So Cal dealers I shopped) to register it. I am fine with re-registering in AZ - that is, in fact, what I am trying to do. But with out a title (lender has it) and without a registration (CA DMV has it tied up some how - ???), AZ MVD will not issue a plate.

They did, however, say they could give me a temporary - 90 day registration if I can show them the numbers mentioned in my original post. Hence my questions about other locations for the VIN, accessing the engine id, and the "Stock Number"(?)

This is all very confusing. I feel your pain! I don't know if things are different in various states, or what. I have never heard of a lender holding the tiltle. That is certainly illegal in Michigan. Here, and in most, if not all, states, the lender merely is recorded as the leinholder on the title. It is retained by the owner of record, who is the person who registers the bike. I smell something fishy. If I were you, I would start probing deeply.

I'd start out with the California DMV, to find exactly what became of the registration, and if it actually exists. I wouldn't be surprised if they refused to process the application due to your AZ address. Only residents can title or register vehicles. I would also ask them whether a title was produced, and whose name it is in. If they say the lender, ask them why, and if that is either normal, or legal. If nothing was produced, ask what became of the original title application.

What the dealer should have done is provide you with a Certificate of Origin, that you could have presented to your DMV to obtain a title. The lender should have been recorded on the title as the leinholder. You seem to be in deep soup. I hope you don't need a lawyer to starighten this all out. If you do, you should consider sueing the dealer for damages. Hope you get things sorted out soon.
-Scotty

 

[LittleJohn]

This is all very confusing. I feel your pain! I don't know if things are different in various states, or what. I have never heard of a lender holding the tiltle. That is certainly illegal in Michigan. Here, and in most, if not all, states, the lender merely is recorded as the leinholder on the title. It is retained by the owner of record, who is the person who registers the bike. I smell something fishy. If I were you, I would start probing deeply.

I'd start out with the California DMV, to find exactly what became of the registration, and if it actually exists. I wouldn't be surprised if they refused to process the application due to your AZ address. Only residents can title or register vehicles. I would also ask them whether a title was produced, and whose name it is in. If they say the lender, ask them why, and if that is either normal, or legal. If nothing was produced, ask what became of the original title application.

What the dealer should have done is provide you with a Certificate of Origin, that you could have presented to your DMV to obtain a title. The lender should have been recorded on the title as the leinholder. You seem to be in deep soup. I hope you don't need a lawyer to starighten this all out. If you do, you should consider sueing the dealer for damages. Hope you get things sorted out soon.
-Scotty

It may very well be fishy, as weve seen it done to others here on the forum, but I do know that cross state sales in each state are VERY different by state. If I remember right in OH, the lienholder held my titles until the loan was paid off, I had a copy of the title so I could register it, but they held the original.

Hope it all works out. I hate to see this kind of stuff on top of all the waiting all of you had to do!!

 

[araneae]

Arizona law changed a few years back so the lender holds the title until the note is paid off. Probably as a result of altered titles and stolen vehicles, we have a big problem with that here.

Bryan

 

[NancysToy]

Arizona law changed a few years back so the lender holds the title until the note is paid off. Probably as a result of altered titles and stolen vehicles, we have a big problem with that here.

Bryan

They must have a procedure in place to make a notarized copy, or something. I can't believe that all the vehicles with loans are running around with no registration, because the lender holds the title. There has to be a solution in place.
-Scotty

 

[srarndt]

They must have a procedure in place to make a notarized copy, or something. I can't believe that all the vehicles with loans are running around with no registration, because the lender holds the title. There has to be a solution in place.
-Scotty

Quite a few states have the lienholder retain possession of the title and the vehicle owner retains registration. Works that way in most those states with real estate, too. Makes it easier for the lender to repossess vehicle/foreclose on real estate and have clear title should the borrower default.

Makes it tougher in my situation where the registration process got screwed up some how between the dealer and California's DMV.

Funny thing, I called the service department at the AZ dealer where I get my Spyder serviced and they had no idea if the VIN number appears anywhere else besides the swingarm, nor could they tell me which was the easiest way to access the engine id number.

 

[SpyderMark]

I guess my question is which way is best to get at it...right side or left, which panel(s) to remove, is there anything else besides panels that need to be removed to see it.

If you can get your hands on an inspection mirror and a flashlight, you may not need to remove any panels. You'll just have to practice reading numbers/letters backwards... 8)

Regards,

Mark

 

[Dyno824]

You need that certificate of origin,as scotty mentioned ,or a copy from your borrorer. That was all i needed. Or get a copy from your dealer in calif.Original would be better.Take off plates that you have now.Trailer spyder to DMV, best go to a different office than before.Hand them certificate of origin, if they need vin show them where. Should be all,you give money and take plate.Try and bi pass the al ready registered,try and start a new. Need that certificate.Good luck let us all know the out come.Den

 

[srarndt]

If you can get your hands on an inspection mirror and a flashlight, you may not need to remove any panels. You'll just have to practice reading numbers/letters backwards... 8)

Regards,

Mark

Success! Your idea worked out great. The engine number was findable with just the middle panel off by using the inspection mirror and the flashlight. It is hard to locate even with all of the panels off on the left side.

Note: FYI, the Spyder VIN number also appears stamped into the right side of the bottom frame member - about equal with the right tire. I had to call BRP to learn where to find this.

Side note: I am finally registered with the AZ MVD. Hooray! :bigthumbsup:

 

[NancysToy]

Success! Your idea worked out great. The engine number was findable with just the middle panel off by using the inspection mirror and the flashlight. It is hard to locate even with all of the panels off on the left side.

Note: FYI, the Spyder VIN number also appears stamped into the right side of the bottom frame member - about equal with the right tire. I had to call BRP to learn where to find this.

Side note: I am finally registered with the AZ MVD. Hooray! :bigthumbsup:

:congrats: Enjoy the Ryde!
-Scotty

 

[bjt]

... Side note: I am finally registered with the AZ MVD. Hooray! :bigthumbsup:

Glad that you finally got the "legal stuff" :cop: taken care of. :doorag:

 

[Dyno824]

Glad that all worked out for you :bigthumbsup: