5 Things a VIN Check Tells You About a Used Motorcycle

1. 5 Things a VIN Check Tells You About a Used Motorcycle Choosing a good used motorcycle from a salvage junkyard or a local dealer is not difficult, if you know what factors need to be considered before buying it. However, you need to do a VIN check so that you don’t end up buying a junker. Checking the motorcycle history by VIN becomes even more important in case you are buying a bike model that has a high theft rate. In this blog post, we list five important things you get to know about a used motorbike by doing a VIN check.

2. 1. Past Ownership When purchasing a vehicle, do not forget to obtain a vehicle history report that includes all the relevant information regarding the past owners of the vehicle. There are online databases where you can check all the past information. For getting detailed information, you may be required to pay extra. Price of getting the vehicle history report also varies for different websites. 2. Existing Liens A lien is the right that a bank, a loan company or any other party has on the vehicle till the time the borrower repays the loan. If in case, the owner is unable to pay the loan, the respective authority has a legal right to repossess, or sell, the vehicle to settle the debt. In case the owner sells the vehicle, the lien passes to the new owner. Therefore, it’s important to check the vehicle history report. 3. Collision or Accident History Sometimes, sellers do not reveal the accidental and collision history of the vehicle to the buyer. The VIN report provides information of any major accident that the motorcycle went through. If you are buying a used motorcycle, a VIN check is a must to know all the necessary information that helps you to avoid buying a junker. 4. Current Title When buying a used motorcycle, you must know it’s current title. Some of them are titled as “clean” which means they have no liens or financial holds against it. However, others are sold as “salvage” or “rebuilt” which have gone through major accidents and repairs. Therefore, a VIN check tells you about the current title of the motorcycle so that you don’t end up buying one whose repair cost is higher than its actual value.

3. 5. Nation of Origin and Manufacturer Mostly, a motorcycle’s VIN is located on the steering neck of the motorcycle or on front frame rails. The VIN is a seventeen digit string that can be considered as the fingerprint or social security number of a vehicle. Each digit of a VIN number reveals some important information about the vehicle such as the first and second digits tells you about the nation of origin and manufacturer details. Bottom Line Getting a VIN number check done isn’t the only thing that you must do when buying a motorcycle. It’s advisable that you take a test drive and have your vehicle inspected by a professional. You must proceed with the negotiations only when you have checked all the important details about the vehicle. Getting a VIN check can also help you negotiate better with the seller and get a better deal.