Acquiring an MSO or Title With an Original Bill of Sale

2777 Views 2 Replies 1 Participant Last post by CaptainNonsense, Jun 21, 2018

CaptainNonsense

Discussion Starter · Jun 19, 2018

Bike: 2002 Suzuki DRZ400E
Problem: Need title or MSO to Start Street Legal Paperwork
State: Mississippi

A couple weeks ago I bought a 2002 Suzuki DRZ400 E from the original owner. Along with the bike, I received the original Bill of Sale (from the dealership), a Certificate of Vehicle Pre-Delivery, and a receipt for the original purchase. I also have a Bill of Sale between me and the original owner, but no title and no MSO.

I intend to convert the bike to street legal and get it plated, so I will need an MSO. I've listed my options below in the sequence I plan to use. If option 1 fails, I'll move on to option 2 and so forth.
1. Call the dealer and ask for the MSO
2. Call Suzuki and ask for a copy or a replacement MSO
3. Apply for a lost title with the local DMV (Mississippi) or attempt to get a title with existing paperwork.
4. Acquire a bonded title.
5. Buy a salvage frame and get a salvage title.
6. Buy a used frame or parts bike with a title or MSO.

Options 5 and 6 are only if I'm truly desparate and can find parts at a fairly low price (not likely). My questions to the forum are:
1. Have any of you done this before? What option worked for you?
2. Is there another means of titling the bike that I am missing?

I'd appreciate any of your feedback (good or bad). If you think I need to add more info, I'll be happy to do so.

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CaptainNonsense

Discussion Starter · #2 · Jun 19, 2018

Quick Update

UPDATE: I called the folks at the dealership, and they do not have an MSO for the bike and cannot get one since they are technically not the dealership that originally sold the bike. Sometime after the bike was sold, the original dealership was sold to a new owner, got a new name, and essentially became a new, separate dealership. The original dealership is out of business/no longer exists.

I also called Suzuki directly to see if someone there could help me. From my conversation with a customer service rep, I learned that Suzuki can issue replacement MSOs, but not for bikes more than 7 years old. After 7 years, Suzuki disposes of the paperwork for the bike, and that's it. My bike was made in 2002.

So now I'm down to dealing with the local DMV. I need to do some reading to see if filing for a lost title is an option, since this bike was probably never titled in the first place. I don't know if that will work.

Any advice I can get is appreciated. At the very least, I'll try to keep this thread updated as a reference for those who find themselves in similar situations.

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CaptainNonsense

Discussion Starter · #3 · Jun 21, 2018

Update 2

UPDATE: Called the Department of Revenue to make sure the VIN is clean. For those of you doing this before buying a bike, make sure you call the Department of Revenue first. The Highway Patrol, DMV, and Local Police Departments told me they don't do VIN checks.

According to the Department of Revenue, the bike has never been registered. They don't have any info on it, but I think no news is good news in this case. I also learned that I can get a title for it by filling out a Lost Title Form and paying a $9 fee, but the catch is that a new title can only be issued to the original purchaser. I have the original owner's contact info, so I'll call him today after work to see if I can get him to play ball.

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