not so easy rider

February 25, 2009 8:45 AM

Can I legally sell/give away a discarded motorcycle for parts without being the registered owner? I am in Quebec.

I have in my possession a vintage Suzuki A 100 motorcycle that was recently discarded (officially) by its owner. Important detail: the bike is still in perfect running shape.

Can I sell/give away the bike "for parts" without having to transfer the registration over to the prospective buyer? The registered owner is out of the Provence and has no problem with me doing getting rid of it (it has been "scrapped" legally with the govt). If the bike is explicitly sold for parts can I legally sell/give it away with out having to switch the title? I really want the thing out of my garage. I can't seem to find any info online.

posted by hector horace to Law & Government (3 answers total)

This will change from state to state, but this California-specific page might offer starting point ideas. Go to the bottom, where it mentions salvage or junked vehicles.
posted by coolguymichael at 12:29 PM on February 25, 2009

Rereading, I realize I didn't answer your question. It will still vary from state to state, but in my experience the answer is, "No, you'll need to get a title and officially transfer ownership."

Of course, you could always just sell it as-is (unofficial cash transaction) and let the next owner worry about getting the title (or not).
posted by coolguymichael at 12:32 PM on February 25, 2009

I asked my cousin who owns about four motorcycles and has a lot of experience buying and selling motorcycles. He said you can (legally) sell the motorcycle for whatever reason you want. The cops are not going to come to your house and fine/arrest you.
posted by ascetic at 7:02 PM on February 25, 2009