One from Two - Progress / Registration Papers

[nickwin100]

Hello all,

I've not posted anything for a while. So thought I'd let you know an update of my (slow - don't get as much time as I'd like) progress of making one RE5 from the two I have here in UK that were imported by a dealer as parts bikes for others he also imported & sold on.

Progress....
Well, the first bike I stripped-down a while back & posted some questions along the way. I was left with a seized engine proper unit that I discovered had a core plug missing. I have now freed the rotor but 2 of the rotor tip seals are still stuck down & there is a brown gunge inside. Due to the gunge & the core plug being missing, I am assuming I'll not be able to reuse this engine. Any comments from anyone on this (causes, likelihood of fixing etc) would be welcome. One of you kindly commented before that you thought the cooling system water could have frozen popping the core plug - could this also have cause the brown gunge inside the rotor chamber?

The second bike is now stripped down except for the engine main assembly that is currently sitting in the frame awaiting further dismantling & removal. Whilst this (spare) bike was purchased entirely for spares for the rebuild of the other bike, as I have been dismantling it I have found, under all the grease & grime, that it is in fact in better condition than the main (restore) bike. The engine turns over nicely & has good compression.

Here a link to some pics (all of the strip-down so nothing exciting so far)
www.flickr.com/photos/nickwin100/sets/

I am now wondering if I should swap plans & restore the second bike. This way I can use all matching engine parts for the reassembled bike. The only problem is when I come to register the restored bike here in the UK I think I am going to have difficulty getting an age related registration plate. This is what I was wondering if any of you had experience of & may be able to offer some advice/comments on.

Registration papers......
I currently hold:
1) For the main bike - import paperwork (duty paid), sales invoice from importer, Certificate of Title from Pennsylvania Department of Transport in USA.

2) For the spare (currently parts) bike - same as above except I DO NOT have any Certificate of Title.

I have found the two bikes on the registry that Tonny has posted on his website, the engine numbers & frames numbers match.

My questions are:
- Do I need a Certificate of Title from USA for the spare bike to obtain an age related registration plate in UK?
- If I do, is there any way I can obtain one (I have friends who live in USA if that helps in some way)?

Any comments/guidance will be most welcome.

Nick

[maleric]

I do not know what type of documentation you will need in the UK in order to register the bike.
In the US there is a service called Title Service. I have never used one successfully. The way it works is someone else (the guy who runs the title service) is temporarily 'sold' the bike with a handwritten bill of sale, and he registers the bike and applies for a title. As soon as he gets the title, he signs it and mails it back to you. It only works because different states have different title requirements (further complicated by the fact that it depends on the year of manufacture of the bike). In my case, I live in NY and some guy in Nevada has a title service. But he was never able to get the service to work for me because he also required insurance cards for the bike. And the NY insurance cards come in two varieties: temporary and permanent. Neither fully met the requirements of the Nevada insurance card requirement due to the wording on the cards. So I was out of luck. I could try another service, but that particular bike does not have front brakes, and until I get around to fixing it, there is no need for the title - however, I have another RE5 with a title, but a seized engine. I might (someday) put the good engine in the titled frame - it is alot of work, but unless someone can recommend a specific title service in the US that will work for me, it might be my only option. If anyone else out there has a good Title Service story, then please post it including a website or address for the title service company. Good luck!

[mike500]

best way to find out is go into local D.V.L.A and ask them and take customs papers with you good luck

[nickwin100]

Thanks for the comments Maleric,

Very interesting.

Perhaps I can persuade my friend in Texas to try his hand at getting in touch with someone running a Title Service, just to see if there is any chance of getting a title document.

Nick

[nickwin100]

Thanks for the advice Mike500,

I will speak to DVLC. I have found them helpful on another bike I had but they wanted to see an MOT cert for the finished restored bike before giving a final decision on issuing an age related registration number. However, I have never asked them for help/advice in a situation like this before. I think I'll go & see them & see what they have to say.

Thanks again for the comments.

Nick

[suzukiclub]

Hi Nick coming along nicely,nows the bit where you spend money on the restore....we offer a dating service. email [e-mail] ....les

[mike500]

hi nick yes dvla will not issue any number plate without a current M.O.T or insurance certificate .you can M.O.T the bike useing the frame number hope this helps regards mike

[nickwin100]

Thanks Les, I may drop them a line.

[nickwin100]

Thanks Mike,
This is what I thought. I don't want to rebuild the bike only later to find, after I get an MOT, that I can't get a age related plate.
Thanks for confirming this.
Nick

[mike500]

hi nick dvla web sight says under 10 years old no proof of year = q plate but i think older stuff with records you can get year related plate i have a 1958 bsa on a year related plate even though it cam back into uk in 2000 they reged it according to bsa records hope this helps as well regards mike

[nickwin100]

Thanks Mike,
I'll probably ask Les' Suzuki Club group to help me & see if they can issue me with a dating/age confirmation letter & then pop along to DVLA for some advice.
Thanks again for the guidance.
Nick

[kettle738]

As previously said you will definitely need a dating certificate, MOT and insurance; as to the question of US title, ask Mike Worthington-Williams, he writes the 'unearthed' column in Old Bike Mart and his business is assisting people with DVLA related registration issues of all sorts and providing dating certificates etc.

It's pretty much guaranteed he will be able to answer your question straight away and assist you in obtaining the UK reg if you need it. He is probably the UKs leading expert on the subject.

Mick..................kettle738

[nickwin100]

Hi Mike (Kettle738),
Thanks for the comments about the dating certificate.
I'll let you all know how I get on.
Nick