Newbie from Ohio

[GeorgeKillianLett]

Let me start off by saying Awesome forum! You guys make all the difference in the world between here and the other 650 sites!

Enough Brown Nosing! I'm mechanically inclined, mostly motors, transmissions and brakes on older trucks. If I can see it, I can figure it out or go down trying!

A few quick questions to get me started.
I've been searchine ebay, Craig's List and Yakaz for the donor bike and I am reading as much as I can in the forums. I'll pick up a manual when I finally find a bike or is there a manual that covers all years?

1. What is a decent price to pay? It seems like in this area, everything is between $1000.00 and $1300.00 yet I read about good finds @ $400.00 to $500.00, am I just not patient enough and need to keep looking? (following Classified thread here as well)

2. How hard is it in Ohio to title a non-titled bike? Is it better to pay extra for a titled bike and leave the mess to the more experienced or bite the bullet for the better deal?
If I go untitled, is it better to get it back to working condition and pass inspection or go staight for the modifications and take the beating to get it titled afterwards? (I would like it to stay vintage as upposed to a 2012 build title)

3. Last question, may not make sense but I want to build a boardtracker and I am interested in the Voodoo Vintage MK6a frame. This being said, is there a particular year that works best for this kind of build? (Forks, rims and tires) or it doesnt matter since I'm drifting too far from stock and I just need the title and motor.

Thank you all in advance for your advice! I hope to start being a regular around here!

 

[xHolepunchx]

Welcome to the forum!

If I can throw in my 2 cents...

On the price, I see these bikes going for between $1000-1500 around Northeastern Ohio. I have purchased 3 of these bikes in the last 3 years. Craigslist has been the best place (personal opinion) to locate them and parts. My first bike was an '80 Special, the owner advertised it as having a "clear" title, but I later found out upon trying to transfer the title that it had skipped owners twice and made the title a useless piece of paper and the bike essentially became an oversize paperweight. I fought to gain a title by going through the legal process with the Ohio Highway Patrol, and eventually had to file a suite with the Cleveland Clerk or Courts to have the state issue me a new title. I paid $800 for that bike and over $150 for filing fees only to have the state send me a letter 3 months later telling me despite possession of the bike and a bill of sale that they didn't have enough information/evidence to grant me a title. NEVER buy a bike without a title in Ohio unless you only need it for parts.

My other two bikes I picked up for $600 and $800, both titled and running bikes. Each person selling them was asking a grand, but I pulled out a page from the Blue Book and used that as leverage. Sometimes that works, some guys don't budge. If you play your cards right you can get a running bike in good shape for a great deal, just be patient. My girlfriend and I spent a month last spring looking at over 10 bikes before we found what we considered good values. However, take into account what might have been done to the bike. Expect to pay a lot more for a clean/rehabbed bike with a freshly restored engine opposed to a bike that is still in relatively original shape. This has been my experience anyway! Best of luck in your hunting and building!

 

[GeorgeKillianLett]

Thanks xHolepunchx! I appreciate your 2 cents, you told me what i needed to hear. I'm just antsy and in a hurry to get a project going and I need to slow down and take my time to look.