Have you got stuck in a massive trouble buying a stolen dirt bike? If yes, don’t worry, my friend! Just keep on reading this article. Nowadays, though it’s pretty common to get into unexpected hassles after buying a stolen dirt bike, here, I’m going to show you 5 effective ways that will dramatically help you avoid buying a stolen dirt bike.
So, without further ado, let’s get straight down the business!!!
Well, If you knowingly buy a stolen dirt bike and later are investigated by a police officer, be prepared to be arrested as a suspected thief on the spot. Even if you buy a stolen bike unknowingly, you may also likely be charged with a crime and you have to return the bike to its rightful owner. Sounds unfair, right? As you didn’t know the bike was stolen while buying it. But, unfortunately, you will lose both your bike and money at a time.
What Are The Common Problems With A Stolen Dirt Bike?
Some common problems that you might face are discussed below:
- The first problem you might face is- the authority will seize the bike and return it to its original owner or the insurance company. As the ordinary rule is, stolen goods stick around the property of the original owner.
- You may also be accused of using stolen goods if you knowingly buy the stolen bike. The original owner or the insurance company may also charge against you for using the bike. That’s not fair, right? But, you did wrong using it when it wasn’t yours. In the same way, if the original owner or their insurance company notices any kind of depreciation due to your usage of the bike, you may compensate for the depreciation to them.
- You can only escape from this situation if you can represent a document signed between you and the seller. Honestly speaking, you can claim the seller for your losses and would be entitled to get a full refund from the seller. But this task is quite difficult if you bought your bike from a person who is unknown to you or only gave you his phone number and now he is nowhere found.
How to Check If a Dirt Bike is Stolen?
New dirt bikes are so expensive and that’s why many riders prefer to go for used or second-hand dirt bikes.
People can buy used dirt bikes for almost half of the original price. But buying used bikes is very risky as they can be stolen by the sellers.
The terrifying thing is if you buy a stolen bike, you may have to go through some hassles with the police or authority. You may even be arrested at any time, which is pathetic. Isn’t it?
That’s why we have prepared this step-by-step informational guide to help you avoid this kind of unexpected trouble. Try to follow these steps properly before buying a used dirt bike:
Do You Need to Worry About Buying a Stolen Dirt Bike?
The biggest trouble with a used dirt bike you can face is that the bike may be stolen. If you buy the stolen bikes you are more likely to be accused of theft of property by the police.
So, you will surely get into lots of trouble for this, particularly, if you can’t prove yourself innocent.
But, the most common case is you will nowhere find the seller from whom you bought the used bike. He will also hide the evidence and flee from you.
How To Avoid Buying A Stolen Bike:
Before meeting the seller, you need to do a few things to get an idea about the seller and the bike. In this case, the most important thing is to trust your gut feelings, that is to say, try to figure out if there is any suspicion in your mind.
But, if you have a little suspicion, you can still meet the seller and only then you will be able to make a clear decision about the bike.
So, we would highly recommend you to go through the following steps carefully to help yourself not to buy a stolen bike:
1. Check The Ad:
The seller should add enough details to his ad about his bike. If any seller truly wants to sell a bike online, he will try his best to explain his ad in the most appealing way to the buyers. He won’t try to hide anything from anyone.
So, if you don’t find anything such as details about the bike, the seller’s basic details like a phone number or email, and the condition of the dirt bike, proving that he knows nothing about the bike as it was stolen. So you should be suspicious.
2. Check The Seller:
If you have any kind of suspicion about the ad, you should try to search the seller’s address or phone number for other listings. If you get any more suspicious listings, then be conscious.
Another method you can follow to know if the seller is reliable or not is to do some searching about him. You can gather some knowledge about him on the internet such as Google, Instagram, or Facebook. Try to understand what type of person he seems to be and if he sold stolen bikes before or not.
3. Check the Serial:
Before you meet up with the seller you can ask him for the serial number through phone or email. Most serial numbers remain under the frame on the bottom bracket shell. And, remember, no bike goes without a serial number. So, if your seller can’t provide you any, be suspicious.
4. Check the Bike:
If you don’t find anything suspicious about the bike, you can meet with the seller. Make sure if the bike that is in front of you is that one advertised online.
Match the info given on ads and follow your intuitions about the gestures of the seller. Most sellers are honest, but if it seems too good to be true, there may be obvious suspicion. Right?
5. Check The VIN Of The Dirt Bike:
The VIN of a dirt bike is a 17-digit number. This number will help you know whether the used dirt bike is stolen or not. So, ask the seller for this number.
Additionally, the VIN will provide you with lots of effective information about the dirt bike for example age, where it is bought from, if it is stolen, and many more.
Aside from this, you can check the VIN, etc on some websites like Stolenregister.com and motorbike riders.com.au. From these websites, you can easily export all the data that help you find useful information about the bike.
Is It Illegal To Buy A Stolen Bike?
Of course, it is illegal and you will obviously be arrested on the spot or accused of theft as soon as the police stop you for investigation. You don’t have any legal right to keep it.
How Do I Recover My Stolen Dirt Bike?
The first thing you need to do is you must report the theft to the police instantly. The quicker you inform the police, the quicker they can search for your dirt bike and they can trace your dirt bike quickly.
What To Do If You Find A Stolen Bike?
Follow these simple steps after finding a stolen bike:
- Report to the police about the theft as soon as possible and provide the police with the details as much as possible.
- Report on well-known websites about theft.
- Inform the theft in your local community.
- Post on your social media community to let people know about the theft.
Can You Call The Police For A Stolen Bike?
Yes, if your bike is stolen, call your local police department immediately to inform them what happened and also file a police report.
Can You Go To Jail For Buying Stolen Property?
Buying or receiving stolen property like a bike is a punishable crime. You can even go to the county jail for up to one (1) year and it is also a California “wobbler” offense, if: It is worth more than nine hundred fifty dollars ($950).
Where Stolen Dirt Bikes Are Sold?
Thieves often try to sell their stolen bikes through sites such as eBay, Gumtree, Craigslist, etc. You can check out the listings on these sites to find stolen bikes.
What Happens If You Unknowingly Buy A Stolen Bike?
Though you buy a stolen bike unknowingly, you may be accused of the suspicion of theft of property. As you won’t be able to show the original documents of your bike to the police. So, you will lose the bike and money.
How Many Bikes Are Stolen Per Year?
A statistic shows that on average, over 188,500 bicycles are stolen every year in the United States. But you will be shocked by hearing the number of unreported dirt bike thefts.
Final Words:
By now, it’s been crystal clear to you that it is pretty essential to keep your dirt bike secure. In this post, I have mentioned some easy and quick methods to help you avoid buying a stolen dirt bike. So always bear in mind and try to follow these effective ways and have a safe and nice ride all the time.
And if you have some other questions, let us know in the comment box below.
