How to Know if a Used Dirt Bike Is Stolen Before You Buy?

For many people, buying new dirt bikes can be a very big financial problem because of the so expensive price that new dirt bikes require, so they go for used dirt bikes because a lot of used dirt bikes can be bought for half of the original price.

But with that, buying used bikes has a pretty big risk that many riders are not even aware of, the biggest risk is buying used bikes that are stolen by the seller and just to sell to make money. Know that there are tons of sellers who sell stolen bikes and the worst thing is that once you buy a stolen bike, you automatically get into trouble with the police to the point of even being arrested, which is very dangerous.

And because of that, I prepared you this guide to show you all the steps you need to execute before you buy used dirt bikes.

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Enduro bike rider on action. Turn on sand terrain

Why You Need to Worry about Buying a Used Dirt Bike that was Stolen?

The biggest danger of buying used dirt bikes is that they might be stolen, and if you buy them stolen, you can be accused by the police for theft of property which can complicate you, especially if you have no proof that you are not guilty. In most cases, the seller who sold you the used bike will hide evidence and even flee to the point that you will never find him.

And because of that, it’s very important that you follow and read all the steps in this guide, I even recommend you write them on a page so that you have a ready list for all the things you need to do to make sure the used dirt bikes you buy aren’t stolen.

Things you should check before you meet the seller (that give you an idea if the used dirt bike stolen)

Before you even choose to meet the seller, there are a few things you need to do to get an idea of the seller and the bike, and here, it is very important to trust your gut feelings if they should have a certain suspicion. Also, if there is a little suspicion, that doesn’t mean you can’t meet the seller, it is still good to meet the seller, and only then you can decide clearly, but it is very important that you go through all the following steps before you meet the seller.

The seller suggests that you meet in a public place

One of the most common things that happen to sellers who steal a bike is that they do not want you to know where they live so that if you later find out that the used dirt bike is stolen, you will not know where he lives and you will not be able to find him.

If the seller wants to make an appointment with you in public, you automatically must not agree with him and insist that you meet at his house, and if the seller insists, you should not even risk it and just give up and not buy from the seller.

Is the price too good to be true?

The number one thing that should turn on a red light bulb is if the price is very low compared to the high quality you get in dirt bikes, and why is it dangerous? This is because most thieves are looking to sell the bike they stole the fastest way, so they put a very low price tag on it. Though it is sometimes okay if the price is relatively cheap, but if the price is super cheap with a few thousand dollars differentials even from the original model, this is something you might suspect. So, you must do your research and check what the original price of the bike is.

In addition, there are times when the price of the used bike will be very cheap, but this should be a very old bike, so you also have to pay attention to this.

Does the ad lack detail?

If there is nothing in the seller’s ad that goes into detail about the dirt bike and also about himself, or at least the seller basic details, such as a phone or an email, this should be a suspect mainly because it shows that the seller doesn’t know anything about the bike because it was stolen.

Because of this, it is important that there should be enough detail and investment in the ad, the seller needs to provide details such as the year he bought the model, the condition of the dirt bike and a little about himself, of course, phone or email.

Investigate about the seller

Another thing that will help you to know whether the seller is trustworthy or not is to do some searching about him; you can search him on the internet to know little about him, such as Google, Instagram or even Facebook to see his history of who he seems to be and to know if he has been selling stolen bikes or not.

Make sure there are pictures of the dirt bike to be sold

A lot of thieves don’t want to post a photo of the stolen dirt bikes so that they won’t risk themselves because the owner can come across the ad and see the photo of the bike. Also, make sure the photo in the ad is real and not fake; you can even ask that the photo should be taken from some angles to make sure it is not fake.

Check the VIN number of the dirt bike

For those who do not know what the VIN number of a dirt bike is, it is a 17-digit number that helps you to know if the used dirt bike is stolen or not, so you need to ask the seller for this number.

In addition, the VIN number gives you a lot of information about the dirt bike such as age, where it is bought, if it is stolen, who originally bought the bike and more, and can be checked on several websites on the internet. Below are the best 2 sites to check VIN number:

Stolenregister.com– For me, this site is the best for VIN checking. It allows you to search all VIN of dirt bikes.

motorbikeriders.com.au/ – At motorbike riders, you can export all dirt bike VIN numbers to help you find information about the bike.

Ask the seller questions

After going through important details and while you meet the seller, ask the seller questions about the dirt bike and it is very important to remember everything he tells you, I personally would even recommend that you bring a friend to help you. It is very important that you ask all the following questions and note his form of speech and behavior because it will help you to know if he is lying to you and if the dirt bike is stolen.

Question 1 – How long has the dirt bike been used? – The first question you need to start with is to ask the seller for how long the dirt bike was used. When the seller answers, notice if his response does not really match his answer, for example, if the seller tells you he has been using the dirt bike for 9 years, but there is no scratch or hit on the bike. You should suspect because there is no such thing as an old used bike that will not have at least one scratch or hit.

Question 2 – Where was the dirt bike bought? – After asking the seller how long he used the bike, the next thing to ask immediately is where he bought the bike. It is important that you ask the seller the name of the store or company where he bought the dirt bike and if you see that the seller stutters or tells you he forgets or doesn’t even have a receipt of all this, this should automatically give you more suspicion that the bike was stolen.

Question 3 – When was the last fix? – The next thing you ask is when last was the dirt bike repaired and pay attention to the seller’s behavior and manner of speech after asking the question, and if his form of speech seems suspicious and unsafe, you should suspect.

Question 4 – Ask about the routine general maintenance done – When it comes to the general maintenance of the dirt bike, it is important that you pay attention to the seller to suspect if it is a stolen bike and ask the seller to dig as deep as possible. For example, if the seller tells you that he maintains the dirt bike every few months, ask him what parts of the bike, where the new parts are, and more, to know if the bike is stolen.

In general, it is very important to always dig and delve into your question and even ask personal questions to get a clue. If the seller looks suspicious, I do not recommend you buy from him because it is better not to take a risk, but in an important cases, you should listen to your gut feelings.

Document the process of buying the dirt bike

The most common mistake a lot of people make is not documenting the purchase of dirt bikes. Not documenting your purchase can complicate you because you never know if you fell into a VIN scam or the police department in charge of a stolen car report actually filed their report, or if the person from whom the bike was stolen even knows it’s gone.

To document the buying process, there are 2 ways you can do it:

1 – Get a Sales Deed – A Sales Space is a contract you have for the seller who agrees that you will record the sale and all-important details. This is a very simple thing and should not be complicated, simply make sure there are basic details such as phone, seller’s ID, driver’s license and address, and lastly, the bill of sale which was a super important thing because if you found out that the bike was stolen, it would just save you.

2 – Record your purchase with a hidden camera – Another way is to record the sale with a hidden camera. This may be very odd for some people at first but bear it in mind that if you discover after a time that the dirt bike is stolen, you had a weapon (video) that you will show the police that you are not guilty. A video can even help you get through the deal and go through the questions you asked the seller, looking at the seller if he acted suspiciously.

Now, about a hidden camera, I would recommend you to use this camera. I was shocked to see the price of the best two hidden cameras on Amazon, so cheap.