Warning to trikes for sale in florida...

[TrikerDawg]

Those who are looking to purchase a trike and register it in Florida better take much care: Those selling them with a title that is issued from the MC VIN on the forks: this is illegal. Those selling a trike titles as a VW and using the VIN from the car: this is illegal. I was just with the Florida DMV getting my trike titled/registered and found out that all above is what they informed me of. A nonfactory trike (VW, Subaru, V8, V6, etc) must be registered as an ASPT MC. This means Assembled From Parts. The rules are numerous and I won`t go into them here, they are on the DMV Web Site.

SO: Buyer BEWARE!!!!! You will be unable to get a title to your newly
purchased trike, might even lose it to impounding (can't prove ownership), unless it has been titled as an ASPT. Don`t get burned, be careful.

Don (TrikerDawg)

 

[Gorilla]

Don I believe you are being partly mis-guided. F.S. 319 governs titles. If you were building a trike and using the title that came with the car the drive train or parts of the drive train came from then you are correct. Such as using a VW car title when you built a trike usung the engine and transaxle on a custom frame and body. that is assembled from parts which requires a new title with in

 

[Gorilla]

Sorry I was not done.

A Harley or a Honda that is made into a trike is still a Motorcycle that has been modified. It does not fall under assembled from parts. Now if the motorcycle was purchased with a rebuild or salvage title with it, then you would fall in the inspection and re-titled in Florida. I have done two of those as motorcycles not trikes. I think when they inspect the build if the drive train and frame are from the orginal title MC then it would not get a assembled from parts, but if they were not then it would. The trike kit should not have anything to do with it. If it has 2 or 3 wheels it still is a motorcycle.

 

[TrikerDawg]

tmigala,

A built trike falls under TL43: APPLICATION FOR A CERTIFICATE OF TITLE FOR A MOTOR VEHICLE, MOBILE HOME, MOTORCYCLE OR A TRAILER ASSEMBLED FROM PARTS

This is the rules from the Florida State Department of Motor Vehicles. I hit them with a ton of questions when I was at their office last week getting my trike registered/titled.

They are real strict about these builds due to stolen components and I just wanted to protect myself if I purchased another trike. Which I would like to do. The hardest item to abide by is having the VIN for the vehicle that the motor and transmission came out of. A required item.

Hope this helps clarify things. Don

 

[BlueTrinity]

Ted and Don,

I suspect you are both correct. The difference in Don's case is probably that he's working with a bike frame, modified with a former automobile frame and repowered by an automobile motor.

Not much question that Don's "motorcycle" (trike) is "assembled from parts" derived from several formerly vin numbered vehicles.

Whereas in Ted's illustration the motorcycle is being modified with a purpose designed, newly manufactured kit (an added accessory) to make the motorcycle a trike.

As always, a lot of what's required or how it is handled is dependent on the person you are dealing with at the DMV.

 

[Gorilla]

I was under the impression from what I read that Don was saying that a trike with a MC Vin on the frame fork area was illegal. I took that to mean he was saying if you modify your Harley or Honda with a trike kit that you had to re-title the vehicle. That is not correct. If he was not saying that then I agree with what he was saying about building a trike from other vehicles such as most VW builds.

 

[katfish16]

My CSC came with a "Statement of Origin" for the parts that were supplied by CSC,, However the clerk did not ask for it, her statement was it is still a motorcycle...3 wheels or less... I was happy she was happy..
this was done in Alabama....

 

[drumdoctor]

I bought my VW trike in 2009.
It came from Georgia and the GA DMV does NOT have ASPT titles.
They use whatever numbers that are on any part of your trike build.

When I went to my local DMV in Florida, they inspected my trike, verified all the numbers (the Vin on the front forks) and the factory numbers on the transmission and engine.
They sent all this info to Tallahassee and 30 minutes later, a new VIN number decal was created especially for my VW trike.
The DMV agent went outside and placed the decal on the front downtube where it is clearly visible.
So they took a standard, out of state title and created a Florida ASPT title.

1/2 half of the states now have ASPT titles and eventually ALL the states will go to ASPT titles.
This really cuts down on stolen parts and VIN confusion if you happen to get stopped by law enforcement.
If you have a homemade trike, built entirely from parts, and it is titled as a 1988 Yamasuki, there will be confusion and a LOT of questions if you get stopped.

A trike that is 5 ft. wide and 12 ft long and registered as some brand of motorcycle,
will surely make the police officer or state trooper, take a long, hard look at your trike and ask you a lot of questions.
If he is not convinced by your answers, then you can find yourself either detained, arrested and your ride impounded.
A few friends of mine went through this situation.
NOT FUN!