Ducati Sporting Club UK > General > Idle Chat > Help Please

[TP]

I may be buying a bike this weekend and I've never been through a private sale in the UK before so ... some advice would help please?

What do I need to do to transfer the registration?

Is someone like HPI Check ok for checking whether it's stolen, under finance etc?

What else?

Obviously I need to have insurance in place etc as well ...

Bit of a numpty question I know, but hey, I'm Johnny Foreigner ..

[Edited on 2-2-2005 by tp-996]

[cashburning748r]

Hi

Not much help im afraid but my recent purchase was alot easier when I used the AA online service. I got a response straight away and it told me everything I needed to know. Cost me around £35 and well worth every penny.

Good luck.

[madmav]

check obvious

frame and engine numbers!

cross ref with v5

if no v5 dont buy it unless you know them!

check for accident damage etc etc

Hpi check good idea but things do slip through the net!

all in all ask lots questions

hope this helps

[NBs996]

HPI Check is said to be authority, they have connections!
And they also offer a financial guarantee that the info they supply is accurate.

As for transfering the ownership, all the instructions are on the V5, it's all pretty simple.

[TP]

Nice one, thanks all ....

That will actually be two vehicles I'm buying this weekend, if the bike sale comes through

[Eamonn]

Page 5 of Feb 2005 edition of Which Magazine:

"Dont rely on a £40 car check to give you peace of mind when buying a second-hand car. The guarantees offered by the companies selling these services can lull you into a false sense of security"

Basically the HPI and AA type service just report back whatever the insurance company/Finance company/DVLA tell them - they don't verify it.

The magazine reported on a case where a chap had bought a G-reg Beemer for £2100, paid for the background check and everything was OK - or so he thought! Two months after buying it, he had problems with the steering and went to have it checked out only to be told by the mechanics that it had obviously had been in a head-on smash that had mangled the steering so badly it should never have been on the road!!

He sold it for spare parts, losing £1400 in the two months he owned it.

HPI said "We are satisfied that HPI accurately reflected the insurance history of the vehicle so the question of a claim [against HPI] does not arise".

"Which" comment that they still consider AA and HPI checks worthwhile, but its best to pay for an engineers assessment as well.


In bike terms - take along a knowledgeable friend who can check it out while you do the talking.

[TP]

Cool, thanks Eamonn.

[NBs996]

That's true Eamonn, the guarantee (for the write-off part at least) is only there if it was written off by an insurance company and therefor should be on the register. If it was just crashed, dragged home then sold on, then you're out of luck.

I've got their full T&C's somewhere if you want a copy tony?

[TP]

Originally posted by NBs996
That's true Eamonn, the guarantee (for the write-off part at least) is only there if it was written off by an insurance company and therefor should be on the register. If it was just crashed, dragged home then sold on, then you're out of luck.

I've got their full T&C's somewhere if you want a copy tony?

Nah, thats cool, thanks Nick. It's the best you're gonna get. Hopefully there will be enough signs on a naked bike to tell whether it's been down the road or not. If not, then they've done a good job fixing it up. I'll know if it's straight or not by riding it and taking my hands off the bar at a few different speeds.

It's a Desmo Due bike so it won't be the last time it gets a scratch on it I'm sure

[NBs996]

Just make sure it's not been abused by downshifting on full throttle!