Automotive Blog

Finally, my new bike was home! If you read Parts 1 – 4 of this series (linked below), you already know how that happened. If you're just joining us now, you may want to read my previous posts about buying a salvage rebuilt motorcycle (linked below).

Now began the rain-forest-killing saga of getting New York State (NYS) paperwork done to get my salvaged bike registered. Even the lady at DMV cringed for me when I told her what I was up to. And I only needed six separate documents to get the first stage done. Here's a brief overview of the process, along with the corresponding NYS Forms.

1. 1. Fill out a Sale of Vehicle form (Form DTF-802)

2. Fill out the Salvage/Theft Inspection Application (Form MV-899)

3. Have a copy of the title - Texas Rebuilt Salvage Title (Form MV-907A)

4. Fill out the Vehicle Registration Application (Form MV-82)

5. Go to the NYS DMV and pay sales tax on the purchase and get proof of payment - Form FS-6T

6. Make a copy of my license

Thankfully, there was not a lien on the bike (MV-901), nor did I buy it from a dealer (MV-50). If I was also applying for the temporary transfer permit, I would have had to show Proof of NYS Safety Inspection and Proof of NYS Insurance Coverage (FS-20). So, I did manage to avoid filling out three more forms.

Once I put these six pieces of documentation into a priority envelope, added a check for $205 ($150 for the inspection, $50 for the new title issuance, and $5 because I had an out of state title – really…does NYS really need another $5 in this process?), I had to mail it to the Anti-Theft and Salvage Unit at Empire Plaza in Albany ($4.50 postage), indicating my top three choices of location to have the vehicle inspected (out of 14 locations state wide). And now it's time for the waiting game.

With the paperwork submitted and one document (a receipt for all the parts that Sue and Keith bought for the bike to get it to where it is right now – a speedometer/odometer, front turning signals, and Saddlemen leather saddlebags) in hand for the day of the inspection, I just had to sit and wait for my appointment, which was extremely frustrating because I just wanted to ride. From what the forms suggest, it appears that I cannot miss it if I ever want to get the bike registered. It sounds like an invitation to dinner with the president. If you miss it, you are not getting another one.

Lesson #5: This is not a fast process - especially when you screw it up

I completed and submitted my paperwork on August 5th. I had not heard anything by August 15th (Friday), so I called the DMV, just to ensure that everything was in order. I was told that they could connect me to the Salvage Department, but the S.D. doesn't take phone calls on Fridays or Mondays.

So, on Tuesday, 8/19, I began calling. I started at 11:00 am and called about every 10 to 15 minutes. Each time I dialed I received a busy signal, until 1:45 pm. After three minutes of automated menus, seven minutes of waiting to get through and then another four after I was transferred to the Salvage Department, I get the second worst news I could get: I didn't sign one spot on one of the forms, so they mailed them back the day before.

The only shred of good news was that if I enclosed the letter that they sent with my completed forms, I will move to the front of the queue. Still, it is silly delay, especially when I realized that the part I didn't sign was because the printer that printed the forms must have been low on ink and it just didn't show up and despite the overwhelming (and often redundant) amount of paperwork that needs to be handed in. After overnighting the newly signed form back to the DMV, the waiting game begins again!

Next Blog: Part 6 – The Anti-Theft and Salvage Inspection

Related Readings:

Part 1 - The Salvaged Motorcycle Odyssey
Part 2 - Good Economics or a Midlife Crisis?
Part 3 - Taking the Plunge is Not for Everyone
Part 4 - On the Road
Part 5 - Show Me the Money
Part 6 - Series in Review
Part 7 - The Anti-Theft and Salvage Inspect Unit
Part 8 - The Final Odyssey