Just thought I’d give a brief account of my experience with the registration process of a “home built motorcycle” in Maryland and Maine.
It all started with a discussion between myself and a coworker about the resurgence in popularity of old bicycles. I remembered the old Schwinn panther my brother had had when we were kids. I was thinking how cool it would be to take a bike like that and put a small motor on it. I did a little searching and stumbled across this site. The idea soon formed itself into a plan. I decided to build a replica board track racer. In my area I can’t go a mile in ANY direction without encountering roads with 40mph+ traffic and I can’t stand riding the shoulder with vehicles whizzing by inches away at double my velocity. So I thought I would use an engine powerful enough to at least do 50 mph.
I checked into the Maryland laws regarding mopeds, scooters, motorcycles and the like and found that my engine choice would clearly be classified as a motorcycle. The Maryland Motor Vehicles Administration (MVA) had clearly defined requirements for the registration process specific to home built motorcycles. It is a four-step process: assignment of a VIN(after a police inspection), title, safety inspection, registration. Just to confirm, I called the MVA and the woman I spoke with confirmed what the website said. She said that I would need to bring the completed bike to the inspection center with application and required paperwork (receipts and certificates of origin) and they would assign a VIN. After that the rest of the process would be the same as any other motor vehicle.
So the decision having been made, I started ordering parts and the build began.
Fast forward several months.
With the bike about 95% complete, I phoned the MVA again and was connected to the folks who actually do the inspections. They recommended that I bring my paperwork in so they could review it before going to the effort of transporting the bike there. So I took my thick sheath of receipts to the inspection center and talked to the inspector. I didn’t really understand the concept of “certificates of origin” and didn’t have any, so that was an issue. Beyond that the inspector was concerned that I had no way to validate the safety of the frame and said he wasn’t sure there was anything he could do. He said he would consult his superior later and let me know, and he gave me his card. When I called back later in the day he told me there was no document of any kind that I could provide that would enable him to approve the bike and issue a VIN, no way, no how. He asked me if I had relatives in other states.
Having lived half my life in Maine and having several family members there, I looked into Maine’s requirements. Their process is a couple steps shorter: VIN assignment, and registration. No title is required for motorcycles less than 400cc. I called and spoke with a friendly staff member and told him EXACTLY what I was doing. He said that I would need to transport the bike to Maine and locate it where they could schedule and complete an inspection at their discretion. They come to you. I printed their application from the web and sent it in with receipts and a check for $33.
They sent it right back siting two reasons: I was not a Maine resident and I hadn’t provided “certificates of origin” for the major components of a motorcycle: motor, transmission, frame, and “front end” (fork). I called them back. They told me it would be absolutely no problem to have a family member apply for the VIN. I did some research on “certificates of origin”. For those of you that don’t know, it’s kind of a “pre-title” issued by the manufacturer of motor vehicles or major components that allows traceability to the manufacturer but with a lot less hassle than dealing with titles from state governments. The frame I could get waived with proof that I constructed it. The motor and transmission were one part. I contacted Monark and they said they had never been asked for a certificate but they would sign one for me if I provided a form. The ebay vendor for the motor wouldn’t answer my inquiries.
I found a vendor that sells blank certificate forms. Sounded a little shady but apparently completely legal. Rather spendy at $50 for two but I ordered them. I am very experienced/skilled at designing and completing forms and had no trouble printing the required information in the appropriate places on my office printer, complete with company logos for Zongshen and Monark. I sent the form to Monark and they signed it and sent it right back. Suzy Wong signed the other for me.
I trailered the bike to Maine and my brother in law completed and mailed the application. And it was sent right back. With a letter that said bills of sale for the major components were not included. I whipped up some bills of sale, transferring ownership of the parts to my brother in law, for a nominal price, and he resubmitted the application. And waited.
Meanwhile I sent a complaint email to the Maryland Attorney General’s office because they have a clear process for registration of home built vehicles that they refused to follow. The actually called back in a few days and asked for more information. They said they would investigate. They called back in a few more days and said that they would inspect my vehicle. Grrrr… Anyway, they didn’t say they would approve it, only that they would inspect it. This occurred after I had transported the bike to Maine so I thanked them and filed the info away under “plan B.”
I got a call from my sister saying that the inspection agent, a police detective had made an appointment to assign a VIN number. A day later the inspector showed up with the pre-made plate in hand. She and tons of curious (unanswered questions) about the build process and even took several pictures with her cell phone. She affixed the plate and was on her way. I expect the registration process to go smoothly and there is no safety inspection required.
Now my options are to leave it on a Maine registration for a while, then transfer ownership and register it in Maryland, or leave it on a Maine registration indefinitely.
It all started with a discussion between myself and a coworker about the resurgence in popularity of old bicycles. I remembered the old Schwinn panther my brother had had when we were kids. I was thinking how cool it would be to take a bike like that and put a small motor on it. I did a little searching and stumbled across this site. The idea soon formed itself into a plan. I decided to build a replica board track racer. In my area I can’t go a mile in ANY direction without encountering roads with 40mph+ traffic and I can’t stand riding the shoulder with vehicles whizzing by inches away at double my velocity. So I thought I would use an engine powerful enough to at least do 50 mph.
I checked into the Maryland laws regarding mopeds, scooters, motorcycles and the like and found that my engine choice would clearly be classified as a motorcycle. The Maryland Motor Vehicles Administration (MVA) had clearly defined requirements for the registration process specific to home built motorcycles. It is a four-step process: assignment of a VIN(after a police inspection), title, safety inspection, registration. Just to confirm, I called the MVA and the woman I spoke with confirmed what the website said. She said that I would need to bring the completed bike to the inspection center with application and required paperwork (receipts and certificates of origin) and they would assign a VIN. After that the rest of the process would be the same as any other motor vehicle.
So the decision having been made, I started ordering parts and the build began.
Fast forward several months.
With the bike about 95% complete, I phoned the MVA again and was connected to the folks who actually do the inspections. They recommended that I bring my paperwork in so they could review it before going to the effort of transporting the bike there. So I took my thick sheath of receipts to the inspection center and talked to the inspector. I didn’t really understand the concept of “certificates of origin” and didn’t have any, so that was an issue. Beyond that the inspector was concerned that I had no way to validate the safety of the frame and said he wasn’t sure there was anything he could do. He said he would consult his superior later and let me know, and he gave me his card. When I called back later in the day he told me there was no document of any kind that I could provide that would enable him to approve the bike and issue a VIN, no way, no how. He asked me if I had relatives in other states.
Having lived half my life in Maine and having several family members there, I looked into Maine’s requirements. Their process is a couple steps shorter: VIN assignment, and registration. No title is required for motorcycles less than 400cc. I called and spoke with a friendly staff member and told him EXACTLY what I was doing. He said that I would need to transport the bike to Maine and locate it where they could schedule and complete an inspection at their discretion. They come to you. I printed their application from the web and sent it in with receipts and a check for $33.
They sent it right back siting two reasons: I was not a Maine resident and I hadn’t provided “certificates of origin” for the major components of a motorcycle: motor, transmission, frame, and “front end” (fork). I called them back. They told me it would be absolutely no problem to have a family member apply for the VIN. I did some research on “certificates of origin”. For those of you that don’t know, it’s kind of a “pre-title” issued by the manufacturer of motor vehicles or major components that allows traceability to the manufacturer but with a lot less hassle than dealing with titles from state governments. The frame I could get waived with proof that I constructed it. The motor and transmission were one part. I contacted Monark and they said they had never been asked for a certificate but they would sign one for me if I provided a form. The ebay vendor for the motor wouldn’t answer my inquiries.
I found a vendor that sells blank certificate forms. Sounded a little shady but apparently completely legal. Rather spendy at $50 for two but I ordered them. I am very experienced/skilled at designing and completing forms and had no trouble printing the required information in the appropriate places on my office printer, complete with company logos for Zongshen and Monark. I sent the form to Monark and they signed it and sent it right back. Suzy Wong signed the other for me.
I trailered the bike to Maine and my brother in law completed and mailed the application. And it was sent right back. With a letter that said bills of sale for the major components were not included. I whipped up some bills of sale, transferring ownership of the parts to my brother in law, for a nominal price, and he resubmitted the application. And waited.
Meanwhile I sent a complaint email to the Maryland Attorney General’s office because they have a clear process for registration of home built vehicles that they refused to follow. The actually called back in a few days and asked for more information. They said they would investigate. They called back in a few more days and said that they would inspect my vehicle. Grrrr… Anyway, they didn’t say they would approve it, only that they would inspect it. This occurred after I had transported the bike to Maine so I thanked them and filed the info away under “plan B.”
I got a call from my sister saying that the inspection agent, a police detective had made an appointment to assign a VIN number. A day later the inspector showed up with the pre-made plate in hand. She and tons of curious (unanswered questions) about the build process and even took several pictures with her cell phone. She affixed the plate and was on her way. I expect the registration process to go smoothly and there is no safety inspection required.
Now my options are to leave it on a Maine registration for a while, then transfer ownership and register it in Maryland, or leave it on a Maine registration indefinitely.
