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I'm currently browsing around for a non-running moped to do up with my teenager who's showing interest in such practical things - point being that we fix something up and he gets the benefit of a runaround when we're done.
Thing is, there seem to be loads around that say "no V5", and I can't think of any reason for this other than it being stolen.
Any other reasons which might make me show an interest in them? And, if so, how difficult is it to get a new v5?
Do you really want a stolen bike with no v5?
Just get an HPI check done, and make sure no VIN numbers are scraped off/hidden etc
Think you need a V62 and about £25. Do the checking that Airvent mentioned first though
Matt - no, I really don't! I'm kind of bemused at how many there seem to be, and wondered if there might be any good/valid reason for a V5 to be missing, or are there really that many stolen bikes around...
If you scrap a vehicle, does it have its V5 revoked?
I’m kind of bemused at how many there seem to be, and wondered if there might be any good/valid reason for a V5 to be missing
Of course. Teenager moves out 20 years ago. Bike sits in shed. V5 lost. Nobody can be arsed. House may have changed hands with bike in shed.
Yep, that would fit. These aren't old bikes, in the main though.
Still, good to hear one good reason, besides "I lost it, and can't be bothered to get a new one sorted out".
Sometimes, people are crap at keeping things safe, and mislay them.
This could happen with v5s, however, I'd suspect in this case, it's far, far more likely that the moped had been mislaid.
See also: Golf Rs and Land Rovers.
Barge pole....
DVLA advise is to never buy a vehicle without seeing the V5. True you can apply for a new one but if it’s going to be used on the road you won’t be able tax it till the V5 turns up.
No V5 might mean the seller hadn’t got the owners permission to sell it.
Or more likely that it’s been nicked
You see it tons of times on FB ads and most times, it's stuff that's probably not stolen- adverts with service history, valid MOT, number plates visible, all that stuff.
I was trying to write this without sounding like a dick, but I can't- basically, facebook sellers on average are pretty bloody stupid. Absolute incoherent ads, terrible pictures, missing or wrong information... You can say quite rightly that it's easy to apply for a V5 so why wouldn't you, but when you're dealing with someone that can't even be bothered to clean it or take all the crap out of the footwells before putting it up for sale, that's why.
Then, multiply that by moped owners, a demographic you can succesfully market to by calling your product Speedfight.
What age bike are you looking for, at what price, and what area are you in?
I got given a motorbike that was in the garage of a house a mate bought, he gave the previous house owner multiple opportunities to collect it but never heard anything. No V5. Got a V62, paid the fee, now have a V5 in my name.
Think you can do it all online/over the phone now though due to Covid!
Just a word of warning on the whole V62 thing - I had to do one after the DVLA lost a change of ownership when I changed cars earlier in the year. Took about 9 weeks because DVLA were only dealing with "essential enquiries". I suspect they've got a backlog of post of somewhat biblical proportions from lockdown 1.
I had the green slip when I sent mine off, that process is quicker than the "nothing at all" option.
I know because I have sometimes had to deal with the "nothing at all" option in a work capacity.
No way I'd buy a no V5 vehicle in the current world and certainly not a moped. These days if you are the registered keeper and not moved address then you can get a replacement V5 using an online or automated phone system. There's not much excuse if you're selling up for not doing that.
We see it a lot in track bikes, bikes with blank frames from manufacturers, bikes that are written off etc... But in a 'road' context it's quite rare and as above, i'd be very very wary of any road bike without a V5.
Thanks all, for the helpful responses - as I thought, it's quite suspicious, so I'll leave anything without a V5 well alone.
There's no rush, I want something as a project that fadda Jr and I can strip down and fix up as a father and son thing - he's showing an interest in this kind of stuff and it will be fun. I don't need to rush into anything that's potentially dodgy, and don't want to spend a small fortune on something that could end up being some kind of ownership headache.
Duckers - not fussed on age, particularly, small budget (say couple of hundred quid for a decent condition non-runner) and I'm in South Wales.
Cheers all