In June I was shopping for a used motorcycle on EBay. Buying a big ticket item on Ebay can be risky business, so I was desperate to find a reliable motorcycle VIN history reporting service before I committed to the purchase. The only site I could find claiming to do this was CycleChex. I even saw links to CycleChex on sites such as NADAGuides.com which I consider a reputable source of information. This gave me a bit of confidence despite the fact that the CycleChex site appears less than professional.
What a mistake...
For my 20 dollars I received one report from ONE STATE (Tennesse in my case) simply reading "Your bike [VIN] is clear." No history of ownership. No useful info at all. But at least I had a sense of relief that my VIN is clear.
Wrong.
After purchasing the "clear" bike I tried to title and register the bike in my state. And what do you know... The bike comes up as stolen in Tennesse—the same state in which I ran my CycleChex report. Some how the person I purchased the bike from flew under the radar and was able to register the bike in GA. His title was legit. Apparently I'm left with zero legal options. Buyer beware.
Not only did I loose what I paid for the bike, but I lost that money based on a CycleChex report. Be sure to read their "Terms of Use". They make no claim to the validity or accuracy of their report info. Turns out CycleChex is pretty much a one man operation. The guy should be called a scam artist.
Please don't use CycleChex. If there was ever a RipOff... This is it. Take my advice and check your VIN at your local DMV. That's the only way you'll know you can actually title/register your bike.
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