New to ATV's: Buying Used Mojave- No Title/No Vin Common in IL?
 

Hi everyone- first of all I am very new to the site, as well as very new to ATV's in general, and I could use some straightening out on this matter as I've had conflicting info given...
Im thinking about getting 99 Mojave on craigslist for $800, and they were going to deliver to me as well which seemed nice (im about an hour away, we're both in IL). Well everything was fine, quad looked good, said it ran well but was cold blooded, and they are throwing in extra tires, frame, & shocks (they said shocks would need replaced soon) -Honestly I am not sure whether that alone is a decent deal or not, so an opinion on that would be welcome too.
Anyway, real problem raised when I asked about a title: said they didn't have one, it wasnt necessary. Well, talking to a friend he said if I ever want to take it out to any parks or anything I'll need to have it registered and get a public access sticker. Said if the guy doesnt have a title I should get a bill of sale and have the guy email me the vin number so I could double check it wasnt stolen- when asked the guy about the vin and he got incredibly annoyed, said he works 12hr days and doesnt have time to check if it's even visible, and if the deal was off because of that then so be it... That's where we left off...
So please, as I am very new to all this any educated opinion would be so welcome and greatly appreciated! I really don't want to make another move before I hear some advice from someone who knows what's what and am stuck in a bind until then
Please let me know what you think, and thanks so much guys for helping this super-newbie! :thanks:
Also, here is the craigslist link for the guys ad incase it helps anything: https://peoria.craigslist.org/bar/4696776037.html

Welcome to the forums. :)

From the sounds of it, I'd stay away from this deal. Some states do require a title so you can get the registration stickers. Others will do it with a bill of sale. Some don't even require it at all. It's best to check with your dmv to get the correct details.

No title on an older quad isn't unusual. Not willing to work with someone who questions that is.

I wish there were a place the local law enforcement agencies had you could send ads like this for them to check out.

Illinois does require new atvs to have titles but years ago they didn't. The quad may not have been originally bought in Illinois either. Many states still do not require titles for atvs. I have a 2002 Honda Rancher ES 2x4 that was originally bought in Arkansas that does't have a title. It even has an Arkansas offroad sticker on it so it was taken to an atv park at some point in Arkansas. Yes with no title there is no way to ever 100% know if a quad at some point was stolen. If someone was going to steal one, I think a 99 Mojave would be pretty low on the list as it isn't worth that much. Honestly for about that much money, you can probably get a 300 ex which I'm sure would be a much better choice anyway. Not having a vin# is a bit of a red flag though, my vin# is still clearly visible on the frame. Having someone readily volunteer to deliver sounds nice but might indicate a real need to unload it quickly as well, another red flag. The owner seems to contradict themselves in saying they don't have time to check on a vin # but somehow they have time to deliver to someone living an hour away, doesn't exactly add up. Here's a nice 2004 400ex for $1200 in the Peoria area 2004 Honda 400ex if you haven't already bought anything. Looks like the only thing it needs is a new seat cover.