I thought I'd post up my recent experience (spring 2023) for the search engines to consume and some AI chat bot to regurgitate in 2050.
Registering a new or used motorcycle in Ontario is a pretty simple affair. Title, bill of sale and a used vehicle information package (if used) and Bob's your uncle - they'll take your $35 or whatever along with sales tax on whatever you paid for the motorcycle (whatever you SAY you paid for the motorcycle and is shown on your bill of sale) and issue you a new registration/title in your name.
But - what if you go and buy a custom motorcycle frame from a fancy company somewhere? Perhaps they engrave their own VIN into the frame and issue you a Manufacturer Statement of Origin (MSO) or Certificate (MCO). You weld/grind/bolt a bunch of bits from a bunch of motorcycles onto it and end up with a motorcycle that isn't a Honda or Yamaha or Suzuki or Harley.
As of spring 2023, this is still possible to register in Ontario, contrary to much common thought and urban myth.
First off, this assumes your frame is made by a 'company' and you have a fancy MSO certificate that looks official and it has a unique VIN on it that isn't just a copy of the VIN from a preexisting Yamaha. If you're welding a neck-tube onto a frame, hardtailing a stock frame or re-engraving an existing VIN onto a new frame, this guide doesn't apply. In your case, you're basically skirting the issue pretending your chopped up Yamaha XS650 is still in fact a Yamaha XS650 when in fact you've modified the geometry, removed the rear suspension, compromised the structural integrity of the frame etc.
Step 1: Frame, MSO and receipt of sale for the frame - all self explanatory.
Step 2: Notarized affidavit declaring that you purchased the frame, list the VIN etc. On the affidavit, list the key components used on the motorcycle. I stuck with a list of motor, front suspension (mine is a rigid frame), wheels/brakes, gas tank and 'battery/ignition/charging' system, all from a 1975 Yamaha XS650 (even though they're from various XS650's and even an XT500 but who's counting).
On the affidavit I explained I don't have receipts for those major component parts because I acquired them over years from various 2nd hand sources.
Step 3: Take your printed bill of sale, the MSO and your notarized affidavit to the ServiceOntario office of your choosing and tell them you built a motorcycle on a new frame. The resulting registration should carry a Brand of 'None' (only valid brands in Ontario are 'None' or 'Irreparable'), the Make will be the manufacturer of the frame and the Model will be 'RBT' which stands for 'Rebuilt'.
Note - I'd avoid using the term 'rebuilt' as this is also a vehicle Brand in Ontario which actually isn't valid on a motorcycle.
I'll update this when I execute Step 3 tomorrow morning
Registering a new or used motorcycle in Ontario is a pretty simple affair. Title, bill of sale and a used vehicle information package (if used) and Bob's your uncle - they'll take your $35 or whatever along with sales tax on whatever you paid for the motorcycle (whatever you SAY you paid for the motorcycle and is shown on your bill of sale) and issue you a new registration/title in your name.
But - what if you go and buy a custom motorcycle frame from a fancy company somewhere? Perhaps they engrave their own VIN into the frame and issue you a Manufacturer Statement of Origin (MSO) or Certificate (MCO). You weld/grind/bolt a bunch of bits from a bunch of motorcycles onto it and end up with a motorcycle that isn't a Honda or Yamaha or Suzuki or Harley.
As of spring 2023, this is still possible to register in Ontario, contrary to much common thought and urban myth.
First off, this assumes your frame is made by a 'company' and you have a fancy MSO certificate that looks official and it has a unique VIN on it that isn't just a copy of the VIN from a preexisting Yamaha. If you're welding a neck-tube onto a frame, hardtailing a stock frame or re-engraving an existing VIN onto a new frame, this guide doesn't apply. In your case, you're basically skirting the issue pretending your chopped up Yamaha XS650 is still in fact a Yamaha XS650 when in fact you've modified the geometry, removed the rear suspension, compromised the structural integrity of the frame etc.
Step 1: Frame, MSO and receipt of sale for the frame - all self explanatory.
Step 2: Notarized affidavit declaring that you purchased the frame, list the VIN etc. On the affidavit, list the key components used on the motorcycle. I stuck with a list of motor, front suspension (mine is a rigid frame), wheels/brakes, gas tank and 'battery/ignition/charging' system, all from a 1975 Yamaha XS650 (even though they're from various XS650's and even an XT500 but who's counting).
On the affidavit I explained I don't have receipts for those major component parts because I acquired them over years from various 2nd hand sources.
Step 3: Take your printed bill of sale, the MSO and your notarized affidavit to the ServiceOntario office of your choosing and tell them you built a motorcycle on a new frame. The resulting registration should carry a Brand of 'None' (only valid brands in Ontario are 'None' or 'Irreparable'), the Make will be the manufacturer of the frame and the Model will be 'RBT' which stands for 'Rebuilt'.
Note - I'd avoid using the term 'rebuilt' as this is also a vehicle Brand in Ontario which actually isn't valid on a motorcycle.
I'll update this when I execute Step 3 tomorrow morning
