Why remove engine number from casing?

[julianl]

I have half a CG125 engine (one casing missing) that I was given with a bike I bought recently. The bike is a Honda XR125L (which uses the CG125 engine) but this bike has a Chinese CG125 clone. Previous seller wanted to put a Honda engine back in the bike and bought a replacement engine, but used the casing off it on his commuter CG. He lost interest in the project and put it all on eBay after a couple of years sat in his shed, where I bought it. I too would like to put a Honda engine back in the bike, nothing against Lifan.

So I've been looking at lots of CG125 engine casings on eBay. The vast majority I've seen have had their engine number removed. Why do this? I can't think of a legitimate reason to do this, but I'm still fairly new to bikes. Is there a good reason? All I can think of is to hide the identity of the engine, and the first reason to do that which comes to mind, is because the engine is stolen. Even if there was a legal reason to do this, I don't see how you could tell the DVLA that the replacement engine you've fitted to the bike doesn't have a serial number. I don't intend to neglect to tell the DVLA about an engine swap, like the owner that fitted the Chinese engine did (my V5C says the bike has a Honda JC30E engine fitted). I don't know what the sellers think people would do with an engine with no serial number if it can't legally be used on the road.

I've contacted a bike breakers company (not someone doing this part time, a proper registered company) who are selling via eBay that has two possibly suitable casing sets for sale, one set with a serial and one without, asking for them to confirm that the set with the serial number has an undamaged serial number (I've seen a casing where the serial number had been modified to a different number and their photo is unclear), and to ask the specific model of the CG125 engine the casings are from (there are several variants, you can tell by the first part of the serial number which variant it is). But they are ignoring me, it's been almost a week.

I will not buy something I think is stolen, and I don't want to blindly buy a casing that may not work with the internals I have, at least not for the price the 'no reply' breakers are asking. I would probably take the risk (of it being the wrong model) if the price was lower (and they confirmed it had a serial number that hadn't been tampered with). What would people recommend I do? Just keep looking? I didn't think this would be so hard. It's easier getting replacement parts for the 1970 CB350 I'm restoring than it is for a 15 year old bike using an engine that was produced in hundreds of thousands.

Anyone have a JC30E (or possibly a JC27E) casing (or possibly whole engine if cheap enough) they want to sell? Must have a serial number though!

[julianl]

A couple of examples...

I can't find the auction where the serial number had been tampered with, I think it might have finished.

[dynax]

Probably answered your own question, the spares market is huge, and these engines will probably fit or can be made to fit bikes that don't use roads, at least not the tarmac kind, off road bikes don't need to be registered, so buying stolen parts makes no difference,

[Mississippi Bullfrog]

That looks like they have simply covered the engine number with tape for the purposes of advertising on the internet. Like a lot of people hide their registration number on photos. It's to stop people using the numbers illegally.

[Six30]

That looks like they have simply covered the engine number with tape for the purposes of advertising on the internet. Like a lot of people hide their registration number on photos. It's to stop people using the numbers illegally.

 

Tape .... should of gone to spec savers

[One Ball 1971]

Maybe its tape with grinder marks in it.

[Lumor_uk]

Bought a part off ebay with Datatag on, rang Datatag they said the number had never been registered with them

No I wouldn't buy an engine without a number on, if the Police stop you they will take the bike off you until you can prove it's legit.

[julianl]

Found another:

Even for off-road use, it's still a public highway, just not a sealed surface, so the usual rules of the road apply. So it would have to be used exclusively on private property to be legally operated independently of the DVLA.

Re the seller covering the serial number up, I gave the seller the benefit of the doubt and asked them if they had edited the image or covered the serial up in some way. They said that they had bought the engine from a scappy and that the scrappy had removed the serial number. Sounds like BS to me. I can't think of any reason a scrappy would remove a serial number from an engine before selling it, unless the scrappy knew it was stolen.

Thanks all, this is quite eye opening. I'm amazed this is so rampant. No wonder bike crime is high if it's so easy to sell on the parts that have been deliberately modified to hide their identity.

[julianl]

Here's the one with the tampered serial number:

[BIKERDAD]

If it's been grounded off then its stolen . There is No other reason to do.it . As said on here if the cops stop you and they got a eye for possible stolen items they will take the bike off you . Even if you show you bought the part off eBay they think its nicked you get done for buying stolen propriety or even charged and cautioned not worth the risk .

[julianl]

Yeah, totally agree it's morally and legally wrong. I'm just so surprised that there are so many for sale on eBay. Surely the sellers must know, or do they just not care?

[BIKERDAD]

If you mean eBay they don't give a shite all there interested in is sell high so they can charge you high fees ..

Some might know I collect vintage action man . Now some these outfits if there boxed unopened can go for £2500 others £500 down to £40 for a basic action man .

A company in 2006 remade a load these using copys of the vintage stuff when the released it in 2006 by the time it got to 2007 loads these items was turning up on eBay MINT condition (some these are 40years old ) in the 2006 packaging only difference was the date 2006 was scratched off and was listed as 1964 the date was were the price ticket was and peeled off when the price was taken off

1 you never take the price ticket off a vintage item as it dates it ..

I am a mod of a vintage action man site on the net who contacted eBay told them 20 others told eBay they did nothing the item was sold for over £600 its was worth .........£20.. we contacted the police they said tell eBay .. eBay did nothing .. .So eBay will do feck all as its there fees they lose.. £20 nor £600 the cops wont be interested unless you can tell them what bike it off so they know it's stolen .

[Mississippi Bullfrog]

Knowing there are people barmy enough to belong to a vintage action man forum has made my day. I love people doing things that are totally bonkers.