Longshot, engine/frame number queery 04639

[Dickyboy]

Recently acquired a 500 frame from tony fellows who reckons he's had it around 25yrs & judging by the rusted in place centre stand spindle, it's probably be in the UK a fare while before that, but there is no paperwork or reg number with it.

The longshot question before I vanish down the black hole of dating certificate & age related stuff, is anyone familiar with engine / frame number 04639,

[Steve Brown]

Sorry I can't help with any history of that bike, but if the engine has a number stamped too then it is probably a UK bike from new. Most other countries only required the frame to be numbered. The engine number if factory stamped will be in the same font as the frame too.

[Dickyboy]

Thanks Steve, there is no engine with it just a bare frame but if engine 04639 is out there, then yes might be UK registered but I suspect even it was the engine is possibly long gone. As I say it's a long shot (extremely long ).

[morini_tom]

Frame 4639 does not exist in the club record of known bikes but Engine 4639 does with another frame number, and we know a little bit about that bike, which was definitely in the UK in the 1980s. That bike is showing as SORN with a last V5 change in 2017 so a good chance still very much in one piece.

The club can of course do dating certificates for members so if you contact Arthur, the machine registrar he can offer assistance.

Tom

[Dickyboy]

Thanks Tom, that's an interesting & positive piece of information & yes I was aware of the club's dating works - need to get this built up before that happens though & it's very much in its constituent parts - probably need to start a thread in the projects section.

[Dickyboy]

Just filled in a V62 & sent it off to DVLA, I know its a long shot but it's only £25 so got to be worth a punt - probably all depends on who opens that particular post & if they have any christmas spirit in them.

[Dickyboy]

Well DVLA said nope, but don't seem to have cashed my cheque, so nothing lost yet - just have to work out which frame & adaptations I'm going to plumb for, pretty much depends on which frame the rearsets will work on..

[Arthur Farrow]

Tony Fellows had good advice from me on registering just a frame (slightly different to number you quoted here) with DVLA presumably did not pass on. NOT POSSIBLE! Ignoring information provided on how to go about sorting is just a waste of this volunteers time. Grumpy Grumpy.

As a very small part of my response I said

you cannot register an incomplete vehicle . In order to register the frame, it will have to be in a complete running machine with supplied photographs and it may be subject to inspection by DVLA. Thus, I cannot supply a dating cert on a bare frame and anyway a Dating Cert generally is time critical i.e. expires in 3 months per DVLA although their rules on this are very vague

I act at MRC registrar and DVLA authorised dating officer as well as VMCC marque specialist and have helped over 250 guys get bikes DVLA registered either "barn finds" or newly imported

Did the Frame come supplied with a NOVA certificate as I recommended ??? This is first step before starting to build up. I can give advice on this to Dickyboy whoever you are but contact me through MRC as this is a members only service!!

[Dickyboy]

Arthur, thanks for your reply, I think Tony's problem was with getting a NOVA certificate for a frame that had been in his possession long before NOVA became a thing and he decided it wasn't worth the effort, plus he bought another frame. From what I could make out and I am still fairly sure (although only guesswork) the frame is from a UK registered bike that has had the frame swapped out perhaps in the 90's because the swing arm spindle is completely seized and there is evidence of heat having been applied to it. I suspect that the rest of the bike & reg number has just had the new frame number added to DVLA records leaving this frame without a record as such, seeing as it cost me nothing to try (DVLA refunded me the £25) it was worth a go to see if this frame number was still on the DVLA records, but alas it wasn't. Currently I am in the process of getting my modified 500 frame altered back to partial standard & local fabricators are able to copy from the unregistered frame as a model of how it should be, my plan then will be to keep the unregistered frame as a spare for now & maybe at some point the owner of the matching engine will reunite them.
PS - I am a member & have met you at the ace cafe italian bike day & at one of the C&M meets - I'm the owner of a red 1200 scrambler & one of the 500s that was auctioned by Iconic last year. Best regards to you & your sterling efforts in helping the Morini cause.