Bikes end up stuck in the same few places
A motorcycle on the North Side rarely dies in the middle of the street. It dies in a garage off the alley behind a two-flat, under a cover in a gangway, or in a condo storage cage where it was parked “for the winter” three winters ago. Nobody is getting a ticket over it, so it just sits, until someone wants the space back.
We buy them in whatever state they’re in. Street bikes, cruisers, sport bikes, dual-sports, dirt bikes and scooters, with or without keys. If you’d like a number before you dig the title out, use the form on this page or call; the home page has the same two-step form.
What to have ready
The title, if you have one. Under 625 ILCS 5/3-101, every motorcycle and motor-driven cycle bought new on or after January 1, 1980 has to be titled with the Secretary of State, and off-highway motorcycles and ATVs bought on or after January 1, 1998 do too. Most bikes in North Side garages fall under one of those dates, so expect to sign a title over just as you would for a car.
Proof of ownership if the title is gone. A scrap buyer in Illinois has to get documentary proof of ownership and record two forms of ID from a private seller, one of them a driver’s license or state ID, under 625 ILCS 5/5-401.3. Our page on selling without a title explains which papers that statute names and how a duplicate title works.
A title from another state. Bikes move with their owners, and plenty of them still carry a Wisconsin or Indiana title years after the move. That isn’t automatically a problem, and our guide to out-of-state, salvage and rebuilt titles goes through it.
Your plate. Take it off before pickup. Illinois plates belong to the owner, not the vehicle, so it stays with you.
Getting it out of the garage
Four answers help us plan the pickup:
- Does it roll? Flat tires are common and fine. A locked rear wheel or a bike stuck in gear changes how it gets loaded, so tell us.
- Is the steering locked? Many bikes lock the bars with the key. If the key is lost and the bars are locked to one side, say so. Our guide to selling with no keys has more on missing keys.
- How does it come out? An alley garage with an overhead door is easy. A basement with stairs or a storage room with a tight turn needs a plan, and sometimes more hands.
- Is anything missing? A pulled engine, no seat, a box of parts on the shelf. We take the parts too if they belong to the bike.
Lakefront buildings in Edgewater and Lakeview often have bike rooms or tandem garage spots with strict rules about moving vehicles, so clear the time with the manager first. North of Howard, a bike in a detached Evanston garage with a working door is about as simple as a pickup gets.
Why sell it instead of fixing it
A bike that sat for years usually needs more than a battery. Fuel goes stale in the tank and carburetor, tires crack, brake fluid absorbs water. If you were planning to ride it again, a shop’s written estimate tells you whether it’s worth it. If you weren’t, a junk bike is worth more gone than taking up half a garage. The tow is free, the offer doesn’t expire, and you’re paid when we collect it.