My research and the way to the correct title

     After some research done using several helpful sites : Z650 info and i joined KZRider. As it turns out, this is not an isolated issue or indeed insurmountable. Also the KZ community is very helpful and has a plethora of information. It appears that the VIN on bike is genuine, and at some stage in the 80's on a transfer - to make it fit an unhelpful and rigid computer system, someone added a date to the end of the VIN to make it fit the now legal 17 characters.
     To the task in hand. After chatting with Ohio BMV, turns out all is not lost. I need to get a few things together and send the required documents over to them. Again, at this stage, it would seem the the Ohio BMV are being very helpful and understanding.
     So i need to do the following:

1.  Verify the bike VIN and mileage - done with the help of a very nice policeman from my county using a form from my DMV.
2. Get power of attorney over the title from its previous owner, Ohio POA  - done with a simple text and request, as i said the previous owner is a gentleman.
3. Have a notarized statement of authenticity for the Ohio DMV, done using a free notary at work.
4. Original title, have that.
5. Some pictures of the bike to send:

  

     Attached all to an e-mail with a copy of my FL DL and a redacted copy of another ID. I am now pensively awaiting the decision of the, up to now very helpful Ohio BMV. All I no have to do is wait for up to 15 working days for a decision, although i am assured it will take less than that.

    Now, to the task, as with all builds, the first thing is a plan and most important tool of all - a workshop manual. Clymer or if i can source one, the factory manual. All are available as a download, or as hard copy. I like both, especially as i tend to write helpful hints in margins of the manual to help me.

The saga begins......KZ650 in need of love

     So, it was a normal weekday, opened up Craigslist and, whilst looking for nothing in particular, there it was. A Kawasaki KZ650, of a particularly good vintage, well 1978. As you can see it was a little unloved, hopefully an ugly duckling, and definitely had to be mine.

     But, without seeing it - what should i do? Calling the owner, chatting and finding a little more about the bike, I did a little research and finally offered him a cheeky $200 plus delivery. It was a non-runner with good compression and most importantly, it had the title with it. At this point, I must say - the guy I bought the bike from, as i later found out, is a total gentleman.

     The evening of delivery came, monies and title were exchanged and the tired KZ was offloaded from the trailer - it's home for the past few years, and deposited on my driveway. All was as expected, apart from the VIN was only 12 numbers, not the now customary 17. To add to the conundrum, the title was from OHIO, and indeed had 17 characters! Hmmmm, and against conventional 'walk away' thinking I bought it.

     Off to the FL DMV........

     The nice lady at the DMV pointed out, that because the bike was registered out of state I either need to bring the bike down or get the VIN verified by a Policeman or similar (differs state to state). I did mention the anomaly regarding the VIN. At which point, with a little head shaking, she stated that any VIN change must be done through the State issuing the title, in this case the nice people of Ohio.

     Thus, this owner of a promising ugly duckling registered out of state decided to call the Ohio BMV after the week-end.