State laws differ so you will have to contact your Department of Motor Vehicles to see if 19 months is enough time according to state for you to have this motorcycle declared an abandoned vehicle or not. If you can declare the motorcycle to be abandoned by the owner that will not come to pick it up you next will need to find out from the DMV what steps to take to get the vehicle titled in your name so you can become the legal owner and sell it.

If you do not have the title for the motorcycle you are not the bike's legal owner at this point and thus would not normally have any right to sell it. Also there would be an issue for the person you sold it to since you would not have a title to sign over to them and thus they would be unable to register it or ride it.

Each state has its own procedure regarding abandoned vehicles and how long you have had to ask the owner to come pick it up from the property to be considered abandoned. From what we have read whether the vehicle is abandoned on private property, a repair shop, parking lot or in an impoundment lot the process is often long and tedious with no guarantee that you will end up with the title to the vehicle.

If the motorcycle owner does not want to come pick up the bike than maybe you can meet him or her so that the title can be signed over to you. If you can no longer contact the owner or they do not respond to your request for the title and you either want the motorcycle removed or titled in your name so you can use it or sell it then you will need to contact your DMV and possibly police department to see what steps to take.

For example in Franklin County, Ohio (Columbus area) the clerk of the court office notes that only a business licensed for storage or repair may obtain a title for an abandoned vehicle. If the vehicle is left on private property you must obtain a court order to be able to get the vehicle titled in your name.

Thus in Ohio it appears that you would need a court order to get the title to the vehicle in your name. In other states or areas it may be easier to obtain title but likely you would have to prove that it was abandoned.

As another state example, in Delaware Title 40 Section 4001 - 4007 discusses abandoned property. Here it states that "abandoned personal property" shall be deemed to be tangible personal property which the rightful owner has left in the care or custody of another person and has failed to maintain, pay for the storage of, exercise dominion or control over, and has failed to otherwise assert or declare the ownership rights to the tangible personal property for a period of 1 year.

Section 4002 goes on to say that upon order of the court as provided in this chapter, any person who holds, stores, safekeeps or otherwise is left with possession of any abandoned personal property, including but not limited to automobiles, motorcycles, boats and furnishings, which has been abandoned by the owner shall be vested with complete and absolute title to said abandoned personal property and shall have all right to sell, alienate, gift or otherwise dispose of the said abandoned personal property provided such transfer does not violate preliminary injunctions in effect.

Then in section 4003 it tells how to petition for the right to obtain title of an abandoned item. The court then will try to find the owner and if a response is given by the "owner" then a hearing is set to determine ownership of the property.

Since laws vary you really need to contact your local Department of Motor Vehicles and possibly your local court house to see how in your area you can get this motorcycle titled in your name so you can legally own it to sell it.

If you are able to get the motorcycle put in your name and decide to keep it and thus need to register and insure it, then you can get motorcycle insurance here with us.