Buying a bike with a duplicate title ?

Titles can be destroyed in numerous way, flooding, house burns and so on. However, there is one thing you need to make sure of before you buy the bike and you'll need to see the title to tell. If the title is in both the guy and his wife's name, make sure she signs is as well. If he and his wife are separated or divorced, she may have the orginal title and won't sign it just to make his life miserable. Or, she may have actually paid for the bike and now he wants to sell it to screw her out of what it rightfully half hers. If only he signs it and you take it to get it transferred, they won't do it until her signature is there as well.

My neighbor bought a bike like that. The couple had separated and it took five (5!) years to get the divorce finalized and things straightened out! I bought the bike from my neighbor but at least I didn't have to deal with that mess.

As long as it is a duplicate title from DMV, there is nothing to be worried about. If its not from DMV, then i would be a little worried