Originally Posted by
CliffordK
The serial number could be marked as stolen, and the next time the S/N pops up, who ever is holding the bike is out of luck, potentially even if it wasn't reported stolen until after the person bought it.
If it's reported to the police and the s/n entered into NCIC as stolen, it's not likely to be run unless a buyer insists upon having a police officer present at the sale to run it. And then, if you hold onto it for a year, you're free & clear because items such as bicycles are automatically purged from NCIC computers after a year.