duplicate title check payable to illinois

Does anyone know about the specifics regarding Illinois' laws and rules about titles and mopeds? I know that I need a title but I don't know if there might be a way I can just simply apply for a new title on the moped without having to go through all the trouble of contacting the previous owner. I don't know, this may be the process that I HAVE to go through, but I still have a feeling that there is an easier way. And after they locate the owner I was to get in touch with them and ask them to put in for a lost title, which would take about a month to go through. So, it leaves me to ask anyone who knows, what can I do? I am going to go to the DMV once I have a VIN number and ask them, but last time a problem like this came up the DMV told me that the moped I had was unregistered and that it would take a long time to be able to search for the previous owner. Thus far he has not been able to contact her but he has said that he will hold on to the Express until he can get the title. I informed him of this problem and he said that he's ridden it a little without the title but he had recently aquired this from a woman who has just moved away, and we are both assuming that she had the title last.

Now, I don't know about other states out there but in Illinois I cannot apply for a liscense, which I need to be able to legally ride this bike, nor can the seller legally sell me the bike without a title. So far it sounds to be a hell of a deal since he just had the thing entirely checked over and fixed by a Honda repair shop, but there is one small problem: there's no title. Currently I am talking to a guy who has a Honda Express to sell.

Duplicate title check payable to illinois