Bringing a bike back from death? MOT? Tax? Insurance...erm

jonboy22 · Crazy Courier Joined: 18 Apr 2006 Karma :

So after two years I've finally got round to bringing my crash damaged GSX-R 600 k4 back to life.

I say tinkered away as I'm no grease monkey and to be honest all I had to do was sort out a busted lever / new clip on, bent foot peg, bit of electrical stuff, and replace the starter gear cover and cog. It still needs the whole right sides worth of plastic and the ram air tubes glued but other than that it's almost good to go. The insurance company called it a write off but I'm not sure what category, think it's a D as it's mainly cosmetic and there's no structural bending/breaking.

Anyhoo, here's the problem. The insurers never came to collect the bike. It's been about two years since they gave me the money and they've just not bothered to come get it. I told them a few times over the phone and no one came. I've only had to pay for £30 so far for the starter gear cover, but I'm not prepared to pay any more money for fairings if when I finally wheel the bike out the garage, some to$$er from the insurance company says thank you very much and carries on wheeling it onto his recovery truck.

What's the consensus here?

Do I carry on with repairs? Somehow tax and MoT it (how do you go about that anyway?), and then get it back on the road, hoping that the insurance company don't come knocking....

Or do I scrap everything and sell it off bit by bit?
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current bike: GSX-R 750 K6 stolen, found the next day in a van in Durham, returned to me 3 months later costing me my NCB and my excess...
last bike: GSXx-R 600 K4 - written off, now converting to track bike Smile

robbieguy2003 · World Chat Champion Joined: 30 Mar 2007 Karma :

Did you buy it off them as part of the settlement? Sometimes they let you keep them for a really small fee.

If thats the case, I think you need to work out what category of write-off it is and then get the paperwork together.

It can be done and put back on the road though, I've no experience of doing this so sure someone with a clue will be along shortly.

Not sure if its correct but i heard something about once its been written off once it no longer has an insurable value (i.e. the value has already been paid out), so might only be worth having tpft insurance. Again though, check that out with your insurance as I stand to be corrected, just something I remember hearing.

Good luck Thumbs Up

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Current Bikes: Honda CBR 600RR - '07, Suzuki GSX1250 FA ST '11
Old Bikes: Suzuki Intruder 125 LC - '2001, Honda CBR 600F - '92, Honda CBR 600RR - '03

Kickstart · The Oracle Joined: 04 Feb 2002 Karma :

Hi

Suspect legally it belongs to the insurance company, but could be taken as they have abandoned it. Possible that you could argue that your storage costs of it now exceed its value so you are taking it in payment for those costs.

Suspect that what might be required would be to send them a recorded delivery letter giving them 14 days (or something like that) to collect it otherwise you will deal with it as you see fit.

All the best

Keith
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Traxpics, track day and racing photographs - Bimota Forum - Bike performance / thrust graphs for choosing gearing

P.addy · Red Rocket Joined: 14 Feb 2008 Karma :

jonboy22 · Crazy Courier Joined: 18 Apr 2006 Karma :

P.addy · Red Rocket Joined: 14 Feb 2008 Karma :

chris-red · Have you considered a TDM? Joined: 21 Sep 2005 Karma :

IF they haven;t bother to collect it by now, I can;t see them doing it any time soon, I would be tempted to forget about them and mot and insure it but I suggest you do what kickstart says.
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