Post crash write-off, salvage value etc

[guile]

If your bike gets written off after a crash in Cat C/D, how do you go about attempting to buy the bike back for cheap? What should a £2k value bike be offered for via salvage direct to the owner?

I have heard people say that you should not let the insurance take the bike away to their 'inspection' compounds because you will never see it again. If so, how do you allow the insurer to inspect the crash damage?

[G]

They can send an assessor to you.

Just ring them up and mention you'd like to buy it back if written off.

[guile]

OK but what sort of money are they going to try to charge me for it? Will it just be scrap value or do they inflate their prices due to their option to selling it to salvage guys?

I have no idea where I stand in negotiating.

[G]

Usually you get a decent deal.

It won't be scrap value for a bike - even for a heavy bike you're talking maybe £45 maximum.

It will depend on various factors, including if it's a C or D.

As an incredibly rough estimate; maybe 1/4 of the value of the vehicle, but it does vary a lot.

And yes, you do have to be careful that no one gets their eye on it, or they send it straight to auction.

[guile]

Thanks for the info. Am I right in saying that I can insist it is repaired to the original standard (even if this will cost them more than the value of the bike)?

[BTTD]

[P.]

Wouldn't bother getting it repaired, would take the cash, buy back the wreckage and have it as a backup/winter hack with minimal cash thrown at it.

[c-m]

You're looking at in the region of £350-500 for bike at the value of yours.

They don't sell them back cheaply anymore.

The money comes out of your pay out, so never have to pay anything up front.

If it's a cat c/d all you need to do to get it back on the road is repair it. It doesn't need an new MOT.

If/when you sell it, you must tell the potential buyer that it is a cat c/d

[P.]

[andys675]

it all depends on the price their disposer pays per unit, there is too much hassle for them to negotiate over every bike, so a breaker will tender a contract for the period on offer at £xxx per bike, sometimes they loose when they get a burnt out scooter which is worth less than the contracted payout, other times they win if a late registered superbike comes in with minimal damage.

AFAIK, it's your bike, they can't refuse you if you want to keep the salvage, but they can make it too expensive to consider

if your bike is at a dealers for estimating or inspection, make perfectly clear that no-one other than you can remove it without your permission
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Some people feel the rain, others just get wet.

[GetawayDj]

I didnt even have the hassle about maybe buying my diversion back. First letter I received after the assessor came said it was a Cat C and valued the bike at £1300, they said they would give me £1000 and the bike.....not too bad for a 94 diversion. Only needed the front fairing and mud guard fibre glassed (which my dad did), a foot peg, forks seals and forks being twisted back.
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CBF 125 (sold), XJ 600 Diversion (sold), RF900
Renault Kangoo x2 (sold), Ford Transit x 2

[andys675]

just remembered a laugh we had

my mate's RD400E got written off as some turd stole it and parked it into a car at 60mph+ nearly loosing a leg in the process

breakers took forever to come and fetch it, we removed the RD400 engine from it and sold it for a lot of money, loosely dropped an RD250 engine in the frame that looked like it had been at the bottom of a canal, then used the whole bike for airgun practise for months, when they came to collect it I was surprised they took it away as it was truly scrap
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Some people feel the rain, others just get wet.

[kernow24]

you're looking at probably 20% or so of the value as salvage, depending on who you're dealing with, all insures calculate it differently, but if you think 20% you wont go far wrong

gone are the days of paying next to nothing for it, breakers will pay over the odds to insurers because in most cases they'll be able to break or sell on for a profit.
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[guile]

I was hoping to buy it back but I just wheeled it around earlier the steering felt all wobbly - any idea what that is? Maybe either bent forks or warped wheel? The front took a big hit. Do the damage assessors do a thorough test with regards to forks/wheels being straight or is it more of an eye test?

I can't be fixing major shit. Maybe I will just take the full payout and let them keep the bike.

[Rogerborg]

[P.]

[G]

[finniee]

While this is a topic of discussion. If you own your bike and you pay your insurance yearly and your bike gets fucked up.

How can they charge you to buy back something you already own ?

[wr6133]

[Rogerborg]

It is a reasonable question.

All policies that I've read limit the fire, theft or comprehensive payout to the market value of the bike.

That's fair enough, but the bit about only receiving that payout if you agree to sell the bike to the insurer is slightly hooky.

£5000 bike and an off.

£4999 claim, you have £4999 and your bike.
£5000 claim, you have £5000 and no bike.

I can see why insurers are keen to write off bikes.
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Biking is 1/20th as dangerous as horse riding.
GONE: HN125-8, LF-250B, GPz 305, GPZ 500S, Burgman 400 // RIDING: F650GS (800 twin), Royal Enfield Bullet Electra 500 AVL, Ninja 250R because racebike

[iooi]

[P.]

[Rogerborg]

[iooi]

[P.]