Crashed, rightoffs, recovered bikes back on the road!!

[tater]

Hi all, After reading Yetis post about buying a bike for £275 and putting it back on the road, got me thinking about doing something simlar. As i am going to do my direct access when i am 21 i will obviously need a bike and as i have to wait 6 months till i am 21, could do with having something todo in the meantime to take my mind off waiting!!

Basically i thought it would be a good idea to clear up some points for me and other people thinking of doing it.

Im really looking for a vfr or zxr to repair.

When buying a bike with a v5 how do you find out, through your experiences, if it has been righten off or stolen and recovered as im not sure how this works at all. Do you know of any guides that explain this?

Is it worth doing this, as in do you save a large amount of money rebuliding a bike.

Do you know any good breakers?

What are your opinions on doing this, is it to risky? I know about checking the bike for twisted frame and forks, and i would steer clear of bikes with engine trouble. Just wanted to hear of experiences you lot have had in doing this, i have the tools, space and time to do this, and a friend to spray the panels too!

Just don't want to buy a bike and open a can of worms on the legal dvla side of it!!

[map]

Off top of my head:
Cat D = cosmetic damage only. Usually fairings, lights etc. too expensive to replace.
Cat C = cosmetic and/or mechanical damage. Possible bent frames also in this category. Again too costly for spares to replace under insurance. Can be repaired and put back on the road (e.g. brake calipher, original approx. £450, breaker 2nd hand approx £50). Straightening a frame needs special jig.
Cat B and Cat A = unroadworthy, structural damage, cannot repair and put back on road.

For a Cat D/C to be back on the road you need to apply for an MOT (even if bike less than 3 years old) plus I believe some other paperwork (memory not working today, do a google).

As for checking then the usual suspects HPI/MCN offer service to check frame number against V5. If it hasn't got a V5 then run away, it's not worth the hassle.
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...and the whirlwind is in the thorn trees, it's hard for thee to kick against the pricks...
Gibbs, what did Duckie look like when he was younger?

[Kickstart]

Hi

An HPI check will tell you if it is a write off.

A cat a is just scrap metal, b can be used for spare parts while c and d can go back on the road. Think d can go straight on the road while c needs an inspection (not certain on this though).

Getting bikes from the insurance company is quite cheap, but they will not sell to individuals normally unless it is your own bike they are writing off. People who do buy their own write off tend to pay peanuts but can (and do) also sell the remains on Ebay for a hefty profit.

All the best

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

[tater]

thanks guys, which bike out of the zxr and vfr would you recommend, on the view of parts availablity holding value etc, or are they the same?

Cheers

[Mik_RX125]

My Gilera DNA was a Cat C write-off last year. Only cost £200 inc MOT to put back on the road.

Obviously not relavant to the ZXR or VFR, but just goes to show that it can be done cheaply.

Mik
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Yamaha FZ6 Fazer S2 owner
See all my Bikes

[Villers]

Keiths right, a cat D can go straight back on as long as theres no 'dangerous bodywork' i.e jagged edges and stuff.

On the whole, for the young biker starting off it represents a good idea. I was fed up looking at ten year old bikes for £1800 and just thinking of what could go wrong. Then I happened upon a CAT C CBR600FX. It had a scratched frame on the right hand side where a garden lamp had fell on it. It also had a damaged left hand fairing and a scraped top fairing. It had 7000 miles on the clock and wa a 2000 W reg. I got it private for £2200, and insured it this year for £340 TPFT.

PROS: I could afford the HPI or even to save for something like an RR but the annual kick in the balls for a 23 year old with a years no claims would be a little too much, it would have to be fully comp.

This bike can be insured for TPFT as it represents a small investment to me, if it gets scratched or marked then its no problem.

A 4 year old super six thats mechanically sound for little money

CONS: The insurance is a tiny bit higher because of the history.

The bike has a few roungh parts, but hell I ride it - id dont polish it!

The trouble is now some bird has reversed into me and probably wrecked it, finding another will be tricky!
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RS125 > CBR6 > SV650S > ZX636R > GSX1300RZ Hayabusa > 06 RSVR Mille > SV1000S > Street Triple 765 RS

[TiN]

When I last communicated with the DVLA (and according to their website), bikes don't need to be subjected to a VIC (Vehicle Identity Check), and (as far as I know) there is no other vehicle check required before getting a new V5.

I am speaking from experience - it only took a month for the DVLA to send me a new V5 for my crashed bike...and it was a Cat B write-off. When I asked about removing/changing the salvage status, they suggested that I contact the relevant insurance company.

I got the bike taxed and insured no problem at all.

So just a thought before you make too much of the write-off categories.
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TiN
dotgems.net

[Villers]

First site of many

motorcycle.co.uk UK Insurance Write-Off Categories


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Considering buying a salvage write-off and fixing it up ? Tempting, if you are handy with the spanners. So what does "Cat C total loss" mean....

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Briefly:
Category A - Must be crushed. All of it.
Category B - Vehicle may not be returned to road. Parts may be sold. Category C - Repairable. Possibly structural damage. Cost of damage (at dealer prices and labour rates) is more than book value of vehicle.
Category D - Repairable. Probably non-structural damage. May have been economic to repair, but insurer doesn't want to.
Category X - Repairable. Minor Danage.
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RS125 > CBR6 > SV650S > ZX636R > GSX1300RZ Hayabusa > 06 RSVR Mille > SV1000S > Street Triple 765 RS

[Will87]

Where is it possible to pickup these bargins?

[Villers]

Think its just luck Will. Im after an RSV Mille next. Has to be Cat C or D repaired at a good price!

Theres probably a goup of companies that specialise but Ive yet to find them mate!
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RS125 > CBR6 > SV650S > ZX636R > GSX1300RZ Hayabusa > 06 RSVR Mille > SV1000S > Street Triple 765 RS

[TiN]

I wasn't disputing the specified categories, but I'm just saying that from personal experience, it's not all rigid.

In fact, I only bothered to inquire about the possibility of a new V5 because a friend of mine accidently managed it.
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TiN
dotgems.net

[Villers]

Well theres no argument with it if it works Tin! Just curous about the legal implications if you mow someone down or anything (god forbid, knock on wood and all that stuff) would your bike be declared 'not fit' to be on the road?
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RS125 > CBR6 > SV650S > ZX636R > GSX1300RZ Hayabusa > 06 RSVR Mille > SV1000S > Street Triple 765 RS

[Kickstart]

Hi

Think that the ratings have no legal status, but are standard in insurance. It might be a case that legally you can ride it on the road, but the insurance companies would never cover you if they know about it.

All the best

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

[Villers]

well that would explain it, I just thought that with the insurance companies ruling the road as they do that it would all have legal standing. So does that mean that you could legally put a CAT A back on the road? What about the Tests for CAT C for roadworthyness?
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RS125 > CBR6 > SV650S > ZX636R > GSX1300RZ Hayabusa > 06 RSVR Mille > SV1000S > Street Triple 765 RS

[CAPONE]

I had a gillera DNA was in miner accident,
Guy came round to look at bike from insurance totted everyting up and declared it was cat c and could be written of. (£1700 bike)
So it sat in my yard for almost a year.
Decided to fuck the insurance company took it to garage spent £175 inc mot and now its back on the road.
Still waitin for my insurance to come thro to!
(little of subject i know)
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Witness my prilla of DOOOOM..

[sbm251]

found a place that sells abi cat bikes

https://www.rsmotorcycles.co.uk/
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sbm

[colin1]

keep an eye on ebay and compare prices with undamaged bikes

its easy to buy what u think is a bargain, and then realise u cd have got an undamaged one for the same price

i did this with an rs125
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colin1 is officially faster than god