Salvage Motorcycles
Buying a salvage motorcycle is one way to either save money or find that rare bike that you have always wanted but can't find. Many wind up in auction alongside other salvage vehicles. No matter what salvage vehicle you are interested in, it's always a challenge because you have to repair it before you can do anything with it.
Salvage and Write-Offs
The catch to salvage vehicles is that the insurer has written all of them off to be scrapped rather than repaired. There are two kinds of write-offs, statutory write-offs and uneconomical write-offs. The first kind of write-off occurs when the vehicle damage is so great that there is no way to safely repair it. If that's the case, you cannot ever register the vehicle and all you have bought is a pile of motorcycle parts. These vehicles are put on the Written-Off Register to prevent being later registered.
Uneconomical Write-Offs
An uneconomical write-off is a write-off that occurs when the insurer determines the cost of repairing the vehicle outweighs its market value. You can repair these vehicles; the insurer has simply determined it's not worth it and has therefore refused. This is the kind of salvage motorcycle, you want to look for: one that you can eventually register for road use.
Repairing Salvage Motorcycles
Repairing a salvage motorcycle is always a challenge, as you rarely know what you're facing before you buy it. Luckily it can be equally rewarding. Before starting, you should know what bike you want and how much you can afford to spend. This keeps you from getting in over your head right from the beginning.
Write-Offs Checklist
Look for a bike that is definitely repairable, preferably one that's passed an inspection and already been declared as such. Always double-check the register whenever possible because the last thing you want to do is make a purchase decision and only then discover you cannot register the bike.