Insurance write offs

[Kittyhawk]

Question: Would you buy an insurance write-off bike, fix it up and ride it, given the state you bought it in?

I see them on trade me, and wonder is it a safe thing to be doing especially with more powerful bikes. I can understand if a biker requires parts to fix their own bike etc, but to buy a whole bike?

Wouldnt this cause more mechanicial failures and increase chances of riders coming off?

I see it like helmets, one decent hit, time for replacement not for repair.

[steved]

I would say you have to know what you are doing. Definitely a large case for caveat empor. It would be easy to underestimate the work required.

[sunhuntin]

if that was the case, most bikes wouldnt get to be older than 1 year.

i would buy a written off virago, simply cos likely as nots its cheaper that way than buying the parts.
as far as buying to ride, it would depend on the damage. if it was mainly cosmetic, then why not? but if theres damage to the frame, no way. but, again, i would remove the parts i can either use or resell, and then take the leftovers to a scrap metal yard.

[slimjim]

its not the failures that's a pro , its knowing that that bikes label is that written off, and too when reselling you must desclose this fact to the next buyer , i think too that alot of bikes get writting off as per manufactor's requirements too, its too costly to get correct parts ,then theres the cert's stating its in a roadworthly condition, humm frame cert checked by an engineer, steering head frame ,bearings, motor strip down, gees the true list can be that a total rebuild including all the new paperwork,cert's just to go to get revinned,

[glice]

depends on the damage, if the frames bent then deffintly not, other wise I would. some bikes get written off really easy and the damage isnt that bad.

[MSTRS:Me]

Depends. If you know the bike and circumstances of accident/write-off, then you can have a bit more confidence as to what you are getting. A strange bike at the other end of the country...different story.

[jim.cox]

depends on the damage, if the frames bent then deffintly not, other wise I would. some bikes get written off really easy and the damage isnt that bad.

I agree, it depends on why the bike was written off

Cosmetic damage can be very expensive to repair - it adds nothing to the rideability of the bike - and I like rat bikes...

Even so, it would have to be the right bike at the right price

[Qkchk:Me]

Yes I would but it would depend on the initial damage/type of crash the bike was in. If there is a chance of chassis damage, I would only by it for parts.

[vifferman]

Yes, I would buy a write-off, depending on condition. I actually regret not buying the last bike I wrote off. When I was considering it, my wife said, "You're not cluttering up my garage for months with motorbike junk!"
So, I took the insurance payout, and considered buying a car.

As it turned out, the damage (quoted at $6800) was almost entirely cosmetic, apart from a bent main fairing bracket. The big ticket items were that ($1100) and a new zorst ($1200). The guy who bought it (used to be a KBer) got the wreck and did it up, mostly himself, apart from some plastic welding and painting. His total cost (incl. wreck) was around $2400. He saved mucho money by doing things like putting a s/steel sleeve over the muffler to cover the dent, straightening the fairing bracket, buying secondhand parts, etc.
As I'd figured, there would've been enough fat in the insurance quote for me to have fixed the bike up, put on an aftermarket zorst and new suspension, and still had money to buy a present for my wife as compensation for "cluttering up her gargre..."

[The Stranger:Me]

Yes I would but it would depend on the initial damage/type of crash the bike was in. If there is a chance of chassis damage, I would only by it for parts.

Or replace the chassis?

[yungatart]

We bought hXc's bike off the insurance company as a wreck after they wrote it off.
Rebuilt it and it is still a great little runner.

Mind you, we did know the bike!

[Hitcher]

Depending on condition. No if the damage impaired the bike's structural integrity.

[avgas]

case for caveat empor

100%, my current ride is along those lines. but the bastard who fixed her up before i got it put a cheap battery in. Long story short after 5,000 k's i had to replace the charging circuit.
Along with get the engine good as new i have spent just over half of what originally paid.
However even with all my expenses it is still below market value.

[FROSTY:Me]

I think it depends on the mechanical knowledge of the person buying the bike.
Unlike cars most and to a degree all bikes are a series of replaceable components.As such You would have to try very very hard to really wright a bike off.
A large number of bikes are tecnical write offs --that is to say Given the age/milage of the bike the expectation of the customer is to bring it to pre crash condition.
I've rebuilt a number of bikes where the damage has been destroyed fairings/headlight and no other damage.
But then I don't really care if a sidecover has a gark or two or if the front wheel color doesn't match the rear.

[Owl]

I'd have to say no. I've seen the quote sheet to repair mine (cosmetic) and it ain't cheap.
I've also bought an untidy bike cheap and fixed it up. It was a lot of work and ended up owing me about $7000. I could have bought a mint one for that sort of money.