Thoughts on a bike with a salvage title

[roundhouse]

I hope I am not violating any site rules. Here is a link from one of my other sites explaining how easy it really is. This young lady and her husband have rebuilt several bikes for there own use. They have picked up some great deals on salvage bikes. Hope this helps.




http://www.blokessportbike.com/showthread.php?t=35589

Link?

You can save a ton of money
It's really not worth it to make money
Too many Russians and Mexicans already doing it
But for your own use you can get cars and especially bikes really cheap

We got our latest SUV at a repo auction on eBay
7 yrs old , 130K on it , cost $48K new, we paid $6600
Already put 70k on it
And at that price I don't worry about throwing in the guns and tools and the dog, flip it in 4-LO and hit the woods

and haul car parts , appliances , water heaters. Whatever . At that price you don't get upset when you notice a new ding or scratch

 

[Ken Ford]

I'm looking at a bike that was salvaged due to a bent subframe and damage to the engine case. The case and subframe were replaced with new ones. The bike sat for an extended period of time (several years) without being ridden.So the $64k question is, would it be worth it if I can get it for next to nothing, or too much of a headache and just avoid it all together?

Will be fine if the price is right. Won't have much resale, people just don't trust salvage titles. I have owned several and never had a problem.

 

[Ken Ford]

I use to work at an auction that sold salvage bikes to dealers. There is no way in hell I would buy one. Its way way too hard to go through one and tell if it way done properly and the frame it self is properly aligned. Plus you will never sell it for anything even close to what it would be worth with a clean title. Its worth the extra cash to get a clean title bike that has NOT been laid down. Just my $.02.

If it's got a salvage title already he won't have to do any if that stuff.

 

[roundhouse]

I use to work at an auction that sold salvage bikes to dealers. There is no way in hell I would buy one. Its way way too hard to go through one and tell if it way done properly and the frame it self is properly aligned. Plus you will never sell it for anything even close to what it would be worth with a clean title.

Its worth the extra cash to get a clean title bike that has NOT been laid down.

Just my $.02.

Depends

I would not want a smashed bike

One that fell off the kick stand is fine if it didn't damage the engine case
It usually breaks all the plastic junk and bends the handlebars. Most times you have to replace the bars on every bike to get comfortable anyway

 

[Ken Ford]

Think about it. Would it be economicle to replace most of the bike just to sell it cheap with a salvage title? While you might find someone that stupid, most salvage "anythings" will have minor damage that someone can fix so they can sell cheap and "flip"
Parts are not cheap even at salvage yards or aftermarket. (Not much aftermarket for bikes anyway unless it's performance)

 

[roundhouse]

Looking at the auctions. It's easy to see who wrecks their bike

It's all Harley's, and crotch rockets

Not a dual sport to be found

 

[Wallace's]

Depends

I would not want a smashed bike

One that fell off the kick stand is fine if it didn't damage the engine case
It usually breaks all the plastic junk and bends the handlebars. Most times you have to replace the bars on every bike to get comfortable anyway

Lol, a bike "falling off the kick stand" was something we maybe saw once maybe twice for totaling a bike as the damage is typically superficial.

I love when I see "only laid down in the driveway, or fell over" thats why it has a rebuilt title. The majority of bikes we would sell had extensive structural damage to major components -> crank cases, frames, trashed forks, handle bars/risers snapped, etc....

It was rare that State Farm, Geico, Allstate, etc... would ever total a bike that looks like it would be ok to ride after repairs. If they did, they were much older bikes that parts were not easy to come by.

 

[roundhouse]

Price All the Tupperware for a new BMW.
That plus labor is half the value of the bike

 

[8675309]

i thought the law was changed that an individual
could no longer make the repairs on a salvage
titled vehicle,that a licensed repair shop has to do
the work-then it could pass inspection. right?

the only reason to buy a salvage titled vehicle is
for parts.

 

[gran torino]

When did Savage start making motorcycles?