Damage Repairable - Would you?

[goodlife]

Thinking about a little summer project, so thoughts turned to buying a damage repairable R1/GSXR etc. I hear there are some good bargains out there, and typically use my bikes 20% road/80% track.

I've a couple of questions that thought some people here might be able to answer:

1) Should I buy an insurance write-off?
2) What's do the insurance categories mean (C, D, etc)?
3) Where's the best place to find damage repairables (outside of MCN, etc)

Any other advice?

Thanks

[Ballistic Banana]

Damage repairables have u tried a search on Universal Salvage. I believe they normally have some Bikes.

BB

[Gerrard]

"There are four categories of write-off: a class-A has to be destroyed; a class-B can be broken up for spares; a class-C is worth so little that it is uneconomical to repair; a class-D is uneconomical for an insurer to mend, but can be fixed. One in 10 bikes that receives the MCN Check is a C or D and most are fine. But a B should never turn a wheel again."

taken from www.car-crime.com/motorcyle_damage.htm

[mel]

You can get some good bargins if its to be a track day toy. I bought a 99 blade that was stolen recovered and had been crashed, the platic was knackered and the frame had some bad scratches a small dent and the numbers had been ground off (hence a write off) I can't remember the catagories thing but mine basically had no log book and wasn't allowed to go back on the road. I paid £800 for it spent another couple of hundred on some race plastic, the same again on some race pilots, a bit of gaffer tape, a pot of black paint and a brush and I had one seriously quick track day toy. We now take it to track days as a "spare" bike between a few of us, its jokingly called "the disposable bike" but is good as gold.

[goodlife]

Thanks Mel.

Where did you buy it from? What is the situation with the DVLA/Police and bikes that have no identity? Are you legally allowed to keep it, as long as it's off road etc?

[iguana]

Mel that 'blade sounds a right laugh, don't 'spose you are thinking of flogging it?

[mel]

Universal salvage auction at Sandwich in Kent....and er no, its been worth every penny and will be having its first outing of the season next wednesday evening at Brands.

[mel]

goodlife said: Thanks Mel.
What is the situation with the DVLA/Police and bikes that have no identity? Are you legally allowed to keep it, as long as it's off road etc?

As far as I'm aware once its been through the system its ok to own, I've done this a couple of times and have bought a few engines for race bikes that have had numbers ground off or over stamped, as long as you get the paperwork from the breakers or salvage yard saying its been stolen recovered and is sold with no identity its ok (if they are legit the ones involved in this normally have paper trails showing it came either from plod or an insurance company). The only thing you can't do is re register it with DVLA (might be able to on a Q plate but I've looked into it that deaply) and get log book.