Looking for advice

[mattr6]

I was involved in an accident at the end of last year. I won't go into details but I was knocked off. Damage to bike was the usual sports bike damage (scraped fairings etc, bike was CBR600RR5)

Insurance have assessed it and have come back as uneconomical repair, bike written off (cat D). They have offered me a fair price for the bike but I can also buy the bike back for £850. In essence, to get the bike back on the road it needs 2 indicators.

Has anyone ever brought a bike back from insurers as cat D?? Has it caused any issues??

[Funky]

I have bought a couple bikes back as Cat 'D'. It is no issue, but be aware that come selling time you will not be able to get very much for it.

As long as you are confident the bike is straight etc and you are happy to ride it on the road, go for it. Otherwise, track it.

[brizzer]

as said above , and I would just track it even if it is a Honda

[Ruffian]

Definitely buy it back,
You could sell it on as a track bike for 1500 easily,

As a cat d all it will need to put it back on the road is a fresh mot and possibly really for a log book if the insurance have taken that off you,
Yes it is a pain but means you will get a pay out and your bike back which stands you in naff all,

I have put a few car write offs back on the road and to me it doesn't make any difference.
If you have photos of the damage and how it's been repaired it would still sell on as a road bike.

[scorcher]

I bought a Cat C RR5 which was cosmetic damage only. I priced up all the fairings ,indicators, mirrors etc and I got to £3000 on that alone. I think if you price up all the bolts/fixings for the plastics you can easily get to £100. Picked up a complete set of low mileage plastics on Gumtree in the end for £250 and they were minty mint. Still got the old set in the shed but they're gravel rashed.
But as said, at £850 buy it back, photograph the damage, and flog it as is for about twice the price, or repair and get a bit more.

[Smiler]

I'd bite their hand off Matt, if the frame etc hasn't been compromised then its a no brainer

[5Litres]

Buy it back and wack it on the track!

[billinom8s]

Buy it back, I bought a cat d, fixed it up and sold it on. Just took the buyer through the Work that had been done against the insurance form and it wasn't an issue.

The forks had been declared dead because they had a scratch on them. Unrealistic insurance assessors are to blame for rising premiums.

[mattr6]

Thanks for the replies. Frame and forks are fine, only issue is cosmetics. Top fairing, side fairing, seat unit are scratched. Both mirrors lightly scratched, engine casing scratched and needs 2 indicators.

Will I have issues insuring it as cat d and will I need an engineers report?

Only other issue is my health. Broke 2 metacarpels in my hand. If that doesn't heal right I could well be looking for something more upright.

[scorcher]

Will I have issues insuring it as cat d and will I need an engineers report?

Cat C and D bikes don't need a VIC report ( Cars do though!) so you can just repair it to a roadworthy condition and ride it. It will be recorded with DVLA and HPI. You can ask your insurer but I never had any problems with my Cat C. You'll get a lower payout as its already been written off.



Considering buying a salvage motorcycle written-off and fixing it up ? Tempting, if you are handy with the spanners. So what does "Category C total loss" mean....
Briefly:
•Category A - Vehicle must be crushed. All of it.
•Category B - Bike may not be returned to road. Parts may be sold.
•Category C - Repairable. Possibly structural damage. Cost of damage (at main dealer prices and labour rates) is more than book value of bike.
•Category D - Repairable. Probably non-structural damage. May have been economic to repair, but insurer doesn't want to.
•Category F - Damaged by fire.
•Category X - Repairable. Minor Damage.
In more detail:
Category A - May not be resold. Entire motorcycle must be crushed. Total burnout or flood damage (salt or foul water). Severely damaged with no serviceable parts, or already stripped out shell. DVLA require "Notification of Destruction".

Category B - Motorcycle itself may not be resold. Damaged beyond economical repair, usually with severe structural/frame damage. DVLA require "Notification of Destruction". Parts can be removed and sold.

Category C - Repairable salvage. Usually applies to motorcycles with significant frame damage, where cost of repairs exceeds book value. Can be sold complete to Motorcycle Trade or Public. Recorded as "Category C" at DVLA. Category C vehicles' V5 documents are returned to DVLA. You re-apply, to DVLA or at your local VRO, for registration on the original identity once you have fixed it up, MOTed it and want to Tax it. Re-registration removes the Category C classification, but evidence it was at one time Category C remains on the vehicle's record at DVLA (and HPI and AA and the others).

There is a difference between cars (and presumably vans, lorries, caravanettes..) and bikes when re-registering. Motorcycles do not need a VIC inspection, cars do. Cars (and vans...) sold for repair but must now have VIC inspection before returning to the road.

VIC inspection - Straight from VOSA's web site "[The VIC] will involve comparing the vehicle presented against information held by DVLA, such as the vehicle identification number, make, model, colour and engine number. The VIC will also compare the record of previous accident damage with evidence of damage repair as well as checking other components to confirm the age and identity of the vehicle."

Officially, the VIC does not check roadworthiness. If any significant defects are present, they can prevent it being used, but it is not a check of vehicle condition or roadworthiness. VIC tets centres in major towns, list on VOSA's site. It costs £35 (early 2005).

Motorcycles do not need this VIC inspection. (Lets not get into whether this is a good or bad thing - you probably have a view somewhere between 'one less hoop to jump through' and 'so do they not care about stolen bikes being rung !'). Whatever, bikes do not need a VIC inspection.

It used to be unclear, but VOSA have re-written some of the pages on their web site. Some of their pages still say 'all vehicles', but some pages now say 'cars need....'. From 2 sources, we now have clear evidence of people being told, one in writing, that "Motorcycles do not come under the Vehicle Identity Check Scheme therefore your vehicle will not require one.".

Having said that, when you go to insure it, the Insurance Company will obviously know it was Category C, and may insist on an Engineer's Report on the quality of repairs and the roadworthiness of the vehicle. Some do, some don't.

Category D - Repairable salvage. Minimal damage, probably not structural, but insurer does not want to repair, even though it might be economic to do so. Often stolen and recovered after claim has been paid. Or for unusual models or grey imports where the difficulty of obtaining new parts hinders a quick repair. Does not need VIC inspection to return to road. Recorded with HPI, AA, and the like.

Category Theft - Reported stolen, and the insurance company has paid out, but nobody has found the bike yet. (Once it is found and taken to a salvage yard, it probably becomes Category D(or ABC...))

Category F - Damaged by fire. Should be repairable. If not safely repairable, it should be called Category A or B.

Category X - Insurance-speak for 'Not Recorded', but subject to some claim and sold on by them as repairable salvage. Not recorded on registers at HPI, AA, .. or known at DVLA. Very light damage, or vehicle is fairly new. Requires minimal repair work.

"not recorded" - Not an official category, this is what you may see in a private advert. Usually means the owner only had third party insurance and they stuffed it themselves, so can't claim for it. Naturally, they aren't telling their insurance company - and they haven't told DVLA, so it is not Recorded with them, or HPI et al. Might be a total wreck, might be fixable. Buying something like this, you are on your own, and you'd better know what you are doing mechanically.

This page is only a summary of the regulations and not a definitive statement of law. For the full story, see VOSA. This is the Vehicle and Operator Services Agency, formerly known as the Vehicle Inspectorate.

[mattr6]

Update on this.

Got the bike back. Have ordered an indicator. That should be all thats needed to get it back on the road (needs MOT so that should pick up anything serious damage that I cant see)

Got the insurance estimate invoice, all 3 pages of it......................£3081 to fix. Every single mark on the bike they have taken as caused by the accident and needs new parts (example, they say it needs a new radiator. Nothing is leaking and it looks fine. Yes paint is flaking but its a 7 year old, 30k mile bike) No wonder insurance is so high!!

Depends now on how well my hand heals now. If its ok, I will probably use it as it is for now with scraped bodywork.

Has anyone on here gone down the chinese fairing route?? I have looked into it but reviews seem to vary wildly. I know it wont be OEM quality but the bikes my daily transport so will never be concourse condition.

To those that say track it, I have no real interest in track days. Living in this part of the UK, its just too expensive.

[Ruffian]

I have used delkavic fairings and most of it was good,
A couple of panels needed adjustment to be right,
But a whole fairing kit delivered was 299!

That was for a 2010 cbr,
I haven't experienced any other companies products,
But would just say keep hunting eBay, can pick up genuine panels fairly cheap and worth a little bit extra to fit first time in my eyes.

Also does give you the option of going for your own paint scheme, something a bit different or personal,

I'm glad you got your bike back and hope you heal well buddy and back out on it when your ready!

[Kevitree]

Not sure where your based, but if your near or around Exeter and whilst your hand heals I can be handy with a spanner if you need a hand.

get well soon

[scorcher]

Update on this.
Has anyone on here gone down the chinese fairing route?? I have looked into it but reviews seem to vary wildly. I know it wont be OEM quality but the bikes my daily transport so will never be concourse condition.

As said keep an eye out on Ebay/Gumtree etc. The OE set I found for 250 quid was immaculate and that was every plastic panel on the bike.

[goatpants]

Ebay for spares matt...... I got all sorts for my trumpets off there.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/i.html?_odkw= ... g&_sacat=0