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Salvage title - how much damage needed?

U

usedtobefast

Member
Joined
Aug 11, 2004
Location
Mountain View
Moto(s)
990 SMT, YZ250FX, 690 Duke, WR250F, 450 EXC, Wee & Vee Strom, R1200RT
Name
David
I see so many CL ads where a bike has a salvage title, and the seller says it was due to light cosmetic damage. Sure.

I've never bought a salvage title bike.

So ... how does this happen?

Say a bike is worth $12K ... guy drops it, and needs $6K in repairs to be back to as before ... so no salvage title, right?

Wouldn't the repair price need to exceed the value of the bike?

I understand a $2500 dollar bike, drop it, totaled if it needs $2500+ repairs, I can see that happen.

But I don't see how a high value bike could be totaled unless it is a BIG problem like damaged frame or something.
 
A salvage title simply means that there was an insurance claim against the vehicle. This could be for several different reason. Most common is an accident that was submitted for an insurance claim and the insurance deciding to pay the owner for total loss. The vehicle is then "junked" and has gone through a "salvage" process to bring back to usable condition.

The damage could be of any severity that the insurance deems as a total loss.

Keep in mind that a theft could also trigger an insurance claim. Thus, the vehicle could be recovered in perfect condition, yet will still need to be "salvaged" before it can go back on the road. The vehicle will be permanently branded as "salvage" while there is absolutely no damage.

Because a "salvaged" vehicle has been inspected by CHP and has passed a brake and lamp inspection there is a possibility of it being repaired properly compared to a damaged vehicle being sold without an insurance claim being made and the seller not divulging that damage had been repaired (or even NOT repaired). I've personally owned motorcycles with salvage titles that were in great condition. I've also owned motorcycles with bent triple clamps and bent frames that were never claimed to an insurance company even though they had clearly been in accidents. Bottom line, the buyer should be very aware of what to look for when inspecting a vehicle for possible purchase. Personally, I will always check for bent triple clamps as they are very easy to bend in a simple tip-over.
 
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As a side note, the NISB (National Insurance Crime Bureau) has an on-line VIN checker. Any vehicle that has been reported stolen or total loss by an insurance company will show up on this data base. Its very handy when buying a vehicle that you might have questions about.

https://www.nicb.org/vincheck
 
Got knocked off my '97 Road King last month splitting lanes and when the bike hit the ground the crash bars did their job, but the small tab on the frame that holds them to the bike was twisted and partially torn off.

Insurance declared it a total loss almost entirely due to the frame needing to be replaced even though the tab is the only part where it's damaged. It's perfectly driveable and still looks damn good. I let them keep half the payoff amount and I kept the bike.
I'll re-register it as a salvage titled bike, take it to the CHP station to have them verify mechanical competence and then ride it another 100,000 miles. :party :ride
 
usedtobefast said:
I see so many CL ads where a bike has a salvage title, and the seller says it was due to light cosmetic damage. Sure.

I've never bought a salvage title bike.

So ... how does this happen?

Say a bike is worth $12K ... guy drops it, and needs $6K in repairs to be back to as before ... so no salvage title, right?

Wouldn't the repair price need to exceed the value of the bike?

I understand a $2500 dollar bike, drop it, totaled if it needs $2500+ repairs, I can see that happen.

But I don't see how a high value bike could be totaled unless it is a BIG problem like damaged frame or something.
Click to expand...

Getting salvage titled doesn't have to be repairs equal or exceeding 100% of the bike's value.

A sport bike just for example could get salvage titled due to damage to the fairings, headlights, etc alone.
 
mean dad said:
Got knocked off my '97 Road King last month splitting lanes and when the bike hit the ground the crash bars did their job, but the small tab on the frame that holds them to the bike was twisted and partially torn off.

Insurance declared it a total loss almost entirely due to the frame needing to be replaced even though the tab is the only part where it's damaged. It's perfectly driveable and still looks damn good. I let them keep half the payoff amount and I kept the bike.
I'll re-register it as a salvage titled bike, take it to the CHP station to have them verify mechanical competence and then ride it another 100,000 miles. :party :ride
Click to expand...

This is a perfect example of a nearly perfect bike being branded with a "salvage" title. But to clarify one detail... the CHP does NOT verify mechanical competence. They are simply checking for repair receipts to make sure the repairs weren't made using stolen parts, and that VIN and engine numbers still match the title documents. You are also required to have a "brake and lamp" inspection. This is the closest verification to mechanical competence, but there could still be lots of things wrong that they won't look for.
 
A salvage title has less to do with actual physical damage than it does the percentage of the bike's actual cash value and guaranteed buy price from the auction yard.

For instance, a $12,000 bike with a high buy value may total out with less than $4000 of damage.
A CBR 600 that's several years old may have a buy guarantee of 38% of its bluebook value so if the estimate of repairs exceeds some random cutoff number like 32% of its book value the insurance company sees this as a bad risk and goes all total loss on the title.
The other case, as Meandad illustrates is when the insurance company is unwilling to accept the risk of a "broken" frame.

Many a Ducati has died this way as it is inevitable to break the little steering stops that are ridiculously placed on many models.
 
650 V-Strom, little scuff/scratch on swingarm from passenger peg bracket kissing it, some plastics scuffed and maybe the muffler. Salvage title. Bought it and rode the crap out of it.
 
Years ago, I lost my front going about 30-40 mph. Insurance adjuster told me a percentage but don’t remember what it was - 60%? I remember him saying they should have totaled after the repairs were made. OEM fairings were crazy expensive.
 
Good answers. Barf has come a long way from decades past on this subject. I used to buy bikes from insurance auctions and tried to explain this and no one would hardly believe me. Bottom line, some salvage title bikes deserve that classification, and some don't. I currently drag race 2, salvage title bikes.
 
Great info, thanks. Did not know the insurance companies used some % of actual value.

I might start believing some CL sellers now. :)
 
396 said:
Good answers. Barf has come a long way from decades past on this subject. I used to buy bikes from insurance auctions and tried to explain this and no one would hardly believe me. Bottom line, some salvage title bikes deserve that classification, and some don't. I currently drag race 2, salvage title bikes.
Click to expand...
Salvage 'Busa's pretty easy to find I suppose?
 
I bought a 2001 ZX9R theft recovery. Absolutely no damage but had a Salvage Title.
My friend has bought several bikes with only light cosmetic damage from the auctions.

Mad
 
i got tboned on my 09 r1, 5-10mph, i rolled onto old ladies hood, she pushed my radiator all the way to the side, scratched up the entire right side and knicked my front left fork from the initial collision, and the bike fell on its right hand side

if the fork didnt get knicked It would not have been salvaged, but since the fork was knicked - the entire cost of R&R taht salvaged the bike

it litearlly looked like tip over damage, but got salvaged....
 
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Bought a Ninja 300 that had a salvaged title. Ugly aftermarket scratched up fairings. Exhaust ground down flat on the side. But it ran perfect with only 14,000 miles.
Still riding it today. Commuting and track sometimes.

Best part is insurance was only $74 a year for me liability only. Bike looks brand new now after my upgrades.
 
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