I 've found a locally own 2001 vfr bike was in an accident and was purchased by another person who is now selling it. I was wondering what the general feeling was on purchasing bikes that have been in an accident? This particular bike was sideswipped and the rider ended up in a ditch with the bike on top of her. She survived but probably will never ride again. the bike was never branded by the insurance company, has new ebay fairings and a new rear subframe. The main frame doesn't look like it was damaged, no marks at all. The rear swingarm was bent slightly and has been straightened by the present owner (to honda specs). The present owner has quite a lot of technical knowledge, and quite routinely will swap car frames and has completely rebuilt a Viper, has atleast 3 other motorcycles. I'm not questioning his abilities but more whether there will be continual issues with a bike that has been repaired to this extent.
If it got hit hard enough to bend the swingarm, I'd say there are other damages to the frame, engine (which the swingarm attaches to) and who knows what else. I guess if the price was VERY right, it might be worth it, but I would be prepared to replace lots of parts. I'd say pass on this one, but not all downed bikes are bad, but I start getting concerned when frame parts are getting bent.
the more i mess with my bikes, the more simple they become. that being said, it depends on you and your ability. if you want to ride it, never wrench on it and dont feel comfortable with any major repairs, i would pass. if you are comfortable doing some of it on your own and the price is right, i would say go for it. HOWEVER, i would want a great comfort level that the front forks and main frame are not bent in anyway. if owner can prove this with third party info, i would have no issues moving forward.
turtlecreek, Sep 23 2007, 09:22 AMthe more i mess with my bikes, the more simple they become. that being said, it depends on you and your ability. if you want to ride it, never wrench on it and dont feel comfortable with any major repairs, i would pass. if you are comfortable doing some of it on your own and the price is right, i would say go for it. HOWEVER, i would want a great comfort level that the front forks and main frame are not bent in anyway. if owner can prove this with third party info, i would have no issues moving forward.
Some bikes come out alright after a wreck, my '06 rides better now than it did before $8500 in parts that the insurance company threw at it.... That being said, I would have totaled it out for that much had they given me the option and bought a new bike! It does ride great however, and looks brand new, so YMMV depending on the bike.
My Dad, Little Bro, and I re-did his bike. We picked it up crashed and re-did it no problem. As long as you're sure that it's good to go I don't see why there would be a problem with a previously crashed bike.
I wouldn't have any problem buying a bike that had been down. BUT, if it went down hard enough to bend a SSSA I would be a little leery. Metal does tend to try and return to it original shape. My I worked at the Kawasaki shop, we totaled quite a few steel framed bikes because the frame had tweaked enough to crack the paint, but the frame was not bent. I bought one of those bikes and it rode just like a new one.
I wouldn't buy it without having it checked at some place like GMD Computrack to make sure all the vitals are straight. Otherwise, I love crashed bikes, have never bought anything else myself.
hondalover, Sep 23 2007, 01:47 PMI wouldn't have any problem buying a bike that had been down. BUT, if it went down hard enough to bend a SSSA I would be a little leery. Metal does tend to try and return to it original shape. My I worked at the Kawasaki shop, we totaled quite a few steel framed bikes because the frame had tweaked enough to crack the paint, but the frame was not bent. I bought one of those bikes and it rode just like a new one.
Yup. Sounds like the guy is giving up on it. DON'T make it YOUR problem. fing02.gif
I've owned several bikes that were in crashes, including my current one. It's OK, if the damage was mainly cosmetic, and the bike was repaired properly, but it's not always possible to tell from a cursory inspection if everything's OK. My bike's not OK - it has mismatched front disks, and before I replaced the footpeg brackets last week, both were bent. I've also had problems trying to get the main fairing bracket straight so that the fairing isn't sitting cocked slightly to the left.
I'm not really leary of downed bikes, but I want to do all the fixes myself. That, or someone I trust completely. It does sound to me like this guy has given up on fixing this on, which makes me leary. How long has the current owner had this bike? How long has he/she been riding it? If he hasn't been riding it very long, I wouldn't walk, I'd run away. But if he has been riding it for a while, it could be that he just wants to move on.
Crashed bikes are great bargains if you have the expertise to evaluate the damage and fix the damage to the point that you know what you're getting going in. Only thing I rode for years......rather buy "new" now, got "lazy" in my old age....... tongue.gif
hondalover, Sep 23 2007, 10:47 AMI wouldn't have any problem buying a bike that had been down. BUT, if it went down hard enough to bend a SSSA I would be a little leery. Metal does tend to try and return to it original shape. My I worked at the Kawasaki shop, we totaled quite a few steel framed bikes because the frame had tweaked enough to crack the paint, but the frame was not bent. I bought one of those bikes and it rode just like a new one.
Once a metal part is stressed past the yield point (is bent) it will not return to its original shape. Metals don't have a memory like plastics (in general). It is possible that a fairly brittle coating (plating, maybe some paints) will crack before the metal yields, and the part may still be usable.
I'd be surprised if the SSSA would be bent in an accident that wouldn't destroy most of the rest of the bike. Even if that was the case, I don't know that a cast part like the SSSA could be straightened without compromising its integrity.
In general, I think the best deals are to be found in "damaged" bikes. It's a good idea to know what you're looking at, though.
fallzboater, Sep 23 2007, 07:08 PMI'd be surprised if the SSSA would be bent in an accident that wouldn't destroy most of the rest of the bike. Even if that was the case, I don't know that a cast part like the SSSA could be straightened without compromising its integrity.
In general, I think the best deals are to be found in "damaged" bikes. It's a good idea to know what you're looking at, though.
Almost all I buy is dropped, just clicked off 52,000 miles on my 02 that I bought wrecked for $600 and almost zero miles. fing02.gif
My 2000 VFR I bought had a bent SSSA and I road it for 10k that way w/o any real issue other then uneven tire wear. I replaced the swing arm to correct it. I would Not trust this guy straightening a SSSA Your best bet is doing the repairs yourself IMO. rolleyes.gif
toyz4roy, Sep 23 2007, 06:43 AMI 've found a locally own 2001 vfr bike was in an accident and was purchased by another person who is now selling it. I was wondering what the general feeling was on purchasing bikes that have been in an accident? This particular bike was sideswipped and the rider ended up in a ditch with the bike on top of her. She survived but probably will never ride again. the bike was never branded by the insurance company, has new ebay fairings and a new rear subframe. The main frame doesn't look like it was damaged, no marks at all. The rear swingarm was bent slightly and has been straightened by the present owner (to honda specs). The present owner has quite a lot of technical knowledge, and quite routinely will swap car frames and has completely rebuilt a Viper, has atleast 3 other motorcycles. I'm not questioning his abilities but more whether there will be continual issues with a bike that has been repaired to this extent.
It can snowball into a lot of parts ordering and things not lining up like the fairing brackets etc. Having crashed a few Hondas and trying to fix them afterwards I would say unless you deal with frustration real well or are a wizard mechanic then walk or run away from a crashed bike. Shop for a killer deal on an good used one instead. Your psycological health is more important than a few extra bucks. Even after you fix it you will still wonder about its integrity. wheel.gif wheel.gif wheel.gif