Is buying a salvage title motorcycle a good idea? This is one of the questions buyers often ask when speaking about salvage motorcycles. It can be! As long as the buyer is well informed, a purchase from a motorcycle salvage auction can be a great way to help you save lots of money and find your dream bike.
Salvage Bikes For Sale For Beginners
Salvage bikes can be a great way to save money! Usually, those cost just a fraction of the price and you will be able to get your dream bike. But what does salvage bike mean?
A salvage motorcycle probably got that title due to total loss by insurance companies or been badly damaged. Theft and force of nature will also award that title to used motorcycles for sale. There is a huge amount of salvage bikes for sale in the market. However, you will need luck and do a little homework in order to find a great motorcycle for a great price!
Damaged Vehicles For Sale – Don’t Spend A Fortune
We will tell you some things about damaged vehicles. But before we get to it, we’ll talk about costs and other things. Some people have to work long hours to make good money. Some other people are fortunate enough to belong to a wealthy family and not have the need to work hard. Maybe not even work at all, to acquire whatever they dream of.
Salvage Motorcycles For Sale – What Do You Need To Know When Buying One
Bike enthusiasts, have you ever thought about buying a salvage motorcycle? If you are a fan or love to repair and resell stuff, purchasing a damaged motorcycle can be a safe bet for you. The repairable salvage motorcycles for sale usually cost just a fraction of their normal market value.
Rebel Without A Clue… Not All Salvage Motorcycles Are Junk
Salvage motorcycles. Being a rebel, a biker with a passion or just a person that doesn’t like four-wheeled vehicles can cost you a lot of money.
The dream of getting your motor runnin’, heading out on the highway, lookin’ for adventure and whatever comes your way becomes even more tangible if you find good, repairable motorcycles for sale.
Flood Damaged Salvage Motorcycles – Should You Buy Or Stay Away?
Honestly, my first reaction is always to tell people to stay away. But, to be fair, I’ll tell you why you should consider buying a water-damaged bike. I will also tell you why not to buy one.
Five Reasons To Get A Flood Damaged Salvage Motorcycle:
- If you absolutely know what you are doing with a wrench on a bike. You’ve rebuilt motorcycles, done complete teardowns, and, above all, have infinite patience;
- People Do It Already. People fix flood-damaged bikes all the time. For example, motorcycle enthusiasts in the Philippines – a region known for tropical monsoons and flooding – have documented the process for cleaning Honda motorcycles;
- A motorcycle is not a car. Repairing a flood damaged car is a nightmare. A good part of a car wasn’t designed to be out in the open. Motorcycles are designed to deal with the elements. Therefore, motorcycle parts can be pretty resilient;
- Moving parts can be inspected, dried and repaired: engines, forks, and bearings can be taken apart fairly easily and set out to dry in a normal garage;
- You can do it on a budget. You can buy a flood salvage bike cheap. If you do the work yourself and find good cheap sources for parts, you can save a lot of money.
Five Reasons NOT To Get A Flood Damaged Salvage Motorcycle
- Water gets into everything. Water goes into any small or hollow opening. It floods the fuel tank and works its way into the fuel system. Liquid seeps into cables, gauges, pistons, bearings, cylinders, crankcase, plugs, etc.;
- Water damage can appear months after the flooding. Water gets in everywhere (see #1), and quietly corrodes from the inside. Motorcycles have metal, composite, plastics, rubber, glass, and leather. Water basically destroys just about every one of those things over time;
- Flood water is not just “water”. Flood water can come with salt water, fuels, oils, chemicals, sludge, sewage, etc. These chemicals can be really toxic to a bike;
- You don’t know how long it was underwater. Most articles about repairing “flooded bikes” are for people who just pulled their bikes out of the water. They are able to do emergency work, like hosing down the bike with clean water and emptying out gas tanks. Now, about these motorcycles being auctioned today, how long were they underwater? Who knows?
- Forget resale value, collision insurance, trade-ins or getting financing. Once that bike gets “flood” on the title, it will mark the motorcycle for life. As a result, insurers won’t want to touch it, dealers won’t accept it for trade-ins. Too much risk to insure or put on your showroom.
CONCLUSION
There you have it, both sides to the argument. Most importantly, I’d say stay away, if I didn’t have any knowledge. On the other hand, if you are a master mechanic with a lot of time, go for it. Otherwise, do not touch it!
Inspect Salvage Motorcycles – Ten Things To Look For Before You Bid
You’ve been looking for a used bike and decided to go the salvage motorcycle route. Great! Now, it’s time to actually get out there and start shopping. But before you bid, if possible, you need to personally inspect salvage motorcycles you plan on bidding on.
Salvage Motorcycles – Buying And Selling Can Be Fun!
Dealing with salvage vehicles can be time-consuming, but it doesn’t mean it can’t be fun! First of all, you don’t need to spend a fortune on this hobby. The more knowledge you have on fixing them, the more money you will save. Some salvage motorcycles don’t need much work and can be turned around in a week, which are the ones you need to make a business out of.
Buy Salvage Honda Motorcycles At Auction
Honda is a classic name in motorcycles. The car-making giant founded by Soichiro Honda in 1949 started out as a motorcycle maker. That’s where it earned its reputation for well-engineered motors and high-quality manufacturing standards. Starting with small motorcycles in the early ’60s, it made a name for itself in the United States. As of 2019, it is the most-sold motorcycle in America and the world.
Video: How To Buy A Salvage Motorcycle At COPART Auctions
On this blog, we have suggested you check out auctions for wrecked bikes. Here is how you can register at SalvageReseller.com to bid on Copart auctions and buy a salvage motorcycle. For that matter, you can also bid on salvage trucks, cars, watercraft, and ATV’s.