help,advice,thoughts please

[tattoo]

what does a cat B write off mean,can they be repaired safely?

i'm asking this because i've just had a txt about a 2000 honda sp1...race rep paintwork,25000 miles

is it worth the long trip to cornwall to view and the £1500 price tag???

[benny hedges]

cat b cant go back on the road m8.... usually a bent frame or other serious structural damage.
or a section59 snatchback....
for whatever reason, avoid it unless you have a new frame & v5 lined up.
you can only use it for spares.

& dont be tempted to use a cat B bike as a cheap trackbike.... there was a lad killed at oulton 2yr ago when the headstock snapped off his cat b'd r1, throwing him into the concrete pit wall at speed.

[Wicky]

Category B Insurance Write Off - the vehicle must not be used again but non- structural and roadworthy parts and components may be recovered for use in other vehicles. Care must be taken to ensure that they are not critical components with important safety functions.

Even if you get in on the road again - problematic to get it insured again - and its resale value/reputation with Cat B against it would make it stink to a prospective buyer.

Best ask the seller what is the extent of the damage - and then I would want a god look over to see what's salvageable.

[benny hedges]

you can apply for a new v5 for a cat b bike.... and afaik it doesnt need inspecting, just mot.
but obviously you would need to be very carefull.

one of the peds i got for the scooter run was a cat b and it is back on the road no probs.
as it was registered in dec 08 it didnt even need a mot. just reapplied for the v5 with the original reg.

for an sp1 though, you can pick them up for 2 - 2.5k if you look around, so is it really worth risking buying a lemon that could end up costing you a fortune to repair, and still handling like a bag of fok

[tattoo]

i've rung the seller and it's been repaired he wouldn't say if it had been reframed or not...alarm bells have started ringing loudly so i'm leaving well alone

thanks benny and wicky for the info

[benny hedges]

yeh mate walk away.... the speed them things do its most probably been in a proper smash.
next.

[tattoo]

must of been a serious smash to be a cat D benny...i'm seriously thinking about looking at the ltd edition sp1 listed on ebay...it's alittle pricey at £3.995 starting bid tho...i'll wait until she's calmed down about the vfr i bought before asking her about another...yes i'm gunna ask her permission to buy another

[benny hedges]

just buy same colour bike m8 & she wont notice ;)

[tattoo]

tried that with a 600 hornet and it took her all of 10 secs to notice it even with a cover over it...she does come in handy when filling out insurance forms tho,i have to go look in the garage to see whats in there but she can rattle them off without looking...i'll have one for the first workshop of the new year tho

[BigVeeGrin]

must of been a serious smash to be a cat D benny...i'm seriously thinking about looking at the ltd edition sp1 listed on ebay...it's alittle pricey at £3.995 starting bid tho...i'll wait until she's calmed down about the vfr i bought before asking her about another...yes i'm gunna ask her permission to buy another

I tried the sensible approach of bike needs to be winter bike, so need a tip top bike as well (SP or RC8). Throw in the line of the Storm is wearing out, not worth much and me spending lots of time not being a loving partner due to spending hours in the garage sorting it out, making a workshop and becoming a self-taught mechanic just to keep the Storm running. Well, she told me to get an effin life, i'm married to her not a machine and those were the last words we had - a few months back. Life's sweet, me and the Storm now

Edit: And, given we're broke is the main reason for not getting bike 2, i reminded my beloved that she bought a bleedin' caravan in some blood clot to the head moment with the intention of having lots of family time away. Two years later it's been used twice, by me! Anyone want a lovely caravan? Would pay for an SP or RC8

[tattoo]

the sensible approach is a new thing for me as i've never had to ask to buy a bike before but i may have to take that approach this time..i'm now getting the picture and no sound treatment(which i hate) and even had to cook my own food today,which was ok as i don't like sunday roasts....i'm thinking the vfr might of been a bike too many but never mind,at least it's quiet...

[vtrman44]

the sensible approach is a new thing for me as i've never had to ask to buy a bike before but i may have to take that approach this time..i'm now getting the picture and no sound treatment(which i hate) and even had to cook my own food today,which was ok as i don't like sunday roasts....i'm thinking the vfr might of been a bike too many but never mind,at least it's quiet...

did you buy VFR after talking to me,if so ,tell wife its VTRMANs fault,dont give her my mobile number,

[tattoo]

funnily enough it was an hour after talking to you on friday afternoon....i usually blame my bro in-law becoz everytime we go for a blast the day after another bike appears...we're going out on wed/thurs for a last blast to the east coast so all cards and chequebooks will be left at home and i'll only have fuel & food money in my pocket

[Miztaziggy]

What do all the cats mean?

Eg what is a cat a? cab b? cat c? cat d? e if there is one?

[Wicky]

Category A Insurance Write Off - the vehicle must be scrapped and no parts or components can be sold other than for scrap. Amounts vary but the scrap value rarely covers the cost of recovery and delivery to a scrap yard.

Category B Insurance Write Off - the vehicle must not be used again but non- structural and roadworthy parts and components may be recovered for use in other vehicles. Care must be taken to ensure that they are not critical components with important safety functions.

Category C Insurance Write Off - the vehicle is repairable but the parts and labour would exceed the value of the car. This is a tricky situation as there are plenty of amateur and professional mechanics who could use second hand parts to repair these vehicles at much lower prices than the list costs for parts and labour. Cat C cars require a VIC test cat C vans do not need this

Category D Insurance Write Off - the vehicle is economically repairable but other factors are involved that cause the insurer to declare the vehicle a write off. Perhaps the replacement car hire is too costly or it will take too long for a specialist part to be delivered. No vic test or inspection needed

Category X Insurance Write Off - the vehicle is easily repairable and may even be still roadworthy.

Category Stolen Write Off - the vehicle has been stolen and then recovered after the owner has been paid out by the insurance company, These vehicles are normaly not damaged and are normaly roadworthy

Unrecorded Insurance Write Off - the vehicle damage was not reported to the insurer or the driver was uninsured. The most common example is drivers who only have third party insurance but have had an accident that was their fault (usually not involving anyone else