Some Guy smashed both my bikes (insurance question)

[Mongler07]

Same in NZ .....most case's it's not worth doing.

Goodonya! Nice to see the insurance get the short end for a change.
However, if the vehicles are totaled, I reckon you now have to re-title them and carry the stigma of restored wrecks.
How it is in WA State anyway.

So a bit more of a back story. I got the rocket from someone who crashed it; it was in bad shape... dry rotted tires ECT... I did a quick video of it when I got it.

Basically I paid a grand for the bike, I ended up fixing it all up and getting a used tank and I know how to TIG weld enough so I fixed the peg mounts on the engine as they were sheared off.
Turns out the PO I got it from did not title or tag it... hence why it was in impound. He got it from someone who got it from someone. I ended up driving 2 hours to Fredericksburg VA and knocking on the door of the addressed on the title. I got him to issue a replacement title and then sign it over to me with a "bill of sales". So now I have the rocket with the original title because the move and everything happened so fast I kind of just didn’t care to title in MD then have to bother with the mail as we were moving within that month. So now I’ll title it in CO. It probably will NOT have a salvage title as the insurance guy who did my case said that they can’t find record of it. 10% chance it gets a salvage title... I don’t really care. I paid a grand for the bike and another 2k for all the repairs and what not I did to it at this point. If I did care I would have just taking the 8k payout and purchased one local to me for 5k in a lot nicer shape but high miles.
The ninja I could not give a crap about as it’s a learning bike for the wife... drop it over and over again... so as long as its mechanically sound.. It’s a good beater bike.

 

[Tripps]

Interesting story, I crashed my Sprint, made out like a bandit and bought it back for $500. Fixed it and repainted it. NY rule is if damage is 70% of value of bike or greater, it gets salvage title. I did the math off the insurance paperwork, it was 69%. I said hmm. So I applied for a new title due to color change, and because I was curious what would come back, it came back clean, no salvage notation. I was mildly surprised, but if I sold it I'd feel obligated to tell the story, and I kept all the insurance company paperwork.
The rest of the story: 2 weeks after I got it back, high dollar paint job, looked better than new, it broke the crank idling in my driveway. A known problem just for 2002 Sprints, batch of bad cranks. Put a Daytona motor in it, got sidetracked with other stuff, and it sits in my garage 6 or 7 years later, waiting for fluids, tune loading, and custom connector between header and muffler.

 

[Mongler07]

of the story: 2 weeks after I got it back, high dollar paint job, looked better than new, it broke the crank idling in my

wow. That’s ok... my It hurts to see it in storage story is

Back in 2005 I got a 71 Kawasaki F7 175cc rotary valve 2 stroke enduro bike from some old timer in a barn... nearly perfect shape other than some chrome rust... I was big into OCC and American hot rod craze of the 2000's and I wanted to do a cheap project bike for my 1st go. Long story short, 4 years later and $3,500 in parts and everthing powder coat, I mean the engine was stripped as it had a blown piston. Had it all remained so on and so forth? It took 5 years to find NOS wheels and specific parts, some took almost a year to arrive (box has 3 custom stamps as it got lost). It’s still sitting in 8 or 9 boxes with nothing assembled other than tins on the frame... when 2008 crash happened I decided to move from Utah back to MD, took it all with me in a car all in boxes! I moved 7 or 8 times now and I took it all with me each time sitting in closets... basements... so on and so forth, took it with me back to CO and its sitting in storage.. I do not even want to think about remembering how to put it back together... I have pictures and what not... i really only need like $500 worth of stuff and some chrome for a few parts... and this thing would be 100% new rebuilt flawless original... as it gets. You have no idea how long it took to find OEM NOS stuff... OH MY just thinking of it hurts a bit.... here is the last pictures I have of it LOL

Not mine... but this is what its suposed to look like

this is what it looks like before i moved... up there in storage... red scadoodles are all the parts for it..... RAGE this was 2 years ago

this is what it looked like when i stopped collecting parts so i know how the engine goes back togeather????? oh boy.... these 2 were taken in 2010

 

[Mongler07]

So an update.

I used some of the $ to fix up the ninja and rebuild the engine (had a high revving head gasket issue) by having the head and jug decked and I lapped in the valves and what not. Used heat staples and ABS glue and a plastic welder to fix up the panels and got it all back up to its former glory.
I pulled out the dent as much as I could; it’s much better on both bikes but still needs a replacement. Took the rest of the $ and put it into CC Debt. Now I’m working on my 85nighthawk cb650sc that is in my avatar, I stripped it down and took all the aluminum parts to a polisher while I’m rebuilding the forks.
Title is now processed and in hand, tags and all for CO. Nice to have it kosher for once! Title came back clean. The way the law is read here (as I interrupt it) is that if I got it back from the insurance I would have to apply for a new salvaged title. In the definition of the law as it’s written, they never once had possession of it. typically for a release from a wreck yard or impound you must surrender the title FIRST, then pay off, then they keep the title so if you want one you have to reapply. Seeing as I have the title and the bike was never out of my possession, BOTH bikes, are technically not totaled or for a better term, salvaged. I’m no lawyer but I asked the manager at the DMV and he said that if the title issued does not have salvaged on it, then I’m good to go.
The issue would be if I go to sell it, but seeing as it was never acquired in the insurance deal, it’s not technically salvage. in any case I'm clearly not going to sell them any time soon so it’s not important for me in any way... as far as I see it.


Colorado law defines it
The owner of a salvage motor vehicle may make an application for a salvage certificate of title before the sale or transfer of such motor vehicle. All subsequent purchasers or transferees of a salvage vehicle, other than transactions that are not subject to taxation pursuant to Colorado Revised Statute 39-26-104, must obtain a salvage certificate of title in the owner's name within 60 days from the date of purchase or transfer. Colorado Revised Statute 42-6-110 If an insurance company acquires a motor vehicle that has been defined as "salvage" in accordance with Colorado Revised Statute 42-6-102(17)(a) the insurance company must apply for a salvage certificate of title in accordance with Colorado Revised Statute 42-6-136(2), before transferring ownership of the vehicle. If the owner retains a motor vehicle upon settlement of a claim with an insurance company, and the vehicle has been defined as "salvage" in accordance with Colorado Revised Statute 42-6-102(17)(a), the owner must apply for a salvage certificate of title in their name.

all that means is "does the buyer want to pay tax or not"