Salvage title question
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Road Master
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 1,154
Likes: 3
From: Colorado Springs
Salvage title question
I have a buddy that recently purchased a used motorcycle from a private owner. The bike has a few scratches and dings on it and the seller said they happened when he trailored the bike to Sturgis a couple of years ago. (evidently he had a couple other bikes in the trailor and they fell on it).
My buddy tried to register the bike and the person at the DMV said that it had a salvage title. The bike had been "totalled" in 2005.
What can he do? Can he demand his money back or is he stuck with a lemon? The seller never mentioned anything about the salvage title when he bought the bike.
Personally, I'd be really pissed off and would kick his teeth in but that is not in his nature. He loves the bike but is concerned with his safety.
What should he do?
I told him to confront the guy and see if he comes clean. Then I would take it to the service department and have them do a thorough inspection and make sure it is safe to ride. If it is, then he can make his decision as to if he wants to keep it or not.
My buddy tried to register the bike and the person at the DMV said that it had a salvage title. The bike had been "totalled" in 2005.
What can he do? Can he demand his money back or is he stuck with a lemon? The seller never mentioned anything about the salvage title when he bought the bike.
Personally, I'd be really pissed off and would kick his teeth in but that is not in his nature. He loves the bike but is concerned with his safety.
What should he do?
I told him to confront the guy and see if he comes clean. Then I would take it to the service department and have them do a thorough inspection and make sure it is safe to ride. If it is, then he can make his decision as to if he wants to keep it or not.
Banned Camp
Joined: May 2007
Posts: 408
Likes: 0
RE: Salvage title question
A salvage title doesn't mean the bike aint safe. It could just be that at some point the front crash bar was bent and that the mounting tab on the frame got bent, which is a bent frame as far as an insurance estimate goes, so the insurance company totaled the bike. Your buddy should have it checked out by someone he knows and trusts. Your buddy also should have noticed the word salvage on the title as most DMV's that I've dealt with don't hide it.
Banned
Joined: Nov 2006
Posts: 691
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From:
RE: Salvage title question
It is a law that owner must disclose a Salcage Title upon selling a vehicle. I had a buddy that bought a Toyota truck a few years back and it wasn't discloseed at the time of sale. Eventually he ran a carfax report on the VIN and it came back as a Salvage title. My buddy took ti back to the dealer, who refused to admit it was a salvage vehicle. Sure enough, it was, and after a year of fighting with the dealer, my buddy took him to court and won. Got all of his money back, interest on his cash, and paid money for work lost while court. After all was said and done, someone wound up doing an investigation and found out this particular dealer sold about 30 vehicles over a 2 year span that were salvaged and not disclosed. HE was out of business shortly afterwards.
Back to your topic, a Salvage Title , like stated above, doesn't necessarily mean a bike is unsafe, it just means that something happened that made rebuilding the bike not cost effective for the insurance company. For instance, I had a buddy who wrecked his bike, and in his wreck he woulnd up snapping off the for stop on the headtube of the frame. Nothing bent, just snapped the weld. He wound up buying the bike back from the insurance company, rewelding the fork stop, and the bike was fine. I would, as suggested, take it to someone who knows framework and have them look at it. Hell, it might just be the guys crashed it and screwed up all of the tins, handlebars, etc and the frame was fine. Believe me, the isurance companies are quick to declare a bike totalled nowadays. The bikes probably fine, but I'd at least hit the guy up for some cash back, or take him to court for not disclosing the salvage title at time of purchase.
Back to your topic, a Salvage Title , like stated above, doesn't necessarily mean a bike is unsafe, it just means that something happened that made rebuilding the bike not cost effective for the insurance company. For instance, I had a buddy who wrecked his bike, and in his wreck he woulnd up snapping off the for stop on the headtube of the frame. Nothing bent, just snapped the weld. He wound up buying the bike back from the insurance company, rewelding the fork stop, and the bike was fine. I would, as suggested, take it to someone who knows framework and have them look at it. Hell, it might just be the guys crashed it and screwed up all of the tins, handlebars, etc and the frame was fine. Believe me, the isurance companies are quick to declare a bike totalled nowadays. The bikes probably fine, but I'd at least hit the guy up for some cash back, or take him to court for not disclosing the salvage title at time of purchase.
Stellar HDF Member
Joined: Nov 2005
Posts: 3,272
Likes: 83
From: Southern California
RE: Salvage title question
ORIGINAL: 07RoadGlide
It is a law that owner must disclose a Salcage Title upon selling a vehicle. I had a buddy that bought a Toyota truck a few years back and it wasn't discloseed at the time of sale. Eventually he ran a carfax report on the VIN and it came back as a Salvage title. My buddy took ti back to the dealer, who refused to admit it was a salvage vehicle. Sure enough, it was, and after a year of fighting with the dealer, my buddy took him to court and won. Got all of his money back, interest on his cash, and paid money for work lost while court. After all was said and done, someone wound up doing an investigation and found out this particular dealer sold about 30 vehicles over a 2 year span that were salvaged and not disclosed. HE was out of business shortly afterwards.
Back to your topic, a Salvage Title , like stated above, doesn't necessarily mean a bike is unsafe, it just means that something happened that made rebuilding the bike not cost effective for the insurance company. For instance, I had a buddy who wrecked his bike, and in his wreck he woulnd up snapping off the for stop on the headtube of the frame. Nothing bent, just snapped the weld. He wound up buying the bike back from the insurance company, rewelding the fork stop, and the bike was fine. I would, as suggested, take it to someone who knows framework and have them look at it. Hell, it might just be the guys crashed it and screwed up all of the tins, handlebars, etc and the frame was fine. Believe me, the isurance companies are quick to declare a bike totalled nowadays. The bikes probably fine, but I'd at least hit the guy up for some cash back, or take him to court for not disclosing the salvage title at time of purchase.
It is a law that owner must disclose a Salcage Title upon selling a vehicle. I had a buddy that bought a Toyota truck a few years back and it wasn't discloseed at the time of sale. Eventually he ran a carfax report on the VIN and it came back as a Salvage title. My buddy took ti back to the dealer, who refused to admit it was a salvage vehicle. Sure enough, it was, and after a year of fighting with the dealer, my buddy took him to court and won. Got all of his money back, interest on his cash, and paid money for work lost while court. After all was said and done, someone wound up doing an investigation and found out this particular dealer sold about 30 vehicles over a 2 year span that were salvaged and not disclosed. HE was out of business shortly afterwards.
Back to your topic, a Salvage Title , like stated above, doesn't necessarily mean a bike is unsafe, it just means that something happened that made rebuilding the bike not cost effective for the insurance company. For instance, I had a buddy who wrecked his bike, and in his wreck he woulnd up snapping off the for stop on the headtube of the frame. Nothing bent, just snapped the weld. He wound up buying the bike back from the insurance company, rewelding the fork stop, and the bike was fine. I would, as suggested, take it to someone who knows framework and have them look at it. Hell, it might just be the guys crashed it and screwed up all of the tins, handlebars, etc and the frame was fine. Believe me, the isurance companies are quick to declare a bike totalled nowadays. The bikes probably fine, but I'd at least hit the guy up for some cash back, or take him to court for not disclosing the salvage title at time of purchase.
Extreme HDF Member
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 10,033
Likes: 29
RE: Salvage title question
ORIGINAL:Your buddy also should have noticed the word salvage on the title as most DMV's that I've dealt with don't hide it.
A similar thing happend to a guy I know. He called me up and told me about the great Fat Boy he had just purchase. He said it was an Ultra Custom model. I said no such thing, bring it over. He hadn't even bought a Harley. He bought an Ultra Custom Cycles clone with Fat Boy decals on it. It was titled a a custom and didn't say Harley on the title anywhere. The bike had less than a hand full of HD parts on it.
Road Captain
Joined: Nov 2005
Posts: 618
Likes: 0
From: Phila, Pa
RE: Salvage title question
Be carefuly here: Your buddy should also check serial numbers on the engine, trans. etc to ensure this ride isnt using stolen parts.
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Outstanding HDF Member
Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 2,847
Likes: 0
From: Missouri
RE: Salvage title question
There's more to this than just is the bike safe or not. First off the law says you must tell the buyer it has a salvaged title, some banks will not loan on a salvage title which means it may be very hard to resell. The guy that bought the bike may not have seen the title if it did have a lein on it. Your friend needs to get with the seller and tell him he will either take the bike back or refund some money.
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Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Apr 2006
Posts: 10,675
Likes: 95
From: Billings,Mt.
RE: Salvage title question
ORIGINAL: BeavisRules
The seller never mentioned anything about the salvage title when he bought the bike.
The seller never mentioned anything about the salvage title when he bought the bike.
The pink slip should state that info correct?
If it is a law that this info must be disclosed to the buyer than your buddy may have grounds for legal action.
Banned Camp
Joined: May 2007
Posts: 424
Likes: 1
From: Hope Mills, NC
RE: Salvage title question
The seller absolutely should have disclosed the fact that it was a salvage title.
Like others have said, a salvage doesn't mean the bike is unsafe. My husband went down on his back in March, and the insurance company totaled it because of a nick on the underside of the fork stop. For them, that meant a bent frame, meaning an automatic total. We bought the salvage and my husband has fixed it up (he and a good friend are going to do some serious customizing here soon), and has been riding it with no problems whatsoever. It's an '06 Softail, and the damage really was relatively minor (mostly scratches, dents, etc.), and we would have been nuts not to have bought the salvage.
As for the information being on the title, that's not necessarily the case, probably depending on the state. We were specifically told that the paper title will NOT show that it's a salvage, but that the information will be on record with the DMV. So it's the responsibility of the seller to disclose, and the buyer to research the vehicle before buying.
Like others have said, a salvage doesn't mean the bike is unsafe. My husband went down on his back in March, and the insurance company totaled it because of a nick on the underside of the fork stop. For them, that meant a bent frame, meaning an automatic total. We bought the salvage and my husband has fixed it up (he and a good friend are going to do some serious customizing here soon), and has been riding it with no problems whatsoever. It's an '06 Softail, and the damage really was relatively minor (mostly scratches, dents, etc.), and we would have been nuts not to have bought the salvage.
As for the information being on the title, that's not necessarily the case, probably depending on the state. We were specifically told that the paper title will NOT show that it's a salvage, but that the information will be on record with the DMV. So it's the responsibility of the seller to disclose, and the buyer to research the vehicle before buying.