Stolen crashed bike, broken frame - next steps?

[Beancounter]

A few weeks ago my Aprilia Caponord was stolen from outside my house. Unfortunately it wasn’t insured because theft cover is only applicable if the bike was stored in the garage, otherwise it needed to be 500m from the house so I can’t claim.

A week later Kent Police get in touch to tell me that the bike has been involved in an RTC with the rider doing a runner. A week after that I find out my bike has been recovered to a local recovery yard and I can collect it once forensics are finished with it.

Collected the bike last week and the RHS foot peg has snapped off taking a chunk of the frame with it. There is a secondhand frame on eBay so I’m wondering if it’s possible to do a switch and then get the bike back on the road but beyond the frame transplant I don’t know what else I’d need to do. I assume DVLA have the bike listed as stolen? What are the legalities of swapping a frame and who would I need to notify?

Appreciate that breaking the good parts is an option but I’d rather keep get the bike back on the road if possible. Apart from the frame snap, the other damage is brake lever, indicator and scuffs to the crash bars - headlight, front wheel and fork all look sound and the bike rolls smoothly.

Feeling pretty foolish about all this tbh. Bike had a disc lock on and I really didn’t think it was nickable- it’s been my commuter bike for the last three years. Lesson learnt.

[Le_Fromage_Grande]

Is it feasible to get the frame welded?

[Taipan]

Don’t beat yourself up mate. That’s all I’ve got left of my uninsured X-ADV. Behind locked gates in my back garden, under a cover with lock on. They climbed over. Took out my 3 security lights. Lifted the front wheel ff the ground and moved it down to the bottom of the garden and took the lock off with an angle grinder. Then took the locks off my gates, bumped my 2 cars out of the way and simply wheeled it away. When these thieving c***ts want something it seems they’ll go all out yo get it!

[A_morti]

Perhaps you're better off looking at it the other way. Get yourself a frame with logbook that isn't written off and doesn't have a theft history, and transplant your good motor into that. Changing the engine number on a bike is easier than changing the frame number.

[Yorick]

I thought the only reason to live in London was to earn shitloads.

Get thisen a new one.

[Felix]

As far as i know your bike will be registered whatever the new frame is. If its just on SORN then bonus. Your bike will also be plated to what the frame is

[Count Steer]

Don’t beat yourself up mate. That’s all I’ve got left of my uninsured X-ADV. Behind locked gates in my back garden, under a cover with lock on. They climbed over. Took out my 3 security lights. Lifted the front wheel ff the ground and moved it down to the bottom of the garden and took the lock off with an angle grinder. Then took the locks off my gates, bumped my 2 cars out of the way and simply wheeled it away. When these thieving c***ts want something it seems they’ll go all out yo get it!

When did that happen? Is that the bike they tried to nick from your works car park?

[Taipan]

Don’t beat yourself up mate. That’s all I’ve got left of my uninsured X-ADV. Behind locked gates in my back garden, under a cover with lock on. They climbed over. Took out my 3 security lights. Lifted the front wheel ff the ground and moved it down to the bottom of the garden and took the lock off with an angle grinder. Then took the locks off my gates, bumped my 2 cars out of the way and simply wheeled it away. When these thieving c***ts want something it seems they’ll go all out yo get it!

When did that happen? Is that the bike they tried to nick from your works car park?

A couple of weeks ago now. They also tried to nick it from my house. When I got the MT09 I stuck the x-adv round the back garden thinking they'd think it had one and I'd got a new bike. It would have actually been better off locked to the ground anchor at the front, but never in my wildest dreams did I think they'd do what they did to nick it!

Normally when I get a new bike I just add it to the policy and then take the old one off when it's sold. Sady Bennetts couldn't find an underwater that would do this, or mirror my NCD so I could take out a separate policy. So the best I could do was get a new policy with any NCD and that was £1110. As I had about 20 people wanting to buy it, I took a chance and lost. Ho hum.

[Beancounter]

Is it feasible to get the frame welded?

No idea if it can be welded, it's a cast ally frame apparently if that makes a difference. These things are well outside of my comfort zone. The frame is missing a piece where the foot peg bolts on to it, snapped at the threads. Hopefully this photo gives a better idea than my description.

IMG_20220803_093511.jpg (1.36 MiB) Viewed 685 times

Don’t beat yourself up mate. That’s all I’ve got left of my uninsured X-ADV. Behind locked gates in my back garden, under a cover with lock on.

That properly sucks.

Perhaps you're better off looking at it the other way. Get yourself a frame with logbook that isn't written off and doesn't have a theft history, and transplant your good motor into that. Changing the engine number on a bike is easier than changing the frame number.

Seconds hand frame is in Germany so I've no idea if it comes with logbook - thanks for pointing it out, I hadn't thought of that.

I thought the only reason to live in London was to earn shitloads.

Get thisen a new one.

I definitely don't earn shitloads but I do live in a scummy area (albeit a nice street).

[Taipan]

Anything can be welded, but with something like that its best to cut a whole section out of another frame and weld it in. You wouldn't weld the missing bit back onto that, iyswim?

[Skub]

Get @maccecht to weld it.

[KungFooBob]

Bit of JB weld would fix that.

Let it set, drill and tap... sorted

[Count Steer]

A couple of weeks ago now. They also tried to nick it from my house. When I got the MT09 I stuck the x-adv round the back garden thinking they'd think it had one and I'd got a new bike. It would have actually been better off locked to the ground anchor at the front, but never in my wildest dreams did I think they'd do what they did to nick it!

Normally when I get a new bike I just add it to the policy and then take the old one off when it's sold. Sady Bennetts couldn't find an underwater that would do this, or mirror my NCD so I could take out a separate policy. So the best I could do was get a new policy with any NCD and that was £1110. As I had about 20 people wanting to buy it, I took a chance and lost. Ho hum.

Hmm. That didn't by any chance happen when the camper had gone off the drive? I always wonder whether an obviously absent camper or caravan is like a green light to scrotes. Given the racket they must have made they must have been either v confident that they wouldn't be disturbed or, worse, weren't much bothered if they were.

[Taipan]

A couple of weeks ago now. They also tried to nick it from my house. When I got the MT09 I stuck the x-adv round the back garden thinking they'd think it had one and I'd got a new bike. It would have actually been better off locked to the ground anchor at the front, but never in my wildest dreams did I think they'd do what they did to nick it!

Normally when I get a new bike I just add it to the policy and then take the old one off when it's sold. Sady Bennetts couldn't find an underwater that would do this, or mirror my NCD so I could take out a separate policy. So the best I could do was get a new policy with any NCD and that was £1110. As I had about 20 people wanting to buy it, I took a chance and lost. Ho hum.

Hmm. That didn't by any chance happen when the camper had gone off the drive? I always wonder whether an obviously absent camper or caravan is like a green light to scrotes. Given the racket they must have made they must have been either v confident that they wouldn't be disturbed or, worse, weren't much bothered if they were.

Yes, also a guy from Romford offered me the full price via eBay, which gives hik access to my address and coincidently the bike has been seen in Romford on a false plate being ridden 2 up by scroates, but Plod isn't interested in following the eBay thing up despite eBay accounts needing credit clearing. TBF there are more important things going on I suppose...

[DefTrap]

Seconds hand frame is in Germany so I've no idea if it comes with logbook - thanks for pointing it out, I hadn't thought of that.

Ideally you want one sold with a UK V5C that shows the reg number, it would be a whole lot less painful, because you could just link your old engine to the new frame officially on the V5C, build the bike back up, and be done with it. For frames without a V5C then potentially you have to go down the route of MSVA, and again possibly made worse if technically the frame is considered an 'import'.

[Le_Fromage_Grande]

That frame is easily weldable, it's non structural, it won't look especially pretty when done, but you will have a usable frame and not have to faff about with V5s (which isn't as easy as it used to be)

[Bustaspoke]

Have you checked the engine is running? What other damage have they done?
I would make sure I had a running bike & price up what else needs fixing before going to the trouble of getting the frame damage sorted.
If you decide that it's worth getting the frame sorted I would look at getting it repaired,swapping frames & involving the DVLA would be a last resort.

[Rockburner]

Sorry to hear that mate, had no idea!

Not really sure what to advise - I've never been in that particular situation. Physically changing the frame might not be that hard*, but the legal side of it would give me the screaming heebie jeebies.

* although you are opening yourself up to endless trouble-shooting afterwards because of all the little bits that don't like being disturbed getting moved around.

[Tricky]

Don’t beat yourself up mate. That’s all I’ve got left of my uninsured X-ADV. Behind locked gates in my back garden, under a cover with lock on. They climbed over. Took out my 3 security lights. Lifted the front wheel ff the ground and moved it down to the bottom of the garden and took the lock off with an angle grinder. Then took the locks off my gates, bumped my 2 cars out of the way and simply wheeled it away. When these thieving c***ts want something it seems they’ll go all out yo get it!

Awww fuck- I missed this, that is a killer, @Taipan - I feel for you matey and I reckon I would be punching walls, or probably myself- Bastads!

And beanie @Beancounter - that is a serious helping of arse you had too
- I agree with the previous recs- check the motor etc is still good, and then get the current frame repaired

[Taipan]

Awww fuck- I missed this, that is a killer, @Taipan - I feel for you matey and I reckon I would be punching walls, or probably myself- Bastads!

Tis a serenity prayer moment for sure!