Can you still put written off bikes back on the road?

[Ditchfinder]

Yup my Exeo got Cat N for a rear ender earlier this year.

passat/a4 (6) innit?

Old Audi A4 Avant but tailgate is different because of door latch.

Been a solid bus and is easy 55+mpg hammering the peage at 130km/h, Tank and a quarter from East Lancs to the Cantal

If there's any left in reasonable nick by the time this one dies I'll probably get another. Only thing that spoils it for me is rear seats don't fold flat.

[Mr. Dazzle]

Who determines these bikes can't go back on the road, considering I can build a bike with a frame lashed together in my shed and road register it.

Can you?

Don't you need an MoT or a single vehicle approval or something? I've never looked at what's allowed for bikes.

[DefTrap]

Don't you need an MoT or a single vehicle approval or something? I've never looked at what's allowed for bikes.

In theory if you have a frame with a VIN then you can do what you like. Old skool chopper shops would literally take the headstock and build a new frame around it. I've swapped engines into different frames in the Uk and you're supposed to notify DVLA as that ID also ends up on the V5 iirc, but at one point I did it often enough that I stopped bothering to tell them. Also in theory real bitsas are supposed to be scored by (major) part to determine whether the frame can retain it's registration or requires a Q-plate, but it's been forever since I've seen one of those (but then I haven't been to a chop show in ages either).

[Mr. Dazzle]

It's the same with classics. The bikes which are mostly likely to be falling apart lumps of crap are the ones which don't need MoTs or anything

[Whysub]

I thought that Cat A bikes had to have the headstock cut off so that they could not go back on the road?

My GSX-R was completely destroyed in an end-over-end crash, but was given a Cat B status. Maybe there were some parts the assessor thought could be sold on?

[Le_Fromage_Grande]

Who determines these bikes can't go back on the road, considering I can build a bike with a frame lashed together in my shed and road register it.

Can you?

Don't you need an MoT or a single vehicle approval or something? I've never looked at what's allowed for bikes.

MOT but no type approval.
A lot of Harris and Spondons have the frame number from the donor bike, depends on your point of view, but from a safety perspective it isn't great

My much modified 1982 Kawasaki (which has about 120bhp) doesn't have to have any safety inspection.

BTW I have a Q reg 350 YPVS, it's Q reg because it's a 1983 race bike road registered in 1988, but I've also got a 1986 frame knocking about.

[Mr. Dazzle]

'My' Bonneville has an old J plate (1970), a 1969 build date a 1973 year of first registration on the V5.

And no MoT.

Go figure

[Skub]

If the frame is damaged in any way, especially if it's an aluminium frame, I would be surprised if it'll be categorised to be allowed back on the road.

Back in the early 90s I bought a ZZR1100 which had been crushed by a toppled artic and the bike's frame was broken at the welds on both sides. The ZZR was a big seller then,so I was just going to break the bike,scrap the frame and sell the engine etc. Before I had a chance I was offered a good price for the bike as it sat stripped down,but everything there.

The two guys who bought the bike had the frame jigged and welded,tuned the engine and put it back on the road. It was a seriously rapid bike,but around 120 it felt unstable and that's something a ZZR never was. I was glad to hand it back.

I don't know how they registered the bike for the road,but they certainly did.

[Scotsrich]

In my experience it seemed to be the assessor.

They put my GS as cat B when the only structural damage was a bent subframe which is an easy repair job.

Maybe I’m wrong but I’ve had another written of bike and especially in that case the assessor knew absolutely nothing about bikes. I suspect they are mostly experienced in cars and are just sent out to bikes because they are in the area.

[v8-powered]

I've read that a lot of vehicles are now getting classified by AI and not real people - shocking really.

A lot of categorised stuffing is now heading overseas where it's repaired and registered, then being exported again - get's around all but the most thorough condition checks. YouTube saddos (me!), check out Arthur Tussik - not unusual to see foreign registered cars going through his repair shop.

[DefTrap]

Maybe I’m wrong but I’ve had another written of bike and especially in that case the assessor knew absolutely nothing about bikes. I suspect they are mostly experienced in cars and are just sent out to bikes because they are in the area.

Same here. The assessor got out his car, said "It's not very nice is it?" (He was right!), got back in his car and drove off.

[DefTrap]

I've read that a lot of vehicles are now getting classified by AI and not real people - shocking really.

My son-in-laws not so very old Honda Civic was involved in a very light front quarter prang, and assessed by photos submitted to the AI assessor. Results returned almost immediately with a not economically repairable write-off decision and payout. The speed of decision must be hugely advantageous to reducing costs if you had to wait for the real live assessor to come round to shuffle papers and wave his clipboard at you.

[Le_Fromage_Grande]

In my experience it seemed to be the assessor.

They put my GS as cat B when the only structural damage was a bent subframe which is an easy repair job.

Maybe I’m wrong but I’ve had another written of bike and especially in that case the assessor knew absolutely nothing about bikes. I suspect they are mostly experienced in cars and are just sent out to bikes because they are in the area.

But how does it go from being an insurance write off to being not able to be on the road?

[KungFooBob]

If it's written off the DVLA are informed.

Iirc when's it's an N or S it's printed on any subsequent V5's.

Try taxing a vehicle that is registered with the DVLA as a cat A/B write off.

[Taipan]

Oooh, pray do tell!!

Same way as badly damaged cars have always gone back on the road, they ring them!

[Dickyboy]

At £2.5k list price for a petrol tank it's not surprising my Guzzi was written off at 6 months old back in 2007.

My brother has a replica Brough frame & old engine that I'd love to get built up with more modern components (brakes that work) but it's a mine field of regulation & registration with the DVLA, so it won't be happening

[Le_Fromage_Grande]

At £2.5k list price for a petrol tank it's not surprising my Guzzi was written off at 6 months old back in 2007.

My brother has a replica Brough frame & old engine that I'd love to get built up with more modern components (brakes that work) but it's a mine field of regulation & registration with the DVLA, so it won't be happening

Shouldn't be a problem, you'll have to give it a frame number, it won't be a Brough and it won't be worth much, it's the same as any other special frames bike, get over to UK Specials on Facebook and ask.

And just to say how silly prices are, the headlight for my Honda is over £800 from Honda.

[Dickyboy]

Shouldn't be a problem, you'll have to give it a frame number, it won't be a Brough and it won't be worth much, it's the same as any other special frames bike, get over to UK Specials on Facebook and ask.

Thanks I'll take a look, not bothered about the value (engine will be worth a few quid) just like the idea of riding a "Brough" in homage to my dad but that kind of works in modern traffic, other option is just to build it & ride it at beach or drag races without bothering to register it.

[Sadlonelygit]

In my experience it seemed to be the assessor.

They put my GS as cat B when the only structural damage was a bent subframe which is an easy repair job.

Maybe I’m wrong but I’ve had another written of bike and especially in that case the assessor knew absolutely nothing about bikes. I suspect they are mostly experienced in cars and are just sent out to bikes because they are in the area.

But how does it go from being an insurance write off to being not able to be on the road?

Because you/we/everyone mis-use phrases.
A write off is Cat A/B, which means there is significant structural damage, which in the opinion of the assessor would affect the safe use of the vehicle if returned to the road.
As you well know, N/S are purely money exercises on behalf of the insurance co.
One says something happened but been sorted now, the other means it really needs a good look at!
As I previously said, I bought a cat c Fazer, which required an MOT before being allowed back on the road, purely for cosmetics and a tweak on the top yoke.

[Jody]

As an aside. My neighbour crashed her Volvo XC70 last week. The insurance company asked if the airbags had gone off. SHe confirmed they had and the insurance co Wrote the vehicle off, over the phone, they never even saw a picture!!