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I've found some websites lately where you can buy motorcycles that have been salvaged by their insurance company. Sometimes it's just a broken plastic piece or some scratches or something, no big deal, I can fix that. But, how would it work with insurance and getting it registered and everything? Is that a huge hassle? They sell these for almost nothing, so there has to be a reason for that.
Depends 100% on the insurance company and the state. Some insurance companies will not insure a totaled vehicle, those that will sell insurance, will only sell liability insurance (meaning no comprehensive or collision). Honestly, that's the easy part most of the time.
Getting the state registration is a bigger deal. Some flat out won't do it, a totaled vehicle (salvage title) may never be registered again within the state ~ even and including if you get a title from another state and try to come back. Most require some sort of inspection to demonstrate the road-worthiness of the vehicle, which is your cost (and done in different ways). Some don't care and will issue a plate to a salvage title. You need to check your specific state's DMV/MVA codes to see what they allow.
Generally speaking, they're not that good of a deal. Insanely hard to sell, not as cheap as they seem to be for the uninitiated, you spend more time wrenching than the hours needed to work to just buy something ready to ride, etc... There are always exceptions (making a franken bike for fun, track bike, something you know you will never sell).
I wouldn't do it because until you get it inspected, you'll never know the real damage. Example being, when I wrecked my FZ6 awhile back, fair bit of cosmetic damage that would've been easy to fix but more importantly, the rear subframe was bent sideways when the bike landed. Personally, even after being fixed I don't think I'd ever want to ride it again. Too many variables. Plus like the previous poster said....registering and insuring something with a salvage title can be a real pain depending on where you live.
Only thing a cosmetically salvaged bike is good for is the track.
Or parts (to use/sell), or to ride around where you don't care about incurring additional damage, or... there have to be a thousand other reasons.
Remember, YOUR objections and limitations are not the same as everyone else. I've bought a few salvage bikes for engines and sold off the balance of parts for a small profit (including time spent), have a few customers who specifically requested "ugly" cheap bikes for commuting (less concern over damage, less risk of theft, lower financial risk if stolen ~ often lower than the insurance deductible). I know some people who've "bought back" their own damaged bike and continued riding it, or to part out and recoup the money they were out.
Rest assured, there are many more reasons than *just* a track bike.
Only thing a cosmetically salvaged bike is good for is the track.
Amen to that. And for that purpose, they are awesome. Crap aftermarket bodywork, and (these days) some sort of wrap would solve it right-quick, you could have a highly-functional late model race or track bike for a fraction of used w/proper papers.
Garbage in, garbage out: buy a salvage bike, race it (or track schools) a couple years, get rid of it when destroyed and reduced to parts.
I did that with a Ninja 600, long ago (Super Dinosaur class). Paid $300 for my first, same for second, I built one good bike out of both. Only competitive for awhile, still it was a hella bargain if you don't mind wrenching.
Probably wouldn't do-same for a street ride I wanted to register, though. False economy, usually.
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