Clear vs. Rebuilt Title

[kainthedragoonx]

All right, so first off, I'm a total n00b when it comes to motorcyles so bare with me.

All right, I want to buy this sweet Honda Magna, however it has a "rebuilt" title instead of a "clear" title. I know that rebuilt means that at one time the bike was trashed, but now has passed the state (in this case Ohio) requirements to become street legal.

But that is all I know, so I turn to you experts for help. What should I do? Is "rebuilt" something I should stay away from? Does it jack up the cost of insurances, etc... These are the things I need to know!

Any help would be awesome, thanks!

[rwp]

The 'rebuilt' or 'salvage' title means that it was written off by an insurance company at one time, then someone fixed 'er up and got a new title. Two things to worry about. First, resale value will be much lower on a bike with a salvage title. This isn't a problem if you plan on keeping it a long time. Second, it's important to make sure it was rebuilt properly. It's not easy to spot bent frame components so you have to have some confidence in the person who is selling the bike that the work was done correctly. There should be no effect on insurance costs.

[poppygene]

I can't in good conscience suggest you begin with a rebuilt bike, even though I've seen several bikes with salvage titles (not yet "rebuilt") that look better than some I've seen being ridden on the street.
Since parts for motorcycles are so expensive, repairs from even minor accidents often total far more than the bike is worth, but it's difficult for the average Joe to tell how extensive the damage was before the repairs were made. Unless you can have it inspected and OK'd by a qualified person whom you trust, move on.

[Sev]

I'm inclined to agree, there really isn't a lot to a motorcycle frame, and once you get a bend in it you've got an accident waiting to happen. I mean on a car or something you can just slap more steel on there and arc it in place. But on a bike you've got a minimum of space, and straightening anything that was bent just reduces the strength of that part.

Bent frame = written off bike as far as I'm concerned. Now if it was the front end you might be able to get it road worthy again.

The question you need to ask yourself, is are you willing to risk having a bike that might catastrophically fail at highway speeds in order to save a couple hundred (or thousand) dollars.

My legs aren't worth a million dollars to me. Nothing can possibly replace the body parts I was born with.

[kainthedragoonx]

Thanks everyone! I ended up with a bike with a clear title!

Thanks for the valuable info.