Suzuki m50 Boulevard - Salvage Title

[amit_shah25]

Hi all,

I am a newbie(-ish) rider ! I say (ish) because I grew up riding mopeds and motorcycles for 15 years. Didn't ride for around 10 years or so. And now have decided to start riding again. The ones I used to ride before were smaller engine vehicles. 250cc max.

Now I think I want to get into cruiser type ride that I can run my errands on, commute once in a while, and go out on longer rides on highways every once in a while. I am thinking the 750cc range is a decent range to get in .. Don't want to get too powerful of a bike. Something reliable, comfortable that I could ride, and get my skills back.

So that being said, I came across this 07 suzuki m50 blvd, 5300 miles the title was reconstructed - $3500. The owner got it from some dealer who had restored the bike. It was probably totaled. I saw the bike, test rode it. It looks perfectly fine. Felt good. Some minor scratches on a blinker and clutch lever. No visible signs of rusting or anything.

The salvage titles freaks me out, but then at the same time, the bike is looking all good. Suggestions / comments ? ...

EDIT -

Just wanted to clarify, that the title has been reconstructed, and the bike has passed the state inspection. So there is nothing to do except ride ...

[Gummiente]

The salvage titles freaks me out, but then at the same time, the bike is looking all good. Suggestions / comments ?

Just one - get some insurance quotes first before you pull the trigger and be sure to tell them about the title. Sometimes they have issues with salvaged bikes, even if it has passed an inspection.

And welcome to TMW!

[amit_shah25]

And welcome to TMW!

Thanks

So other than insurance thing, should I be worrying about "reliability" of the bike ? ... My major concern is I don't want to end up with something that I have to keep repairing all the time.

[Gummiente]

So other than insurance thing, should I be worrying about "reliability" of the bike ?

That is something impossible to determine and predict. Not knowing what caused the bike to be written off in the first place and not knowing what was replaced leaves a big question mark hanging out there. I'm assuming this bike doesn't come with a warranty, either, which means anything that happens after you take possession is your responsibility to fix at your expense.

However, that isn't to say that it won't be a good deal. The price is low... almost suspciously low... but if it was properly rebuilt it could give years of trouble free service. I would suggest that you get in touch with the dealer that rebuilt it and get as much info as you can - do THEY feel confident that the bike will hold together?

[blues2cruise]

I can't speak for your particular situation, however, I can tell you about a bike a friend of mine bought.

He purchased a Honda 1300 cruiser....It had been written off because of the damage from a crash.
The engine, tranny and frame were not affected by the crash. The bike was fixed by replacing the damaged parts. It even had a new Mustang seat on it. He also got the original seat and the original pipes as part of the purchase.

The price was good, the mileage was low. The bike is great so far.

[Magna]

I like your new avatar Blues !!!!

[blues2cruise]

I like your new avatar Blues !!!!

hehee...thanks.

[amit_shah25]

The engine, tranny and frame were not affected by the crash. The bike was fixed by replacing the damaged parts. It even had a new Mustang seat on it.

That is what I was thinking too ... Chances of engine and tranny damage would probably be slim .. But then I guess I just have to get my head straight and figure out if for around 1500 bucks, I want to take the risk of getting myself involved in repairs every now and then, or just get the peace of mind ... It would actually be a good idea to get the dealer contact info from that guy, and ask the dealer what all he fixed ..

Thanks for the advises here !

[amit_shah25]

Finally got myself a '06 suzuki boulevard c50 - 6800 miles - $3800. Wanted to thank all here for their advises. Very psyched about it !

[blues2cruise]