Motorcycle Accident Claim Insurance Categories                

Motorcycles subject to insurance claims where the Insurance company decides not to proceed with the repair are catagorised by them as a total loss & are given an insurance category which helps to define exactly the level & type of damage that has been sustained. Sometimes there may be no damage to the motorcycle but it is catagorised as the owner may have received settlement prior to recovery of the vehicle.

When a vehicle is assesed for the purposes of repair it is important to remember that the inspection report will consider several factors including, the retail cost of genuine new replacement parts, main dealer labour costs, storage costs. Other factors may be considered such as the cost of the owner hiring a vehicle during the repair period.

As a result of the intrinsically high retail price of motorcycle parts & other factors covered above, we have found that a very high percentage of motorcycles involved in a claim are classed as uneconomical to repair despite sustaining only very minimal cosmetic damage. It is this type of motorcycle that SKM search out for purchase, confident in the knowledge that we are buying machines which, following repair, can be sold on to consumers with 100% confidence in the mechanical condition.

CATAGORY A

A vehicle that has been written-off and which must be completely 100% destroyed. It cannot be used for dismantling into its parts.

Only a vehicle dismantler who operates from an ATF (Approved Treatment Centre) can acquire this catagory of vehicle & must destroy the entire vehicle.

CATAGORY B

A vehicle that has been written-off but where it's parts may be re-used. The frame cannot be re-used and must be destroyed.

Only a vehicle dismantler who operates from an ATF (Approved Treatment Centre) can acquire this catagory of vehicle.  This catagory of vehicle is normally bought for the purpose of selling its parts to the general public for profit. Most of the parts sold will be undamaged & providing they are not badly worn, should be perfectly acceptable as replacement parts for roadworthy vehicles of any standard.

CATAGORY C

An insurance loss as the total cost of repair is estimated as exceeding the value of the vehicle, but which is suitable for repair.

It is important to understand that the cost of repair is the calculated retail price of recovery + genuine parts + main dealer labour costs + storage + delivery + hire vehicle cost + costs bourne by the insurance company in investigating & settling the claim. This often results in low value vehicles such as secondhand motorcycles being written off due to the relatively high cost of parts, considering that if a part has a scratch on it then it must be replpaced.

CATAGORY D

An insurance loss for other reasons as the repair costs may be less than the value of the vehicle, but which is suitable for repair.

It is not uncommon for a claim to be settled prior to the vehicle being recovered, where for example the vehicle was stolen & recovered at a later date, or where the vehicle is of such low risidual value that a cash settlement is cheaper for the insurance company that to initiate the mechanisms of a claim. It is also common for motorcycles to be written off due to the labour intensive cost for example of replacing a frame which has a light scratch on it or expensive bodywork parts such as scratched fuel tanks & fairings or instrument clusters. Generaly no matter how light the damage, any damaged part has to be replaced, not repaired.

CATAGORY U/X

A vehicle which is not listed as damaged on the HPI register. Often stolen recovered vehicles with little or no damage.

Members of the public & dealers alike, purchasing this catagory of vehicle will not have any reason to be aware of its status as it is not recorded in any public domain.

A catagory C, D or X motorcycle, unlike a motorcar, can be used on a public highway without a VIC or any other mandatory MOT test providing it meets standard MOT specification.

This means that motorcycles often require little or no repair at all to be completely safey & legally returned to the road.

Unlike cars which often don't readily display signs of heavy impact, most modern motorcycle components including frames, wheels & bodywork crack & snap under impact & the damage is very easy to detect even with the untrained eye. Due to these characteristics damage to motorcycles is effected by unbolting & disposing of the damaged part & installing a replacement part. Normally, providing the replacement part is a genuine replacement part then the vehicle is returned to first class condition & prospective purchasers should be confident in knowing they they are not buying a defective machine.

It is always a good idea to view photographs of the damage prior to repair to satisfy yourself of the extent of the damage disclosed.

Insuring insured loss motorcycles

Most leading Insurers will cover catagory C, D & X motorcycles on standard terms with no additional premium.  It is the policy of some to request an engineers report but this is not a legal requirement & is more of a hangover from motorcar insurance due to the complex nature of motorcar chassis construction. On regular visits to cost comparison websites it is usual for 3 of the top 5 cheapest quotes to provide coverP>