Something i can't quite get my head round. I'm sure there is a perfectly good explanation but I can't see it for looking. So you see late CBR frames with V5's for sale for £2.5k and more sometimes. Who and why do people buy them? Surely it cant be to simply build up another bike as you might as well go buy a bike out the paper. I mean add the cost of an engine, transmission, wheels, plastics, ecu's,clocks etc????? You can buy that ex ron haslam 2012 for £8k so why would you buy a frame for £2.5k? What am i missing?
well there is me, I bent the frame on a 848, buying the frame was cheaper than a new or 2nd hand bike as the rest was only light cosmetic damage
Yes, I suppose both of those things make sense. The last reply made me think of something else though. Is it possible people buy these, insure them, and then claim through insurance for a nicked bike? In effect claiming back £8k ish for a £2.5k buy? Maybe I'm over thinking it and getting carried away, its just always bugged me as it never appeared on the face of it to make financial sense.
Very much this. Stolen bike + legit frame and V5 and you have a very healthy profit. Which is why, especially when you are looking at a bike that is 'too good to be true' you should have a really, really good look at the engine number. That's the bit they they have to deal with and grinding it down and re-stamping it normally shows up. However, sometimes it doesn't and their work baffles even the main dealers. I've heard of bikes that have gone done this route being part ex'd for a newer model and the main dealer didn't even notice.
