Advice/opinions please.

[mark4]

I've not really been a poster here, but have found the knowledge base really useful to work on my 2006 Tiger.

I'm asking for opinions on what to do with my bike now. Sadly, I was rear ended and without going into detail, my bike is being written off as a Cat B mainly due to bent frame. It is quite badly damaged, but aside from the frame looks fixable.

I now have the bike to dispose of or use for spares etc.

So my dilemma is what to do...I could sell the bike to a salvage company for peanuts (due to the frame being bent and worthless).

I could strip the bike and sell any parts such as engine/lights/ECU to recoup something.

Or, I could buy a straight used frame with V5 and rebuild the bike around this. The engine is good, and I have done a very long trip which proved the reliability to me.

I don't really want to sell to a vultu...breaker and am asking for opinions or advice. My mechanical knowledge is good. I'm happy to do most things on a bike up to the level of valve clearances/chain&sprockets/bearings/strip calipers etc. That said I have never rebuilt a bike from scratch or taken an engine out, but feel I could do it with the right equipment and the old bike alongside.

So any advice or opinions would be very welcome. Part of me wants to just get rid, but part of me likes the challenge of a rebuild, but is that feasible? Or is it best broken (by me) for parts?

Thanks for any thoughts.   

[John Stenhouse]

I'd rebuild it, doubt that's the cheapest or easiest course though. Finding the bits could be interesting, not seen a huge amount of Girly bits about

[London_Phil]

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Triumph-Tiger-955i-2003-2001-2007-Frame-With-V5-HPi-Clear-91/253252505721

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Triumph-Tiger-885i-709-EN-Rahmen-ohne-Papiere/272875081422

Nice winter project...??

[Sin_Tiger]

  is not like you'd be working from a pile of bits with no previous knowledge, you have a template to work from.

Alternatively,  look for a high miler of the same age and choose the best bits for your rebuild and you'd still have bits left over to keep as spares or sell on.

Personally I'd avoid an overseas frame due to the added cost of the import registration time and costs.

[JayDub]

Definitely rebuild it, think of the satisfaction you'd get. You sound capable enough, and all the help you need is right here 

[Chris Canning]

I have a connection to a small bike breakers/repair set up and have seen literally dozens of such the most important thing to remember it'll never be worth anything and either you or the person you sell too will have to run it into the ground.

If you start with that in mind then fine but bikers are notoriously conservative and the slightest uttering of Cat? and most vanish in a cloud of dust so it's ok these guys saying rebuild it but it'll be a labour of love and not a fat lot else.

As for breaking!! What happens you sell all the good bits and then get left with the junk which normally goes to the scrap man like swing arms etc hence why most now are bought and sold on 'As Is'

I do run a Cat C van but it was bought knowing it would never be anything but a total loss.

As for your bike has the insurance asked you to cut the head stock off and send it to them cuz that's the norm,yea I saw the frame for 250 quid so it'll be a cheap project.

[Timbox2]

Yeah, if I was retired with time and a nice warm garage, I might. As Chris says though, In the UK you'd be lucky to get £2k for the best Girly on the planet. Oh, and if you do watch out for swingarm/shock/fork combinations, yes they will all fit, but get it wrong and you could end up with interesting geometry

[Sin_Tiger]

Yeah, if I was retired with time and a nice warm garage,

Time is a common retirement myth, as for a warm garage I wish 

Both Chris and Tom have some good points, it much depends on what you were alluding to, need as opposed to want to.

You could be lucky picking up a rough high miler but generally these get looked after so a cheap one with a clean V5 will be rarer, patience is the key.

[Chris Canning]

For me the bench mark was Tim's 955 a sweeter running bike their isn't and it was well look after and he got what 2200 for it which was nothing short of criminal but hey that's the market,re framing a bike 'For the Crack' then fair enough but no good looking for anymore logic than that because there ain't any.

I came within a hairs breath of replacing mine yesterday and was in the same dilemma that the old girl is probably worth more in parts than complete.

[Timbox2]

For me the bench mark was Tim's 955 a sweeter running bike their isn't and it was well look after and he got what 2200 for it which was nothing short of criminal but hey that's the market,re framing a bike 'For the Crack' then fair enough but no good looking for anymore logic than that because there ain't any.

I came within a hairs breath of replacing mine yesterday and was in the same dilemma that the old girl is probably worth more in parts than complete.

Only got £1950 mate, Dealer was talking £1500 max on PX against the new TS.

[Chris Canning]

Oh shit 

[Bixxer Bob]

Likewise.  The age and condition of mine on Ebay were making around 1400 quid so I expected the dealer to offer around a grand. Which he did, but he suggested 1900 on Gumtree and take 1750 which is exactly what I did and got.  And because he didn't have to take a trade in he dropped the Explorer price another 200 so I was happy with the deal in the end.

[Timbox2]

Not wanting to be a TT traitor but for those that might be interested there is a bit of a 955 Rebuild going on on Advrider.com including what looks like a fairly drastic fork mod involving emulators and lots of hole drilling

[SteveFord]

Find a roller and give it a new lease on life.
The bike has been good to you, don't put it down.

[Tiger-G]

Good effort mate