How to find salvage motorcycles for sale

How to sell a junk motorcycle

1. Establish your bike's value

Check your make and model against a third-party value tool like Kelley Blue Book. If the insurance company has declared your motorcycle a total loss, it has lost most of its value. You should expect to get less than you would for the same bike in the valuation tool's lowest condition category.

2. Contact a salvage yard

Once you've got an idea of what your junk motorcycle is worth, you can contact the motorcycle salvage and see what they offer for your make and model. Like selling a vehicle to a dealer, you could negotiate a better price when selling a junk vehicle. Figure out their requirements for use and what extras they offer. Some salvages only accept deliveries, while others may offer a pick-up service. They may also require you to drain the bike of fluids like gasoline and oil, so if you plan to drop it off, you'll need a way to tow the bike to the salvage yard.

You can also use the bike’s value information to negotiate the sale of your salvage motorcycle. You may want to try asking for more money if you're going to bring the drained motorcycle to them, for example.

Can you sell a junk motorcycle to a salvage yard?

If you've got a junk motorcycle you want to get rid of, one of your best options may be to sell it to a motorcycle salvage yard. Salvage yards buy and sell junk motorcycles and provide a way for people to dispose of old or damaged motorcycles. You can also find used parts and old motorcycles to restore there. Selling to a salvage yard involves less work than selling to a private party and can help you get a little cash for your junk motorcycle.

When a motorcycle has a salvage title, which you will get from a salvage yard, you'll need to rebuild it and get it inspected before it can go back on the road. If the motorcycle's title designates it as "junk," or "parts only," you may not be allowed to rebuild it and may only use it for parts.

Depending on the salvage yard and the local safety regulations, you may be able to browse the yard's selection. You may need to call ahead to tell the staff what you need when buying a salvage motorcycle. If you can browse the yard, bring tools with you. Some salvage yards let you harvest parts you're interested in.

Buying salvage motorcycles

If you're looking to buy salvage motorcycles whole rather than just parts, you can still talk to a salvage yard, but you should also keep an eye out for motorcycle salvage auctions. You can find junk motorcycles for sale through specialized motorcycle salvage auction sites and channels like eBay, police auctions, and local and federal government auctions.