Motorbike Write Off Categories

Category A Vehicle must be crushed. All of it. May not be resold. Entire motorcycle must be crushed. Severely damaged with no serviceable parts, or already stripped out shell. DVLA require "Notification of Destruction". Category B Bike may not be returned to road. Parts may be sold. Motorcycle itself may not be resold. Damaged beyond economical repair, usually with severe structural/frame damage. Parts can be removed and sold.

Category C Repairable. Possibly structural damage. Cost of damage (at main dealer prices and labour rates) is more than book value of bike. Repairable salvage. Usually applies to motorcycles with significant frame damage, where cost of repairs exceeds book value. Can be sold complete to Motorcycle Trade or Public. Category D Repairable. Probably non-structural damage. May have been economic to repair, but insurer doesn't want to. Repairable salvage. Minimal damage, probably not structural, but insurer does not want to repair, even though it might be economic to do so. Often stolen and recovered after claim has been paid Category F Damaged by fire. Damaged by fire. Should be repairable. If not safely repairable, it should be called Category A or B. Category X Repairable. Minor Damage. Insurance-speak for 'Not Recorded', but subject to some claim and sold on by them as repairable salvage. This is Not an official category, this is what you may see in a private advert. Insurance companies often call vehicles involved in an accident a 'write off' or 'total loss', which gives the wrong impression to anyone not familiar with the insurance or salvage industry. An insurance company faced with a claim first estimates the financial cost of repairing the vehicle to its pre-accident condition. The cost of the repair will be based on new parts prices and garage labour charges, often making it uneconomical for the insurance company to carry out the repair. A person doing the work themselves and sourcing recycled spares can often make the repair viable. If the financial cost to the insurance company is the same or near to the market price, the insurance company would normally call this vehicle a write off which means that they will 'write off' the financial cost of the repair, not the vehicle itself. Click here for a more comprehensive explanation of insurance