CAT C write off - back on road questions.
 

My SV has been written off as a Cat C cosmetic damage. My Insurance company say they need a new MOT and an Engineers Inspection. They don't however know what is meant by an Engineers inspection and can offer no advice of where to get it done...

I looked into VIC testing but apparently this doesn't apply to motorbikes...

One MOT station said they could do it after the MOT and another said it's not necessary, especially as I still have the LOG book.

Any ideas...

Re: CAT C write off help...
 

any bike designated cat c or d just needs a mot to be put back on the road, a mot by defination is a inspection of road worthyness therefore if it pass's a mot its safe for the road and therefore fit for to be insured as such

cars are different they need a sva (if memory serves) to be road worthy from a cat c, just a mot for cat d

Re: CAT C write off help...
 

engineers inspection is more than likely an inspection by a 'motoliner' if that's the right word or inspected at a VOSA station like you would with a Q plate.

Re: CAT C write off help...
 

probably bibio but its not required as its not getting reregistered
i know your not saying it is btw

Re: CAT C write off help...
 

That's helpful of them. :rolleyes:

What stage are you at with the claim? Is the report required to confirm it's a Cat C and get you paid out, or do they want it in order to re-insure you?

Have they already inspected the bike as part of the claim process?

Re: CAT C write off help...
 

I've got the bike back plus 2 grand... I've still been paying my insurance premium every month. Accident happened in December.

Re: CAT C write off - back on road questions.
 

Unless your keeping it long term, I'd be tempted to get a HPI clear frame and rebuild it around it.

A 'Q' plate bike/ vehicle (if it ends up on it) is more or less un-re-sellable as people don't want/ touch them

Re: CAT C write off - back on road questions.
 

Unless your keeping it long term, I'd be tempted to get a HPI clear frame and rebuild it around it.

A 'Q' plate bike/ vehicle (if it ends up on it) is more or less un-re-sellable as people don't want/ touch them

Re: CAT C write off - back on road questions.
 

Ah right. All they're doing is making sure you've carried out sufficient repairs to return the vehicle to the road. Your MOT (if still current) is valid but getting a new one is an easy way for insurers to make sure you've actually fixed it properly.

In this case the "engineers report" doesn't need to be anything more than a letter from the MOT garage confirming that the vehicle has been repaired to a roadworthy standard. The MOT certificate proves this of course and, as your brokers don't actually seem to know what they're asking for, part of me would be tempted to just send them a Twix wrapper. However, sometimes you just need to play the game :).

I don't know if it's been mentioned, but the bike might need a VIC test to prove its identity (they sometimes get a "VIC marker" after a write off, meaning a new V5C won't be issued until the VIC test is done). You can still use the vehicle with a VIC marker but it'll cause a problem if you change address or sell the bike. If you give VOSA a ring they can tell you if your bike's got a VIC marker. If not, no problem.

BTW, check this bit out as I might be out of date on that. My business customers can't usually be bothered dealing with salvage so I've not had to deal with this first hand for a while. VOSA will keep you right anyway.

It won't need a Q plate. The economics of a Cat C can work out if you can fix the bike yourself. Pocket 2 grand from the insurance, fix the bike up with used parts for £750 and ride it to work for a year. Sell it on with a £500 discount because it's a Cat C and you've still got your nose in front.

Re: CAT C write off - back on road questions.
 

Had a similar thing with a cat c car I bought last year, my insurance company insisted the vehicle was checked by a competent vehicle engineer to make sure the repairs to get it back on the road had been done by a competent person, to a safe condition. I was annoyed as it had only just passed an mot, so must be safe.

I was stumped, as who the hell should it be, turns out any mot tester is a competent vehicle engineer, half the mot fee, 20 mins later and the chap wrote me out a short letter to say he was satisfied with the vehicle.( it hadnt even been repaired, was just dented)

The insurance company were satisfied too, kept the letter and passed it on when I sold the car early this year. mention it to your local bike mot place and see what they say.

Lee