picked up a wrecked 2006 today

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sarchin

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Feb 19, 2011
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Location
Monroe MI
So, I bought this 2006 Vmax that had been in some sort of weird accident. I got it for a good price, but not sure if I want to fix it up and keep or sell or part it out...

The bad: handlebars are bent, some road rash on the clutch master cylinder, left footpegs, windshield/flyscreen and left side muffler, left foot peg is broke, along with the bottom part of the handlebar riser where the turn signal bolts up.

The good: starts up and runs very nice, and rides nice too! and only 8900 miles and a lot of nice parts I've been wanting for my '85, lol

In the last couple of pictures it's hard to tell but there are like "cups" about every inch or so all the way around on the front tire? It's hard to see, but I ran my fingers across them to give an idea where they're at. Any gurus on here know how this happens? I'm wondering if it was a wobble issue, but I don't know.
 

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My Dunlop (on a different bike) would start cupping when it was time to change it, and the tread was getting thin. That was usually about 15000 on that tire.
 
In the last couple of pictures it's hard to tell but there are like "cups" about every inch or so all the way around on the front tire? It's hard to see, but I ran my fingers across them to give an idea where they're at. Any gurus on here know how this happens? I'm wondering if it was a wobble issue, but I don't know.
Yep, a cuped tire well definately cause wobbleing. Somebody must have been riding with an under inflated tire for a while. If you wanna part that bike out we will all be waiting, but it looks like a fix er upper to me.:thumbs up:
 
That cupping is def odd. If you decide to part ( or even fix up but decide you don't want the scoop and grill inserts) I wouldn't mind a chance at either.
 
At the moment, I am kinda leaning towards fixing it up even though I bought it with the intention of keeping some stuff and selling off the rest, but I was really surprised when I first saw it. The bad thing with fixing it up is that it'll have a "rebuilt salvage" title :bang head:

Interesting info on that tire cupping too! I'm always eager to learn more about the quirks of motorcycles, if nothing else than to keep me safer!!
 
Wow you have a score there if you didn't pay to much. It doesn't look to bad. 06 is the fastest year they say ;)


I got it at the Copart auto auction...paid $1900, primarily for the engine and a few other odds and ends and sell the rest to make some of my money back.

There is what looks like a fairly nice 1997 with 44,XXX miles going out in Rancho Cucamonga CA on April 30th, current bid is at $300...only you have to have a salvage dealer license to bid on it...though there are brokers available.

http://www.copart.com/c2/homeSearch...e2s1&lotId=14698583&returnPage=SEARCH_RESULTS

There was an '86 with 15,000 miles sold for $500 in New York this past Wednesday, was a flood bike, but pretty rough overall.
 
Cupping of the front tire is quite common on a lot of bikes. We have discussed this over the years and never came to a definite conclusion as to why it occurs. Some thought over or under inflation, the tire brand (some seem worse than others), type of riding, braking habits and so on. Under inflation would seem logical but it has occurred on tires that were carefully maintained. I inflate my tires to the max recommended because of high speed riding and still have had cupping. This is with checking tire pressure before every ride. Maybe there is more than one cause..:confused2:
 
I would grab the engine and all electrics and fit onto your '85, then add any other parts you fancy.

And then make all your money back and then some selling the rest in parts!
 
If you're keeping it to fix( which I am voting you to do), who cares about the salvage title. Personally I'd fix the 06 and sell the old bike.
Everything is years newer and has all the factory improvements. Unless you have a emotional tie to the bike. Heck, I'd give you $500 more than you paid for it if I were close to you! Did you know you have a Vmax guru just north of you? If you needed any help I recommend at the highest level.
 
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Tugla...anyone can sign up to be a "public" buyer, only takes about two minutes, pretty much give them just your name and they will email you a user number and password, and that will let you bid on the clear titles....except in Ohio for some reason, and in Texas a public buyer can buy some salvage titled vehicles. There are lots all over the country and auctions every day at a lot somewhere. If you're close by, you can go in and look around, start if possible (lots of people leave the key on to kill the battery lol). There are currently over 900 motorcycles of all different makes including over 260 Harleys, lol!!! My brother has a salvage license, and we've been buying cars, fixing them and selling them. You have three days to pay for it, and seven days to pick it up, then it's like $20 a day storage. Cars and trucks usually can be delivered, and motorcycles generally don't have delivery, though this 06 did for $323. I drove to Indianapolis (5 hours each way lol), pulled the seat off, put in my good Odyssey battery real quick, a couple squirts of starting fluid cause I figured with the dust on it it hadn't been started in awhile, and she fired right up, so I rode it up the ramps into the truck lol. Generally they will help you load if you have ramps, or else they'll run a strap under the fake tank and lift it up with the forklift.


I wouldn't mind keeping it and making a chain drive powerhouse out of it, but I don't have the time, money, or room for a project like that right now. :confused2:


I've had a couple friends want to buy it already but I REALLY want second gear back in my bike, plus I am keeping the '85 cause, well, it's an '85...I know, crazy right? I've upgraded and rebuilt the forks from an '03 with 1" lowered progressive springs, new steering head bearings, rear shocks from an '05 (I think) from a bike Captain Kyle was selling, and 6 piston calipers from a yzf750, and the EBC HH pads. I'm pretty confident in the bike now...it rides and handles great!

I will figure out what I'm gonna do by this afternoon after I go out and clean it up some and mess around with it today.
 
i think i have a set of handlebars you can hve. I think it has a grip on the left.
 
Maybe i can find time and look at it with you. If you can fix it up maybe you can sell both and buy a nice clean one. Todd did this and fixed the bike and made a nice trade. never The less you do have a nice engine to put in the 85 and im sure alot of the parts would help you make a nice ride out of the 85. And im sure you could get $300 to $700 maybe more out of left over parts. your 85 engine runs and i would keep it in the bike and running until it sells if you fix up the 85.........Mike
 
As much as I hate to, I am going to part this bike out. I just don't have the money or room to fix it up.

I haven't had a lot of time over the weekend to do much but air up the tires (only had 20 psi front and rear) and ride it around a little bit, ran it up to 80, and rides smooth as silk...I really like how it rides. I have some work to do Monday morning, and hopefully I can get to cleaning up and taking some pictures, and starting a thread in the parts for sale section around Tuesday or so...

I plan on keeping the engine, headlight bucket, speedometer, gauge cluster, right side controls, grips, wiring harness and whatever electronic pieces I need to swap into the '85, handlebar risers, gas tank, lock set/key, carb boots (mine are showing cracks) but I will be selling the carbs, and pretty much everything else. Any pieces with damage I will be sure to show in pics, and I will take a video of it running so if anyone wanting the carbs will be able to hear the engine running, hopefully it'll be loud enough to record while riding?

Also, I think the forks may have been lowered internally because when I put the kickstand down it is almost ground level and doesn't have a lot of lean...does anyone know off hand the measurement from the center of the axle to the top of the triple trees? I will measure mine though mine have been lowered one inch.
 
Tugla...anyone can sign up to be a "public" buyer, only takes about two minutes, pretty much give them just your name and they will email you a user number and password, and that will let you bid on the clear titles....except in Ohio for some reason, and in Texas a public buyer can buy some salvage titled vehicles. There are lots all over the country and auctions every day at a lot somewhere. If you're close by, you can go in and look around, start if possible (lots of people leave the key on to kill the battery lol). There are currently over 900 motorcycles of all different makes including over 260 Harleys, lol!!! My brother has a salvage license, and we've been buying cars, fixing them and selling them. You have three days to pay for it, and seven days to pick it up, then it's like $20 a day storage. Cars and trucks usually can be delivered, and motorcycles generally don't have delivery, though this 06 did for $323. I drove to Indianapolis (5 hours each way lol), pulled the seat off, put in my good Odyssey battery real quick, a couple squirts of starting fluid cause I figured with the dust on it it hadn't been started in awhile, and she fired right up, so I rode it up the ramps into the truck lol. Generally they will help you load if you have ramps, or else they'll run a strap under the fake tank and lift it up with the forklift.


I wouldn't mind keeping it and making a chain drive powerhouse out of it, but I don't have the time, money, or room for a project like that right now. :confused2:


I've had a couple friends want to buy it already but I REALLY want second gear back in my bike, plus I am keeping the '85 cause, well, it's an '85...I know, crazy right? I've upgraded and rebuilt the forks from an '03 with 1" lowered progressive springs, new steering head bearings, rear shocks from an '05 (I think) from a bike Captain Kyle was selling, and 6 piston calipers from a yzf750, and the EBC HH pads. I'm pretty confident in the bike now...it rides and handles great!

I will figure out what I'm gonna do by this afternoon after I go out and clean it up some and mess around with it today.



There is a cutlass there I'm interested in...but I'm in the great white north.....mmmmm wonder ......worth it for me in parts even storing it there for a month....
 
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