Salvage bike advice?

[lowenbrau]

I tripped over this bike at the salvage auction and I'm wondering if I should bid on it. There just happens to be a set of forks on ebay right now. If the frame is damaged, what are the options? I can fabricate but I imagine it's just a parts rig at that point.

[Hltoppr]

Looks like it's just the forks...but who knows? KLRs are cheap enough to buy one that's never been wrecked....I bet once you got into it, between forks, wheels, and odds/ends you could find a similar bike, that hasn't been in a wreck, for about the same money....

-H-

[HMR]

Personally, I'd pass. Pre-2008 KLR's were EXACTLY the same each year for something like 10 years(?). Plenty of non-wrecked bikes available cheap. From the photos it looks like that KLR took a pretty serious hit.

I had a highspeed collision on a bike a few years ago:
http://wileyp.smugmug.com/photos/30690793-M.jpg

I can get Japanese parts for cost so it made sense to fix the bike- or so I thought. After a little research I learned that if the frame is the slightest bit bent, the bike could be a problem maintenance-wise. More importantly, it could be a safety hazard if it decided to speed-wobble at a bad time. It just wasn't worth the risk for a bike that was easily replaced.

[Spicy McHaggis]

Just by a decent used one.

[lowenbrau]

Thanks for the comments, everybody. I think I will pass.

I should have bid a bit higher on the diesel Land Cruiser that was there last week. I know something about those :)

[bj70_guy]

Bruce, if you're interested in a KLR it's probably worth watching craigslist just across the line. These bikes seem to go quite a bit cheaper in the US than here. I've seen lots in the $3K range.

I'd like to give one a go, they seem like a great fun bike for the $$$. My non-existant garage runneth over already, but I bet I could find room for one of those...

[ginericLC]

Bruce,

They show up a couple times a month in the Boise area. If you want I can shoot you a PM when the next one pops up.

http://boise.craigslist.org/mcy/542144959.html

http://boise.craigslist.org/mcy/560375910.html This one has been for sale for a couple of months.

http://boise.craigslist.org/mcy/551796976.html

Eric V.

[Wanderlusty]

Saw one used today, at the dealer, for $2700 (2004, 11k miles) so there are deals out there that would cost a lot less than rehabbing a wreck.

[TxRider]

Yup the only way I'd buy a wreck like that would be for a parts donor if had a bike with a blown engine, even then I wouldn't pay much.

Any bike that may have a bent frame is something to stay away from.