Salvage title

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I should Iintroduce myself first, I'm new to the forum. I haven't bought a bike yet, but I'm looking. I found a 2006 with 5600 miles for$3000, only catch is it's a salvage title. It's been inspected and has plates .anything I should look out for when I look at it. Obviously it should drive straight run good, but anything else
 
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I'd ride it. If it shifts and runs right and no engine noises you're good to go. My best ever personal Vmax I had was a 2005 that went end over end before we picked it up.
 
I hope it's just what I'm looking for,black wheels and triple clamps, the exhaust ìs banged up but I want a,4 into,1 anyway
 
Nice, I hope it works out. 2006 is exactly what I had on my wishlist, but the only 2006 in the state was going for way more than my budget allowed. (i got a real nice 99 instead)
 
Hit some rough pavement and see how the suspension handles it. You'd be surprised how much of a difference 10-15 psi in the front downtubes makes on preventing bottoming-out. If you're over 200 lb you probably want to try the higher numbers on the rear shocks, the top chrome plate you'll see is numbered 1-4, 1 is least damping, when the # is at the 3 0'clock position if you were on the bike, right-hand shock.

Look at the fork stops on the bottom triple tree to see if they are intact. You can also use some surveyor's line to loop-around the front & rear tires about 6" off the ground, to see if the wheels line-up, w/the handlebars.

Usually an out of alignment handlebar will be very evident when you are riding. It may be nothing more than loosening the bolts in the front end, and re-tightening them in the proper sequence, and torque settings. Sean's video on steering head torque is very helpful. Loose or too-tight steering head bearings causes wandering handling, and possibly shimmies, as you decelerate. Around 40 mph seems to be a point at which people having steering stem tightness issues get headshake.

Look at the downtubes where the oil seals wipe. Any corrosion there will tear-up the fork oil seals, and there's no way to fix that, except new downtubes and seals replacement. Oil in the top of the fork slider is a clue.

If the bike jumps out of 2nd (or any) gear when you accelerate rapidly, look for another bike, unless you're an experienced mechanic and know that you're now facing engine removal, case-splitting, and hundreds of dollars in parts. Shop labor for this repair is probably more than the parts, and I doubt many dealer shops would quote you < $2,000 to do this.
 
Just check for signs of major damage during the crash.

Look at the frame down tubes in the radiator area. Common spot for dimples.

Check to see that the carbs seem to line up with the cutouts in the scoops.
We've seen that here before where a damaged frame caused that area to look out of whack

Check the triple trees to see if the steering stops are intact.

Other than that, the normal stuff with a vmax or any bike.

Definitely hammer on it in 2nd gear and see if it holds.

Check these threads:

http://vmaxforum.net/showthread.php?t=21240&highlight=buying

http://vmaxforum.net/showthread.php?t=20518&highlight=buying
 
Every year of Vmax (almost every model) can have a 2nd gear failure. Depends on your riding style. Most likely not an issue but worth checking. Some dimpling of the frame where the triples can swing around, shear of the stop, and hit the frame tube isn't really going to hurt it much (in our opinion).
 
My humble opinion. I'd run from it. Find an older model that has been taken care of for the same money with a good title. Integrity of the bike (if crashed) has been changed and to me that is a huge liability/risk, especially since you won't be putting around on it I'm sure. Had a friend buy a salvage title bike, and it was a nightmare. Looked great to the naked eye, but it was a complete pile of poo (lipstick on a pig). Lost his ass when he tried to sell it. Also check with your insurance company because some won't insure it.
 
Yeah I didn't think about my insurance, he said he has plates and insurance on it, but who knows. Plus that's a really good price on a very low mile,,,06. And it hasn't sold I love the bike, but I'm a little nervous, mostly because I've never rode one before and don't know what it's supposed to feel like
 

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