Why don;t more people buy motorcycles from police impound lots?

Question

People seem to stay away from them, why is this? Is this the normal "I don;t want a used vehicle" kind of prejudice, or is it deeper than that? Are these , maybe, salvage title vehicles, or even salvaged (severely damaged and then repaired, maybe because of no isurance) vehicles with clean titles? Are they stolen and damged, or are they just reposessed from owners who can;t make payments?

What is wrong with these bikes??

Answer 1

Why people don't buy bikes from impound lots- it is usually important to know at least a bit of the history of the motorcycle you are going to buy- unless it comes with a warranty. Unless the bike is unusually clean, there is no way of knowing what has tor has not been done to it. Even then, one would not necessarily know what I've done to my bike unless you start taking parts off of it. Many of us have bought used bikes, but we ask questions of the current owner to get an idea of the bike's history. It is more a prejudice against buying pieces of junk- and most experienced riders can spot the difference between well- maintained, needs some work, and needs a burial.

No matter the auction, you know if it is a clean title, a salvage title, or a repossession. Bikes with a salvage title have been known to have sustained significant damage - some of salvage titles state that the bike is unrepairable. Few of the bikes I've seen in auction were in good enough shape to be worth buying, except for as parts to rebuild something else. Besides, if the bike were worth the money to get it out of impound, don't you think the owner would have done it?

Repossessed bikes don't go to a police impound- they are sold at auction by the creditor. The police have nothing to do with it. Just like repossessed cars.

If the bike were stolen and impounded, the rightful owner would get it back.

As for Bandett- your prejudice is showing- as well as your ignorance - considering I was pulled over just two months ago on my Harley. The questions asked were, "Do you know why you were pulled over? Can I see your license and proof of insurance?" I was not even asked if he could see my registration.

Oh- he didn't impound my bike. He never asked if my bike was paid for - which it is. He didn't even give me a ticket- just a warning.

Answer 2

Maybe nothing and maybe everything.

Think about where these vehicles come from.  Many are unclaimed stolen bikes, bikes used in crimes, wrecked during a police chase, etc.

There is a good chance that you could get a gem of a bike, but you have to know what you are looking for.  The impound yard isn't going to let you ride the bike before buying and once bought, you are stuck with what you get.  Often times, they don't let you or the bike won't start either, so you really don't know if there is anything wrong with it.

If you are a good mechanic and can fix it yourself, you could end up with a good bike, but if you have to pay someone else to work on it, you are better off buying from a reputable source.

Answer 3

I think there are several reasons.

Firstly the auctions are irregular and there is often little publicity (at least here in Northern Ireland) so people often don't know if it is on and what is being sold. As a result, few people tend to go because it may be a wasted journey.

Also there is no way of seeing if the bike is mechanically sound as you don't get to test drive it.

It could also be inconvenience as a lot of police auctions seem to be during the week and tend to be miles out of town (so you have to figure out how to take your purchase home as well).

There is nothing intrinsically wrong with the bikes that are sold at police auctions, and at the very least, you know you don't have to worry about whether the bike may be stolen or belong to a finance company.

With all auctions, it is simply a case of buyer beware.

Answer 4

because the police men get first choice and get them for nothing , then they sell them  for  good profit or keep it it for their own use.that is why if you get pulled over and get arrested,they ask you if you own the car or do you have loan on it.  because if you have a  loan they know they cant steal it from a bank.  but if you own it paid for they can impound it and maybe one of them can get your car for  nothing.--yes thats right..so anything left to the public to buy is just junk.

Answer 5

I went to an auction where they had three Ninja bikes where the sheriff's department found cocaine stuff in all the gas tanks. Some guys were shipping these bikes as ligitimate motorcycle dealers and got caught. So they auctioned them off.

The bikes were in good shape and priced well below market value. It's just tough at auctions to really make the best decision on a purchase like that. All sales are final, you get what you see, you raise your hand and you own it buddy. Too risky.

Answer 6

lots of people buy used cop bikes at auction though.