In 2009 the UK government introduced a scrappage scheme but it was only for vans and cars and didn’t include motorcycles and scooters.
The scheme was introduced after the car industry experienced 11 months of a consecutive fall in sales. The rallied ‘round and lobbied the government into submission. There was a heightened fear of the economy in the UK grinding to a halt at the impact of the 2008 global financial crisis tore through the real world like a hurricane, while the financial institutions that caused it remained largely unaffected in the eye of the storm.
The UK government set aside £300m in 2009 to underpin the scrappage scheme. The rules were simple and somewhat controversial. In order to qualify for the scrappage scheme you had to have owned your vehicle for a minimum of 12 months. That was it.
The scheme contributed £1,000 towards the price of a new car. Many people saw a golden opportunity and bought an old banger for a few quid with the aim of ‘scrapping’ it in 12 months time.
Germany were the first country to introduce a scrappage scheme in 1999, followed by Italy and France. However that was just for cars, not motorcycles.
In 2008, Italy and Spain both introduced their own motorcycle and scooter scrappage scheme. Any two wheeler over 10 years old was given a £500 grant towards a new motorcycle – boosting the sales of new motorcycles and adding more liquidity into the motorcycle industry via the dealers.
Many people have criticised the scrappage scheme as being short-sighted, claiming that perfectly good vehicles are being scrapped – not even stripped for parts, just crushed. Also, the environmental costs of producing a new vehicle and transporting it – often from the Far East – to the UK has a huge environmental cost.
Can I scrap a motorcycle?
You can but – being as it involves the government – the process is complicated. The new V5 (log book) no longer has a section where you can fill out the information to send to the DVLA to notify them that you’re scrapping your motorbike. Instead you have to visit: https://www.gov.uk/scrapped-and-written-off-vehicles and follow the process.
You’ll need to go to the Environment Agency’s website to locate your closest Authorised Treatment Facility (ATF). At the ATF they will issue you with a Certificate of Destruction (COD).
However most ATFs will be sniffy about taking just a frame and a V5 – they’ll want the complete motorbike. Often, when your only option is to scrap a bike, you don’t have much more than a frame and some wheels bolted to it if you’re lucky.
If you don’t scrap a motorbike you’ll have to declare it SORN for eternity which is a complete pain in the wotsit. An alternative is to send the DVLA the V5 logbook with a cover letter saying you have dismantled the bike for parts and scrapped the frame. They ought to acknowledge this.
And if you do decide to scrap your motorbike via the official channels? What’s the scrap value of your motorbike frame? Around £6 at today’s rates.
ULEZ Motorcycle Scrappage Scheme
The Mayor of London has launched a scrappage scheme for vehicles that don’t meet the new ULEZ emissions standards. This new scheme also applies to motorcycles.
The scheme offers £1000 for any motorcycle scrapped as part of the scheme.
However in most cases you’ll be able to get more than £1,000 for your motorcycle, especially if you sell it to someone outside of London or use it to part-ex against a new model.
Motorcycle scrappage scheme alternatives
If you really can’t be bothered to sell your old motorcycle or scooter or you’ve got one that’s sat in the garage in a spares or repairs state, then you could try these initiatives, instead of just weighing in your motorbike for its scrap value:
Scrapmybike.co.uk – Deals in scrap motorcycles and cars. Claims an instant valuations and nationwide collection.
Scrap Car Kings – Deals in scrap motorcycles and cars. Collects vehicles from London, Essex and Kent.
Give A Car – They scrap or resell your bike and donate the profits to charity. The prefer to take a complete motorbike which they can sell at auction rather than a bike to weigh in for scrap value.
