I've bought an almost new port bike or two that was an insurance write off because of cosmetic damage. The fairings, tank, headlight and gauges usually add up to more than the bike is worth, even when almost new. It also helps that most sportbikes now have bolt-on subframes that can be easily replaced when the original get tweaked. This is the best way for a privateer to race for the least $, you would yank most of that stuff anyway.
If I were serious about building a drag or pulling Dmax I would start with a salvage truck. Just makes sense. Get the rest of eveything on eBay. There is a new 06 summit white long bed on there with everything, over-fenders, bumper (no tailights) for less than $500