got into an accident 1st time.
Road Master
Joined: May 2010
Posts: 928
Likes: 1
From: Long Island NY
I would sell the bike and get another? That is a BIG JOB to remove all the bikes items and put back on? They never run the same as before? But if you are going the repair way I wish you good luck and hope that all goes well once it is running.
I also thought that once DMV gets the report on your repair and 2/3 of the bikes value is in repair it will show a SALVAGE TITLE when the new owner or when you get another title done. $7K in damage is a MAJOR repair and DMV will have it in their records. As long as you did the claim they will know . Glad you are OK and no damage to you.
I also thought that once DMV gets the report on your repair and 2/3 of the bikes value is in repair it will show a SALVAGE TITLE when the new owner or when you get another title done. $7K in damage is a MAJOR repair and DMV will have it in their records. As long as you did the claim they will know . Glad you are OK and no damage to you.
Elite HDF Member
Joined: Nov 2010
Posts: 3,846
Likes: 173
From: Simi Valley, CA
A deer hit a bud I was riding with from the side a few years back. She hit him right in front of the engine guard. It bent the engine guard. That was the only real damage to the bike. He didn't go down.
The dealer he took the bike to for an estimate said that any time the flat tab on the frame that the engine guard bolts to is bent, you have to replace the frame. They quoted him $1,800 for the frame and the book rate at the time was 40 hours labor to replace the frame.
The deer also cracked one of his bag lids. They told him that since his bike wasn't new, the new bag would never match perfectly, so they ordered a new paint job for the whole bike. The total was just over $7,000. He took the money, straightened out the tab in about two seconds, bought a $300 crash bar and pocketed the rest.
Dennis
The dealer he took the bike to for an estimate said that any time the flat tab on the frame that the engine guard bolts to is bent, you have to replace the frame. They quoted him $1,800 for the frame and the book rate at the time was 40 hours labor to replace the frame.
The deer also cracked one of his bag lids. They told him that since his bike wasn't new, the new bag would never match perfectly, so they ordered a new paint job for the whole bike. The total was just over $7,000. He took the money, straightened out the tab in about two seconds, bought a $300 crash bar and pocketed the rest.
Dennis
It might take a little engineering or investigative knowledge to determine if a bent tab or bracket actually had any structural effect on the frame and I guess the insurance companies simply do not have that expertise. Therefore they take the ultra conservative approach and replace the frame. Replacing the frame also limits any future liabilities for the insurance company so from their perspective it's a finacially sound choice. But I'd take the money and run if it were me.
Ok now, back to the OP. Glad you're ok, That's the most important thing right now. It's unfortunate that your bike is down.
The next most important thing is... And this hasn't been mentioned by anyone yet... Did you learn anything from this accident? Is there anything that you could have done differently to prevent this? Is there anything you learned that might help prevent a similar situation in the future? Some accidents are truly unavoidable. In others a simple change of a single event leading up to the accident may have prevented it. Definitely something to think about.
What's done is done and you can't change that, but if you learn something from this it could pay big dividends in the future. And you will be that much a better rider in the future.
Supporter
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 6,724
Likes: 234
From: Altoona, Pa.
Glad things werent worse and you and bike will get back on the road. And soon we hope. Dont be afraid to suck up a bit with the dealer,,,,perhaps some pizza for the techs a couple of times might help.
Elite HDF Member
Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 4,351
Likes: 461
From: Illinois
My last post was try to imply that I would try to find out if there is really a problem with the frame or not. I would not ride a bike of any kind on the streets that had a questionable frame, but if I knew the only problem with the frame was the tab was bent that mounts the crash bar, I would take the 4 grand and run.
It is easier said than done to prove frame soundness sometimes. If you had no injuries and the car never made contact with the frame, my money is on the bent tab from the crash bar is what is calling for the new frame.
Just something to think about. Life is all about calculated risks.
Dennis
It is easier said than done to prove frame soundness sometimes. If you had no injuries and the car never made contact with the frame, my money is on the bent tab from the crash bar is what is calling for the new frame.
Just something to think about. Life is all about calculated risks.
Dennis
Road Master
Joined: Apr 2010
Posts: 862
Likes: 1
From: N Dak
I am curious to why this bike is not a total loss. Seems weird I guess. 7k is some cash and a pretty big repair bill. I guess I would be contacting my own insurance company to see what they say and maybe have them take a look at the repair list and have that compared to what the other insurance company is saying. I think sometimes when it is another company other than your own they treat you a little different.
Elite HDF Member
Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 4,351
Likes: 461
From: Illinois
I am curious to why this bike is not a total loss. Seems weird I guess. 7k is some cash and a pretty big repair bill. I guess I would be contacting my own insurance company to see what they say and maybe have them take a look at the repair list and have that compared to what the other insurance company is saying. I think sometimes when it is another company other than your own they treat you a little different.
A total loss doesn't mean the bill for fixing it is high, it means the bill for fixing it is more than what the bike would expect to sell for BEFORE it was damaged.
$7,000 in repairs for a bike that was worth $7,000 or less would be a total loss. $7,000 in repairs for a bike that was worth $14,000 would be half a loss.
Do you think his bike was worth less than $7,000 before the accident? If not, why are you curious about why it is not considered a "total" loss?
The insurance company is going to pay the lesser value. How much to fix it vs. how much was it worth before the damage.
Dennis
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Road Master
Joined: Apr 2010
Posts: 862
Likes: 1
From: N Dak
A total loss means it would cost more to fix the bike than the actual value. $7,000 is alot of money, but I would guess the bike is worth much more than that.
A total loss doesn't mean the bill for fixing it is high, it means the bill for fixing it is more than what the bike would expect to sell for BEFORE it was damaged.
$7,000 in repairs for a bike that was worth $7,000 or less would be a total loss. $7,000 in repairs for a bike that was worth $14,000 would be half a loss.
Do you think his bike was worth less than $7,000 before the accident? If not, why are you curious about why it is not considered a "total" loss?
The insurance company is going to pay the lesser value. How much to fix it vs. how much was it worth before the damage.
Dennis
A total loss doesn't mean the bill for fixing it is high, it means the bill for fixing it is more than what the bike would expect to sell for BEFORE it was damaged.
$7,000 in repairs for a bike that was worth $7,000 or less would be a total loss. $7,000 in repairs for a bike that was worth $14,000 would be half a loss.
Do you think his bike was worth less than $7,000 before the accident? If not, why are you curious about why it is not considered a "total" loss?
The insurance company is going to pay the lesser value. How much to fix it vs. how much was it worth before the damage.
Dennis
Road Warrior
Joined: Jan 2010
Posts: 1,290
Likes: 20
From: Salem, Or
I would make her insurance rent you a bike till yours is fixed.