Crashed!!! sell or keep??
Road Captain
Joined: Nov 2010
Posts: 667
Likes: 195
From: huntersville nc
Waiting on a new frame for mine now, the top crash bar mount to the frame is the first thing to let go when you lay one down. They said the vin# will be the same, dealer will send the old frame neck back to HD.
Road Captain
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 673
Likes: 1
From: Brentwood TN
I bought my bike from salvage. It was totaled by the insurance Co. It had some dented tin, bent handle bars and light bars and here we go, the deal killer and bent crash bar mounting tab. I got he bike for 7k under value, put 1k in and have a great bike. I did the work myself. This is not for everyone, it is a LOT of work.
Ric
Ric
Road Master
Joined: Feb 2006
Posts: 1,244
Likes: 3
From: WA
Peering through the gloom across the Atlantic I am surprised by some of your reactions chaps! If the bike has a new frame and is rebuilt it should be fine, otherwise the dealer wouldn't want to do the work, nor the insurers approve having it done.
Having fallen off your horse I suggest you should climb back on as soon as you can! Make a decision what to do after you have ridden it, if only to satisfy yourself you can do it.
Having fallen off your horse I suggest you should climb back on as soon as you can! Make a decision what to do after you have ridden it, if only to satisfy yourself you can do it.
Thread Starter
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Cruiser
Joined: Dec 2008
Posts: 179
Likes: 0
well
well, to those who say its a small job... whatever... i know that i myself work on autos all day long as my job and a vehicle is never the same as factory new... they are assembled by the same folks day in and day out on specialized equipment that allows for very little failures.... not so when hand dissassembled and reassembled by even the most qualified tech.... i see on a regular basis the results of careless repairs that go unoticed for years sometimes before they rear theyre ugly heads!!!! poor attention to detail to mis-routing of wiring harnesses that cause future shorts... insurance companies could give a damn about protecting your investment.... only their bottom line!!!!! thats how they work and even worse when mother nature hands them a year like this one!!! btw were up to a little over $9000 with the frame replacement and its not done yet.. i assume another supplement is to come before its all said and done.... btw this is the only thing i own with wheels that anyone has ever turned a wrench on while in my possesion. been a dealer tech for 15 years and dont trust most of my co-workers to fix my stuff and definately not strangers!!!! this dealer has helped me out on a few warranty issues and i want to at least give them maintenance work but $100 for an oil change??? come on!!!!! thats hard to swallow!!! btw the boss is my pregnant girlfriend.... thankfully all 3 of us made it thru the skid!!!!
Road Captain
Joined: May 2007
Posts: 618
Likes: 0
From: Buffalo NY
Glad to hear you all made it through ok. It doesnt sound like theres any way you could be happy keeping this bike. With the $1500 difference in what you want and what the dealers offering you, it seems like a no brainer to trade it in.
6th Gear
Joined: Apr 2011
Posts: 11
Likes: 0
From: Chandler, AZ
Bowman, a couple of years ago I was rear ended and the frame got bent. Repair was close to totaling the bike. Harley sent a frame with same vin and dealer sent old neck back to Harley. Local dealer put it all back together. No problems what so ever. Just like new.
Cruiser
Joined: May 2011
Posts: 154
Likes: 8
From: Cape Coral, Fl
Replacing a frame is not a big deal. As others have said the frame probably got written because of a bent tab. They get written for that all the time yet could be easily repaired. Look at all of the custom bikes that get built from the frame up. Personally I would look at this as an opportunity to customize with custom paint and other accessories. Depending on how much damage to the tins they could probably be repaired and custom painted for close to the same money as replacing it all with stock. This way you get to let the insurance company pay for a lot of the customizing. The bike can be repaired without issue. There are a lot of bikes out there with salvage titles. The main issue with that is at resale time. Yours will not have a salvage title since it is not being totaled. You may already be convinced you want another bike, and if that is the case then what we write is not likely to change your mind. However, my two cents worth is look at it as an opportunity to customize and let someone else help you pay for it.
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Banned
Joined: Apr 2008
Posts: 2,492
Likes: 10
The new touring frames are way different than the old ones. Chances are very small the entire frame is damaged. That whole bike can be dis-assembled in a couple hours the way the frame comes apart.
A frame out repair wouldn't bother me these days.
Mark
A frame out repair wouldn't bother me these days.
Mark
