Apparent accident damage

Stood stationary last night on the way home when I was rear-ended by a muppet in a Ford Ka. Managed to pick the bike up and there does not appear to be much damage- number plate, rear light lens. The engine bars worked and there is a scuff on my H+B pannier frames. The rear crud catcher is also damaged.

I rode the bike home and it felt fine. Rung the insurers and somebody called 4th Dimension (anyone heard of them??? Equity Red Star approved repairers???) are picking the bike up on Monday, taking it to London (I live in NW England), assessing it and will report back.

Looking at it it doesnt look badly damaged- no prob with indicators or handlebars, so think that its it- thats until I have had a poke around in the garage. Looking at the bike with the seats off the rear subframe may have a very slight twist in it- its hardly visible but you can see it with a spirit level. The luggage frames have a very slight bend in it so it looks like thats what has caused the slight twist. The paralever and rear wheel seems fine. Didn't see much of the Ka that hit me- had a dent in his bonnet I believe.

What I am worried about is the insurance writing it off due to the cost of replacing the subframe- its a 2000 W reg 1150 with 50k on the clock and in otherwise VGC. I love the bike and would rather keep it.

What do you think???

What you want won't affect their verdict.
If they do write it off, just buy it back off them.

Tell them you would rather get estimates from local repairers .because as soon as they have it and IF it is actually a economic write off you declare you want to buy it as salvage and they suddenly hit you with £15 a day storage + return transport, then they get it for eff al,l break it or repair as a cat C and laugh all the way to the bank...
IF there coming from London to fetch it and recovery is a minimum cost of 50p a mile both ways !!! there not doing it for your benefit !!

You have the right to have it repaired near to you if you so require..Make sure you give the transport company a call asap to tell them that you are not happy and will be getting quotes in the NW
It's your bike you do have a say in who repairs it..
Also get the assesor to either visit you, or you take it into the garage for the assesment then BRING THE BIKE HOME WITH YOU...
otherwise you are falling into the trap of "storage" charges etc...
Then you also greatly improve your chances of a salvage buy back and a payout


Just checked AA RAC pay recovery contractors £1.22 a mile now !!! so God knows what the Larhhndahhn buggers would want to bring YOUR bike back :mad

AberdeenAngus said:

What you want won't affect their verdict.
If they do write it off, just buy it back off them.

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Proff said:

Tell them you would rather get estimates from local repairers .because as soon as they have it and it is actually a write off you declare you want tobuy it and they suddenly hit you with £15 a day storage, then they get it for eff all break it or repair as a cat C and laugh all the way to the bank...
IF there coming from London to fetch it and recovery is a minimum cost of 50p a mile both ways !!! there not doing it for your benefit !!

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+1

you live in preston and some company from london is picking it up? i'd tell em to feck right off and get someone local to have a look at it as proff said.

If they write it off and it's that far away from your home you won't be getting it back.

Have an assesor come to you, once that bike has gone you have very little say in the matter, plus you'll have the cost of transporting it back to you to consider.
Until the insurance pay out that bike is yours and you have a say in it's future.

take it to your local BMW dealer and get them to estimate the damage. Tell them not to bother estimating scratched part, just structral damage.

Rear subframe cost about £75 used, and 2 hours to fit.

If the repairers insist, really really insist on picking it up, go out for the day.

If they get it they can't lose = huge repair estimate. Which means it's written off and you know where it'll end up, or they'll get the OK to repair it and make a shed load.

In reality repair it yourself - from what you say the cost will be cheaper than your insurance excess.

Steptoe said:

If they write it off and it's that far away from your home you won't be getting it back.

Have an assesor come to you, once that bike has gone you have very little say in the matter, plus you'll have the cost of transporting it back to you to consider.
Until the insurance pay out that bike is yours and you have a say in it's future.

take it to your local BMW dealer and get them to estimate the damage. Tell them not to bother estimating scratched part, just structral damage.

Rear subframe cost about £75 used, and 2 hours to fit.

If the repairers insist, really really insist on picking it up, go out for the day.

If they get it they can't lose = huge repair estimate. Which means it's written off and you know where it'll end up, or they'll get the OK to repair it and make a shed load.

In reality repair it yourself - from what you say the cost will be cheaper than your insurance excess.

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The Master concurs with moi I'm so, so happy

Proff said:

The Master concurs with moi I'm so, so happy

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Only one thing wrong in your post - the storage and transport costs - You forgot to say they're both plus VAT

Take the advice from Proff & Steptoe...

In 1998, I smashed up my R80GS & it was written off after Shorrocks in Penwortham did a report on it. I stored the bike at my garage & was in a much better negotiating position, so managed to get a payout of £2800 & bought the salvage for £175. The rebuild involved lots of parts including a new frame, all of which were ordered through Motorworks & they kindly invoiced this separately from all the other s/h parts like forks, pannier, rear subframe, rocker cover, engine bars, handlebars... (you get the picture). This meant I could take the frame invoice to the DVLA & they allowed me to retain the original reg, after Shorrocks rebuilt it (I'd broken my arm & the bike was ready before the cast came off). I rode the rebuilt bike for another 3yrs before selling it (fully declared as a rebuild) to a Kiwi for £1500. By this time, it had over 100k miles on it & it then went all around Europe, the Middle East & East Africa before being shipped back from Cape Town. I believe it went back to NZ, but could be wrong...

£175 ferchrissakes!!!

I was very dubious about letting it out of my sight- I used to work for Norwich Union years ago and know roughly how the process works. I thought it would be as simple as take it to an approved repairer near me- there are loads of bike shops in the Preston area- 99% of them I am aware of and would be happy to take a bike to.

I get the drift that if I send it away then it will get sorted quicker, but if I go my own way the insurers will make me wait for an admission of liability before I go for my own estimate and get it repaired- even though I am fully comp.

I am not in a hurry for it to be done- got plenty of alternative transport but prefer the bike because of traffic.

I am a bit confused though- I am still trying to untangle who is doing what- who is looking after the bike and who is looking after the excess. I rang the claims dept at my brokers at 9am and spoke to an emergency service who recorded the claim and said they would pass the details on to my insurers, or if I wished, contact Equity Red Star- which I did. No more than 15 mins later I had Equity Red Stars personal injury solicitors on the phone asking me if I was injured- my hip is a little bruised but nothing more. I asked them if they were the people that would be reclaiming my excess and if they were handling everything- I got an answer that they looked at the complete package, but if I decided I did not want to pursue a PI claim then I would have to inform my insurers and possibly find someone else to do it. I have a claim handlers name and details but dont know whether this is for the bike, the PI or my excess.

After the advice I will hang on and do it my own way. Will ring Southport Superbikes in the morning and have a ride over. (once I have gaffa taped on my rear light lens that is.....)

Make sure you CANCEL the pick up !! or they may try to bill you for the cost it, if they turn up and you tell them to f uck off .....

good luck hayd.
i have a rear lens if you want to come round ,and borrow it before going to s/port.jason

robbin barsterds

hope all gets sorted fella

My original single spark got hit from behind asnd was written off with a bent rear subframe. Later sent my service history to the new owner on this site!! It was next to sod all to repair it but by the time Norwich Union had recovered it from France and sent it to deepest Kent I never got a look in!!
SO if you wanna keep it fight em!!

Yep agree with above posts. Just tell them you still need use of the bike, get local quotes and they will send a assessor out to you with a pre-arranged time/ date once you have sent in the quotes.

I did this with a bike as i still used it daily. Not a problem and all went smoothly.

Good luck

4th Dimension repaired my Sprint ST recently when I was knocked off.

I'm insured with Ebike and have to say the handled it fantastically. I wasn't in the mood after the accident to sort anything myself so just let them get on with it.

I live in the far reaches of Scotland and they came up here and collected the bike, said they'd call when 30 mins away and sure enough they did, meant I didn't have to hang around. Took the bike away and a few days later called back with what was happening. As it happened the other party was 100% at fault and the bike was repaired on a "credit repair". I had nothing to pay, not even my excess.

The bike was away for about 5 weeks and every week I'd get a text message advising of the update and if there was any delay. the 4th Dimension assor also phoned several times and any queries I had he sorted, even down to querying some "old damage" that he said he'd put down to the accident and get repaired too.

I don't know what the final bill was but I ended up with: new forks, new front wheel/tyres, new brakes, new fairing all round, new lights, new screen, new paniers rail's, and various other bits, must have been £3k or more at least and the bike isn't worth much more.

Got it back and it looks better than it did new, is cleaner, runs better and they've put updated parts on it.

Couldn't have had better service from them and they handled everything, even when I wanted to speak with EBike about a query it was all handled by 4th Dimension.

I'd have no concerns about going to them again - but I don't want to as that means I've had another accident!

Just my experience and it was a very good one

MrTScot said:

Just my experience and it was a very good one

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Thats good to hear an acount concerning the actual company involved.

Perhaps i've got too cynical after all the experiences i've had. Lets hope it works out all ok for haydw.