Now i'm miffed!

[momorris1974]

Well after buying my 1150 GSA in December, I can honestly say i've never been happier with a bike......

Taken a while but I finally got here close to the stage I want her, panniers sourced from Bernie at Stahlkoffer and fitted in January, swanky seat with profiling for my massive lardy ass, Hyperpro springs front and rear to help a bit with the height, weatherproof USB port to keep the iPhone charged while it talks to the Autocom with bluetooth under the seat, Tobinators for a bit more relaxed motorway cruising and HiD Lights and Spots to help in being seen by ignorant cage drivers.....

This is my pride and joy on Sunday (27 Feb 2011).

And this is her at about 7pm on the 28 Feb 2011

All because of this junction......

Thank whoever is watching over me for panniers and engine bars, apart from a lovely purple bruise on my left hip, and a very sore lower back and neck I came away relatively unscathed.

So today I get an email off the insurance company saying the bike is a write off, so I ring them up and ask what the engineers report says.......

'The engineer hasn't looked at the bike sir, based on the bike model and damage described to him over the phone, he has decided it's uneconomical to repair'

The woman who decided to ignore the highway code, road markings and her eyes had a nice dent in her bonnet......I HAVE NO BIKE!!!

So being a complete novice to the world of accidents and insurance companies, i'm after some opinions.........

From what I saw at the scene, the pannier took the full force of the impact, I was travelling at no more than 20mph, the engine bars are scratched and a bit bent but overall I would reckon I could replace them in due course rather than having to rush out as a priority.

Replace the handlebars, then a tidy up the cylinder heads and sort the scuff mark on the tank and she's back to being my beautiful pig.....

So, does anyone have any experience with getting the bike back from the brink of death.....how much approx am I looking at paying to get her back where she belongs? And more importantly, am i a blithering idiot for trying?

As the other party has accepted responsibility I'm a bit confused as to why my insurance company have decided the bike is a write off, I was under the (probably misguided) impression that it was the other insurance companies remit to repair my bike or replace etc.....

I've realised I'm just rabbiting on now so I'll stop and wait for the words of wisdom to come flooding in.....

 

[mrsroynie]

Have you thought to get a quote for the repair of the bike? The damage doesn't look as if it would be uneconomic to repair.

It is always a good policy not to accept the insurance company's first offer anyway. So I'd arm yourself with a quote and, based on what the repairer says it would cost to fix, go back to the insurer and demand that they either settle the claim to your satisfaction or send an engineer to actually look at the bike.

Sorry for the loss of your bike BTW.

 

[Big Si]

Have you thought to get a quote for the repair of the bike? The damage doesn't look as if it would be uneconomic to repair.

It is always a good policy not to accept the insurance company's first offer anyway. So I'd arm yourself with a quote and, based on what the repairer says it would cost to fix, go back to the insurer and demand that they either settle the claim to your satisfaction or send an engineer to actually look at the bike.

Sorry for the loss of your bike BTW.

+1 .Wot he said. Glad you are ok also

 

[mrsroynie]

Glad you are ok also

+1

 

[metropolis2k]

Gutted to hear about this mate, she's a beauty but I don't think you'll have any trouble getting her back to that state.

Have a ganders in the legal forum we've got on here - you should get yourself some good advice in there.

 

[waterloo700]

Good advice about rejecting their first offer - that's all it is - an offer. Its a game and you have to learn some painful lessons quickly (bit ironic when you have just been thrown down the road).

Insurers lend you an umbrella when its sunny and ask for it back when it starts to rain.

Legal section is the place to be.

Glad you are OK

 

[The Grey One]

Stand up for your rights

Hi

Just seen this thread, another example of the high handed attitude of insurance companies. I had 30 year experience of dealing with them in a former life.

You paid your premium and should expect a service from them in return. The law is quite clear that it is your bike and you can have it repaired where you like. You will need to take charge, don't let the insurance company bully you. Get a quote from a reputable repairer and give it to the insurance company. They are entitled to send an engineer to inspect the bike and discuss the quote. From the pictures it looks like a reasonable quote would be nowhere near the bikes value. Assuming this is the case tell them the bike will be repaired. If they still talk about a write off then contact their head office and politely point out that someone has made a mistake and is therefore going to cost the company money by paying out the bikes value rather than the much lower repair costs.

My experience has been that the lower orders try to dig their heals in rather than admitting a mistake but further up the management chain you will get some action. Just be polite but firm and keep at it.

Good luck (pm me if you want further help)

John

 

[MattW]

Don't let yourself get shafted by the insurance company - as others have said, post this in the legal section (or even beakchat) - others have been in your shoes.

Hope you get things sorted out - at least you're walking around and relatively unscathed.

 

[MikeP]

Yes. Glad you are okay. The bike looks eminently fixable.

Also glad that your OE Adv engine bars didn't "flip the bike over" or "fold-up and cut the tank in half" as some seem too happy to tell us is their usual effect.

 

[Wrigsby1]

Glad you are not too busted up. If it were my bike I would be hassling the insurance co for a price and also dropping big hints about a buy back. Some ins co's say they don't do buy backs but no harm in asking, and asking, etc. The odd sob story about "my perfect bike".... emotionally attached etc always helps to get them bored enough to agree.

That is taking it that you would buy back. BM's crash well. I would be happy with a less than perfect cosmetic bike and I could probably fix that with not much cash for me. I bet the left hand bar is still driveable....

If you are after covering all scratches etc then it will be more work but you may never stop. Also factor in whether you do the work or you have to pay someone.

It mainly comes down to persistance on your part and how much value the Ins co put on the bike for spares.... Sad but true and at the end of the day they are just bits of metal and treated as such.

 

[Steptoe]

Also glad that your OE Adv engine bars didn't "flip the bike over" or "fold-up and cut the tank in half" as some seem too happy to tell us is their usual effect.

Might have been a different story had the bike slid along, rather than being hit broadside on.


Anyway, i'll do what the insurance engineer has done (chances are the insurance engineer is a car man with no idea of motorbikes) and give you a quote without setting an eye on the bike.

One pannier.
One pannier frame.
Handle bars.
One rear subframe (possibly).
labour £120.

Don't let them take/remove the bike, it's your property. And if you take it to a dealer for an estimate don't leave it at the dealer premises because the storage charges will rack up and someone will have to pay for that and you'll have no say in what happens to your bike if they still decide it's a write off.

If they insist on writing it off ( you can tell them NO, it's not being written off, it's my bike and i'll have a say in what happens), get a price off them to buy it back and have it repaired yourself using "pre-owned" parts. Should cost around £350 (not including panniers)

A used

 

[raginmund]

No practical advice, I'm afraid.

But massively gutted for you

 

[Paul Young]

Great advice from Steptoe, there...

I trashed a previous GS & ended up getting it written off & was paid out £2900. I bought the bike back from the insurers for £175, spent £1900 getting a local dealer to rebuild it with preowned parts & a brand new frame all ordered through Motorworks. I then ran it for another few years & sold it for £1500. It seemed in the end, like I'd got the bike for free...

Make the system work for you , rather than the other way around

 

[Ash]

feel for you mate.
what a fecker

 

[waterloo700]

Add a tenner for a new numberplate. That one looks shagged

 

[STUBBS]

time to do battle to save your bike all the best

 

[Stewart H]

Glad you are okay, that looks like it will buff right out as others have said eminently fixable, good luck