Got in an accident, looking for advice/parts/help

[varg]

I'm sad about it, I love my Magna... I went down hard after a collision and I'm fairly cetain the insurance company (progressive) is going to total my bike and try to give me way less than it will take to replace it. Anyone here dealt with this? I'm ok, btw, thanks to ATGATT I am bruised and have a sprained ankle but no more.

The damage is as follows:
-Tank is destroyed (big dent and gouges)
-Throttle and cables are destroyed
-Right mirror (round aftermarket) is destroyed
-Windshield is destroyed
-Tachometer is destroyed (punctured and bracket is bent)
-Right peg is destroyed
-Sissy bar pad is destroyed
-Brake pedal is bent
-Handlebars are twisted (maybe bent)
-Pipes are scraped to hell and no longer round
-Front fender is scratched up

I'm on the fence about whether I want to buy it back when they total it. I have no idea what they'll offer me, but I'm sure I'll never get the market value of the bike un-damaged out of them. Not to mention NADA Average retail of $3,285 ($3,499 with windshield and pipes) and the KBB Excellent shape value $3,300 - both are relevant considering the low miles and condition the bike was in. Before the crash it had 10,300mi on it and was in like-new condition. Even with a settlement that paid out $3,000, I'd only see $2,500 because of the deductible. I would like to rebuild and keep it if totalled, but it will then be a 'forever' bike (though I doubt it will meet the requirement of 80% of value in damage to be salvage titled).. Depending on the offer, it may make more sense to wave goodbye and take what little they give me (settlement - $500 deductible). Either way, I lose. I got lucky with finding this bike, 8,400mi, nice pipes, nice Memphis Shades fork-mount windshield and like new physical condition - just a little carb work needed to be done to make it ride perfectly. So what's the verdict, in your opinion? Totalled? Researching prices of parts put me at around the $800 mark without a tachometer, replacement windshield, replacement pipes (jardine pipes, I think) or paint work. Also, if you're in my area (Palm Beach County, FL) I would like to hear about any shops you may recommend for a damage appraisal. I do all of vehicle related work myself, so I don't know of any shops.

[Croz]

Let me first say, I'm sorry to hear about your accident? Your first on 2 wheels?

When I was in mine, I was told that 'total' guidelines vary by insurance company. One does it at 51% of value, others at 80%, etc. You won't know until they look at it. They may also specify a shop to look at it. Some companies have their 'preferred' shops where if you take it there, you don't need to do multiple appraisals, etc.

Honestly, it doesn't look that bad, but I know pictures don't always show all the details. And I know from rehabbing mine after it went down, there's a difference between getting it perfect and getting it right. For example, some parts on my pegs and peg mounts were torn up. A little with a dremel cutting wheel and then some rustoleum for the mount, and it was in 'like new condition' without having to do things like replace all the peg assembly, etc.

Another choice, if you're really worried, is to not make a collision claim on it. That's what I did. My 10 year old Yamaha only had 10,000 miles on her when I got it and looked showroom new. I knew it wouldn't take much in dollar cost for them to total it out and I could probably fix it cheaper than trying to find a new one. On the other hand, my gas tank wasn't tended, and that can be a pricey thing to replace.

Talk to your insurance company. Get an appraisal on the damage. And if you want to keep the bike, stress that you'd like to keep it if it's at all possible. Then if it's on the fence of 'fix it or total it' they might come down on the fix it side.

Keep us posted.

[dt]

That's a bummer, varg. Sorry to read about you accident.

I only have two things to toss out.

First, on your reference to the NADA number...most motorcycle policies (I have Geico, no claims yet) are in two pieces, the motorcycle and the accessories. Accessories are defined differently in different policies. In my policy it's called "accessories and custom parts" and would include anything that was on the bike that was aftermarket. So, presumably, if I put on an aftermarket windscreen, that would would be covered under the accessories part. It doesn't matter that my motorcycle came with a factory windshield. It only matters whether the windscreen was an aftermarket modification. So you should add up all the aftermarket parts damage and add that to the NADA when the insurance adjuster comes. This is a double edged sword sometimes, because some people really customize up their bikes and have small or minimal level accessories coverage levels, or none. Then in a wreck when they want to get paid for all their stuff, the insurance company gives blue book and the accessories minimum. This is why we should all know what our accessories coverage is and keep good records and photos of our mods (photos/receipts are important 'cuz sometimes claims are for stolen bikes too). On my Geico policy, I got the minimum ($1,000) out of the gate and have since increased it to $3,000 as I've added mods.

The second is on the damage appraiser. The insurance companies have their own guys...adjusters, and they'll come to you and do the damage assessment. These phuckers are not to be trusted. They're usually freelancers who I can guarantee you are more interested in beating the claim down than getting you what you're entitled to under the policy. I recently made the mistake of letting an adjuster work up a claim when I wasn't present; car was at a body shop and the dude made the appointment with them. When I got the claim report, the idiot didn't include about half a dozen things...and he'd processed the claim! So I went directly to the insurance company and was able to get an adjustment, but the point is we all need to know what our policy covers (the insurance company will help with that interpretation) and then take the adjuster to the mat to get what we're supposed to get.

[varg]

Good news! They didn't total it. Instead, they cut me a check for the cost of repairs according to their estimate, I should have a little left over after I'm done repairing it. Apparently progressive has a high % to total on bikes. Now to search for parts! I've also wanted some good crash bars for a while and may as well buy them with my left-over settlement, any recommendations?

Thanks for the advice and well-wishes everyone.

[dcameras]

Sorry to hear about the wreck but glad you are ok. Also good to hear they didn't total her out and you can get her fixed. Be sure to pics of her after repairs.