Process of keeping bike after it's "written-off" | GTAMotorcycle.com

Process of keeping bike after it's "written-off"

slowbird

Well-known member
Long story short, my bike was hit in a parking lot and it fell over. Initial report from the appraiser says it might be written off due to the cosmetic damage.
(See this thread for details and the infuriating vid: http://www.gtamotorcycle.com/vbforum/showthread.php?206021-My-bike-was-hit-in-a-parking-lot )

I was hoping to hear from anyone who has been in this position. Where their bike is a cosmetic write-off, not branded as irreparable, and how they negotiated with the insurance company on keeping their bike and repairing it themselves.

Did you have to get the bike inspected afterwards or re-certified?

How was the process and how was the costs/payout calculated?

The decision should be made soon and I want to be ready and well prepared to keep the bike as the damage is minor and cosmetic only.
 
I don't have answers to all of your questions, but in my case, the insurance company offered X dollars and they keep the bike or Y dollars and I keep it. They calculated Y by subtracting the highest salvage bid they received from X. I don't know how many salvage bids they got or how they got them (did multiple people look at the bike, did they just send some pics and the repair quote, did they completely make everything up?).
 
Did you have to get the bike inspected afterwards or re-certified?

Technically no. They said I could keep riding it, but until I had it appraised the value of the bike was now zero as they had paid me out for it (makes sense)

How was the process and how was the costs/payout calculated?

This was State Farm at the time - it was mostly painless. It was a little annoying how long it took the adjuster to make a decision, but once he did I had to collect the bike RIGHT AWAY b/c of the storage fees they were racking up with Kahuna. The reduced payout I felt was honestly pretty generous, considering that the bike did not need much to be restored to working order (it needed pretty much just a brake rotor and a turn signal)
 
A turn signal and brake rotor? That's all? One of the reasons our rates are so high.
 
A turn signal and brake rotor? That's all? One of the reasons our rates are so high.

It made it rideable but it did not return it to the condition it was in before. Also the payout was only like $3000
 
Insurance company can and will even sell a bent frame with nothing more then your VIN on it.
Been there, had it happen to me.
 
Ins. offered a good payout first time for the write off and I kept the bike. Was with Jevco at the time. They wanted a structural safety done to re-insure with them, but that does not exist for bikes. Even a guy that does it for cars that rides stated as such. Didn't matter, cause I was gonna switch ins. co. anyways for better rates. The bike was never branded, I fixed what I wanted, went with another co. and it's still able to be on the road. NO inspections, safety, etc.
 
Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences. I'm still waiting to hear back from the appraiser after they get the run down from the shop I took it to.
 
Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences. I'm still waiting to hear back from the appraiser after they get the run down from the shop I took it to.

Crappy this is all biting into the riding season.

Is the dbag with the pickup truck still parking the same way? ;)
 
Crappy this is all biting into the riding season.

Is the dbag with the pickup truck still parking the same way? ;)

Yeah he was for awhile but since I’ve complained about him parking in visitors all the time looks like he’s parking in a regular tenant spot. It used to be vacant before so I think he may have had to buy/rent it.
 
Update:

So the adjuster just called me and said the repairs come up to $3500 and he gave the shop the ok to fix it.

Now, I have the bike back with me and I’d rather not spend the rest of the season having it in a shop.

Can I ask the insurance company to just cut me a cheque and I’ll fix it?
 
Update:

So the adjuster just called me and said the repairs come up to $3500 and he gave the shop the ok to fix it.

Now, I have the bike back with me and I’d rather not spend the rest of the season having it in a shop.

Can I ask the insurance company to just cut me a cheque and I’ll fix it?

Great news. It would be ashame not to hear that beautiful engine ripping around any more.

You can ask whatever you want. I wouldn't be surprised if they wouldn't insure it until after it was repaired and inspected though.
 
Update:

So the adjuster just called me and said the repairs come up to $3500 and he gave the shop the ok to fix it.

Now, I have the bike back with me and I’d rather not spend the rest of the season having it in a shop.

Can I ask the insurance company to just cut me a cheque and I’ll fix it?

I would ask for a timeline first, maybe it would be acceptable. I'm really surprised they're willing to fix it
 
Just ask the adjuster what your options are. Then tell them you will get back to them.

The adjuster (or maybe he’s the appraiser) doesn’t work for the Insurance company. I was gonna call the insurance company but I wanted to ask opinions here so I could be armed with what my options could be

I would ask for a timeline first, maybe it would be acceptable. I'm really surprised they're willing to fix it

I don’t know. I was told an afternoon to get the appraisal done and it took like 2 days because the shop was busy.
I don’t want to waste any more riding time.

Also, getting new fairings on a 18 year old bike? The paint isn’t gonna match
 
Talk to the ins. co. rep that is handling the case. You should have a case # and contact ph #. That's usually the adjuster. They send an appraiser to cost the damage/repair. Appraiser has no say in how the financing goes, they just tell the co. what it costs to fix.
 
Talk to the ins. co. rep that is handling the case. You should have a case # and contact ph #. That's usually the adjuster. They send an appraiser to cost the damage/repair. Appraiser has no say in how the financing goes, they just tell the co. what it costs to fix.

Roger that.

Thanks. I’ll give them a call in the morning.
 

Back
Top Bottom