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View Full Version : How is a bike judged to be a write off?



hellokitty
3rd February 2012, 11:58
I have a bike valued at $5000. I crashed it on deep gravel.
Bent handle bars, bent front brake lever, rear brake lever bent to the side. Still rideable.. :facepalm:
Mirror back, knuckle guard thingy, front fairing, side fairing and tank gouged. Passenger foot peg gouged -all minor cosmetic damage
I know this can be sorted out - bent bits replaced and damage to fairings can be ignored, but I have full insurance, and I am getting it assessed to
see how much to repair, and to make sure that there isn't damage that my untrained eye can't see.
How do they work out if something is a write off? Do they repair or replace the plastic stuff?

MSTRS
3rd February 2012, 12:03
Replacement parts.
Write off is when sum of repairs is close to, or exceeds, value of bike as insured.

Often, you can buy-back the write off, and patch fix etc. Be aware that often a written off bike will be deregistered by the insurer, so you will need to go through the VIN process.

Scuba_Steve
3rd February 2012, 12:04
I believe they replace parts (with new) and if the cost of repair exceeds 80% current market value (which on bikes almost always does) they write it off
At-least this is my understanding someone else may be more knowledgeable

Gremlin
3rd February 2012, 12:07
Figures I've heard (for parts and labour to repair back to original condition) are somewhere around the 66-75% mark, but some companies may have a lower value.

There's also the uncertainty that if they start repairing, then find bigger issues, suddenly it's deep into write off territory... My assessor discussed with me what I would prefer, they preferred repair, as did I, and the cost was a little over half.

MOTOXXX
3rd February 2012, 12:07
i might be wrong but.
i think they work it out if the damage is 70% of the value of the bike - they write it off

crashed my 2001 TL100r about 5 years ago. it was valued at 11k and insurance wrote it off.
i dented the tank, cracked / scraped fairings, indicators, broke a muffler and a few other small bits
was about 10k in damage but cost me about 3k to repair myself.

it adds up very quickly when they look at replacing things with genuine parts.

hellokitty
3rd February 2012, 12:13
Yeah I figure that if they replace the plastic body parts with new parts then it will be a write off.

hellokitty
3rd February 2012, 12:14
i might be wrong but.
i think they work it out if the damage is 70% of the value of the bike - they write it off

crashed my 2001 TL100r about 5 years ago. it was valued at 11k and insurance wrote it off.
i dented the tank, cracked / scraped fairings, indicators, broke a muffler and a few other small bits
was about 10k in damage but cost me about 3k to repair myself.

it adds up very quickly when they look at replacing things with genuine parts.

It is funny, cos Mr Hellokitty said the same thing about his TL1000R - exhaust tank and fairings would make it s write off.
Can you tell me how to find the radiator cap on a TL1000R - is it under the fairings somewhere?

Crasherfromwayback
3rd February 2012, 12:29
Can you tell me how to find the radiator cap on a TL1000R - is it under the fairings somewhere?

Top right side of radiator sitting on the bike.

FJRider
3rd February 2012, 12:30
Can you tell me how to find the radiator cap on a TL1000R - is it under the fairings somewhere?

I believe it's on the right hand side (top) of the radiator ...

Bassmatt
3rd February 2012, 12:59
I believe they replace parts (with new) and if the cost of repair exceeds 80% current market value (which on bikes almost always does) they write it off
At-least this is my understanding someone else may be more knowledgeable

Hmmm I'm seeing some sort of conspiracy here with insurance companies, write offs, and the ridiculous prices charged by distributors for replacement parts (as evidenced in various other threads).....cant quite work it out yet.....give me time :confused:

MOTOXXX
3rd February 2012, 13:04
just buy it back off the ins company and fix it up yourself.
much cheaper and you can buy stuff off ebay and shop around for repairs / do things your self

Oblivion
3rd February 2012, 14:30
just buy it back off the ins company and fix it up yourself.
much cheaper and you can buy stuff off ebay and shop around for repairs / do things your self

Labour costs are involved in an insurance repair aren't they?

hellokitty
3rd February 2012, 16:13
just buy it back off the ins company and fix it up yourself.
much cheaper and you can buy stuff off ebay and shop around for repairs / do things your self

Yeah, all it needs really, is the handle bars and back brake pedal. The body work is cosmetic. But, if it does get written off, then I can pay my mortgage while looking for work. Apparently having a mortgage for 9 years with your bank that you have had an account with for 23 years and owning 50% of the value of the house means JACK SHIT. Also having insurance to cover the mortgage in case of redundancy means JACK SHIT too.
BNZ you suck hairy bollocks.

hellokitty
3rd February 2012, 16:14
just buy it back off the ins company and fix it up yourself.
much cheaper and you can buy stuff off ebay and shop around for repairs / do things your self

Plus my husband can plastic weld! He welded our mate's Aprillia back together!

skippa1
3rd February 2012, 18:17
BNZ you suck hairy bollocks.

hmmmmm might have to head to the BNZ and get em out:blink:

hellokitty
3rd February 2012, 18:47
hmmmmm might have to head to the BNZ and get em out:blink:

My bollocks are firmly attached to Mr Hellokitty

skippa1
3rd February 2012, 18:49
My bollocks are firmly attached to Mr Hellokitty

I dont care about yours, its mine Im more interested in:shit:

pete-blen
3rd February 2012, 18:59
when the cost to repair is more than the min
they can get away with paying out to the owner
as a write off....
And they also take into account the amount they can
recover selling the bike as a wreck...

Old Steve
3rd February 2012, 20:03
Plus my husband can plastic weld! He welded our mate's Aprillia back together!

So Aprillias are made of plastic? No wonder they go like they do, they'd be so light. I'd have thought they'd have a steel or aluminium frame for strength. Hmmmm, interesting, don't think I'll ever buy one.

spanner spinner
3rd February 2012, 20:18
the price that they can get for the wreck has a big input in to whether the bike is written off or not, the insurance company will know what the average price they get for the make/model of bike. if they can get a good price for the write off and this is bigger than the difference between the repair cost and what they have to pay you they will write the bike off. less cost to them and as has been eluded to no extra surprise damage to pay for that you don't find till you have started repairing the bike. I have done several insurace quotes for small repair costs to see the bikes written off because they sell for silly money as a wreck. insurance companies love trade me as the write offs sell for a lot more than they use to when the insurance companies sold them themself.

carburator
3rd February 2012, 20:33
Yeah, all it needs really, is the handle bars and back brake pedal. The body work is cosmetic. But, if it does get written off, then I can pay my mortgage while looking for work. Apparently having a mortgage for 9 years with your bank that you have had an account with for 23 years and owning 50% of the value of the house means JACK SHIT. Also having insurance to cover the mortgage in case of redundancy means JACK SHIT too.
BNZ you suck hairy bollocks.

ASB are no better!

They do a basic frame alignment check as well which can point out that the frame or swing arm is damaged
also do run out checks on the front and rear wheels.. its the little things that add up..

Yamaha RRP for total fairing replacement on a 08 R1 ( 6K )

hellokitty
3rd February 2012, 20:58
ASB are no better!

They do a basic frame alignment check as well which can point out that the frame or swing arm is damaged
also do run out checks on the front and rear wheels.. its the little things that add up..

Yamaha RRP for total fairing replacement on a 08 R1 ( 6K )

The workshop guy said that we may find more damage once he starts looking at. Very hard for me with no knowledge to guess how bad it is.
I bought my old Honda as a write off - the back guard had a small chunk out of it and it was $3K to replace apparently!

hellokitty
3rd February 2012, 20:59
So Aprillias are made of plastic? No wonder they go like they do, they'd be so light. I'd have thought they'd have a steel or aluminium frame for strength. Hmmmm, interesting, don't think I'll ever buy one.

:facepalm: obviously I was talking about the fairings...