
Originally Posted by
Gremlin
You have two options now.
Option 1: You leave insurance out of it, don't claim and sort it out yourself. Whatever the cost is, you can get second hand parts or leave it scraped up etc. You should definitely get someone who knows what they're doing to inspect to make sure it isn't unsafe etc.
Option 2: You take it to your bike shop, they assess it and you lodge a claim with your insurers. They will want to know the details of what happened, who's fault etc. They will look at the assessment, possibly send an assessor to inspect and decide (often in conjunction with a call to you) whether it is cost effective to repair, or better to write it off and pay you out. You will need to pay the excess either way. If the call is repair, then they will arrange with the shop to order parts, have them fitted etc and you pay excess. If the call is write off, they will pay you out as per policy less your excess. It's up to you if you wish to buy the wreck back from them to fix yourself on your own time and dollar. Some wrecks can be picked up cheaply and some people do this, but if you're not mechanically minded then it's not an option for you.
Generally, if the cost of repair is above 50-75% (it varies between companies) then it's going to be a write off. There are also clauses in some policies if the bike is under a certain age (6 months or a year) then it's instantly a new bike. For write offs, ownership passes to the insurance company and it's up to them to deal with it.
Also, after an accident, be very careful with the bike. It's not a good idea to be riding it if you're not skilled enough to assess if the bike is safe to ride. You could miss something critical and then have another accident as a consequence.
As a general rule of thumb, if the repair cost is less than your excess, it makes no sense claiming, because it's on your record, your premiums go up etc.
This is most excellent advice. Do what the man says.
. “No pleasure is worth giving up for two more years in a rest home.” Kingsley Amis
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