Strip me (bike) naked

[EatOrBeEaten]

Following on from the epic write-off thread, it is starting to look like cancelling my claim with the insurance lot and doing the ZZR up myself is the way to go. Protecta insurance are charging me $1649 in excess. So, good readers of KB, the challenge is to get her back on the road for less than that.

Some wonderful people on here have offered to help out with the renovation project, so labour will be about $100 in beer and meat. Sexual favours not included, sorry Skidmark. I'm also figuring RB will charge for their assessment and general tyre-kicking duties.

The main issue is one of cosmetics. Everyone is saying streetfighter the bitch, so I'm going to need new clocks, headlight, mirrors and indicators. Substructure is buggered on the right side where she impacted, so that's going to have to be stripped out. How big a job is this realistically?

The suspension needs to be adjusted too, so that this NEVER HAPPENS AGAIN. I'm not impressed with RB's assertion that "Ah, they're all that soft mate", but still, that's going to be another job but not vital.

RB also assert that the forks are bent, but if it's so subtle they can't tell without operating on her I'm going to assume that this too is a medium-term issue.

My work are giving me an emergency loan of $2k, so this can get seen to post-haste. Obviously, if the decision is to fix her back up rather than write her off then it's easier to have the garage do it, but I'm buggered if I'm going to let them write her off!

Also, another question about the insurers. If they decide the bike is a write-off, can I cancel my claim? What will this do to my insurance? Getting a straight answer out of them is somewhat difficult. I've never had to deal with anything like this before, so any and all advice gratefully recieved.

Epic, epic props to TheStranger, Badger8 and everyone who's been advising me and offered to help out. This has been a horrible situation but the time has come to stop being sad about it and go kick some arse!

[portokiwi]

Shit I was with Protecta then they put the price up... That is why I went to Kiwi bike insurance who insured me with Swann.

Man that sucks

[Madness]

[EatOrBeEaten]

Lol It kinda is, innit?

[Badger8]

As you say, tis the cosmetics that are the problem.
Rip off fairings and assess subframe first would be my suggestion. There is always the possibility of a bit of muscle getting it straight-ish, and riding around with scuffed fairings.
If not straight-ish-able, that opens a whole new can of worms... Either rig up something to hold stock clocks, or that could get expensive tryin to go aftermarket, and become a bit of work. Indicators not too much trouble, and reasonably priced. Mirrors dirt cheap, but mounting may be interesting.

Forks i dont really know enough about myself. Apparently there's some guys in hamilton who do amazing things with them straightening wise, for reasonable prices. Definitely get the oil done though, that front end was like moist spongecake.

Would really need to strip her down and assess, and go from there i would think.

[Mom]

Protecta insurance are charging me $1649 in excess.

Eh? How much? How have they come up with that magic figure? That is the weirdest thing I have ever heard.

Dont know the ins and outs of how to cancel a claim, but PM Grahameeboy he may be able to help a bit with that question.

Seriously though, do you have thte breakdown of excess, it seems well, excessive to me.

[EatOrBeEaten]

Eh? How much? How have they come up with that magic figure? That is the weirdest thing I have ever heard.

Dont know the ins and outs of how to cancel a claim, but PM Grahameeboy he may be able to help a bit with that question.

Seriously though, do you have thte breakdown of excess, it seems well, excessive to me.

The insurance guy is treating me like a naive chick who's never had to deal with insurance types before. To be fair, he's absolutely right, but I resent the patronising and dismissiveness whenever I ask anything.

I would have been more enraged on the phone, but I was running on two and a half hours sleep, too much coffee and had just had 11NZA , so I was not at my best. Tomorrow I shall rejoin the struggle with all guns blazing...

[Mom]

The insurance guy is treating me like a naive chick who's never had to deal with insurance types before. To be fair, he's absolutely right, but I resent the patronising and dismissiveness whenever I ask anything.

I would have been more enraged on the phone, but I was running on two and a half hours sleep, too much coffee and had just had 11NZA , so I was not at my best. Tomorrow I shall rejoin the struggle with all guns blazing...

Weird amount for an excess though, it must be excess and unpaid premium needing to be paid to bring policy up to date or something? My 17y/o daughter had a whoopsie in her car on her restricted, not a lot of damage and no hurt people, her excess was $900.

[EatOrBeEaten]

Weird amount for an excess though, it must be excess and unpaid premium needing to be paid to bring policy up to date or something? My 17y/o daughter had a whoopsie in her car on her restricted, not a lot of damage and no hurt people, her excess was $900.

Insurance paid up for the year on the 14 January, so no issues there.

Apparently they're bending me over because I have a learner licence and because no other vehicles were involved. I think it's called the "Newly retarded rider" clause.

Thank christ I'm over 25, any younger and they'd probably want my ovaries as well.

[Badger8]

Thank christ I'm over 25, any younger and they'd probably want my ovaries as well.

Perhaps if you offer them your first born? Might knock a couple hundred off...

[Mom]

Insurance paid up for the year on the 14 January, so no issues there.

Apparently they're bending me over because I have a learner licence and because no other vehicles were involved. I think it's called the "Newly retarded rider" clause.

Thank christ I'm over 25, any younger and they'd probably want my ovaries as well.

Something not right there mate. Learner or not makes no difference, if they have accepted liability for you and your ride, they will have imposed an excesss to sheild themselves from too big a hit. That is a shocker, $1649 is the amount stated on your insurance proposal?

[ducatilover]

a mate and i got crashed into in his silvia, the insurance company said write off, he cancelled the claim and the father in law is fixing it [gavin miller panel beating and plastic weilding, he rules]
i would expect that you will be able to cancel the claim.
street-fighter her, it will probably end up cheaper.
if the forks are bent the are cheap ways to straighten minor bends.
i will have a look in my garage for old indicators. i have a square gpz400r headlight out there still..... good luck!

[Dean]

If there is anything i can do to help let me know sweetheart

[EatOrBeEaten]

Something not right there mate. Learner or not makes no difference, if they have accepted liability for you and your ride, they will have imposed an excesss to sheild themselves from too big a hit. That is a shocker, $1649 is the amount stated on your insurance proposal?

According to the blurbles....

Standard excess:
a)20% sum insured ($4495 so $899)

Additional excesses:
a) $500 if motorcycle is damaged and no other vehicles involved

b) $250 if motorcycle ridden by someone holding less than a full licence.

So yeah, that's how that's been worked out. I choose to view this as the most expensive learning curve EVER.

I took it because it cost $424 for the year, which is much, much cheaper than insurance in the UK and about $200 cheaper than next cheapest quote I got. A lot of places didn't seem to want to insure a learner so my options were limited so I took it.

Ouch.

[Dealer]

If your bike is only worth $4000 then its not worth getting full insurance.
I only had 3rd party on mine. Insurance company's will usually write off a bike if cost to repair is 75% or more of insured sum.
Surely you can get the fairings repaired with fibreglass, do it yourself (or beg someone else to do it) or take to a panelbeater. Hey, if you get stuck, give me a PM and i'll do it for you.
I had a lot of fun rebuilding my ZZR, do you have somewhere to do it?
And some tools?