How f’ing much?!

[Pow-Lo]

Had the repair estimate for my little Triumph the other day, £4,850 to do every blemish

Ok, in fairness to my dealer he did caveat the quote with “We know how fussy you are, so we’ve detailed every single scuff and blemish”. Fair enough.

I went down there yesterday and there’s a lot more damage than I thought. Front wheel needs replacing, as does the seat cowl and seat. I found a seat and cowl on Fleabay, new old stock, for £160 so that’s save me about £350.

There’s a scuff in the swing arm, which can be touched up, and on the right hand headlight, which I’ve been advised to ignore. They’ve also said to ignore the scuff on the bottom of the fork and cover it with a pair of crash bungs. They have a second hand silencer in the workshop, which isn’t good but way better than the state mine’s in and they’ve said I can have it without charge. All of that lot saves me about £2,000. If the bike was new, it would be a different story but on a ‘14 plate I guess I can live with a few scuffs here and there.

Other stuff like the front brake lever, rear brake pedal, foot rest, etc. will all have to be new unless I get lucky and find some more bits on Fleabay.

Big thanks and respect to Me! who offered to come up here and help me change all the bits if I buy the parts

 

[ogr1]

Battle scars on yer steed.
Think of it as an honorary badge.

 

[Cougar377]

I'm surprised they didn't write it off on the swinging arm. When I binned my Thundercat it had (among everything that was damaged) a scratched swinging arm and a scratched frame. The insurance assessor said either of those two would mean a write off.

 

[andyBeaker]

Had the repair estimate for my little Triumph the other day, £4,850 to do every blemish

Ok, in fairness to my dealer he did caveat the quote with “We know how fussy you are, so we’ve detailed every single scuff and blemish”. Fair enough.

I went down there yesterday and there’s a lot more damage than I thought. Front wheel needs replacing, as does the seat cowl and seat. I found a seat and cowl on Fleabay, new old stock, for £160 so that’s save me about £350.

There’s a scuff in the swing arm, which can be touched up, and on the right hand headlight, which I’ve been advised to ignore. They’ve also said to ignore the scuff on the bottom of the fork and cover it with a pair of crash bungs. They have a second hand silencer in the workshop, which isn’t good but way better than the state mine’s in and they’ve said I can have it without charge. All of that lot saves me about £2,000. If the bike was new, it would be a different story but on a ‘14 plate I guess I can live with a few scuffs here and there.

Other stuff like the front brake lever, rear brake pedal, foot rest, etc. will all have to be new unless I get lucky and find some more bits on Fleabay.

Big thanks and respect to Me! who offered to come up here and help me change all the bits if I buy the parts

Have you considered doing a PX with the dealer and leave the work to them? Might work out well for both of you?

 

[Pow-Lo]

I'm surprised they didn't write it off on the swinging arm. When I binned my Thundercat it had (among everything that was damaged) a scratched swinging arm and a scratched frame. The insurance assessor said either of those two would mean a write off.

I haven’t involved insurance yet, I’m waiting to see what the final bill is likely to be if I can bring myself to ignore the cosmetics. The structural integrity of the swing arm isn’t compromised, though. It’s a chip in the paint the size of my little finger nail.

Have you considered doing a PX with the dealer and leave the work to them? Might work out well for both of you?

I’ve asked the question but will take it further with the owner tomorrow. They’ve just taken in in a Street Triple 765 RS on a ‘19 plate, one careful lady owner. It’s ‘only’ £7k but has horrendous mileage for two years old (18,000).

 

[Pow-Lo]

Now down to a more reasonable £1,350 if I ignore the stuff that any normal person would. She'll be ready next weekend, all going well.

I'm surprised they didn't write it off on the swinging arm. When I binned my Thundercat it had (among everything that was damaged) a scratched swinging arm and a scratched frame. The insurance assessor said either of those two would mean a write off.

Here’s the swing arm:

 

[ChrisRB]

Now down to a more reasonable £1,350 if I ignore the stuff that any normal person would. She'll be ready next weekend, all going well.

Here’s the swing arm:

View attachment 58835

I'd try to find a matching paint colour and just touch it up.

 

[Pow-Lo]

I'd try to find a matching paint colour and just touch it up.

That’s exactly what I intend to do.

Still a lot of money that I could do without spending but I’d rather that than go through the insurance.

 

[Cougar377]

Now down to a more reasonable £1,350 if I ignore the stuff that any normal person would. She'll be ready next weekend, all going well.

Here’s the swing arm:

View attachment 58835

The scratch on my frame was maybe 3 inches long and maybe 3mm deep and the same wide.
The mark on the swinging arm was probably caused by the exhaust bracket, which left a dent of about 3 or 4mm deep and about half a cm across.

 

[Pow-Lo]

The scratch on my frame was maybe 3 inches long and maybe 3mm deep and the same wide.
The mark on the swinging arm was probably caused by the exhaust bracket, which left a dent of about 3 or 4mm deep and about half a cm across.

Way worse than the chip in mine, which is pretty much cosmetic. It would be criminal to write my bike off for the damage on it.

 

[Cougar377]

Way worse than the chip in mine, which is pretty much cosmetic. It would be criminal to write my bike off for the damage on it.

The insurance assessor said it was the risk of stress fractures that meant they would individually constitute it being a write off. Which is odd as I know the bike's still on the road.

 

[Pow-Lo]

The insurance assessor said it was the risk of stress fractures that meant they would individually constitute it being a write off. Which is odd as I know the bike's still on the road.

If the swing arm was dented or gouged to any significance, the insurance assessor is correct. It is indeed odd that it's still on the road...........

 

[Squag1]

If the swing arm was dented or gouged to any significance, the insurance assessor is correct. It is indeed odd that it's still on the road...........

Maybe a new swing arm...

 

[Duck n Dive]

Maybe a new swing arm...

I suspect that's why they get written off.

For example the current price for new 'bird swing arm is over £2,000!!

 

[Squag1]

I suspect that's why they get written off.

For example the current price for new 'bird swing arm is over £2,000!!

Make my own
I dont think they are pretty in the first place anyway. Very boxy.

 

[andyBeaker]

If the swing arm was dented or gouged to any significance, the insurance assessor is correct. It is indeed odd that it's still on the road...........

If you are bothered about the cosmetics it probably wouldn’t cost much to get it powder coated - especially if it is black or silver as powder coaters do so much in black and silver they can probably do it alongside another job.

 

[Pow-Lo]

I suspect that's why they get written off.

For example the current price for new 'bird swing arm is over £2,000!!

The one for my little Triumph is 'only' £640.

If you are bothered about the cosmetics it probably wouldn’t cost much to get it powder coated - especially if it is black or silver as powder coaters do so much in black and silver they can probably do it alongside another job.

I might do that once Me! next strays into my orbit and helps me whip it off. Saying that, the cost of feeding him would make a new swing arm more cost effective.

 

[slim63]

Insurance assessors rarely have a clue and also work to their own agenda, its about money rather than what is actually wrong with the bike, most are contracted to "approved regional repair shops" or get a nice little "bonus" off them and 90% know little about bikes in the first place

Seen many bikes written off for minor damage with the poor owner getting a minimal pay out and suffering a huge insurance hike as a result while the bike is auctioned off at a profit and being back on the road within a couple of months none the worse for wear

Never trust them and never ever let a damaged bike be taken away for "assessment" or repair as the quality of workmanship WILL be poor, things WILL be missed and that is IF if you ever see the bike again

 

[Pow-Lo]

Insurance assessors rarely have a clue and also work to their own agenda, its about money rather than what is actually wrong with the bike, most are contracted to "approved regional repair shops" or get a nice little "bonus" off them and 90% know little about bikes in the first place

Seen many bikes written off for minor damage with the poor owner getting a minimal pay out and suffering a huge insurance hike as a result while the bike is auctioned off at a profit and being back on the road within a couple of months none the worse for wear

Never trust them and never ever let a damaged bike be taken away for "assessment" or repair as the quality of workmanship WILL be poor, things WILL be missed and that is IF if you ever see the bike again

On the fence again, Tony?

I was quite concerned about an assessor looking at my bike for reasons I can't explain (but I can now!), which is why I called my dealer and asked them to pick the bike up and do the assessment for me. I know quite a few people are not especially trusting of dealers but if ever there was one that can be trusted, it's this one. I've been a customer there for close to 30 years and I know I'll get looked after and I'm also personal friends with the senior mechanic there.

 

[slim63]

On the fence again, Tony?

I was quite concerned about an assessor looking at my bike for reasons I can't explain (but I can now!), which is why I called my dealer and asked them to pick the bike up and do the assessment for me. I know quite a few people are not especially trusting of dealers but if ever there was one that can be trusted, it's this one. I've been a customer there for close to 30 years and I know I'll get looked after and I'm also personal friends with the senior mechanic there.

I spent a few months working in an insurance repair shop having to deal with assessors, in the end my conscience wouldn't allow me to do the things I was being asked to do to save the insurance company a few quid, really obvious stuff was being ignored to screw the price down by literally a couple of quid and I couldn't do it

Prime example I must have mentioned before ? bike with a busted engine case that was full of mud grass and god knows what else but the insurance company wouldn't pay for more than a new casing and I was asked to put the old oil back in, in the end i paid for flushing oil, new oil, filter and gasket myself, did the job then walked out never to return

Another one a well bashed about kwack in for repair that had been "assessed" as needing new plastics, fairing frame headlight and clocks actually had a fecking great split in the frame at the swingarm pivot right there in full view of anyone willing to take even the most cursory of looks and the assessor argued with me about it

Lastly a stolen yam custom thing for repair apparently needing a bit of wiring and new locks actually needed a new loom was minus a battery and had the rear shock snapped in half all of which I spotted just pushing it 10 yards to my work station

How the feck these idiots get or keep a job and how the feck some of these cockwombles think they can assess a heavily damaged bike without actually removing at least a few parts is beyond me

There are a few good professional assessors that I have been fortunate enough to meet but its far from the norm its usually write it off for nothing as they dont know what to look at or its we can repair for 3 shillings and you pay your 400 quid excess