| Author | Message | ||
     Dr_greg |
I've reached a settlement with State Farm, so now the only question is whether I keep my totaled bike or let them have it. It will cost me $1,400. The front of the bike is badly damaged, but everything else is fine (a scratch or three). I don't know about the forks, but the front wheel looks OK, and everything rear of that is fine. The only things I want now from the totaled bike are: 1. The standard seat (assuming I don't like the low seat) 2. The ceramic-coated blue exhaust headers (scratched in crash but good enough for use) I'm sure buying these items new is less than $1,400. Sentimentally, I'd like to keep the bike. And there is the chance of needing a part from it quickly, etc. But is that worth $1,400? Also, Mrs. Greg is not enthusiastic about "another junked bike" in the back yard... Yes, I can disassemble it, but that's a fair bit of work (I'd learn even more about the blasted thing...) And of course I could part it out and sell what I can. I just don't know. Do any of you have any words of wisdom for me? We're trying to get our house paid off (we're close!) and an extra $1,400 would be nice (although Mrs. Greg insists that money would go into "my bike account"). Thanks for any help. --Doc | ||
| Froggy |
I say go for it. And if you do keep and and start parting it out, let me know, I need some things  | ||
| Sleez |
i would say get the bike, having a good supply of parts on hand is worth quite a bit. tear it down and clean and check every part as it comes off, should be well worth 1400.00!!! | ||
| Ft_bstrd |
Part it out. You can make more than $1400 on the parts. Besides, there are more deer out there.  | ||
| Greenman44 |
I'm with froggy, I'd keep it and part it out if ya have any spare time. Id love to have a full parts bike. | ||
| Eryngium |
There's a lot of time required in parting it. Is your time worth the $1400? | ||
| Jaybirdxb12x |
I hate joining the band wagon buttttt. I would bye it back. Think of parting it out as a form of charity work. Do is for use poor retches in need of cheap parts | ||
| Ft_bstrd |
I would part it out for the opportunity to take a bike completely apart and not have to worry about having to put it back together. I'd think about it as an anatomy class. | ||
| Timn |
Keep it. I for one could use some parts. Bought a light crashed uly. Good luck Mike | ||
| Ft_bstrd |
Charlie needs a throttle body NOW! | ||
| Nevrenuf |
i would still get back with them and see if they can knock it down some. i did it with the m2. what is their time worth to pick it up and have to take it to a salvage yard. if you don't ask, you don't know is my favorite saying. unless of course you tried to barter with them already. good luck again doc. | ||
| Ourdee |
I would say the question is how much can you get for the engine? | ||
| Reepicheep |
I bought a parts KLR-250 for my blown top end KLR-250... It is completely taken apart and in zip lock bags squirreled away in the garage... In hindsight? Shoulda kept it together and swapped engines. It would have been another runner by now. Fix it and sell it, or sell it to someone who has more time then money (like me) and will fix it. But leave it as intact as possible. IMHO, YMMV. | ||
| Cajunrph |
Don't underestimate what your time is worth. You are a highly educated man and you time is worth quite a bit imho. If you can tear it down in a short period of time then may be so. Remember the phrase opportunity cost. Every thing has an opportunity cost associated with it. Take this into account when you make the decision. You obviously have some second thought about the value of the wrecked bike and if the Mrs says that you can put that money in a next bike fund then may be let it go. But if you have the time to part it out and sell the parts then you may have more than $1400 for your new bike fund. | ||
| Ft_bstrd |
You could always use the extra money to buy bubble wrap. I think you guys could use a couple thousand square yards for you and the boys. | ||
| Hmartin |
I'll be a dissenter, Dr Greg. How much space do you have to store the thing? Would it be stored in such a way that the usable parts on it would not be corroded after 2 or 3 seasons out in the elements? The reality is, there's just no way to know right now if you can get $1,400 worth of parts off of it - parts that you don't already have, anyway. Given that, if it were mine, it would sit in the back yard for months, even years, before knowing if I needed that back rim (for the bearings) or the oil line separator (sorry, I just couldn't resist  ), I would probably discreetly take off a handful of parts they wouldn't likely miss (battery, ECM, BAS, belt, brake lever) and let the insurance company have it. I'd keep the $1,400 in the motorcycle account, earning interest, and for kicks and grins, in a few years, compare the cost of any parts I buy to the money I'd saved. Before I sent it to the junk yard, I kept some parts off an old car for another car I had of the same make, and I never used any of them. Now I don't have either car. Living in a small house has taught me to let go of sentimental objects in the name of not cluttering up my usable space. So far, I can count on one hand the times when I've thrown something away only to wish I still had it years later. Only thing is, I couldn't even tell you what those things were. | ||
| Maximum |
Sounds like a good "investment" (term used to rationalize purchases) to me. I would do it for the parts...but in the end I would probably fix it up into a crazy Uly street fighter. These kinds of projects help to keep me out of trouble! | ||
| Hooper |
Frankly, I think the challenge of packaging and mailing and financial dealing might reduce the worth of such a deal. | ||
| Rwcfrank |
Be sure if you decide to buy it back you counter offer with around $1100 quite often that works.. | ||
| Road_thing |
}Also, Mrs. Greg is not enthusiastic about "another junked bike" in the back yard... How many are out there now? Might have some bearing on the situation. rt | ||
| Ulynut |
Hmartin makes a very valid point. My sentiments as well. | ||
| Ratbuell |
Not sure what you paid to get the header done (you can always get an ebay header, coat it, and swap them out in an afternoon), but the tall seat is only $110 list price from a dealer. At my house, I'm finally starting to clear out all the project cars that I "had" to have - six or seven years ago - and haven't touched. Reality is, life gets in the way of stuff like this a lot of times. I just had too many projects, and it sounds (from the "another wrecked bike" line) you may be in a similar boat... Just playing the other side is all. Sounds like you're not sure about the buyback, and there's nothing wrong with that. Nothing at all. | ||
| New12r |
Charlie needs a throttle body NOW! Sure do, but by the time you make your decision I will have solved my dillema.(I hope) If I had the money I would buy the whole bike from ya. The motor alone you could sell for $1800 easy. | ||
| Supertoon |
Buy it, convert it to a trike with some nice ape-hangers and do Sturgis man..... My 94 vfr was written off by the insurance company about 10 years ago. I bought it back ,to the chagrin of the bike shop that did the inspection, for 1 100.00, put about 3 grand into fixing it, rode it for 4 more years and sold it for 5 grand. However, I believe my bike had more cosmetic than structural damage than yours. Luke, you must do what you feel is right of course..... | ||
| Od_cleaver |
Sell it to State Farm. You look like a guy who likes his stuff in order. Space and time would probably kill any future benefit from the purchase. | ||
| Dynasport |
Many people start projects, not nearly as many finish them. You have enough experience to know which you are. If you have several unfinished projects lying around, I wouldn't start the project of disassembling a wrecked bike. If you could leave it in place and cannibalize it as needed, that is not a project. Or if you finish what you start in a timely fashion you should probably do it. Just the opinion of a not timely project finisher. | ||
| Ratbuell |
Just the opinion of a not timely project finisher HEAR HEAR. Can I introduce you to my wife? She seems to think it's just me...lol | ||
| 12x9sl |
Ratbuell, I think our wives would get along-I'm another unfinished project guy. However, I do think that buying the bike back would be the way to go. Dr. Greg, if you were to part it out, I think your inquisitive mind would enjoy the dissection process, but I've been wrong before. (Message edited by 12x9sl on January 17, 2009) | ||
| Jaybirdxb12x |
Just the opinion of a not timely project finisher but this time it will be different I promise | ||
| Thetable |
Also, Mrs. Greg is not enthusiastic about "another junked bike" in the back yard... It sounds to me like the decision has been made. As supportive as it seems that she has been through the latest offs, I think it would be easier to walk away from it. And seriously, are you really likely to need $1400+ worth of spare parts on the new X? |
