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Got rear ended yesterday. Need some opinions on repairs.

4K views 29 replies 15 participants last post by  ruger 
#1 ·
Yep. Like the title says, it finally happened to me. And on my two month old Street Triple none the less. I was stopped at a light near the end of the day (sun was very low on the horizon), and the car in front of me moved forward a few feet to close a gap in front of them. The truck behind me couldn't see because of the low sun and assumed the light had went green. BAM. Right into the back of me at probably 10-15mph. Interestingly enough, the bike didn't go down. It actually got wedged under his front bumper. I was wearing full gear, so I'm fine. Didn't even fall off. As for the bike, the subframe is cracked through, the passenger pegs are bent up, and a myriad of other things are broken I'm sure. It's in the shop right now getting a repair estimate for insurance (which the guy thankfully had). The shop is pretty skeptical about the insurance company totaling it, which is going to destroy re-sale value if they don't.

So I have a few questions about repairs. After the bike was back at my house being unloaded from the trailer, it would't roll in neutral for a moment. It had to be pushed back and forth before it moved. Later when I started it up again, the clutch was vibrating near the end of the lever in neutral. Made a little bit of noise if you listened hard enough. Do you guys think I could have transmission troubles? And what else do you think could be broken or bent? The dealer won't open the transmission without permission from the insurance company, because they have to be paid of course. I'm worried there could be something wrong that they won't catch if they don't.









 
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#2 ·
Why don't you "encourage" the dealer to inflate(if needed) the estimate and have it totaled and be done with it. You will probably get more than its worth/you owe on it.

If the damage is a total the insurance company is required to notify the DMV and if you buy the bike back you will be issued a salvage title. The only way out of that was to never notify the ins. co. in the first place.
 
#3 · (Edited)
Holy crap! You are so lucky you weren't hurt in this collision! Based on the photos (xlnt job, btw!) it appears that when the truck moved forward, the rear wheel rotated slightly forward. Don't know if this is the cause of your transmission issues, but it could be. One thing we know~ any motorcycle is not designed to take the energy that yours did.

If you have the bike repaired, and the insurance reports it to Utah's DMV, and they issue you a "salvage" title, then you can go after his insurance co for "diminished value." Providing that's allowed in your State.

After re-looking at the pictures, the sun was not in the driver's eyes, it appears that it would have been at his left shoulder (90 degrees to the left). Look at the long shadow of the truck on picture #2.
 
#5 ·
Thankfully I literally walked away with only a scratch. I had some X-Rays done anyways, but they came back clean. I'm going to try and push the insurance to total it, but ultimately it's up to them. I don't think there's any frame damage, so it should keep its clean title hopefully. It's just a waiting game with the shop now. Hopefully they decide to actually crack open the transmission and check it all thoroughly.
 
#6 ·
Oh man that is terrible, but as others said you were uninjured!!

It's hard to tell by the pics but in addition to being worried about the transmission I would be worried about torsional stress damage to the swing arm attachment point where the frame and engine case all interface.

That was a big mean truck!

How did you guys separate the motorcycle from the dudes front end?
 
#29 ·
May become worse than you feel at first



Yes - Or at least be aware of your rights as an injured party AR.
You may feel pretty good now - although you mentioned feeling the need to see a chiropractor. Injuries may take weeks or months to become fully manifest. In my state we have 2 years before our time is up to make demands for physical damages but the insurance companies always want to settle quickly to put a cork in their money flow.

Get x-rays and a checkup to get some history started. You won't be paying. I'm not encouraging any insurance ripoff; we just have to take care ourselves.

Hoping for the best for you and that beautiful bike,
Roogs
 
#9 ·
Are you in contact the the truck driver's insurance? I think it's important that they know all the information you've given us, particularly about the vibration that wasn't there before the accident.

This interesting to all of us for obvious reasons -

I too am glad you're not feeling hurt, but even if your xrays were clear, I hope you'll get a second opinion - chiropractor perhaps? Keep track of your time - none of this was your fault and you should be compensated for every minute you spend dealing with it (at your dealer, at your doctor, at your other doctor, the time you spend talking to his insurance company - all that).

Thanks for the pics - looks scary and serious.
 
#10 ·
Thankfully his insurance is taking care of everything actually. I'm going to meet the adjuster at the shop this week, where I'll be telling him everything I think could be wrong, plus the estimate from the dealer. As for the medical front, his insurance is going to cover that too. But I'm not going to sign their medical authorization until I can get them to do what I want with the bike. Hopefully it works out.
 
#11 ·
Plus one on seeing a chiropractor- when I had my recent encounter with Bambi- in the car, thankfully not on the bike- I had classic whiplash symptoms a few days later- nothing major but a couple of visits to my guy and some adjustments and I'm well- my insurance picked up the office visits. You might want to consider this as you did take a hit whether you're feeling it or not.
 
#16 ·
Not all states brand the title on motorcycles when they have been damaged or totaled. My 2009 Bonneville was totaled and I bought the bike back from the insurance company for salvage. I did the repairs, had it inspected by the DMV and was issued a new title that reflects no history of the accident. At least in Minnesota that's how it worked for me. Check out your state laws.
 
#23 ·
I bought an 09 ST3 in 09 with 900 mi with R Title. It was rideable. It had a damaged tank, bent handlebars, mangled t signals and a few cosmetic road rash marks. Took it to Pa Enhanced Insp Station, it passed. Over a few months replaced tank, and cosmetic damage. I guess my point is, lf they don't total it, there is something wrong!!!! They totaled mine because there was a pin head size nick on the frame (powder coat)where the tank got pushed into it. Demand a new bike. Best wishes!
 
#28 ·
Fortunately the rim and tire came out remarkably alright, so they should't need replacing. Thankfully the shop is working with me to get everything I want added to the estimate, including parts that have been scratched by the towing company. Really great guys at my local dealer. They've assured me they'll do extensive test rides to make sure everything is working as it should after the repairs, and they'll double check any concerns I have with bike. I should come out on top after selling the used bodywork pieces plus whatever I can get from the liability department for my injuries.
 
#26 ·
Question: Once Insurance declares a write off on a bike, does that mean you are not entitled to recover aftermarket parts/accessories from the bike? I'm thinking something like DEcosse's fancy keyless ignition system and could be ported over to your new bike.

Cheers ! and glad to hear you don't seem to have injuries....
 
#27 ·
Question: Once Insurance declares a write off on a bike, does that mean you are not entitled to recover aftermarket parts/accessories from the bike?
Couple of things based on what I learned from my last accident.

#1 Some adjusters know about bikes, some don't! Case in point my seat rail and rear peg bracket got bent some (2005 Thruxton)(nothing major). Initial adjuster decided the frame was bent and they were going to total the bike. I had to go over his head to his boss (that had more experience) and explain that those things were not an integral part of the frame. That they could actually be removed without compromising the frame itself.

#2 Aftermarket parts. Initial Adjuster (other company) was looking at only Blue Book value of the bike (vs repair costs). With no additional coverage for all the after market parts I had on it. When I talked to my Insurance Agent he asked if they were considering the "custom" parts I had on my bike. When I said no he said you have $4000 additional coverage for custom parts. Luckily I had most of my receipts and also a Spread Sheet showing what parts were on the bike.

#4 If you have replaced OEM parts with after market parts (i.e shocks) or put on aftermarket parts - if they total the bike you can replace/remove the after market and return the OEM parts. (hence the reason to keep your OEM Parts unless you know you are going to never need them (see below)).

#5 From what I understand how the bike would be valued is the Bluebook Value PLUS a percentage of the cost of the aftermarket parts you have on the bike. The offender's Company (in my case) would not consider my aftermarket parts.... my Company did as I was paying for the extra coverage. This is what saved my bike from being totaled! Once my Agent added in my aftermarket parts the cost of repair was not above the "Total" amount.

Keep in mind that the Adjuster will be using the parts replacement cost from Triumph. As everyone know you can usually get better aftermarket parts cheaper then OEM parts.

Bottom lines
  1. Get "Custom Parts" coverage for your bike.
  2. Keep your receipts for any & all After Market Parts (something as simple as upgraded seat bolts or handlebar grips!)
  3. If you change OEM to Aftermarket keep the old parts IF you ever see yourself selling the bike and wanting to remove the aftermarket parts for resale. *

* In my case I had to replace the silencers, rear light, signals, etc) as they were trashed. Got the check from the insurance Company (OEM Costs) and replaced them with less expensive (though better) aftermarket. This gave me extra $$ to add additional aftermarket (Steering Damper, Custom Exhaust, etc) with no out of pocket expense. (Note #1)

Note 1 - Have a Shop that will work with YOU (not the insurance company)
 
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