Triumphrat

showmetheway428

Yesterday, I was going into an exit ramp fast, nothing I haven't done before. However, I ignored the warning signs in my head that I was losing focus. Maybe it was fatigue or something else... I don't know. I cooked it and went for a lowside. It went from asphalt, to grass, to a bunch of nice and jagged rocks that (we think) tore two coolant hose lines. I slid and tumbled a bit. Luckily, I had full gear on. Also smacked my head in the back at some point.

Anyway, we patched the coolant lines with some makeshift solutions. The left headlight snapped off and the lens shattered, we tossed the o-ring with the shards of plastic and taped the bucket to the front fender. The plastics are pretty rough in the back, so we're not totally sure if the subframe is bent. Left passenger peg bracket is gone. Left case cover is pretty ground down, but didn't break through. Clutch lever ball end snapped off.

I managed to ride it slowly back to his garage and leave it there. The high beam light on the HUD was stuck on on. I'm not sure if the bike was really in highbeam or not. The tachometer seems to be running weird. Like, it'll go really slow up the rpms at first. The engine seemed to run weakly at first, but as it loosened up it seemed back to normal. The gear shifter was really loose, I think it needs to be realigned or something. The taillight lens is gone. Somehow, all the bulbs survived though. The bike also seems a bit more rattly, but maybe I was just focused on it and heard/felt it more.

Anyway, I'm thinking of hanging up the helmet (which is toast now) for the foreseeable future. I can't have much fun these days without really blasting it and my life just isn't worth that. I got lucky this time, that I didn't hit the light pole. I managed to take out a white road marker and a few bushes though. Ironically, my riding buddy ate a fortune cookie afterwards that read "He who hurries cannot walk with dignity." Considering my left leg got a nasty bruise and I was sort of limping around... truer words have never been said.

So I'd like some opinions. How would I recover the most money? Parting it out on the forums/ebay? Fixing it up and trying to sell it? Or is it possible to just give it up to the insurance company and take what they give me (I have comprehensive). It's really too bad that things went this way. I still sort of feel like... I can't believe this happened. But I guess my story serves as an example, if you feel like you're not at 100%, STOP.

pete

Sorry to hear that!

My suggestion is get a TT glassfiber fairing an make a track bike out of it! No light poles there mate

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R100Pilot

Pete's got the right idea. No reason to hang it up. Get your yahoos out on the track and learn to love street riding for what it is.

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rustbucket

Given that you have an '06, do you have full coverage insurance? If so, it might be worth it to just file the claim, especially if you don't have any other recent accidents or violations.

The track is definitely the place for that kind of riding. On the street you've always gotta have that reserve in case things go south - to many hard things to run into on the street.

I had a pretty bad crash last year, and thought about hanging up my leathers, but in the end, riding is too important a part of my life to leave behind - it's in my blood. If you can walk away from riding and that's what your gut tells you, go with it. Call me superstitious, but in this sport, I always follow my instincts. Sometimes that means skipping a ride when things don't feel right while I'm gearing up, but better that than getting hurt.

If you wanna ride at 100%, go to the track. Another option would be a bike that's a little less focused - maybe a sport-tourer or something that will reward you when you ride at 80%. I don't know how much you're into the fashion statement of riding a sporty bike, but I've gotta say that those new Bonnevilles look like they would be a hell of a lot of fun to scoot around on, and it wouldn't be goading you to constantly step up the pace a notch. I dunno if it's the inline-4 engine or what, but my Speed Four tempts me into pushing it on occasion, where I never felt the urge my old '78 Yamaha

All the best no matter what you decide. Also, don't part out the bike - there aren't enough Speed Fours on the road as it is!

My first bike was actually a CM400T - I loved that stupid thing! Maybe cruise on that for a while... I also saw a kid who did a nasty looking cafe conversion on a CM400 - just a few parts here and there and a lot of flat black paint!

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Beer is proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy. -Benjamin Franklin

showmetheway428

I have a feeling riding is too much a part of me too. There's no track in NJ, so I'm kind of stuck with a long trip for any of that. I really know what you mean about the inline 4 just being impatient. When I rode my CM400T a little bit back, I felt like I could cruise around at a leisurely pace for a while. Cruisers and sportbikes definitely have their different places for me. The trouble is, I feel like I might end up just trying to push a cruiser like a sportbike and things will go south again.

I have comprehensive, so maybe I should just file through insurance. Do they give you the full blue book even if the thing isn't totalled? I'm not really sure whether the bike is totalled or not.

I was actually considering going with a sidecar rig, since that's one thing I've lusted after. Fresh air, just without much lean. Maybe it's a decent compromise until I can actually get to the track.

Catenaccio

Bummer. Hope the solution works for you.

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I don't know what you want but you should know I've killed a lot of old people in my time.
And I'm not above doing it again.

rustbucket

Well, if you'll end up pushing a cruiser past it's limits, I have no doubt you'll do the same with a sidecar rig. :hammer: If you've still got the Honda, maybe you could dust it off and see how you feel on the road...

If you report the claim, the insurance company will assess the damage and depending on how much it would cost to fix (and if there is anything that's unfixable, like a damaged frame), will fix it or total it out at their discretion. Regardless, because you're at fault for the accident, you'll have to pay your deductible.

If they decide to fix it, you can pick the dealer, and they're on the hook to cover all costs, even things they didn't discover in the initial assessment.

If they decide to total it out, you should get a check for the 'replacement cost' of the bike. This varies - they run an average of what your year/make/model is selling for in your area (or at least they can try - I haven't ever seen another Speed Four around here :razz: ).

Insurance companies are notoriously difficult to deal with, so the whole process will more than likely suck. They will likely try to get away with giving you less money than is warranted, and you'll have to stand your ground.

__________________
Beer is proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy. -Benjamin Franklin

badS4

Very glad you're OK.

I recently began a vacation from motorbikes for an indefinite amount of time (school & career). I can say that I miss street riding a little and miss track days more.

If I ever go back out on the street it will be with something nice and mellow. Definitely not a four cylinder.

Good luck with whatever decision you make. :chug:

showmetheway428

How much do you think it'll raise my premium? I'm sort of tempted to try to sell it as is or fix it up a bit (coolant hoses and the like) and try to sell it that way. I'm really not sure what else I can do. The track may just turn out to be too expensive, especially with a triumph that has a distinct disadvantage in power as compared to japanese I4s.

In the event I do try to repair it, what stuff causes the engine maintenance light to go on? Keeping in mind, that basically the left side is pretty banged up but the right is basically fine. In fact, I'm almost tempted to repair the thing and now that one headlight is banged up and hanging off a wire, stick some R6 fairings on the front...

However, assuming the bike basically fell over and slid for a good while, what could the problem be? The tachometer seems to be acting a bit strange, lagging before actually having the needle go up. Engine maintenance light is on. High beam light is stuck on on. Thoughts?

petesgti

When I dumped my bike and it got totalled, I bought it back from the insurance company and was able to fix it for relatively little money. The hardest part is going to be finding or repairing the tail section. Also, my insurance company listed it as a no fault accident and my premiums did not go up.

As far as power for the track, I would say that if you are not racing, just doing track days, the bike will be plenty of fun. The power disadvantage might only be evident on the straights anyway.

I can't offer much on the other issues, maybe just disconnect the battery for a little while and hold the brake to completely clear the ecu and see what happens. The CEL will still be on after you do this.