Topic: Hit by drunk

[smashedmelon]

I got side-bashed by a drunk on Sunday
He pinned my right leg to the bike and sent me hurtling into oncoming traffic at 50m/h. I'm ok other than a badly bruised leg. My sweet ride on the other hand, not so goot. Front fender bent, headlight scraped, handlebars bent, tach folded and shattered. right side mirror gone. Foot pegs bent. Saw fluid fly outta somewhere while I was airborne. The tank has a deep round dent on the top right corner. Smelled  gas and something was leaking but slowly, I think fuel. Front forks bent slightly. All original parts. Original paint. Mint condition. The instuments were dark and un-faded. Sad very sad.
I dont have any pics of damage yet.
The bike is with the insurance adjuster now and Im wondering if anyone has experience with deciding on insurance pay-outs vs. keeping the bike. I imagine original parts might be hard to find. I have found parts I needed (gaskets, plugwires, kickstarter rubber, tach cable&seal, floats/needles etc.) I dont have any pics yet. I live in British Columbia, if anyone has dealt with ICBC I would love to hear from you.
Mark

[Triffecpa]

Mark

Glad to hear that you escaped relatively unscathed.  I've not dealt with insurance agents in Canada, but in the US, assuming that your damages are covered (his insurance should pay assuming that he has any), typically the insurance company will make an offer on your bike based upon a repair estimate completed by a local dealer.  Newer bikes are frequently "totalled" by the insuace company if the total costs of repairs exceeds a certain percentage of the total value of the vehicle.  Then you are given the option of taking the settlement and giving up the bike.  The Title for the vehicle is then stamped as "salvage".  Often, you are given the option of repurchasing the bike back from the insurance company.  If you are not interested, then they frequently auction the bike (or what is left of it).  Again, not sure that this is the same practice that works in Canada though.  If you disagree with the value assigned by the insurance company, there is typically some sort of protest mechanism that can be followed.

Again, glad to hear that you were not seriously injured.

Tracy

[Rushoid]

Mark, glad you're mostly ok. Good thing your melon didn't get smashed! 

[nilsey]

count yourself as very lucky.

the cost of even minor injuries in pain and time not too mention money FAR exceeds the cost of any motorcycle.

[tbone]

Glad to hear that you're not seriously hurt. (didn't smash your melon!)

Let us know what y'all need if you're going to fix her. I'm sure that we may be able fo find what you need!   

[paulages]

yeah, glad you're not hurt.

[Tower]

I believe BC has no-fault insurance like Ontario, meaning your own insurance company pays for damages and they settle it amongst themselves.  (It may even be government run in BC?)  Unlike the U.S., you can hold out for a replacement at the appraised value (appraised by a third party specialist - not by insurance) or for the restoration/replacement cost if its been insured as an "antique", or the book value (which sucks) if its not been appraised.  I'd go for restoration/replacement myself.

[hymodyne]

glad to hear that you are all right...bikes can be replaced or fixed back to good as new...

hym

[jmckinne]

Wow hard to believe you're ok based on what happened to the bike. Good to hear, and how did you manage to "bail out" so effectively, might be good to know....

I think I have bad news on the insurance tho, dude. Based on my experience with classic cars, they are going to offer you KBB value for the bike and call it totalled. Based on the pics of your bike in your avatar etc that won't even be close to it's real value. They'll use KBB or similar because it sets the "market price" - which is true enough for non-collectibles in the retail market. For good clean collectibles tho it will be WAY below what you could really get from a classic buyer.

For any classic you want to make sure and carry "classic car coverage" or "agreed value" coverage. Parish-Heacock is a longtime carrier of this type of coverage and it's who I use on all my classics. Some majors are offering it now too. State Farm covers my modern cars and offered to do agreed value on my classics lately but I stuck with Parish-Heacock.

With that coverage you and the carrier agree on the value of the thing when the coverage is written and you pay for insurance to that value. For your bike I wouldn't insure for less than $7000. That way they can't total your $5000 bike for $1500. If they want to write your baby off it will cost them $7000 minus the deductible.

Hopefully you knew this and had "classic" insurance already, otherwise you'll have a money fight on your hands as well as healing body & soul. Don't let them treat your bike like an 88 K-car cuz it's not!

[smashedmelon]

Thanks for the kind replies. Im ok, not sure how I escaped worse injury but counting myself EXTREMELY lucky. The $ thing is suckin'wind though.

I was just on the phone with ICBC and some of the things theyve listed...
front forks, fender, front wheel, right instrumnet(tach), head light, right cylinder head, reariew mirror, handlebars, footpegs, gas tank....


I wasnt eligible for collectors insurance because in BC in order to qualify, you need to have a primary vehicle, and since my primary is a bicycle and not a car.... I get screwed even though my bike is (was:( a mint condition all original bike. aaaaaAAAAARGH!!!

The salvage laws suggest that the insurance company get an opinion of the bikes salvage worth based on previous cases. This now stands at $750 $750.. minus the buyback value ($300)
so I get $350.

Luckily the estimator thinks its worth more, and has asked me to get information (proof) on what the bikes true value is. my guess is we'll settle somewhere in between.

Please, I need some help with this, any info anyone has regarding the worth of my 1973 CB750 (registered as a '74) , parts, labour, selling prices, anything would be greatly appreciated
thank you
Mark

 
 

[clarkjh]

Technically, the bike is yours until the claim is settled.  I would tell them to fix it if they don't want to give you what it's worth.  Dad had this happen with an old camper, wind blew it over, the insurance company sold it before the claim was settled and a guy came to get it.  Dad told him to go pound sand because the insurance company wouldn't pay what dad wanted, they did in the end.  Cheaper then fixing it.

James

[GoatBaSS]

Mint 74 eh, whaddya say guys, bout 2500$? Maybe 25,000$? Pain and anguish, no old dealers in BC, hmmm yeah 25,000$!