Totaled

Anyone had a bike totaled? Was using the microfiche to cost out damage to my motorcycle, (never been on the bike damaged during shipping). Looks like I paid
$7.5K and the parts scratched or broken might total about $3.5 for new BMW parts.

With labor that would put damage will over the half the value of the bike. Being a CLC, there is not much used out there. So if you had a MC totaled what was the point the insurance called it dead.

It is different from state to state. You need to check what the law is in Michigan as far as the % of the repair to = a total.

Typically it's about 52% but can be significantly lower if salvage value of bike is high

I was rear-ended on my CLC (86,500 miles)...That was about 2.5 years ago. They totaled it. It would have needed: new mirrors, new sidecases, new fairing, new rear fender, new trunk, new crash bars (front and rear) and further work if the drive train acted up. That takes a lot of shock in the impact. Considering the miles on the bike, well....I ended up getting 7000 bucks from the other drivers insurance co.

I had my 03 F650GS written off after a deer strike and subsequent slide down the road. The bike was rideable, the majority of the damage was cosmetic, but the grand total of scrathched and broken stuff was close to 80% of the value of the bike. I didn't ask what the salvage value was for it, I let them take it and ordered my 09 F800GS instead. I did get a pretty fair value for the 650, I was able to negotiate a bit extrta for some of the accessories and kept others to resell.

Generally the insurance company will look at the payout cost for the total loss and deduct the salvage value from that. That is the maximum number that they will typically consider for repairable damage. Of course sometimes the nature of the damage will determine if it is repairable at all. Here, they can classify a total loss vehicle as either salvage or unrepairable. Salvage means it can be repaired by someone and relisenced following a complete mechanical inspection. Unrepairable means it will never see the road again.

You typically will have first rights on the salvage if they do write it off should you want to keep it and repair it yourself providing they don't deem it unrepairable.

California will never clear a salvage title. You can license it, but will always have the 'salvage' designation. Also, if there is anything that was damaged that may be a liability issue in the future (anti lock brake damage, frame/structure damage), most insurance co's will total the bike so that no one can come back and sue them in the event something related happens at a future date.

In Ontario they call it "Branding" once a bike is branded, it can never be put back on the road unless the frame has been replaced.

This has happened to a friend that bought a bike out of Provence and was branded in Ontario, frame was not damaged, bike written off due to bodywork damage.
Bodywork was replaced, bike was still branded. He was SOL!

My 2000 RT was totaled last month. Luckily I wasn't on it when it happened. Quick story: It broke down on the side of the road and by the time I got a truck to pick it up somebody had hit it and it was towed into the impound lot. This pic is what it looked like when I picked it up. The driver hit the left saddlebag and knocked the bike over on the right side. Right side was scratched up, the mirror broke off and the passenger peg bracket broke.


The insurance guy came to my house, added up the damage on his laptop and informed me that it was totaled in their opinion. He then compiled a list of all aftermarket parts on the bike: Wilber's Shock's, PIAA's, Sargent Seat, gear shelf, tank bra, trailer hitch etc.. Came back and gave me an offer of $6800 if they take the bike and $4800 if I keep it. Ends up they pay full retail for all options on the bike.

Now this is just pure luck and I have never filed a claim in 32 years of streetbike ownership.....I paid $2500 for this bike in March. I would have been more than happy to have ridden the RT for years but it wasn't to be. Used the money to buy a 94 R1100RS. The RT had 108,000 miles, the RS has 50K.

I hope I never have to file a claim again but at least I know my agent has my back.


Here's what the RT looked like...

MCMXCIVRS said:

Generally the insurance company will look at the payout cost for the total loss and deduct the salvage value from that. That is the maximum number that they will typically consider for repairable damage. Of course sometimes the nature of the damage will determine if it is repairable at all. Here, they can classify a total loss vehicle as either salvage or unrepairable. Salvage means it can be repaired by someone and relisenced following a complete mechanical inspection. Unrepairable means it will never see the road again.

You typically will have first rights on the salvage if they do write it off should you want to keep it and repair it yourself providing they don't deem it unrepairable.

Click to expand...

That's how I handled claims for 31+ years. A rule of thumb was normally close to 80% damage totaled it. When it was close, the desires of the owner determined if I fixed it or totaled it.

Because my bikes are so old they have a very low market value. I insure them with a stated value policy and had to have them appraised. I used a friend in the business who wrote a very generous appraisal, but to be fair one K bike is restored to perfection and the other a highly modified one off and in very good condition despite six figures on the odo.
When I do have a mishap, I negotiate with the adjuster, use used parts and my own labor. That has saved me twice from having the bike totaled. I can usually swing it so the claim comes out a just enough above what I will actually spend to recoup my deductible. Old K bikes are pretty inexpensive to crash unless you prang a frame, and I have a spare one with a clear title just in case. Frames with a title go for as little as $150 so it's cheap insurance.