so the squid laid it down...

[Cheech]

Long story short:

I was going to bike night at QS&L with my roommate, a rider of many years. He wanted to take me on some back roads just so I can get some more riding in that night before we go to bike night.

We come up to a irregular turn, it's a left turn, inclined, and about 60 degrees instead of the usual 90. Really tight turn. Me not having the blue water experience to take such a turn, got target fixated on the side of the roadway (where the asphalt abruptly ends and lots of gravel starts) and the tire went right there.

Pretty decent road rash to the left side of the bike, but I cracked the crankcase cover pretty good and lost most of my oil. I have road rash on my knee, and I think a decently sprained ankle. My Fieldsheer jacket saved my bacon, it was pretty well torn up. Helmet and gloves don't have a scratch on them. I was doing about 15MPH.

So, I ask: What do I do now? I have insurance on the bike, do I just file a claim, pay the deductible, and ride another day? Or attempt to fix the damage myself?

[BraadaJim]

Re: so the squid laid it down...

...... He wanted to take me on some back roads just so I can get some more riding in that night before we go to bike night......

.......Me not having the blue water experience to take such a turn, got target fixated on the side of the roadway (where the asphalt abruptly ends and lots of gravel starts) and the tire went right there.......

At least you know and are willing to admit what went wrong. New rider at night on unfamiliar road and you got target fixated. Recognizing your mistakes is the first step to not making them again.

As far as turning it in, that is something that is completely up to you and your circumstances. The fairing and starter cover are going to run you about $600 new, probably about $300 for perfect or near perfect used on eBay and probably about the same to have a body shop repair the faring and you to replace the cover and gasket from RonAyers or Bike Bandit. If you want it quick and easy and have the conditions that it won't hurt you (age, record, etc) then file it and try to get your gear in there too. If your already paying too much or can't afford what a accident will cost you in premiums then bite it and fix it yourself. Only you know your conditions.

Glad you were not seriously hurt.

[Katlover13]

my personal opinion is to fix it yourself.
You dont say what your decuctible is. I will assume 500$. If you only have about 600-800 in damage, what is the point of turning it in? and having higher premiums (which, obviously, will cost you alot more in the long run).

On another note... i am happy that you were not hurt worse.

[JohnE1000]

I would say file a claim. Isn't that what you are paying for? If one going to pay to fix a bike or a car after every accident, then why are we paying insurance. Pay out of pocket only if the cost of repair is less than your deductable.

Many people say that the inssurance premium jumps when you file a claim. I have never had an accident on a car or a bike, so I have never filed a claim. However, I know few people who have been into accidents and filed claims, and thier premium never increased or increased a little.

[The CyberPoet]

Let's see, if I have this straight:
You have an '01 Kat, stock yellow.
Fairing isn't cracked, just rashed.
Needs new mirror, bar-end, bar-extension, engine side-cover.

I'd say get an estimate on the repair for the fairing from EmpireGP.com if you don't paint yourself.
As for the cover, replace it, optionally upgrading to the NRC (Niagara Racing) covers, which are about twice as thick and far less likely to give.
eBay or JC Whitney for the mirror.
OEM for the rest of the parts.

Now take that total, subtract your deductible and decide for yourself...

Since you went to QS&L, I can't tell what state you're in (and your profile doesn't say), so the answers could vary. If you are in Florida and are a first-year rider (or this is your first year insured with a bike), DO NOT FILE (period). If you are in a different state, you have to make the call yourself based on the total and what you're paying per year, based on the expectation that your premium will go up 30% for two years in most places. Whatever you do, don't call your agent and ask what the difference would be unless you are close buds -- some firms use the admission of an accident (even unreported otherwise and unclaimed) to raise the rates based on a risk-reassessment.

Cheers
=-= The CyberPoet

[Mojoe]

personally I would not make the claim, but it is hard to say because you don't make it clear just what is rashed. if it involves both upper and loewr fairings, the tail, seat, flasher, mirror...etc, etc.....then you might have no choice.
But if it is just a fairing and a few cosmetic details, I would skip the claim and fix it myself.

there is a lower fairing on ebay for $75

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/SUZUKI-KATANA-GSX-LOWER-RIGHT-SIDE-FAIRING_W0QQitemZ4635350754QQcategoryZ35583QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

post some pics of the damage. yours might be totally fixable. rash is not a big deal to fix.....and small cracks either. I have some plastic filler that is much like bondo, but is not bondo. I have used it with great success to repair a couple of old fairings I have bought off ebay as spares.

How are you at making your own repairs? Do you have a place and the tools for this, or do you have to run to a dealer or paint shop?
You need to give more details to let us know if we are talking about a $2000 job through a dealer, or a $200 job at home.
$2000 is not unheard of, considering an old lady knocked my bike over last summer and it rand it at $2300. And all that was, was a flasher, mirror, clutch lever, and some mild rash to upper and lower fairings.
BTW....I fixed it myself for about $300. I claimed it....and guess where the other $2k went.

give more details. if you play the situation right, you can put some coins in your pocket for new mods.....say a new 4-1 exhaust for free?

[Mojoe]

I would say file a claim. Isn't that what you are paying for? If one going to pay to fix a bike or a car after every accident, then why are we paying insurance. Pay out of pocket only if the cost of repair is less than your deductable.

Many people say that the inssurance premium jumps when you file a claim. I have never had an accident on a car or a bike, so I have never filed a claim. However, I know few people who have been into accidents and filed claims, and thier premium never increased or increased a little.

you have to know how insurance works. over time, your rates should go down accordingly. if you make a claim, and and your rates only increase by say $30, they will stay there and not go down. it isn't always about whether your rates increase, but whether or not they will decrease.

[goose491]

...then why are we paying insurance.

Ah, I'll take So that the rest of your life is not absolutely destroyed if ever you put someone in a wheelchair for the rest of theirs, and a judge awards them one million dollars in a liability case for $500 Alex.

...insurance is not meant to be a vehicle maintenance program. It is there to provide indemnification when you NEED it. I.e. it's there to help you out when you cannot recover financially from an incident.

People looking to "get what they put in" to an insurance policy are just as resoponsible for rising rates as those who pad their losses.

Nick

[JohnE1000]

Mojoe:

you have to know how insurance works. over time, your rates should go down accordingly

Not neccesserly true. My inssurance have never go down. I asked my insurance agent, and she showed that my score(similar to fico scor just for insurance companies) is the lowest possible number, hence my insurance with this particular company will never go down from there.

goose491:

...insurance is not meant to be a vehicle maintenance program.

I never said insurance is a maintenace program. The guy have been in an accident, and he has full cover inssurance. He is paying money for this situations. I am expecting his repairs and gears will cost more than his $500 deductable.
Otherwise, we will be making the insurance companies richer and ourselvies poorer.

[Mojoe]

[quote="JohnE1000"]Mojoe:

you have to know how insurance works. over time, your rates should go down accordingly

Not neccesserly true. My inssurance have never go down. I asked my insurance agent, and she showed that my score(similar to fico scor just for insurance companies) is the lowest possible number, hence my insurance with this particular company will never go down from there.

that is why I used the word "accordingly". if you have full coverage on a vehicle, that vehicle will depreciate each year. If you are paying coverage on a bike worth ...let's say $7k this year, but worth only $3500-4k in 2 years, your rate should drop. and this what you have to be careful for because it can bite you in the ass.....your renewal policy can remain the same...as in $7k value on the bike. This way you are paying rates on $7k, but when an accident happens and the bike is a write off, they will tell you it is only worth $4k. You can't argue the point, and you paid rates on an extra $3k for nothing. It is sort of a loophole for them. You can insure a bike worth $5k for $20k if you want to pay the rates...but when the time comes, you have to prove it worth that amount. The average Joe doesn't make the changes in the policy...they just keep the same insurance plan. They don't bother going in and informing the insurance that the vehicle is worth x amount of dollars less and they want the rates adjusted to the value. They start off paying X amount a year, and continue doing so and happy they don't go up.

this is just something I read. I have never had full coverage on a vehicle in my life, so I don't have that problem.

[Yellow2002Kat]

If you are in Florida and are a first-year rider (or this is your first year insured with a bike), DO NOT FILE (period).

Hey CP, why is that? I've never made an insurance claim of any kind, but is it difficult to get bike insurance again if you make a claim in the first year? Do your premiums increase substantially? Just curious...

As for repairing the bike, CP's equation is the only logical one.

I'll assume you have a $500 deductible. Sounds like you only need paint, some tape (stickers), a mirror and a crankcase cover.

Prep the fairing and bring it to a shop for paint. I'd estimate <$150. New tape may run you $150 or less if you choose to replace it. Mirror is $50. Crankcase cover I don't really know, but can't bee too much. Anyway, given limited information I'd estimate that repairing the bike in this manner will be less than, or at most equal to, your deductible. Using this logic, I'd recommend against making a claim.

Use the extra $$$ you'll save on increased premiums to take the ERC course and to buy a pair of draggin jeans

Good luck!

[Cheech]

Wow, thanks for all the replies.

Anyway, to clarify a few things:

I have a 2002, not a 01, my bad

Upper fairing is rashed pretty good. I am a little hesitant to have someone buff it out and repaint. Lower fairing does have some scratches, enough that I want it fixed.

Crankcase cover is totally screwed. Mirror, rear handle, stuff like that needs to be fixed.

I have a $89 Fieldsheer jacket that it basically a total loss, in that I wouldn't trust it to protect me again. I will, however, run right out and buy another one for the protection I received from it.

I do not have the parts nor the ability to do this myself, so that is pretty much out. I have no problem shipping this over to someone local in Columbus, Ohio and having them work with it. If I can get some upgraded parts (the 2x thick starter cover comes to mind) that would be a plus. Also, I bought the bike with a very small amount of rash on the right side, dropped standing. I might be able to get that taken care of as well.

My deduc is $500, which I can spend if I have to. Sounds to be like with all this, that's what's going to happen. I am also investing in a pait of overpants and boots, I think I rolled my ankle pretty good. My premium is $23, so I really don't care if it goes up 30%, I was prepared for $40 or $50.

[Cheech]

Let's see, if I have this straight:
You have an '01 Kat, stock yellow.
Fairing isn't cracked, just rashed.
Needs new mirror, bar-end, bar-extension, engine side-cover.

I'd say get an estimate on the repair for the fairing from EmpireGP.com if you don't paint yourself.
As for the cover, replace it, optionally upgrading to the NRC (Niagara Racing) covers, which are about twice as thick and far less likely to give.
eBay or JC Whitney for the mirror.
OEM for the rest of the parts.

Now take that total, subtract your deductible and decide for yourself...

Since you went to QS&L, I can't tell what state you're in (and your profile doesn't say), so the answers could vary. If you are in Florida and are a first-year rider (or this is your first year insured with a bike), DO NOT FILE (period). If you are in a different state, you have to make the call yourself based on the total and what you're paying per year, based on the expectation that your premium will go up 30% for two years in most places. Whatever you do, don't call your agent and ask what the difference would be unless you are close buds -- some firms use the admission of an accident (even unreported otherwise and unclaimed) to raise the rates based on a risk-reassessment.

Cheers
=-= The CyberPoet

My agent is actually my client, and I also have a good friend who is an Allstate agent (I have SF) so I can corroberate his story.

[WildKat]

I'd say go ahead and file it...and get several estimates so you get yourself the best deal. You may be able to make out better by shipping the parts off and getting them repaired..empiregp does fantastic work and very good to deal with. You can save yourself some of that claim money you get and pick up some more gear or whatever you like.

[Cheech]

I'd say go ahead and file it...and get several estimates so you get yourself the best deal. You may be able to make out better by shipping the parts off and getting them repaired..empiregp does fantastic work and very good to deal with. You can save yourself some of that claim money you get and pick up some more gear or whatever you like.

I just emailed them this afternoon for a quote.

How does this work with insurance? Last time I filed a claim (in december....) my insurance paid the body shop directly. By the way you are making this sound, I can get some gear that isn't a part of the bike (jacket, etc.) How do you do this, have the shop estimate out State Farm for time and materials including the gear?