Little mishap; few questions...

[TeeCat]

Coastside, I'm basically proceeding along your lines at this point, thanks. I am documenting the parts values and my correspondence, such as a labor estimate request to a Maryland classic bike shop so I can value my time equitably, etc. Much of my response to this from here on will depend upon whether the lady's adjustor and insurance company respect my interests.

Leo, you bring up an interesting point for general consumption. Most of the insurance procedural guides that I have consulted explicitly advise against making a claim with your own insurance company if you are not at fault, the exception being if you are involved in at accident with an under-insured or uninsured driver. Then it may be necessary, unfortunately. I'm glad that your experiences with that worked in your favor, though.

TC

 

[TeeCat]

Update:

Well, that was unequivocally the most hassle-free insurance process I have ever had to undertake. From the moment the adjuster from the lady's insurance company arrived, it was clear that he was a "brother", complete with some residual grease under his fingernails, and a lot of very specific questions about the bike. He didn't ask me how much I needed to get the bike set right... but what I needed. I was able to substantiate the retail cost of the parts, as well as a general hourly labor rate for a shop here that I'd approached about an estimate, to no avail.

Without any argument, the quote was higher than the one I'd calculated, including paying me the going hourly rate for my estimated time. Further, I was told that if I got into it and needed anything else, to call him, and he'd arrange supplemental reimbursement.

At that point, he said, "So you should be good to go in no time. It's time and money well spent, because this bike is probably worth somewhere over three grand in this trim."

So I can start work as soon as I get time. Thanks, guys, for the various input!

TC

 

[jchrisk1]

That's great news. Good thing he showed up instead of some motorcycle hating old lady.

 

[XSLeo]

Sounds like you got a good guy to work with.
Leo

 

[scabber]

Sorry to hear about your mishap glad you were not hurt and had good dealing with the insurance company. My wifes car got totaled by a boarder runner that ran a red light talking on a cell phone out of state temp tag. Fled the scene at first the insurance company refused to pay uninsurrd motorist claim the police said since it was an out of state tag and she wasn't hurt they wouldn't investigate it any further. At first they said they said they didn't know weather the hit and driver had insurance or not Finally the paid a meager some for the car about six week later

 

[TeeCat]

Holy CRAP, John! Your wife was lucky not to have been hurt... but that was a criminal screw job with the paltry sum on your property damage! Holy crap!

TC

 

[pamcopete]

Sorry to hear about your mishap glad you were not hurt and had good dealing with the insurance company. My wifes car got totaled by a boarder runner that ran a red light talking on a cell phone out of state temp tag. Fled the scene at first the insurance company refused to pay uninsurrd motorist claim the police said since it was an out of state tag and she wasn't hurt they wouldn't investigate it any further. At first they said they said they didn't know weather the hit and driver had insurance or not Finally the paid a meager some for the car about six week later

Folks, this is why you call a lawyer.... TeeCat...I don't think scabber is contributing to the high cost of insurance...

Lawyers work on a contingency basis. They get paid from the proceeds of the settlement. In my case, I knew I needed a lawyer when I was lying on the pavement with blood oozing out of my little body, gas was running from the bike to wards me, a good ole boy was leaning over me with a cigarette in his mouth and the lady with the cell phone was standing over by the curb still talking on her cell phone. Never even came over to see if I was alive or dead. I must have screwed up her social life.

People don't care. You have to defend yourself.

TeeCat... the reason that the adjuster was so nice is because you let the insurance company off easy. Have you already signed the release?

 

[xjwmx]

^You oughta stage a slip and fall at Walmart. That's where the big money is.


If people are going to be forced to buy insurance, it should be to cover only their own costs. That would elminate the high cost of insurance. Unfortunately it would eliminate the high profits of insurance too, so it ain't going to happen. Your high cost vs. their interests supported by lobbyists. Lotsa luck!

 

[scabber]

The wife is avery carefull driver but since her view was obstructed two lanes turning she was on the outside lane couldn't see the car that ran the light. She was going to pick up the grand kids cars can be replaced people can not. She picked out a good safe car 5 star saftey rated side air bags this time. Glad she did. The good drivers pay for bad for shure.

 

[TeeCat]

Respectfully, I'm not suggesting for a minute that John is contributing to the high cost of insurance. I'm simply glad that his wife was not injured.

Moreover, I'm not after "big money". I merely wanted to be compensated fairly for damages. That will have happened when the check arrives. I am unhurt, fortunately, my bike will be better than before (if the fender bob works out as I envision) when I am through working on it, and I'll have a few bucks in my pocket if I don't have to replace the seat.

I have a lot of other pins to juggle in my busy (read: stressful) life, and I have to pick my battles. Seeking more than my fair share in an insurance settlement is not one of them. I should qualify my remarks though, Pete, by saying that I do appreciate your point of view (as well as John's), since had I thought there was even a possibility of personal injury, or more property damage, retaining a lawyer would have been the prudent thing to do. In your respective situations (yours and John's), you did what you needed to do to protect your interests.

TC

 

[TeeCat]

Okay, guys, I'm pretty much finished the cosmetic work on the bike in the wake of the little Minivan Mom Mayhem. I didn't want to run right out and buy another seat and rear fender if I could recover the damaged ones, so I tried that first. I was able to straighten the chrome moulding on the seat, but instead of reattaching it with the original T bolts, I used button head machine screws. I had to drill through the moulding for each one, but it's more secure, and I like the look.

The rear fender and tail light/tag bracket took most of the damage, as you can see from the before pics above. The fender would have been toast if I'd wanted a stock or near-stock look, but I thought I might be able to bob the fender ahead of the damage for a more aggressive cafe profile. I was able to tweak the fender mounting tabs on the frame back to plumb... just need a little black paint touch-up. As to the fender, in the first pic below, you can see what I removed. I used the same rearmost cut as stock... but further forward... about 5 inches. I spent a fair amount of time dressing the edge to factory smoothness, but still need to seal it. This left me just enough room to mount my Lucas-type tail light/tag bracket. I had to drill the appropriate holes, but that was a non-issue. I like this light because, as opposed to the prior one, the wires are completely concealed.

The remaining pics are the "after" ones, from various angles. This worked out well, actually, because I might never have bobbed this fender otherwise. I like the look, though... it seems to visually shorten the bike and "thicken up" the haunches a bit; a longer rear fender, on the other hand, seemed a little too slimming, in hindsight. I actually prefer this more aggressive look, and I still have the benefit of a mudguard.

Still have to put the wires for the tail light in a bit of loom and suspend it from a rubber-coated hook up under the fender; that's done temporarily at the moment.

TC

 

[XSLeo]

Looks good, well done.
Leo

 

[scabber]

Looks great, better than before, nice work like the tail light mounting position. All's well that ends well. Spring is just around the corner now your ready to ride again.

 

[TeeCat]

Incidentally, thanks guys...

Just happened to see your remarks when I came here to report that it looks like we're back in business. Yesterday was about 60F and sunny, and presented the first chance I've had to go for a little check-out spin since I got bumped. The bike ran famously, and if I must say so myself, I'm really happy with the way the fender bob and tail light turned out, as she's back to turning heads. At a stop light, we were just sitting there, with her issuing that 1200 rpm asymmetrical grumble, with a 12-ish year old little guy in the car next to us hanging out of the window, staring and shaking like Katherine Hepburn in a helicopter. Kids seem to love old bikes. That was some funny sh*t right there, boy.

TC