Need some advice following crash dealing with insurance...

M

MSFT

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I don't really post much, but do frequent the site a bit. I have a few questions maybe someone might be able to help me with...

So two weeks ago I was in an accident on my 1978 Honda CB400. I was hit from behind while in traffic by a mac truck...no joke... the guy forgot I was in front of him and as traffic started to move he ran right into me and started to push me forward. Thankfully I had the foresight that this MF isn't going to stop so I was able to jump off to safety.. my bikes rear end on the other hand was completely folded in..it's a write off... Thankfully I was able to make it as it could have been much worse... Now that was bad..

But my nightmare with dealing with insurance has begun...

I was told I would receive a very low amount for my motorcycle. One that wasn't close to what I originally purchased for the bike and one that was less than even the parts that were needed to repair the bike. My big issue was with the insurance appraiser listing my bike in "Poor" condition.. If anyone knows how that works.. basically saying ones vehicle is "Poor" means it ain't worth nothing. I tried to speak to the person who appraised it to find out why.. and the only thing he said to me was.. there was no speedometer so its not even legal to ride... (I've looked into the highway traffic act and the only mention of speedo's and Odometers is when testing during safety, which my bike passed. I chopped it a little after I had it pass a safety.)

The only chopping i really did was repaint the tank and side fairing, wrap the exhaust, replace the mirrors with handle bar mirrors, changed the lights and took off the speedo and odo because it was broken and I was planning on replacing it.

My bike looked great, sure it had some mild surface rust on the frame(Nothing that a little sandblasting and paint wouldn't fix), the engine was rebuilt and near perfect condition, the carbs rebuilt and taken care of professionally, still a lot of tread on both tires.. so I'm trying to understand here.. how.. a bike that I used everyday and often, that I constantly got compliments on from riders and non riders... can be listed in "poor" condition when mechanically it still ran perfectly. Sounds to me like this appraiser doesn't know what a decent cafe racer looks like..

What is your take on this? Am I being fleeced here? Should I look into an independent appraiser? Does anyone know anyone that might be able to assist me with this? Any help would be greatly appreciated...

I've added the before and after photo... Really is THAT a bike that's in "poor" condition...

Bike_Before.jpg Bike_After.jpg
 
time for an appraisal was before the crash
if you want to get more than market value in the event of a loss
you have to prove that up front and pay the premium for increased value

and the bike has to always have a speedo, not just at inspection time
without a speedo there is no odometer, how can adjuster determine mileage?

I'd be surprised if the offer goes over $500
were you paying for collision coverage on this bike?
 
JavaFan said:
time for an appraisal was before the crash
if you want to get more than market value in the event of a loss
you have to prove that up front and pay the premium for increased value

and the bike has to always have a speedo, not just at inspection time
without a speedo there is no odometer, how can adjuster determine mileage?

I'd be surprised if the offer goes over $500
were you paying for collision coverage on this bike?
Click to expand...

I was still doing work on it, I had planned to do some more work, mainly sandblast the exhaust and repaint it and do a few things.
I didn't know one should appraise it every step of the way.

I've seen plenty of custom bikes without.. I was planning to replace it with an aftermarket speedo, the original speedo after it broke it just ended up being this big ugly box on top of my otherwise decent bike.

It was over that, but not enough.
I got the most basic coverage

This is/was my first bike so first time going through all this.. I am sure I made a few misteps along the way but I believe I deserve more than that.
 
Tell them to find you another one, a 1978 CB400, that has passed a safety recently. They have to base the price on market values, they cant just pull a number out of thier collective arses.

the speedo was GPS based and was mounted on the handle bar before your bike was run over, you have no idea where it is now........

best of luck
 
Sadly the insurers pay out on a depreciation formula and often the amount is less than replacement cost. You don't state expected amounts or what you're being offered but the adjusters time is worth something, maybe a few hundred, so you could negotiate a little. They might even give you the bike for salvage value. If you negotiate that make sure you don't get stuck with storage and tow fees.

You're lucky you weren't injured. A rider was killed in a similar situation not too long ago.

An interesting side note. There is no book of values for bikes so all those deals where a bike is sold for one price and the receipt says a much lower value would be ammo for the insurer to pay out based on typical values. The back swing of a double edged sword.
 
I fought a bike appraisal value once on a write-off. The $230 they adjusted it to was a waste, considering how much time I spent producing receipts, phone calls etc.
 
I was rear ended once; I swore to myself that if it ever happens again I'm going to go straight out and buy a replacement bike of same value and sue for that cost, they can keep my old bike because they will sell anything off it they can anyway.
... the other guys insurance company sold my written off frame complete with its VIN to the dealer and the dealer built an entire motorcycle around it which he sold to somebody years later (guess who was left without a VIN)
 
Next time they call... Tell them you have to call them back, that you've just arrived at your doctor's.. because your back is feeling weird and is starting to bother you.
Then call them back and discuss your appraisal.
 
There was a '77 CB400 sold here recently (evoex?). Perhaps they would share the sale price for evidence. Unless this was you, LoL.

Dilemma:
1. I have a '78 low-cc bike and I want the lowest coverage/cost so I can ride it.
2. I need to claim the bike and want the highest payout.

Value of these old bikes is all in the eye of the beholder, and unfortunately, 'cafe racer' modifications reduce the value in most peoples opinions.

It's a negotiation. Don't accept the first offer. Bolster your valuation with examples from for-sale sites.
 
meme said:
I fought a bike appraisal value once on a write-off. The $230 they adjusted it to was a waste, considering how much time I spent producing receipts, phone calls etc.
Click to expand...

This is exactly my mindset at the moment. Half of me feels as though it may be a waste of my time for minimum return. My biggest issue is that I believe the appraisers assessment of the bike being in "Poor" condition was way off. I have read the NADA guidelines and "Poor" condition vehicles are considered to have major mechanical failures.. which mine did not.. My bike ran great actually, I have had zero issues since rebuilding the engine last year on it.
 
FLSTC said:
It's a negotiation. Don't accept the first offer. Bolster your valuation with examples from for-sale sites.
Click to expand...

I have examples but they are not even giving me an option to negotiate. My adjuster is being a real B...
 
raginduck said:
Next time they call... Tell them you have to call them back, that you've just arrived at your doctor's.. because your back is feeling weird and is starting to bother you.
Then call them back and discuss your appraisal.
Click to expand...

HaHa!
Unfortunatly I am dealing with two different adjusters.. one for my property.. one for my personal injury.
I doubt the property adjuster gives a S how i'm feeling tbh.
 
In the meantime, obtain supporting documentation for your bike: What you paid and how long ago, what other similar examples sold for, receipts for what you've done. Obviously, don't release the bike to the insurance company and don't sign anything. Keep the claim open.

Talk to your broker who may be able to provide some advice.

Don't expect miracles. In the eyes of the insurance company, you had a modified vehicle (bad), it was incomplete due to the missing speedometer (doesn't matter legal or not - it's incomplete) (bad), there's rust on the frame (writeoff before they even began).

If it becomes apparent that the best you could hope for is only a few hundred dollars (which might be the case, unfortunately, in the absence of an agreed-value policy), cancel the claim and just fix the bike yourself.

Customised vehicles really should be covered by an agreed-value policy. http://www.daltontimmis.com/personal-insurance/motorcycle-insurance/classic-motorcycle/

The cost of the appraisal has to be accounted for, and if you're using the bike as daily transportation, you can't do it this way.
 
It’s common to many to believe their motorcycle is worth more than what it actually is and when an insurance adjuster determines a bike to be in poor condition, they are in the business of keeping their costs low.

For some reason, the pics don’t show for me but, generally speaking, a modified late 70s smaller displacement bike isn’t going to be worth a whole lot. Ask some folks that have spent time and money into their projects and what they can actually get back from it by selling it.

An appraisal would have been a couple of hundred bucks to conclude you had a project bike that was on the road but, incomplete.

I’d ask them what did the insurance company base their premium on with respect to the value of the bike. Many will ask, what did you pay for it and what is the value of the bike. Stuff like that is in between a grand or two.

At the same time, if the vehicle is in a poor state of repair at the time something happens, it’s not their job to pay for a vehicle as it was when originally insured.

Folks get winter beaters for a few bucks and then they are rust buckets held together with twine and bubblegum and ready for the crusher.

It may not seem like a junker to you as you’re riding it on the road. But to others it has no value at all.





Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
 
Brian P said:
In the meantime, obtain supporting documentation for your bike: What you paid and how long ago, what other similar examples sold for, receipts for what you've done. Obviously, don't release the bike to the insurance company and don't sign anything. Keep the claim open.

Talk to your broker who may be able to provide some advice.

Don't expect miracles. In the eyes of the insurance company, you had a modified vehicle (bad), it was incomplete due to the missing speedometer (doesn't matter legal or not - it's incomplete) (bad), there's rust on the frame (writeoff before they even began).

If it becomes apparent that the best you could hope for is only a few hundred dollars (which might be the case, unfortunately, in the absence of an agreed-value policy), cancel the claim and just fix the bike yourself.

Customised vehicles really should be covered by an agreed-value policy. http://www.daltontimmis.com/personal-insurance/motorcycle-insurance/classic-motorcycle/

The cost of the appraisal has to be accounted for, and if you're using the bike as daily transportation, you can't do it this way.
Click to expand...

I am trying to get supporting documents. I've always reached out the the mechanics who've worked on my bike.. all 2 of them.. but they might help vouch for me that my bike was not a bike in "poor" condition. Both mechanics said actually what a nice bike it was.

The speedo was in the process of being replaced.. I've just had so many weddings the last month I could not afford it and staring at the brick on top of my handlebars was just getting annoying. I understand needing a speedo.. the appraiser literally just said to me.. it had no speedo I don't care its not legal for the road..

If I decide to get something more vintage again this time around I will look into that dalton timmis, thank you.
 
Should have left the speedo on. Working or not if it was there, it was there.

How much was the offer?
 
Last edited:
klr_guy said:
^ this
Click to expand...

Originally it was just a little north of 1k... I actually spoke to someone with some sense in the last hour and they've added to it now it is a little shy of 2k... which I am more satisfied with... I don't want to deal with this headache anymore!

I truly appreciate all the great advice.. it was definitely helpful and will be on my mind when I choose to get a new bike.. this year.. or next... Hopefully this year lol
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