Replacing a Written Off Learner Bike (or not)?

[Falco]

So, after my first real crash the bike has been assesed as beyond economical repair.With a market value of £895, the offer is to let me have it back for a deducution of £270 and a settlement of £625.

The damage is reported as: twisted forks, bent handlebars, headlight and clocks needing replaced as do 3 of the indicators. Foot bar may also be bent.

I was planning to start DAS training last week (though obviously delayed now). My question is: is it worth repairing myself, or putting the money aside for a big bike (the downside to that plan being that I can't practise between lessons).

I can see advantages to both plans of actions, but I am unsure what to tell the engineer when he calls back tomorrow.

Advice welcome

[wr6133]

What bike? You may be able to fix it for peanuts and sell it on for a small profit.

[Teflon-Mike]

First question really has to be - Do you own a tool-lit?
The next; do you know how to use any of it?

If not, then DIY repair is probably a non-starter from the off.

If you do and you can; then it may be a goer; but then a question of whether its ecconomically viable... if it is just forks and headlamp and handlebars; then has potential, maybe even to turn a profit over taking the full cash settlement, though time you have to spend is likely the only reason it would; and you can easily spend a LOT of time doing a little project like this....

So DO you want a fixer-upper-project?

I do'em for 'fun'.. but believe me, a there's a lot of shear frustration and hard work to bear before the glee of 'success' if you get that far. they always seem to cost twice as much as you originally estimate; take four times as long, make eight times the mess, and cause sixteen times the amount of hassle.... CAN be worth it..... but you DO have to have a rather perverse mechanical masochistic streak?

DAS & getting about & self practice between lessons?

OK.. back to basics. DAS was planned anyway, you say. so either you have saved up the money to pay for that, in which case, the insurance settlement doesn't really impinge on that 'other' plan in any way. OR you were planning to flog the 125 to pay for DAS, in which case job done... Insurance co just bought it! Saves dealing with all the gumtree tyre kickers!

IF you have the money set asside for DAS seperate of selling the 125; no reason you cant take the insurance settlement, and use as intended/expected to buy a 'replacement# and carry on with plan; using 'new' 125 to get about on and practice twixt lessons.

If you had planned to flog the 125 anyway.. Insurance Co buying it, is job done; just brings matters forward a bit.

What's the difference?

£270 (or relatively bugga all) off the pay-out and a bent bike in your back-garden to mess with... or an extra £270 in the pay-out to chuck at training or a post DAS bike.

Brings us back to whether you have a tool kit, know how to use it, and actually WANT or like the idea of a 'Project'.

Sorry... I cant answer that!!!
____________________
My Webby'Tef's-tQ, loads of stuff about my bikes, my Land-Rovers, and the stuff I do with them!
Current Bikes:'Honda VF1000F' ;'CB750F2N' ;'CB125TD ( 6 3 of em!)'; 'Montesa Cota 248'. Learner FAQ's:= 'U want to Ride a Motorbike! Where Do U start?'

[Rogerborg]

[Commuter_Tim]

[SuperMike]

[arry]

[Rogerborg]

[M.C]

Have a look at how much spares are going for online, second hand forks etc. There will be stuff not included in the report, if your forks are bent the chances are your yokes are bent too.

Take into consideration if you do fix it up the bike won't be 100% right, it might ride straight but things will be off. Along with the recorded damage you might have trouble shifting it after.

I bought mine back cos it valued at £3300 and the salvage was £400. With your bike unless you can fix it up for no more than a couple hundred I'd be nervous about sinking too much into it, and its a good point about having to re-insure the bike as you're claiming (on your own policy I believe)?

Ignore Tef' btw. I rebuilt the entire front end of my bike with a toolkit from Lidl and a Haynes manual. If bodytard can rebuild an engine anything's possible.

[Rogerborg]

[Falco]

[Falco]

Just had a call from the garage, an update:

He has offered to straighten the forks for £40, new indicator set needed, new handle bars and a front brake lever. That is what is needed to get it back on the road.

If I decide to buy it back from the insurance company, the garage has also offered to buy it off me for £300 (apparently the engine alone is worth that if they break it).

The extra money is tempting, but the list of things needing replaced is much smaller than I anticipated.

Still leaning towards not repairing it, but it's a harder choice now.

[Alpineandy]

[Falco]

[Alpineandy]

So do the DAS as soon as you're fixed then.
____________________
The above comment isn't necessarily the truth and anyone that says it is, is only correct if it's the truth or they're bigger than me.

[M.C]

Bending forks back, Paddy would be proud

Damaged CG's seem to go for £400-600 from a salvage company (so with delivery services) and less from private sellers. I'd be a little worried about getting my money back just selling the wreck, and after eBay fees etc. I dunno if it would be worth the hassle

[Kyle.]

You shouldn't need practice between lessons .I had never ridden a bike and done cbt then DAS right away. Was expensive though £500+ for training ( this was 20% off because of the time of year), £40 for mod 1 and around £140 for mod 2. Must be a good friend to lend you that.
____________________
GSX-R600 L5

[M.C]

[Kyle.]

I cant complain with the price, I was a really slow learner and chose the longest course. They definitely earned the money.
____________________
GSX-R600 L5

[Falco]

[Teflon-Mike]

OK.... slightly brutal analysis then.

First up, you didn't and still dont actually have the money to do a DAS course, AND buy a bike out of it.

AND that 'plan' contained a fair degree of 'risk' from the start. Just because you do a course doesn't guarantee you'll get a licence; and actual costs are a piece of string job, as to how much it might really cost to get the licence.

Then; after that; you have to get a bigger bike; which like the course you dont really have the money for; so bit of a wing and a prayer job, hoping to massage the moneys to get the course to get the licence, and at the end of it, have enough over to buy a 'cheaper' big bike.

We're looking at a sub-grand CG as the arena you are in, and whilst fair chance you could have sold that on and realised enough to buy a sub-grand big bike; we are in that baked-bean-budget arena still, and while cash price of bigger bikes may be cheaper than Learner-Legals, you would be looking at bargain basement sub-grand big bikes where, you might luck in on a good'n, but odds aren't the best; and IF it needs work, as almost everything in that arena does to some degree or other, its NOT going to be that 'cheap'.

SO.. even if your plan had gone ahead un-impeded by accidents; the DAS plan, didn't stand the best chance of being implemented smoothly...

Working with what you got and or could borrow; that plan might have got you a DAS course, but might have been only as far as you got; running out of money to get up to test standards and get a licence; so stuck on the 125 until monies found; or selling 125 to fund rest of course & tests, which still might not have got you the licence, and left you without either, AND chunk of debt into the bargain.

Probably even worse case; it got you so-far; and you got the course, you got the licence and you got the big-bike; which quickly proves a lemon, leaving you in debt, even more frustrated having a licence, and having a bike, you cant ride on it!

OK, doom & gloom appraisal, perhaps, but realistic reality check. Here & Now you don't have a big bike; you don't have the licence for a big bike; AND path to fulfill such ambition is not a given, or necessarily within your immediate 'means'.

SO! 'ambition'. You say you really want a 'big-bike' come spring... all well and good, but, even before the crash, that was not guaranteed to happen. Is it an 'ambition' worth the risk, worth the debt, and worth the 'hassles' you are likely to face to even partially fullfil it?

Cutting out the 'wants' from the 'Needs'.. what sorts needs over wants?

Here and now you are in physio; you cant ride ANYTHING........ so how you getting to and from? How are you adressing actual 'needs' without a bike, big or small, or a licence?

Why cant you carry on as you are, even beyond physio? & is that a sacrifice worth perpetuating short or mid-term, IF it more likely helps full-fill ultimate ambition a little later?

Why NOT, use the enforced hyatus to re-evaluate 'the plan'. you cant ride much now or in the imediete; so life sucks, live with it. Use time to get the cash in the bank for when you can ride.

Then, in the spring when you should be able to ride again, and had merely hoped to be on a bigger bike; weigh up the situation again.

Insurance money + savings in the bank; you are likely February time to better get a 'deal' on a DAS course, and have the cash to pay for it, up front... and sufficient to better cope with any eventuality, such as having to book a re-test.

No bike... for sure... but here and now is you dont have one any way.

IF you get the ticket to ride out of that; then you can count the pennies and see what you can scrape together to go look for a bigger bike to ride.

If NOT... well, more penny counting... and choice, do you chuck that at getting the licence in the bag, or do you pull back again; sort 'needs' and go look for another 125, or do you carry on, pushing for the licence and hope to scrape together extra to buy big-bike after.

OR if bike isn't a 'need' hang back, and carry on saving.

Point is, the options are open; you don't HAVE to bet your wad on ONE plan, right here right now....

Its all chicken counting, and only counting the ones that have actually hatched yet, and waiting till others that may, have before you start banking on them.

Only googlie chucked up by the insurance issue is whether you want a project bike... which I think you have answered 'No'... or whether other posts have suggested you might exploit the salvage to turn a bit of profit and put some added funds into the kitty.

On that.. more eggs being counted! Certainly potential, BUT, how much? and would it make a huge difference?

Being a bit brutal again; Salvage is costing you just shy of £300. Lets say that with a little good luck and some spanner magic; you can turn that around and flog it on for maybe £300 'profit' and not too many hours covered in Exon's finest.

In the bigger scheme; with DAS courses starting from £600, and old ER5's and the like seldom much less than £500... that 'best case' kind of profit isn't to be sneezed at, BUT it's not enough to pay for a DAS course, nor to buy a big-bike... on its own, it isn't enough to make the plan any more likely to work for you... while on the other side of the balence? IF it goes pair shaped; and you find problems; and dont have the heart or persistance to push through; it's not going to make you anything, sat in card-board boxes in the shed; and has set back 'the plan' by £300 to buy it, plus whatever you chuck at it along the way. Ie a drain rather than a resource.

And you say, from the start, you don't 'really' want a project for the fun... SO.. is it really worth another thought even?

You dont want a project, you DO want a big-bike, you DO want a licence to ride a big bike... but here and now, you cant ride anything....

SO.. needs and wants.. what sorts your needs, and how 'best' to get what you want.... NOT counting eggs that ent hatched!

Sorry, but sounds to me like you have pretty much answered your own questions; you just don't like them answers, and you are still hoping you can find a way to make ambitions real, without really enough time, or money or ability to give yourself the best chance.

Slow down, back up; DON'T RUSH, deal with what HAS to be dealt with first.. and THAT right now is giving the insurance co a yes/no answer on the settlement offer, and getting yourself out of physio... beyond that? It can wait for another day.
____________________
My Webby'Tef's-tQ, loads of stuff about my bikes, my Land-Rovers, and the stuff I do with them!
Current Bikes:'Honda VF1000F' ;'CB750F2N' ;'CB125TD ( 6 3 of em!)'; 'Montesa Cota 248'. Learner FAQ's:= 'U want to Ride a Motorbike! Where Do U start?'

[Falco]