A tale of a ZX9R, an old lady and the NRMA...

...now heres the best trick of all, go to the NRMA and if there saying the wreck is worth $4000 ask them to where and them get them to get offers from salavege ppl. its kinda up to them to prove the wreck is worth what they say it is.

I was hoping that was the case. I don't see why I should have to spend my time & money finding somewhere to sell the wreck.

Damn this sucks. I'm itching to ride. I find out on Monday or Tuesday what their course of action will be... From the responses here I think there is a good chance that the "bike experts" the assessor is going to see (with the photos of the snapped steering stop) will confirm that the frame is cactus. Which is a good thing for me.

Now my only worry is them trying to say that it's not worth fixing... *sigh*

I would say dont just agree and sign wat they offer you unless you really feel its fair. u can allways get another opinions.

Go to some kwaka dealers and they should write letters saying that the frame is unrepairable and unsafe to do so. just tell them u r going to buy your next bike from them wen u get the money.

thats wat id try n e way.

also try MP 2 "SHIFTY" he knows a fair bit about insurance

well i hope does n e way

also try MP 2 "SHIFTY" he knows a fair bit about insurance

well i hope does n e way

Since when did Shifty work in parliment?

I don't see why I should have to spend my time & money finding somewhere to sell the wreck.

That's why your eventual letter of demand to them will include items like,

"Independent assessor fee $60"

Every single cent this costs you, pass it on to them.

All the advice about consulting frame specialists, wreckers etc seems to neglect the fact that you're in_Young,_which, while being a nice place, is a long way from anywhere. That can only be adding to the stress.

Damn this sucks. I'm itching to ride. I find out on Monday or Tuesday what their course of action will be...

Prepare yourself for their initial offer being_extremely_crummy. The arm-wrestling over salvage and market values which normally goes on between two insurance companies is, in this instance, going to be between them and you.

From the responses here I think there is a good chance that the "bike experts" the assessor is going to see

That's just shadow boxing.

"Yeah, mate, I talked to them, and they reckon that, while the frame is rooted, the rest of the bike's not too bad. They reckon it'll take two grand to fix."

There is a finite likelihood that something along those lines will be *exactly* what you hear when they eventually (don't go cancelling dentist appointments because you're expecting a call from the insurance company either; don't be surprised if you don't hear from them for a good couple of weeks) get around to calling you.

Another trick they try is giving you numbers of far-flung wreckers who are, supposedly, prepared to offer you stupidly large sums of money for the wreck... with me and my R1, I was in Sydney, and they tried to convince me to sell the wreck to a wrecker in Wagga!

Now my only worry is them trying to say that it's not worth fixing...

That_is_your worry? Why? If they write it off, they give you two options:

1.) Accept a payout equal to the eventually-agreed-to[1] market value of the bike in its pre-crash condition and relinquish the wreck to the insurance company, who'll send a trayback truck with a lift tray around to whisk it away.

2.) Accept a payout equal to the eventually-agreed-to market value of the bike in its pre-crash condition minus the eventually-agreed-to salvage value of the wreck, and keep the wreck to do with as you wish.


Footnote:
[1] Nothing about this is fixed. They'll start out claiming that, before the crash, the bike was worth $5500, and that the wreck is now worth $3500, "because that's what a wrecker has indicated he'll be prepared to pay for it". You counter by claiming the bike used to be worth $9000 and is now worth a grand as a wreck, and, after significant bickering, you'll meet somewhere in the middle.

sorry it was suposed to b PM not MP and he works in insurance

c yas

o knew that oz, just being a wisearse

omg omg update!

Just spoke with the assessor. My bike is being total-lossed (They're paying to replace it.)

So I'm getting {value of bike} - {value of wreck}. He said he'd emailed photos of the trashed bike to some bike dealers to get it valued.

So for how much do you guys think a bike shop will value:

...An immaculate looking green 1998 ZX9R with 35,000 kms and a D&D exhaust kit? (I bought it for $8000 with 3 months warranty and 21,500 kms from Bowral motorcycles... I think it was underpriced at the time. I'm hoping for $9000+ )

...A wrecked ZX9R with:

• The steering stop broken off. (frame damage.)
• Snapped exhaust. (carbon sleeve popped out of metal end bit.)
• Scratched generator cover. (DEEP scratches.)
• Smashed headlight.
• Snapped left footpeg, bent gear lever connecting rod, broken footpeg bracket.
• Left fairing with scratches so deep holes are worn in it.
• Smashed front/upper/headlight fairing.
• Two smashed blinkers. (Both left.)
• Smashed left mirror.
• [Quoted $9077 to fix including labour & replacement frame.]

(I think the only part worth ANYTHING would be the motor...)

Would be valued it?

I paid $8,600 for my '96 ZX9-R in a shop in November last year. so you got a damn good deal i reckon.

Here's the link to redbook for your 1998 C1 zx9-r to give you rough amount of what to expect.

http://www.redbook.com.au/mcycle/price.asp?key=KAWA98RB

In defence of the NRMA (please dont hurt me) I binned a '97 blade last year,at the time it was valued at $9,300, dented frame and swing arm, fairings, pipe, rearset, tank. $8,730 for parts and labour, not including $1300 for frame repair and $400 for new swingarm. The assessor was cool, checked it out, gave me options of repair and leave frame alone, do it all, write it off. I took the write it off option, otherwise i'd have to polish the whole frame.

I had a check within three weeks, in the mean time, the policy was up for renewal, they upped the value of the bike to $9,600 and dropped the premium. All up i think it took a total of 5 weeks from crash to cash, mind you it's hard to remember after all that panedine forte.

(please dont hurt me) I binned a '97 blade last year,

mate we'll congratulate you and introduce you to our good mate neka.
He knows everything there is to know about binning blades.

By the way, welcome to KSRC Poyda

...A wrecked ZX9R with:

• The steering stop broken off. (frame damage.)
• Snapped exhaust. (carbon sleeve popped out of metal end bit.)
• Scratched generator cover. (DEEP scratches.)
• Smashed headlight.
• Snapped left footpeg, bent gear lever connecting rod, broken footpeg bracket.
• Left fairing with scratches so deep holes are worn in it.
• Smashed front/upper/headlight fairing.
• Two smashed blinkers. (Both left.)
• Smashed left mirror.
• [Quoted $9077 to fix including labour & replacement frame.]

Would be valued at?

In that sort of crash, you're probably forgetting to mention:

-Bent H-bracket
-Bent headlight/instrument bracket
-damaged instrument mounting lugs
-damaged pillion peg and bracket
-scuffed forkleg lower
-bar end ground to all buggery (and I'm surprised the bar itself survived)
-chunk taken out of tank
-chunk tanken out of ducktail
-chunk taken out of grabrail
-subframe probably no longer straight
-damage to the swingarm from impact with snapped footpeg bracket.
-partridge no longer in the pear tree

To answer your question, though... "not much"
(probably somewhat less than what MunkeeGrl's hoping to get for what's left of her ZX6)

When they talk about dealers values just make sure that you can totally replace what you had for the money they are offering. Remember that dealers will make assumptions about average condition, klms etc. Do plenty of research as quickly as possible to work out what you are going to have to pay.

The theory here is that this whole thing costs you absolutely nothing, although invariably it always does. Remember that the insurance companies mission (understandably) is to get out of their customers fuck up as cheaply as possible.

As someone previously mentioned make sure you claim everything you lost or had damaged including riding gear, clothing etc.

If you think they are screwing you don't agree to what they are offering or get some advice. If all else fails I think an insurance ombudsman still exists, although hopefully you'll be OK.

I've been on this end of an NRMA claim many moons ago and I have to say they were exceptionally reasonable.

Good luck with it