Where to take a motorcycle after a crash? Dealer/Shop?

[RRrider]

Any opinions on where to take a motorcycle that may be totalled after a crash for an estimate/work?

Dealer obviously knows the bike. However they are expensive. And I don't know if they have the equipment/expertise to determine if frames are bent, etc.

After market shops are more variable (sometimes better and sometimes worse than a dealer depending on many factors) but tend to have better prices.

what does barf think?

 

[ALANRIDER7]

Are you filing an insurance claim?

 

[RRrider]

Are you filing an insurance claim?

yes (does that matter?)

 

[ALANRIDER7]

yes (does that matter?)

The insurance company should pay for the estimate whether it's totaled or not.

 

[RRrider]

The insurance company should pay for the estimate whether it's totaled or not.

sure. That's not really my question. My question is where is the best place to get a bike that has been bashed up fixed. I heard one opinion which went something like: don't go to the dealer, as they charge a ton, and are only good for routine maintenance and installing aftermarket parts. They don't specialise in detecting/dealing with bent frames etc. Then I have also heard a counter argument which is (especially for more esoteric bikes) go to the dealer as they really know the bike and even though they cost a bit more, you get reliable quality service for that amount.

Whether or not the insurance company pays, or if they total it out, and I'm left with the buy back from insurance company and fix up decision, I want the input into that decision to be from the best place to do the work should that be the next step. make sense?
thanks

 

[birbeck]

The dealer can do the repair work and if it is an insurance job, what does it matter what the cost is. Though I often find third-party shops do better work. Dealers are all about volume and being paid by the book means the quicker the mechanic can half ass a job, the more he gets paid. Not all third-parties are created equally though, so do some research into the shops you are considering. For checking the frame there is g.m.d computech a dealer or tuner shop aren't going to have the tools for proper inspection and correction.

 

[ALANRIDER7]

sure. That's not really my question. My question is where is the best place to get a bike that has been bashed up fixed. I heard one opinion which went something like: don't go to the dealer, as they charge a ton, and are only good for routine maintenance and installing aftermarket parts. They don't specialise in detecting/dealing with bent frames etc. Then I have also heard a counter argument which is (especially for more esoteric bikes) go to the dealer as they really know the bike and even though they cost a bit more, you get reliable quality service for that amount.

Whether or not the insurance company pays, or if they total it out, and I'm left with the buy back from insurance company and fix up decision, I want the input into that decision to be from the best place to do the work should that be the next step. make sense?
thanks

There is no standard or cetification for dealers or shops to adhere to when doing crash repairs. If they do good work, their reputation will speak for them. If it's a butcher shop, beware.

If the bike is repairable, your primary concern should be getting a 100% safe and properly repaired bike back, as all it costs you is your deductible.

If it's totaled out and you buy it back, you're on your own about getting it repaired. You need to know exactly how much it will cost to bring it back. Then you can decide if it makes sense to do it or not.

 

[ALANRIDER7]

You'd best find someone capable of finding ALL the damage the first time around. If they miss something on the estimate and you buy the bike and then find their mistake later, it's a big mess.

 

[RRrider]

You'd best find someone capable of finding ALL the damage the first time around. If they miss something on the estimate and you buy the bike and then find their mistake later, it's a big mess.

Yes, exactly. This gets more to my question. Is this "someone" a dealer? or someone like Evolution or ACS? (and in my case, the bike is a triumph, not a high volume jap bike).

 

[ALANRIDER7]

Yes, exactly. This gets more to my question. Is this "someone" a dealer? or someone like Evolution or ACS? (and in my case, the bike is a triumph, not a high volume jap bike).

Find someone with a proven record of doing crash estimates and repairs on Triumphs.

 

[VicTim]

This depends on the kind of bike and your location. What shops are in your area vs. who is your dealer. It could go either way. Anywhere you take your bike it's supposed to be fixed professionally.:2cents

 

[rapidrobbie]

Don't be in a hurry,Triumph is VERY slow on getting parts :laughing

 

[Caddywumpus]

Don't be in a hurry,Triumph is VERY slow on getting parts :laughing

its the limeys.

 

[NoTraffic]

Dealer first, then they contract work out to aftermarket shops. Same thing for cars. Do you take you car to an aftermarket shop that can only figure out if they have a bent frame but no idea on how much it would take to redo your trunk?

This is a no-brainer to me. (I'd only go to an aftermarket if I knew for sure the bike was a loss and want to salvage it)

 

[slowblood]

Go to Werkstatt.

 

[Ant]

Cal Moto. Honest folks, that's where I would go.

 

[Marcoose]

I crashed last year and Dave and Jim at Catalyst rebuilt the bike to mint condition.

And if you're a little talented and have time, let the pros do the crucial job(s), then take it to the MotoShop for wrapping up the smaller items.

 

[SummerLove]

Dealer I trust would would be where I would go. If that wasn't an option I'd start looking at shops with good rep around here. I hauled two bikes 30 minutes to get the damage estimates done by someone I trusted so far and both times it worked out well for me.
*One was a crash in gravel muck, the other was someone hitting my Multistrada in a parking lot.

 

[Gixxergirl1000]

Yes, exactly. This gets more to my question. Is this "someone" a dealer? or someone like Evolution or ACS? (and in my case, the bike is a triumph, not a high volume jap bike).

Dealer would be my last choice. Generally, in my experience, they don't hire the sharpest tools in the shed.

You want someone who really knows what they're doing to pull together your crash estimate.

Alanrider7 is top notch, as are the gals over at Werkstatt.

 

[ALANRIDER7]

Dealer would be my last choice. Generally, in my experience, they don't hire the sharpest tools in the shed.

You want someone who really knows what they're doing to pull together your crash estimate.

Alanrider7 is top notch, as are the gals over at Werkstatt.

Thanks for the props, but I don't speak British.