Thoughts on once dropped bikes - Page 1

[ARCHIVED THREAD] - Thoughts on once dropped bikes

Posted: 7/24/2014 7:22:00 PM EDT

Having a really bad day fellas. I received my BMW S1000RR from the shippers (in the Army and recently moved from Germany back to the states). They immediately informed me that one of the crates was in really bad shape. My heart instantly dropped when they said it was the crate with my motorcycle in it. There is substantial damage to the bike which will require the front and rear fairings to be replaced, windshield, instrument panel (and housing), and head light to be replaced. The frame, engine block, and gas tank are lightly scratched and scuffed.

I custom ordered this bike from BMW and waited 3 months to get it! I even went to the Munich showroom/ museum to make sure I knew exactly what I wanted. I bought a full leather race suit and helmet( damaged in shipping as well) to match the bike. It is now all worthless to me. I DO NOT WANT TO OWN A BIKE THAT HAS BEEN DROPPED!

I am now forced to have this situation reconciled through the Army's transportation office. I can only hope that they fully reimburses me for the bike and take it off my hands.

Here is what I first saw:

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Posted: 7/24/2014 7:25:06 PM EDT

[#1]

It's not like it slid down a road. It's just cosmetic, have them fix it and move on. No reason to lose money selling it or trading it on a new one for some scratches.

ETA no way are they gonna buy it off you. They'll just pay to have it fixed.

Posted: 7/24/2014 7:27:46 PM EDT

[#2]

I used to buy cosmetic bikes like that to ride and sell to beginners. It was fun and lucrative for me.

Posted: 7/24/2014 7:32:07 PM EDT

[#3]

Interesting, I've never bought a bike that hasn't been down.

Posted: 7/24/2014 7:33:49 PM EDT

[#4]

that sucks... sorry for your loss.

Posted: 7/24/2014 7:37:51 PM EDT

[#5]

... have them pay for the repairs?

I don't see the problem. It's not like it was thrown down a highway, or a driveway for that matter. It was bumped and bruised. Replace the parts.

Posted: 7/24/2014 7:46:42 PM EDT

[#6]

I can understand why you freaked out when you saw it, but it's just replacing fairings and repaintimg the scuffed metal. All my bikes were beater though

Posted: 7/24/2014 7:49:19 PM EDT

[#7]

I don't know...I ride enduro. If I'm riding her she's going down at some point.

Posted: 7/24/2014 7:50:44 PM EDT

[#8]

There's two kinds of bikes -

Those that have slid down the road,

and those that are about to.

Bolt on some new plastic, and go ride!!!

Posted: 7/24/2014 8:03:16 PM EDT

[#9]

Whoever packed it did it wrong. I would deny the claim if the OP packed that bike.

Posted: 7/24/2014 8:06:52 PM EDT

[#10]

Who thought it was a good idea to use 1 strap & a few sections of 2x4 to hold this in place during a trip overseas?

Posted: 7/24/2014 8:09:22 PM EDT

[#11]

I feel your pain. That's my dream bike and if I ever had the chance to own one I would want it delivered in pristine condition.

Shitty situation

That said, as soon as I got it we would be at the track ripping up tires. If I were in your shoes I'd take a little time to see what I could recover, but I wouldn't start the process over again. I just couldn't wait.

In all practicality, the bike is fine. You'll likely get a check from the shipping company and if I were you I'd put it towards traction control or even track days. The bright side is you're going to get a check for cosmetic blemishes, shit that doesn't even matter, and you can spend it on making the bike fit you better.

Posted: 7/24/2014 8:16:12 PM EDT

[#12]

Quote History

Quoted:
Whoever packed it did it wrong. I would deny the claim if the OP packed that bike.

View Quote

Paid professionals packed it.
All of my other belongings sustained major damages as well. It is all around bad news. There must have been some really bad handling while in transit. They are all mere possessions that can be replaced but the bike significant meaning to me. My head is really hurting over this... Hard to explain without sounding like a little bitch I guess.

Hoping the situation will be made right. It is fully issued through USAA.

Posted: 7/24/2014 8:22:24 PM EDT

[#13]

Quote History

Quoted:
Who thought it was a good idea to use 1 strap & a few sections of 2x4 to hold this in place during a trip overseas?

View Quote

I think there was a total four straps on it. They were firmly in place when they sealed the box. The bike must have become dislodged and slammed into the side of the crate.... Hard enough to blow out the bottom of the crate.

Also, the housing for the instrument cluster is toast... Literally entire panel is floating and only being held by wires. So it went down fairly hard. I think the entire nose might need replaced.

Posted: 7/24/2014 8:37:29 PM EDT

[#14]

Quote History

Quoted:
I can understand why you freaked out when you saw it, but it's just replacing fairings and repaintimg the scuffed metal. All my bikes were beater though

View Quote

I'd be more pissed about how incompetently the shipper crated the bike!

I would safely say that your bike was not their first screw-up and not their last.

Posted: 7/24/2014 9:28:44 PM EDT

[#15]

OP, I do hunk you're overreacting about never owning a bike that has been dropped.

That being said, they fucked you over with that one. Make sure you've read up on all the fine print, because that determines what happens. Might be worth stressing how indications lead you to believe major damage happened to this custom ordered bike....but then again, I've seen guys with custom cruisers be told they're SOL on insurance claims because they couldn't quantify and itemize the nature of the customization with full and binding legal documentation.

Good luck.

ETA: due to circumstances I had to trailer a scooter of mine for a move. That SOB was tied down tighter than your bike, and still shuffled around. Whoever packed that box must've been an EEO hire.

Posted: 7/24/2014 9:52:25 PM EDT

[#16]

You're over reacting quite a bit, and your whole thing about not owning a bike that's been dropped is kinda rediculous. That said you will have to use the company more than likely. They will only pay out up to a point and if they really fucked your shit up then you better submit your claim in the move.mil system in 90 days from receipt of HHG. They will lowball you, and if the damages go above $20k I believe you have to hire a lawyer....and then you have to figure out if it is really worth it financially.

The movers did $4k in cosmetic damages to my bike when I PCSed from Bragg to CA, they paid me and I boughten big bore kit and some cosmetic items. I can tell you right now with 100% certainty they will not total the bike and give it a salvage title or take it. It's yours to deal with, they just pay you the amount quoted by their adjuster. You can get your own quote and rebuttal their adjusters if need be.

Posted: 7/25/2014 4:25:17 AM EDT

[#17]

Yeah I can't blame you for being pissed...If i had paid a lot of money to have the best I'd be sore if someone was careless with it as well

Posted: 7/25/2014 7:18:07 AM EDT

[#18]

The bike is fine, so repair and ride! Plus, the first drop is out of the way. I know race guys who lay their bike over before the first race, to appease the bike drop gods!

However, even cosmetic scratches on most bike frames will total it with insurance, simply because of the labor involved in repairing it.

Posted: 7/25/2014 8:36:51 AM EDT

[#19]

Quote History

Quoted:
Interesting, I've never bought a bike that hasn't been down.

View Quote

I've put a bunch of them down over the past 35 years...

My interesting tid bit? I've never owned a bike bigger than 950cc...
Might need to go shopping

...except I'm test driving a 2014 Tacoma tomorrow...

Sorry about the damage OP...let them pay for the repair by at a good shop and ride on. What about extra cash for loss value?

Posted: 7/25/2014 10:11:29 AM EDT

[#20]

Quote History

Quoted:

Whoever packed it did it wrong. I would deny the claim if the OP packed that bike.

View Quote

Posted: 7/25/2014 11:50:49 AM EDT

[#21]

Thanks for the input guys! I have a long road ahead to try and get this resolved.

I will try to post pictures of some of the damages later.

Posted: 7/25/2014 11:51:36 AM EDT

[#22]

It's cosmetic and can be fixed on their dime. The downside is that it's brand new and you're not getting what you paid for.

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Posted: 7/25/2014 1:37:19 PM EDT

[#23]

The guys that rode it after you left it with them forgot to tie it back down after they rode it.

Posted: 7/26/2014 1:15:15 AM EDT

[#24]

there is a reason the factory ships bikes like this

Posted: 7/26/2014 5:51:10 AM EDT

[#25]

OP, I can feel your pain. Going to the Munich HQ to choose the bike is pretty hard core. Did you go through the museum while there?

Good news is your bike is relatively new, and parts will be easy to source.

The only bikes I buy these days are "barn finds" in immaculate condition/low mileage. But being older, the parts are not usually available brand new. So you got that going in your favor.

Good luck on the situation

Posted: 7/26/2014 5:58:10 AM EDT

[#26]

I've had every bike I ever shipped via military movers damaged. I usually just fixed the damage myself if it was minor. In your case the insurance will do their thing, but you won't be getting a new bike, even if they have to replace the frame...

Posted: 7/26/2014 8:00:05 AM EDT

[#27]

Quote History

Quoted:
There's two kinds of bikes -

Those that have slid down the road,

and those that are about to.

Bolt on some new plastic, and go ride!!!

View Quote

yup. if you havent been down, you arent riding hard enough.

Posted: 7/26/2014 8:20:26 AM EDT

[#28]

If this was a random used bike I would agree with some of the people here and say screw it just get it fixed and ride it. As this is a brand new bike, I would take the shipped to task on whatever can be done. No settling. Selling cars I know the excitement of getting exactly what you wanted or ordering a car to your exact specs and waiting for it to show up. I also know that even when it is fixed you are always going to have that image of the bike laying on its side in your brain. I would fight as hard as i could for a new one. Now that you are back in the states there has to be a bunch of those bikes at dealers. Good luck in getting some satisfaction from this event.

Posted: 7/26/2014 1:32:25 PM EDT

[#29]

Authorized motorcycle dealers have strict standards for determining if a bike can be fixed, or if it is totaled.

A certified BMW mechanic is the only person capable, or authorized, to determine the extent of the damage to your bike.

Most manufacturers will total a bike with a damaged frame. Their liability for your safety demands this approach.

If a certified mechanic deems the bike repairable, then it is!

You don't have to do any thinking, or worrying here. It either can be fixed, and will be, or it can't. Until you have an agent of BMW inspect the bike, you have no idea of the severity of the condition of the bike. They're designed to be serviced and repaired. They are also designed to take a hell of a pounding in the real world where they operate.

I suspect this will all turn out fine. I do, however, get why you'd be upset in the interim.

Posted: 7/26/2014 6:37:44 PM EDT

[#30]

Quote History

Quoted:
Interesting, I've never bought a bike that hasn't been down.

View Quote

I have, but they usually don't stay that way

Posted: 7/26/2014 6:48:43 PM EDT

[#31]

With the frame scratched and all of the other damage they'll probably total the bike. That's on the assumption they are 3rd party insured not self.

Did you have collision and comp on the bike? Frames, cases, body, etc. are all very expensive. If you do have full coverage it'll be totaled. They don't refinish frames, at least none that I've ever seen on insurance claims.

Posted: 7/27/2014 3:29:10 AM EDT

[#32]

I'm in the camp of not caring if a bike's been dropped. To me it's not a big deal, if something's not mechanically sound I'll fix it. If it's cosmetic, I don't care. I'm in it for the riding experience, not what I look while doing it.

Posted: 7/27/2014 5:56:04 AM EDT

[#33]

Quote History

Quoted:
I'm in the camp of not caring if a bike's been dropped. To me it's not a big deal, if something's not mechanically sound I'll fix it. If it's cosmetic, I don't care. I'm in it for the riding experience, not what I look while doing it.

View Quote

I agree, up to the point where the frame has damage. Even if it's only cosmetic damage, that frame will cost him money down the road at resale time. Why should he eat that on so ething he didn't even do?

On a bike that new and valuable, a scratched frame is probably a totaled bike. If he shrugs his shoulders and accepts it, he is taking it on the chin on value.

Posted: 7/27/2014 7:56:34 AM EDT

[#34]

Quote History

Quoted:
On a bike that new and valuable, a scratched frame is probably a totaled bike. If he shrugs his shoulders and accepts it, he is taking it on the chin on value.

View Quote

True. I've never looked at it that way. I don't sell anything until the resale value has reached scrap level myself. If you're doing it as an investment, that's a totally different thing.

Posted: 7/27/2014 12:31:25 PM EDT

[#35]

Quote History

Quoted:
I agree, up to the point where the frame has damage. Even if it's only cosmetic damage, that frame will cost him money down the road at resale time. Why should he eat that on so ething he didn't even do?

On a bike that new and valuable, a scratched frame is probably a totaled bike. If he shrugs his shoulders and accepts it, he is taking it on the chin on value.

View Quote View All Quotes

View All Quotes

Quote History

Quoted:

Quoted:

I'm in the camp of not caring if a bike's been dropped. To me it's not a big deal, if something's not mechanically sound I'll fix it. If it's cosmetic, I don't care. I'm in it for the riding experience, not what I look while doing it.

I agree, up to the point where the frame has damage. Even if it's only cosmetic damage, that frame will cost him money down the road at resale time. Why should he eat that on so ething he didn't even do?

On a bike that new and valuable, a scratched frame is probably a totaled bike. If he shrugs his shoulders and accepts it, he is taking it on the chin on value.

You're not understanding how this sort of a claim works. They cannot "total" a bike for a military move, it's not an auto insurance thing it's done as a property damage claim. The moving company will have to foot the bill for all parts that the estimator deems needing to be replaced.

Case in point, my bike is a 93 sportster. When the movers damaged it I submitted my claim for damaged goods in move.mil. They sent out an adjuster who took pics and noted all the damages not listed on the pre-ship inventory inspection sheet. A week later I had an email with an itemized list of all the parts they were paying for and their values as well as the labor rate factored in. The amount of damage done to the bike, even cosmetic, would have normally totaled the bike through an auto insurer.

In his case if the frame is shot they would be paying for a replacement frame, and all the labor to put the bike back together. So long as he gets a quote from a BMW dealership, which is well within his rights, and they deem something to need to be replaced the moving company will likely pay up for it even if the adjuster they send out (which BTW mine did mostly estimates on RV's and boats, not bikes) says something is G2G but the dealership says no it's not safe you have a higher than likely chance of them caving in and footing the bill. Basically he's in the best situation possible right now and has the moving company by the balls. But like I mentioned in my last post the military will only cover full replacement value up to a certain point. Once it gets beyond that if he wants the money he will have to sue the moving company in civilian courts. That's where you have to determine if it's worth the time, money, and hassle of going through the courts for the extra amount. My PCS where they damaged my bike I ended up getting a check for ~$18K for all the damages they did to not only my bike but also our furniture and lost HHG. In the end I came out on top, but it was a real bitch to deal with.

Posted: 7/27/2014 2:04:04 PM EDT

[#36]

^ and that sucks! but that scratched frame would be a deal breaker for me! I'd pursue it.

But damn.....that sucks!

Posted: 7/27/2014 2:20:14 PM EDT

[#37]

Anything can be fixed, but it does not seem like that is the point. Would you feel differently if you had crashed? Would you feel differently if a tree fell on it in your driveway? Would you feel differently if it got damaged while parked out in public?

Posted: 7/27/2014 3:48:38 PM EDT

[#38]

Quote History

Quoted:
Anything can be fixed, but it does not seem like that is the point. Would you feel differently if you had crashed? Would you feel differently if a tree fell on it in your driveway? Would you feel differently if it got damaged while parked out in public?

View Quote

Again, I appreciate everyones comments. The fact is that I did not drop the bike...and I know the organization that is responsible for doing it. I will work on my expectation management I suppose as I begin a making this situation right. (plus the time and money I will put into making this right).

I had been planning to take the bike on the track but that was not the purpose overall. I wanted my own "show bike" that I could enjoy.

Working on posting pics... probably not as bad that I have made it out to be, but the bike will no longer be all original.

Posted: 7/27/2014 4:01:44 PM EDT

[#39]

A lot of the cosmetic damage was caused by the narrow nails used to put the crate together. The plastic stuff will be easy to replace but I am not sure what route they will use for the metal stuff. Also, the instrument cluster is loose and has pieces broken. This also resulted in windshield damage. The headlight is also damages but it is hard to see in the picture. The bike does not sound right during startup either.

I have before pictures showing that the bike was totally clean.

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USAA is offering some assistance but they want to see if the moving company will make the situation right before they get involved. I expect this ordeal to last a year or so...I have another permanent move at the end of the year :-/

Posted: 7/27/2014 4:48:37 PM EDT

[#40]

Wow yeah you got them by the balls with FRV (full replacement value). How much of your HHG did they mess up aside form the bike? If I were you I'd be proactive and get BMW to look the bike over before their adjuster comes out so you can give that guy a copy. Their labor rates will always be higher, and parts will always be new. The adjusters like to try to put used parts on for repairs to lower their costs, but in this case I'd be going for blood so to speak.

I know I sound like a broken record, but you have submitted your claim for review in move.mil right? If not you need to do that ASAP or you will lose out on the FRV and will get depreciated value claims. As someone who's been down this road and almost got fucked over I know how much this sucks. My PCS where they moved my bike virtually everything they packed was damaged, missing, or broken. 80% of my inventory sheet was on my claim for one or more things. As pissed as we were about it, like I said, we ended up coming out ahead. Never doing another military move for CONUS PCS, OCONUS you have no other option but if that happens we're putting our nice stuff in storage and traveling light.

When they do come back with their settlement offer they'll lowball the fuck out of you, reject it and up amounts by 15-20%, they'll usually not contest that at all. I've seen people get 35-45% more than their first offer by fighting with them over it for a few months. It's all how much time and effort you want to put into it.

Posted: 7/27/2014 5:51:47 PM EDT

[#41]

I am trying to have the bike towed to a BMW dealer in St Louis (almost 2 hours away). They are the only authorized people to work on it around here. USAA said they will try to coordinate a courtesy tow. Also, I have already submitted a claim through move.mil. Shipment came Wednesday and claim was filed by the end of Thursday. I annotated almost everything while the movers were here and claimed it "AT" the time of the move. Apparently that is a big deal also.

My wooden dinning room set has a lot of gouging through out it (about a $900 set). My TV stand has gouging and was missing hardware ($400). My couch had a little wear. I claimed it but I do not expect much.

Exhibit 1:

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[ARCHIVED THREAD] - Thoughts on once dropped bikes

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