My First Wreck-Where Do We Go From Here?

[RuskiMotorcycle]

Hey All!

A few months ago y'all were very kind in welcoming me and giving me advice on how to handle my new FZ6. Unfortunately, it's now half of an FZ6.

The skinny of it is a pedestrian ran out in front me crossing a five lane road, and I was met with the classic "squirrel crossing the road" situation (except it was a human and not a squirrel), where there was a pause, a stutter, and a finished streak across the road, and it ended up with me wrecking the bike. I made peace with the situation, and now it's time to look forward.

The question is-What do I do next? I'm waiting on the quote from the repair shop, but I already know it's going to be an extremely expensive fix. Do I convert it to a streetfighter? (<--Will I regret this?). Do I scrap it and just sell it "as-is"? Do I pour money into it? Do I take it apart, piece by piece, and try to sell it like that?

I really loved the bike, and it was in gorgeous condition. It's sad to see it go, but I also need to be level-headed about what the most financial prudent and efficient decision is.

Things to keep in mind
-Right side is torn up. Fairings are done, fork is probably bent, tank is beat (but not punctured), lever is missing, lights are hanging, etc etc.
-I'm limited on funds (this is my BIGGEST hurdle)
-Bike has 23K miles, BUT has had one owner for nearly its entire life who serviced it every 3-4K miles. When I say there wasn't a scratch on it, there really wasn't.
-I'm relatively new that this, not a gear-head or a mechanic by any stretch of the imagination.

I'm not asking for charity or for someone to hold my hand or to spoon feed me (though if you want to do any of these 3, I wouldn't say no ). What I really want to know, from your wisdom and experience is, what is the most sensible decision, and why?


Thanks,
-Denis

 

[bpchura]

I took a pretty hard crash about 9 months ago. Totally destroyed front end plastic, radiator, tank, bars, lights, ect. I ended up sourcing all parts from here on this forum. A fairing here, headlight there, tank, ect.. It was all used and slightly scratched but was together. I got it all for like ~$400 when it should have been $1000+.
If your frame is straight and engine isnt destoryed, check around on here and ebay for used parts. Thats just my thought! Good luck and sorry to hear about your crash!

 

[MrMogensen]

If you are quite new to fiddling with cars or bikes (mechanical/electrical), I think you might end up banging your head against the wall if you want to fix it yourself... Especially if you have to look for parts for a longer period of time.
... If your engine and frame is in good condition then that is at least worth something!

 

[RuskiMotorcycle]

When you say "frame is in good condition", what exactly does that entail? It does have a few nicks in it, but it's not cracked or bent. Thoughts?

 

[MrMogensen]

When you say "frame is in good condition", what exactly does that entail? It does have a few nicks in it, but it's not cracked or bent. Thoughts?

Can you live with the few nicks in it? If yes then I guess you could keep engine and frame and buildup from there...

If you ask me, then I'd say that compared to most (if not all) of it's similar priced rivals (from those years back) this frame is almost a piece of art.
I'd be devastated if the frame had a serious scratch at a visible spot.

 

[FinalImpact]

As these cast aluminum frames and the engine is structural part of the frame, any cracks or chunks torn out tends to total the bike. Surface scratches can do this too. As for keeping, if its not deeper gouge, you can rebuild it. Its just time and materials.
They are easy to work on so there is that. If your Ins Co totals it, it will have branded title and resale value will be way less. So, you have to choose to claim and loose deductible vs just fixing it.

Post some pictures of the frame blemishes...

Good Luck! Glad you are OK!

 

[RuskiMotorcycle]

Can you live with the few nicks in it? If yes then I guess you could keep engine and frame and buildup from there...

If you ask me, then I'd say that compared to most (if not all) of it's similar priced rivals (from those years back) this frame is almost a piece of art.
I'd be devastated if the frame had a serious scratch at a visible spot.

I'm sorta devastated already, because the bike and it's condition were already a piece of art. But unfortunately, I can't afford it for it's beauty atm, I have to make the most financial sensible decision. It looks like I'll probably just keep the frame as-is, so long as it's not cracked

 

[RuskiMotorcycle]

If you are quite new to fiddling with cars or bikes (mechanical/electrical), I think you might end up banging your head against the wall if you want to fix it yourself... Especially if you have to look for parts for a longer period of time.
... If your engine and frame is in good condition then that is at least worth something!

I appreciate the advice. If you're okay with it, when/if I do decided to transform it, can I stop by your inbox and ask some advice and some pointers?

 

[lawlberg]

I've got a lot of S1 parts (2006) that I no longer need - just haven't gotten around to selling them yet. (Forks (straight but a seal is leaky), Brakes, Exhaust, Front Fairing/Headlights, and other small things) - If they work for you, and you decide to go down this route then I'll part with them for pretty cheap.

If anything it'll be the catalyst I need to actually post these items for sale and get them out of my house.

 

[MattR302]

Did you have collision insurance?
First off, you'll have to get the frame checked out, if the frame is screwed up, it's toast.


If the frame is still good, You have to ask yourself, either:
A) do you want to get it rideable and reliable, and not care if it looks ratty
B) do you want it to be 100% visually perfect before you ride it again

A shop is going to give you an estimate of what it would cost them to buy all new parts, plus their labor. And it will be pricy. If you did the labor yourself, you could save a decent amount.
If you went with situation A, and could live with things like scratched mirrors, plastics, dented tank, etc., you could probably get it back on the road cheaply, and then keep an eye out for deals on good condition used parts on eBay and the forum. If you can't bear the thought of being seen riding a beater on the road, it's gonna cost you, and you said budget is #1 for you.

 

[TownsendsFJR1300]

+1 on if you have insurance.

From your description, the bikes totaled when you add up new parts AND LABOR.

As noted, if the frame is good, buying used parts and doing ALL the wrenching yourself will save you easily half the cost (the ins co quotes).
Buying good used parts(say stock forks here, would save a BUNCH).


Here's $1400 just in NEW parts with a new main stay, fairing, side pod, tank, CCT cover (from PO):

 

[VEGASRIDER]

Did you have insurance? Did you hit the pedestrian? Are you physically okay? No injuries?

If you decide to get back on the bike, insurance is a must, liability and collision. Wearing proper safety gear will go a long way combined with good medical insurance. Without all three, I advise people not to ride. Just too much risk and not worth it.

 

[Los]

If you need a frame any parts I have a bunch from a donor bike I bought I'm down in houston


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[RuskiMotorcycle]

As these cast aluminum frames and the engine is structural part of the frame, any cracks or chunks torn out tends to total the bike. Surface scratches can do this too. As for keeping, if its not deeper gouge, you can rebuild it. Its just time and materials.
They are easy to work on so there is that. If your Ins Co totals it, it will have branded title and resale value will be way less. So, you have to choose to claim and loose deductible vs just fixing it.

Post some pictures of the frame blemishes...

Good Luck! Glad you are OK!

Thanks for the well wishes! I'm working on getting some pics soon. It went straight from the towing place to the shop, and with my lack of mobility (both because of my leg and because of the lack of a vehicle...) I haven't gotten a good chance to really grab some detailed pics.

 

[RuskiMotorcycle]

If you need a frame any parts I have a bunch from a donor bike I bought I'm down in houston


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I'll keep you posted, thanks!

 

[RuskiMotorcycle]

Did you have insurance? Did you hit the pedestrian? Are you physically okay? No injuries?

If you decide to get back on the bike, insurance is a must, liability and collision. Wearing proper safety gear will go a long way combined with good medical insurance. Without all three, I advise people not to ride. Just too much risk and not worth it.

Physically I'm (overall) okay. A bit beat up and sore, but nothing life threatening or too serious. ATGATT (All The Gear, All The Time). I didn't hit the pedestrian, so that's good too. The tricky bit with insurance is that I was in between switching them. I have the email chain where I'm literally just going to sign up, but I was a few days too late. (long story short-I just moved and lost my credit card, had to keep riding to work but couldn't purchase cause I was waiting on a new card).

I agree though, especially after this experience-Keep rocking the full gear, make sure you're insured!

 

[RuskiMotorcycle]

+1 on if you have insurance.

From your description, the bikes totaled when you add up new parts AND LABOR.

As noted, if the frame is good, buying used parts and doing ALL the wrenching yourself will save you easily half the cost (the ins co quotes).
Buying good used parts(say stock forks here, would save a BUNCH).


Here's $1400 just in NEW parts with a new main stay, fairing, side pod, tank, CCT cover (from PO):

That is a real beauty! I might make the FZ6 a project bike, if my friend lends me her Ninja 300...but then I'd have to leave the forum :ban:

 

[RuskiMotorcycle]

I've got a lot of S1 parts (2006) that I no longer need - just haven't gotten around to selling them yet. (Forks (straight but a seal is leaky), Brakes, Exhaust, Front Fairing/Headlights, and other small things) - If they work for you, and you decide to go down this route then I'll part with them for pretty cheap.

If anything it'll be the catalyst I need to actually post these items for sale and get them out of my house.

As soon as I know, I'll definitely hit you up. Also, I'm a super noob...would an S1's parts be compatible with my bike?

 

[lawlberg]

As soon as I know, I'll definitely hit you up. Also, I'm a super noob...would an S1's parts be compatible with my bike?

What year is your bike? 2007+ is S2, 04-06 is S1

 

[TownsendsFJR1300]

Many parts are interchangeable, many are not.

Dash is different, swingarm, fairing, rear sub frame, header. Front brakes were upgraded in 07.

Post up what you'll need and we can tell you what should fit and not fit..